Application process

[maverick]

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Can someone please explain the application process for me. I am mainly concerned with the secondary part of the application. I plan on applying this summer, but I am taking the MCAT in August. When should I expect to recieve secondaries? Since MCAT scores don't return until October will my secondaries come late (November - December). How do they determine who recieves secondaries? Does it make any difference when I send off my primary application if I won't have MCAT scores until October? Should I reconsider applying this year due to my late MCAT date? Thanks

 

[justwannabadoc]

1. Expect your secondaries 6-8 weeks after sending in your AMCAS/AACOMAS application.

2. Most schools will send you a secondary application regardless of your stats (more income for them).

3. It's better to have everything in as early as possible (including secondaries). This way, your file can be complete at the schools except for your MCAT scores. If you wait till you get your MCAT scores, then you wouldn't be receiving any secondaries until mid to late December. That's late! The only benefit of waiting till you get your scores before sending out your primaries and secondaries is that you save a lot of money if you bomb the MCAT. I suppose you could send in your primaries early and have your secondaries ready to be sent out, depending of course on how you do on the MCAT.

4. It's more difficult to get in, because there are fewer spots available but if you have good credentials, you will still get in with little problems.

[This message has been edited by justwannabadoc (edited June 21, 1999).]

 

[ReneeWB]

Let me just second what the previous poster said about secondaries. 99% of schools will send you secondaries even if they know your numbers don't match their criteria. They want that extra money. If you figure they get at least 1000 apps per year (this figure is really on the low side for a lot of schools), and that they can collect anywhere from $50 to $150 for secondary app fees, that is pretty good revenue for them. My advice is to wait until next year to apply unless you feel very confident in your ability to really do well on the August MCAT. I threw about $500-1000 down the toilet two years ago because I applied to about 20 schools including secondaries prior to receiving my August MCAT scores (which sucked!) Of course this is just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck to you.
Renee

 

[Max]

I was in the same situation last year, taking the Aug MCAT. I recommend applying early regardless. I applied in July and then completed all the secondaries (applied to 6 schools) prior to receiving my scores. When I received my score of 22 (7,7,8) I thought I'd wasted my money and time. But I soon received 4 interviews and got accepted to PCOM, PCSOM, and LECOM. I had a science GPA of 3.7 and an overall of 3.2. Some schools do actually look at more than just numbers. The odds of getting in aren't as bad as most people think, depending on where you want to go of course.