Any tips on applying early decision?

[swineflu]

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I am a New Jersey resident and I am planning on applying to Robert Wood Johnson (state med school).

So I should take my MCAT in April (is May too late?).. and get my LORs by.... July? I should complete my AMCAS application by August 15th...

When do the secondaries come out for early decision programs? When do I complete these? By August 15th?

anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks!

 

[Confused2626]

Don't apply ED. It is a lose-win situation, lose for you, win for the school.

If the school decides not to accept you, you wont be able to apply until late September which basically eliminates any other chance for acceptance into an American med school.

 

[bannie22]

hi. i am confused as to why the school and not me benefits if i apply early decision.


wouldnt that give me two shots at it.
and if i am rejected the first time i still have the option of applying to other schools right?

 

[bannie22]

an on the side, can someone teach me how to set my account so that i receive emails whenever soemone replies to a thread that i posted in?

sorry i couldnt figure out how to do it under teh account settings

 

[swineflu]

Don't apply ED. It is a lose-win situation, lose for you, win for the school.

If the school decides not to accept you, you wont be able to apply until late September which basically eliminates any other chance for acceptance into an American med school.

Hmm so don't apply ED at all? Well, RWJMS is my first choice.. and I think I am pretty competitive for that school.

Also it accepts students on a rolling admissions basis. So you think I should rather apply "early" (apart from EDP) to increase my chances?

 

[Rzarecta]

Hmm so don't apply ED at all? Well, RWJMS is my first choice.. and I think I am pretty competitive for that school.

Also it accepts students on a rolling admissions basis. So you think I should rather apply "early" (apart from EDP) to increase my chances?

Yes, applying early is the best strategy for rolling admissions.

 

[swineflu]

alright thanks, guys! I will just apply "early."
screw EDPs!

 

[muscg6]

i guess i'm a little confused about early decision vs. "early" ... if you apply early decision to a school, can you not apply anywhere else until you hear back from them?

 

[RapplixGmed]

i guess i'm a little confused about early decision vs. "early" ... if you apply early decision to a school, can you not apply anywhere else until you hear back from them?

That is correct. If you apply ED, you cannot have active applications at any other medical school (they can check), in return, the school you apply to promises to give you a definitive answer (accept, reject, or defer to regular applicant pool) by October 15th.

However, if you get rejected or defered at your ED school, you are starting your app at the other schools relatively late in the process. Applying ED also gives you only a minimal advantage. Thus, it is advisable to apply ED only if that is the only school you would ever consider attending for whatever reason.

Applying very early gives you pretty much the same advantage even though the schools technically cannot tell you if you've been accepted until after October 15th. At one school I interviewed at, I got a phone call before the 15th saying basically *hint hint* you've been accepted but we can't really use that word yet but you should expect a happy letter next week!

 

[stayclassy]

Yeah applying early decision is the worst idea ever. Worse than drinking bleach. Just apply early and you'll still have a good chance, and you'll have an actual chance at other schools too.

 

[swineflu]

Yeah applying early decision is the worst idea ever. Worse than drinking bleach. Just apply early and you'll still have a good chance, and you'll have an actual chance at other schools too.

gahhhhh can't even imagine drinking bleach

that was pretty funny, tho

 

[ronaldo23]

does getting rejected early decision negatively affect your chances if you reapply there?

I was planning on waiting till the end of my senior year to apply to schools(i'm a rising senior now), to get my science GPA up. But at the same time I know my top choice school- would it be a good idea to apply early decision there, since even if I don't get in, I wasn't planning on applying to other schools this cycle?

 

[Pillowfight]

I am so confused now :|
Don't you increase your chances of getting into a university if you apply early decision???? What is the difference between early decision and action?