Apply in 2018 Cycle or Gap Year

[punnetsquare]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[Saifa]

Score 509+ on the MCAT, meanwhile assembling the entirety of your application (personal statement, getting LORs, LOR committee, etc.), get all this done in time and you still have zero volunteering or service to the less fortunate to speak of, I think it's in your best interest to take the year.

edit: you are talking about applying this Summer, right? To enter in 2018?

 

[punnetsquare]

Score 509+ on the MCAT, meanwhile assembling the entirety of your application (personal statement, getting LORs, LOR committee, etc.), get all this done in time and you still have zero volunteering or service to the less fortunate to speak of, I think it's in your best interest to take the year.

edit: you are talking about applying this Summer, right? To enter in 2018?

No not this cycle! I'd be entering in 2019...so I'd have one year to all of the things you listed.

 

[Saifa]

No not this cycle! I'd be entering in 2019...so I'd have one year to all of the things you listed.

Yeah just don't drop the ball on the MCAT and get your service experiences and you should be fine, that's plenty of time.

 

[DrHart]

Hi Everyone,

So I am a rising junior at a top 20 university (barely) (think Georgetown/Berkeley/Emory).
I am currently stuck in a dilemma about whether to start studying for the MCAT and applying in the 2018 cycle or taking gap year (apply summer of my senior year).

I just need some feedback on if my application will be strong enough.

Currently at a 3.76 cGPA and 3.62 sGPA (finished orgo, physcis, bio, chem, biochem)....it should be improved by this upcoming year's grades (easier science courses). Hoping to and most likely will end around a 3.8 cGPA and 3.7 sGPA just in time for application cycle.

NOT URM

Extracurricular wise:
- Spent last summer in a research lab (no publication), but really great experience.
- Spending this summer in a research lab connected to the medical school of my undergraduate institution. **Really compelling research that i am super passionate about** (should yield an amazing rec)
- Secretary of a national service organization's chapter on campus
- President of my fraternity (IDK IF I SHOULD INCLUDE THIS ON MY APP)
- Hoping to shadow this summer (get in atleast 50 hrs)
- Will volunteer at local hospital this school year.


Please let me know what you all think.

I see good gpa, research, research, club, club.
1 year clinical volunteering is good, 2 is better. Any non-clinical volunteering? Some is better than none.
If your MCAT is competitive for top tier research schools and you want to aim that way, your research may pull some good weight without the need for a gap year. However if your MCAT is normal (508-514), you'll want to look at mid tier schools - which really value volunteering more than research. And even if your stats are good, you might get sunk for too little volunteering.
I'd vote for taking a gap year. Kill the MCAT and have a strong 2 years volunteering (clinical and non). You'll be covered for mid tier schools and (depending on stats) still have a shot at top tier research schools, if thats your thing.
At the end of the day though, its not about "how much" you do but rather, the quality of the experience and what you learn from it.

 

[punnetsquare]

I see good gpa, research, research, club, club.
1 year clinical volunteering is good, 2 is better. Any non-clinical volunteering? Some is better than none.
If your MCAT is competitive for top tier research schools and you want to aim that way, your research may pull some good weight without the need for a gap year. However if your MCAT is normal (508-514), you'll want to look at mid tier schools - which really value volunteering more than research. And even if your stats are good, you might get sunk for too little volunteering.
I'd vote for taking a gap year. Kill the MCAT and have a strong 2 years volunteering (clinical and non). You'll be covered for mid tier schools and (depending on stats) still have a shot at top tier research schools, if thats your thing.
At the end of the day though, its not about "how much" you do but rather, the quality of the experience and what you learn from it.

Thanks a lot for the input! Will definitely take your opinion into account. And to address your question on non-clinical volunteering, the club that i am secretary of is non-clinical volunteering oriented...aka we volunteer our time to go help the community.