Acceptance Rate of Applicants with October Completion

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

supercoiled

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2010
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
How detrimental is completing an application with most schools in October with a solid MCAT score, high GPA, and fairly competitive ECs? When can interview invites be expected, and what's the likelihood of an acceptance this late? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Also interested. I have two secondaries I have yet to submit but is it worth it at this point?
 
OP, bout 350:1

Good luck.

Dance.gif
 
I was complete during the first week in October during the 2006-2007 application cycle. I had 10 interviews, 6 acceptances (including the top ten school that I currently attend as a 4th year student), and three waitlists.

My first interview invite was in late October and I received most of my interview invites during November and December. The med school that I attend invited me for an interview in early January.

I am now going through the residency application process. Also nerve wracking.
 
I would guess that it has more to do with stats than anything.

If you have a super strong application.....do it.

If you have a weaker one or some major red flags....maybe not.

I think that the reason when you apply is attributed to success is that who applies early is not necessarily a random thing. The people who apply early are the people who plan ahead, are driven, and are good with setting their own deadlines and following them.

These also are the same people who are more likely to have a strong application.

If your app is fine and you have the money, then do it. But be prepared to reapply (something you should be prepared to do no matter WHEN you submit your app) which means don't sit around and do nothing for the next 9 months.
 
I would guess that it has more to do with stats than anything.

If you have a super strong application.....do it.

If you have a weaker one or some major red flags....maybe not.

I think that the reason when you apply is attributed to success is that who applies early is not necessarily a random thing. The people who apply early are the people who plan ahead, are driven, and are good with setting their own deadlines and following them.

These also are the same people who are more likely to have a strong application.

If your app is fine and you have the money, then do it. But be prepared to reapply (something you should be prepared to do no matter WHEN you submit your app) which means don't sit around and do nothing for the next 9 months.
I think a lot of people rationalize late applications by invoking these arguments. They definitely are true to some degree but if you thoroughly research mdapps and the school specific threads you'll notice that late completions for many schools = sudden death (michigan and nyu come to mind). It's definitely possible to get in at this point, but it often results in getting in to slightly less desireable schools. It's all about weighing the pros and cons. But yea I agree with all the things you said.
 
it's not as good as being complete in July. i don't think anyone can quantify it any better than that. it really really depends on the school too, wanderer is right.

my lame n=1 story is that i completed my last two secondaries in October last year, and did end up interviewing at one of those places. i did not have a stellar app (stellar in some areas, decidedly mediocre in others)

but it does happen. Cougs is probably right - if you have the money, you should toss your hat in the ring. i still kick myself for not having taken a shot at Mayo last year (although doing so in October would have been stupid)
 
...
 
Last edited:
I was complete in Oct a couple of years ago - received multiple acceptances - including Mich and other top schools. My advice is get your stuff in; don't listen to premeds who haven't even applied; get ready for invites if you have good stats.
Okay, maybe not "sudden death" because after all it's possible that all these schools for which SDN and MDapps seem to indicate that getting in is no longer possible might be due to the fact that the odds after a certain point drop to a very low level that is slightly above zero, but honestly what does your anecdote prove? Very little.
 
Nothing is impossible with rainbows, love, and unicorns!

However, I hear they just killed the last unicorn over in Asia. 😕

Hmmm... you probably should ignore my comments. I'm still in party mode.
 
Thanks everyone! I guess some people have been successful despite being complete in October, I guess it just requires extra patience and some luck.
 
Thanks everyone! I guess some people have been successful despite being complete in October, I guess it just requires extra patience and some luck.

For a very strong applicant there should be no difference. A school is not going to reject (or penalize ) a stellar student the school is interested in just because he/she did not apply in june. After all, there is a "deadline" for a reason. You will not be considered AFTER the deadline. Period.

I would say that a lot of people are successful despite being complete in mid october. It all depends on the credentials.
 
Top