First time posting in this thread. After four years of post-bacc, MCAT prep, EC gathering, a year off to work and get some money, and one poorly funded app season, I am amazed that I am now only four months away from starting medical school at the ripe old age of 35.
With working full-time and running a business, it took me longer than I would have liked to get my primary in but mid/late July isn't horrible, or so I was told. I paid for apps to 10 allopathic and 5 osteopathic schools. It took until the third week of September to get verified.
By then, I was discouraged by seeing all the interview invites everyone had and knowing I still had to get those secondaries done. You think I would have started on those early but I checked out mentally due to some financial issues and family drama. I finished the secondary to my state school and then started a new job and everything about med school took a back seat. I was out of money and out of energy.
In December, I had a heart-to-heart with my retired parents. They were shocked that I didn't have the money for secondaries and upset I hadn't told them. They gave me enough to get several applications completed, and give myself a shot. I picked my top four choices amongst the ones that had deadlines of Jan. 1 or later.
Out of 4 MD and 1 DO completed apps, I was offered two MD interviews. I have one acceptance in hand and I will find out from the second school in a couple of weeks. (My interview was in mid-March.) My state school put me on a pre-interview hold and I was rejected from an OOS school post-secondary. I have been complete at the DO school for over two months and their deadline wasn't until March 1. No word at all from them, which is sad because they were actually my first choice.
The MD school that accepted me - which is also the least expensive school for me and the one closest to where I live now and to my support system - was a reach for me in terms of my MCAT score and GPA. I am shocked I got in considering that I finished the secondary in December. My post-bacc was done at a community college and they say on their website that they prefer that all prereqs be done at a four-year school. My interview was in February. I am only pointing this out to encourage anyone who is worried that is "too late" for them or who has insecurity about their app like I did.
Could I have had more interviews and more choices if I applied early? Probably. But all it takes is one acceptance. But please take my story as the way not to do it. It was nerve wracking as heck.
Yeah! 
