Apply as a Junior or when graduated?

[Bnmakr1]

I'm going to be graduating April 2012. Do I apply to medical schools in 2011 while I'm still a junior or should I graduate then apply after April 2012?
Can you matriculate even though you haven't graduated yet?
Do having a degree increase your chances?

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[rhesuspieces]

Wait, why can't you apply in the summer between your junior and senior years? i.e. next summer. You can definitely be accepted before you've graduated, but you can't matriculate if you don't graduate.

Your chances without a degree are basically zero. Though some schools don't actually require an undergraduate degree, people without one are rarely accepted and if they are it is usually due to extraordinary circumstances. Graduate, then take a year off.

 

[Catalystik]

Whether you apply summer 2011 or summer 2012 depends on if your ECs, GPAs, and MCAT score are as competitive as they need to be to make an acceptance fairly likely.

 

[the duck]

As people have said, you can't apply as a junior. You either apply in the summer after your junior year, or any year after that until you die. If you have competitive ECs, MCAT and GPA you should apply the summer before your senior year. If, however, your app needs improvement in any area, you can wait until the end of your senior year to apply. Adcoms won't favor you one way or the other solely based on when you applied.