Application Timeline/MCAT Timing

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dedicated2be

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Hi, I have seen some of the other threads related to my question but the answers are a little all over the place or from 2009. So here it is: I hope to apply this 2012/13 cycle in June. Will be taking MCAT in Aug (hopefully ready to go by then) and thus getting scores in Sept. How behind am I really going to be? Will I still have a shot at interviews at places like Western/LECOM/PCOM/UMNDJ?

I have about a 3.68 CGPA and 3.4/3.5 SGPA. ECs include 2 years of research in Psychology and Biology (Honors for Bio research along with 2 poster presentations for both). Shadowed both MD and DO, have lots of clinical and leadership through a clinical care program at local hospital. President of AMSA club and member of some others. A few other good ECs as well. Also, with these types of stats, what MCAT score will put me in a comfortable spot? Thank you!
 
I wouldn't worry about it. You should be just fine. I submitted my DO apps late October/early November and got interviews, so being complete in Sept will not put you far behind at all. With your stats and ECs, you should have no problem. I would shoot for 27-28 or higher as the avg MCAT is about 27. Good luck!
 
NeuroLAX said:
I wouldn't worry about it. You should be just fine. I submitted my DO apps late October/early November and got interviews, so being complete in Sept will not put you far behind at all. With your stats and ECs, you should have no problem. I would shoot for 27-28 or higher as the avg MCAT is about 27. Good luck!
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Thank you for your reply. Do you mind sharing your stats to give me an idea? Also, did you receive interviews at any of the above listed schools? Thank you again!
 
You'll be a tad on the late-end... but your GPA is decent and your ECs seem good enough to get you some interviews. You might want to consider sending your primary in early just so you don't have to wait another 1-2 weeks after receiving your MCAT score for it to be verified.
 
dedicated2be said:
Thank you for your reply. Do you mind sharing your stats to give me an idea? Also, did you receive interviews at any of the above listed schools? Thank you again!
Click to expand...

I'll PM you with details. Short answer to the bold text is yes.
 
Iliketoytles said:
You'll be a tad on the late-end... but your GPA is decent and your ECs seem good enough to get you some interviews. You might want to consider sending your primary in early just so you don't have to wait another 1-2 weeks after receiving your MCAT score for it to be verified.
Click to expand...

I am planning on applying in June, and will hopefully have everything ready to go except for MCAT part. So I suppose I will get verified but wont be considered complete till they get my score...?
 
Iliketoytles said:
You'll be a tad on the late-end... but your GPA is decent and your ECs seem good enough to get you some interviews. You might want to consider sending your primary in early just so you don't have to wait another 1-2 weeks after receiving your MCAT score for it to be verified.
Click to expand...

I think OP plans on applying in June? Just waiting for MCAT scores in September.
 
Get everything filled out on your primary and get it verified so that the instant you get your scores (assuming they aren't utterly disqualifying) you'll be ready to submit it to the schools. Also make sure you get all your letters of recommendation on interfolio.

You won't be at any disadvantage if you do your secondaries as soon as you get them and submit all your letters to the schools right away.

I wouldn't stress about applying in Sept/Oct. D.O. schools have a longer cycle than M.D. schools so there are still plenty of slots as late as the April/May interviews. You'll probably get interviews in December.
 
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OP your plan and mine are virtually identical for this year. We are both coming in with fairly decent GPAs and decent ECs. Yes, submit your primary in June which will give the longest components of your application time to get verified (almost verbatim from a strong health careers advisor team who are a PA and MD, we're lucky on my campus). Once your MCAT scores are available your profile will be complete within days, not months if you wait. If you are undecided, as iliketoytles has mentioned before apply to only one school on the AMCAS and one on the AACOMAS if you're submitting the AMCAS. Good luck and here's to our both being successful this round.
 
Thank you all for your responses! Another question: if I have my letters on interfolio, do I submit them with the primary? Or are LORS only submitted once you are sent a secondary? I am also planning on submitting BOTH a committee letter and individual LORs, because I feel like some of the individual letters may showcase me in a different way and be advantageous. Will this be a bad idea in any way, or ok to do?
 
dedicated2be said:
Thank you all for your responses! Another question: if I have my letters on interfolio, do I submit them with the primary? Or are LORS only submitted once you are sent a secondary? I am also planning on submitting BOTH a committee letter and individual LORs, because I feel like some of the individual letters may showcase me in a different way and be advantageous. Will this be a bad idea in any way, or ok to do?
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I would personally submit your letters to the committee, let them review them and then send both the committee letter and LORs together. Just my .02. Btw, your letters aren't sent until your secondary application is sent in most cases. 🙂
 
This is what I was planning, and sounds good. Just one concern--I do not want the committee to look at my individual LORs and use them to the extent that when the individual LORs come in all of it sounds repetitive. But I guess since I can't see the committee not individual LORs I really wont know...
 
* cant' see individual nor committee letters so I wont really know
 
This is usually not done, without direct quotations noted. The committee (depending on the strength) will do their best to highlight those areas not already covered in letters, summarize letters, etc. They write their own letter. At my campus, we actually end up doing a mock interview which also is included in the letter as well and the committee members try to get to know us as students. Hope this helps.
 
Good to know. My "commitee" is actually one professor, the head of the biology department. But she asks for all of our LORs and then writes the letter, and also does a mini interview with us to get some more info. I have had her for multiple classes so hopefully that will all help. Thanks again :-D
 
I'm in a similar situation! I'm taking the MCATS again June 21st I believe and my first score was....horrible. I want to send my application June 1st but I'm really confused as to if admissions will even look at it. So I can send my application in with my transcripts, personal statement, LOR June 1st? And after our scores come out, send immediately in July? But sending it on June 1st will only verify your grades? Should we just apply to one school first for verification?

Also, I'm still in school in my last quarter. The quarter ends June 16 and grades aren't on transcripts until a week after I believe. Can I just send it with my grades without my Spring Quarter grades and one those grades come, update my application? Can I just say those classes are in progress? And are we allowed to start sending in our transcripts when the application opens in May?

Sorry! A lotta questions..cause I'm so confused!
Thank you!
 
szetok said:
I'm in a similar situation! I'm taking the MCATS again June 21st I believe and my first score was....horrible. I want to send my application June 1st but I'm really confused as to if admissions will even look at it. So I can send my application in with my transcripts, personal statement, LOR June 1st? And after our scores come out, send immediately in July? But sending it on June 1st will only verify your grades? Should we just apply to one school first for verification?

Also, I'm still in school in my last quarter. The quarter ends June 16 and grades aren't on transcripts until a week after I believe. Can I just send it with my grades without my Spring Quarter grades and one those grades come, update my application? Can I just say those classes are in progress? And are we allowed to start sending in our transcripts when the application opens in May?

Sorry! A lotta questions..cause I'm so confused!
Thank you!
Click to expand...
I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability and am sure others will chime in as well. First, your primary is the only thing that we're currently talking about (AACOMAS or AMCAS) completing in June prior to MCAT score release. You will not be sending your LORs until your secondary applications. Yes, your MCAT scores will be updated to your AACOMAS/AMCAS and then the schools that received your application after it is verified will receive the update as well. The primary takes time to verify your work experience, transcripts, etc which is why this works (somewhat not as ideal as being all complete in June as far as MCAT scores go). You can also just apply to one school and add more schools later on, and your primary will still get verified as much as possible. Then after receiving your MCAT score you can update the primary with additional schools that you want to apply to.

Ok on the other questions that you asked, those I will defer to someone that has already completed the primary in a previous cycle as I'm not as confident with answering those questions. Good luck.
 
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