Apply early?

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ryandote

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Yes.

I've noticed quite a few new members recently, and I would like to re-iterate from personal experience how important it is to apply early. I was very lucky to be accepted to one of my very top choices. I was also very lucky to receive quite a few interviews.. but I applied very broadly. I think I would have been accepted to more schools if I had been in the running earlier. I was just getting "complete" at some schools in late November when other applicants were already being accepted.

One other thought... in the past, schools have known that there would be a big crop of students applying with their August MCAT scores (picture a bi-modal distribution on a graph). With the new testing possibilities (every month?) there will be a continuous flow of applicants, probably diminishing as the season progresses. If you find yourself taking the MCAT this August, it may very well be much worse for you than it was for us last year.

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Yes.

I've noticed quite a few new members recently, and I would like to re-iterate from personal experience how important it is to apply early. I was very lucky to be accepted to one of my very top choices. I was also very lucky to receive quite a few interviews.. but I applied very broadly. I think I would have been accepted to more schools if I had been in the running earlier. I was just getting "complete" at some schools in late November when other applicants were already being accepted.

One other thought... in the past, schools have known that there would be a big crop of students applying with their August MCAT scores (picture a bi-modal distribution on a graph). With the new testing possibilities (every month?) there will be a continuous flow of applicants, probably diminishing as the season progresses. If you find yourself taking the MCAT this August, it may very well be much worse for you than it was for us last year.

I have no doubt it will be worse. It's possible to have taken the MCAT 3 times this year, so it's much more important to get your best score earlier.
 
True. When the DAT was computerized the schools saw more applicants apply earlier compared to when the DAT was on paper. My adviser says schools are anticipating the same thing with the MCAT CBT.

However, much more freedom exists in when you take the DAT compared to the 22 administrations of the MCAT and so the past won't predict this season exactly.
 
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i think it will a lot for mediocre applicants like me. Any app past mid July = serious trouble
 
is this "late"...?

in my situation, i'll submit my ps and all the amcas jazz w/in the next couple of weeks but won't have my mcat scores back until late august. almost everybody i talked to advised me to do it this way so my application is in early but i really don't see how that helps much when the file isn't complete w/ mcat scores...
 
is this "late"...?

in my situation, i'll submit my ps and all the amcas jazz w/in the next couple of weeks but won't have my mcat scores back until late august. almost everybody i talked to advised me to do it this way so my application is in early but i really don't see how that helps much when the file isn't complete w/ mcat scores...

Most schools send out secondaries pre-August MCAT scores, so you definitely want to submit early regardless. You don't want to be scrambling in the fall filling out secondaries, especially if you're applying broadly--someone last year (if memory serves me correctly) received over ten secondaries due within a two-week span, while he or she was a full-time student. No fun. Hope this helps!
 
i have decided that if i am unhappy with my mcat scores (get them on june 13th) that i will wait until next year to apply and take the mcat in april '08. as a reapplicant i definitely understand the importance of applying early. interviews in february and march are not a good thing. i will not make the mistake again of applying in the fall.
 
is this "late"...?

in my situation, i'll submit my ps and all the amcas jazz w/in the next couple of weeks but won't have my mcat scores back until late august. almost everybody i talked to advised me to do it this way so my application is in early but i really don't see how that helps much when the file isn't complete w/ mcat scores...

Sure, it's definitely better to have everything in as quick as you can. Let me warn you, though, that much of your "early application" advantage dissipates if they are waiting on your MCAT scores. I applied to quite a few schools last year, and very few even looked at my file before they got those scores. I had everything in by mid-July, but I had to wait until Oct 16 (?) for AMCAS to release my new MCAT score, then I had to wait a week (?) for that score to be "verified," and then I was finally complete... which meant I could get in the back of the line to be reviewed.

Don't get too crazy! I'd say anything before the start to mid August is just fine, though I wouldn't push past that.

Differing opinion here: The old August MCAT was nice for those of us who didn't have the gumption to take it during April finals. This year, people who didn't want to take the MCAT during finals will have already had a date or two. I'm just saying...
 
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