Apply junior year or wait?

[NNPham]

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I am debating if I should apply to medical schools my junior year or wait until my senior year. I will probably have a 3.5+ GPA by the time I am done with my junior year. Should I apply my junior year? Does it look bad if I am a re applicant? Should I just wait till my senior year where my GPA could improve to a 3.6+?

 

[Served]

0.1 difference in GPA is quite significant. If you're certain that your GPA is going to improve, I would personally wait until senior.

 

[kk123]

I am debating if I should apply to medical schools my junior year or wait until my senior year. I will probably have a 3.5+ GPA by the time I am done with my junior year. Should I apply my junior year? Does it look bad if I am a re applicant? Should I just wait till my senior year where my GPA could improve to a 3.6+?

The medical schools I have looked at say they prefer applicants with bachelors degrees unless the applicant's academic record and experience are superior to those with a bachelors degree. I think you should wait until your senior year when you have a higher GPA and you will have a bachelors by the time of submitting application.

 

[deleted407021]

@NNPham I suggest you wait as well. Aside from the improved GPA, you will also have more experiences under your belt as well as greater maturity and understanding. There's a lot that extra year could do for you.

 

[Lucca]

Are we at the point yet where most med school matriculants are 1+ yrs out of college?

 

[phunky]

I've never met anyone who regretted taking time off before going to medical school.

 

[deleted407021]

I've never met anyone who regretted taking time off before going to medical school.

+1

Are we at the point yet where most med school matriculants are 1+ yrs out of college?

It seems that that is becoming the norm, based on what many SDNers have stated on numerous occasions.

 

[Lucca]

+1


It seems that that is becoming the norm, based on what many SDNers have stated on numerous occasions.

The average age of the applicant is about 23 which suggests 1+ years out and the average age of the matriculant is 22.3 which means that most people are still K-MD with a rising trend in K-BS/BA + Time off - MD. At my university at least, most premeds are still applying summer of their junior year.

EDIT: I was wrong, the stats I listed are for Texas. Apparently, the average matriculant age ranges from 24-27 depending on ethnicity. If you are interested, Asians and "Mixed Race" applicants are the youngest and Native Americans are the oldest with Hispanics and African Americans falling in between at 25.

Data here.

 

[deleted407021]

The average age of the applicant is about 23 which suggests 1+ years out and the average age of the matriculant is 22.3 which means that most people are still K-MD with a rising trend in K-BS/BA + Time off - MD. At my university at least, most premeds are still applying summer of their junior year.

The same occurs at my UG, however, most of them don't get in the first time, and so they are forced to wait another year. A few advisors are becoming aware of the benefit of taking a gap year and are starting to recommend people take account of their applications to see if it would be a good option. That's a big change from the "you have to apply your junior year!" schtick they've been on.

 

[Lucca]

The same occurs at my UG, however, most of them don't get in the first time, and so they are forced to wait another year. A few advisors are becoming aware of the benefit of taking a gap year and are starting to recommend people take account of their applications to see if it would be a good option. That's a big change from the "you have to apply your junior year!" schtick they've been on.

I've actually amended my original reply. I was wrong. This must be a phenomenon in our states. Does your state have high in-state pref. as well?

 

[phunky]

The average age of the applicant is about 23 which suggests 1+ years out.

Well you have to take into account that the youngest age an applicant could likely be is 20, but the right side of the bell curve could go up to 40+. You'd need the median as well in order to get a clearer picture

 

[deleted407021]

I've actually amended my original reply. I was wrong. This must be a phenomenon in our states. Does your state have high in-state pref. as well?

Very much in the state schools. Emory, I think, is more geared toward recruiting good students, regardless of residence, though I could be wrong.

 

[NNPham]

I would want to wait until senior year to apply but I'm afraid I won't get another chance to apply if I don't make it during senior year.

 

[Lucca]

I would want to wait until senior year to apply but I'm afraid I won't get another chance to apply if I don't make it during senior year.

What do you mean if you dont make it?

 

[stupid9234]

I would want to wait until senior year to apply but I'm afraid I won't get another chance to apply if I don't make it during senior year.

You'll have plenty of chances after senior year?

 

[NNPham]

@Lucca and @stupid9234 like I mean after senior year my GPA and everything will be set, if I don't make it senior year I wouldn't know how I would be able to improve and get in the following year

 

[supermintyfresh]

@Lucca and @stupid9234 like I mean after senior year my GPA and everything will be set, if I don't make it senior year I wouldn't know how I would be able to improve and get in the following year

You can always improve by doing research (ie: getting a publication), additional volunteering (ie: Americorps), and strengthening your clinical experiences -- whichever aspect of your application is weak.

I also suggest taking a gap year and applying the summer of your senior year (I'm assuming that's what you mean?). It's less stress having to juggle classes with applications, and traveling for interviews. Also how far are you on MCAT studying?

I had a similar GPA to you, but I applied during the summer of my junior year and still got in. A 0.1 GPA is somewhat significant, but I think with a 3.5 you still can have a decent shot at mid-tiers as long as your MCAT is decent (ie: 32+), and you have decent ECs. Try posting on "What Are My Chances", to get a better idea.

 

[MrTaco92]

I'm graduating in May and planning on two gap years. I'm already looking forward to them!

 

[NNPham]

@supermintyfresh I am a Texas resident and would like to get into a Texas medical school. I don't know if they frown upon re applicants.

 

[supermintyfresh]

@supermintyfresh I am a Texas resident and would like to get into a Texas medical school. I don't know if they frown upon re applicants.

Try your hardest to do well for the remaining classes you have, MCATs, and ECs. Reapplying to medical schools (including Texas schools) is entirely possible and not frowned upon, especially if the applicant has grown to be more mature, and has a good sense of all the reasons of getting into medicine. I would suggest filling out both the AMCAS and not only the TMDAS, and to cast a wide net of ~20+ schools. Don't view applying as a reapplicant as something you can just fall back on -- try your best now!

 

[lovemango]

@supermintyfresh I am a Texas resident and would like to get into a Texas medical school. I don't know if they frown upon re applicants.

It's an expensive process though and they might not "frown" on re-applicants but you may be at a disadvantage to first-time applicants, especially if you don't show any improvement in the areas you were lacking in the first time around. Ideally, you want to have the best application possible when you do decide to apply, even if it means waiting another year.

 

[NNPham]

@xiwang let's say I end up with a 3.6 GPA the end of my junior year, should I wait till after senior year when my GPA could potentially be a 3.7?

 

[lovemango]

@xiwang let's say I end up with a 3.6 GPA the end of my junior year, should I wait till after senior year when my GPA could potentially be a 3.7?

That's hard to say without knowing your MCAT score.

 

[NNPham]

let's say a 32 MCAT score @xiwang

 

[caffeinemia]

3.6/32 mcat was kinda meh back in my day and is probably more meh today, especially in the context that you're not URM. Still it's not prohibitive... just expect to apply very broadly and to many places.

Done anything cool? saved any albino pygmy giraffes? fled any communists by ricketty boat across the pacific to land in the paradise that is southern california (maybe your parents?) ?

If not, I'd probably take a year or two or three to bolster all of the above.

 

[NNPham]

@caffeinemia I thought those stats are average when it comes to the applicants matriculating

 

[caffeinemia]

Hence it's meh, not prohibitative, but nothing special. If you're comfortable with coin flips then do it.

 

[lovemango]

let's say a 32 MCAT score @xiwang

You should be fine in Texas then, as long as you also have good ECs and don't screw up your interviews, but I would still hold off if you're sure your GPA would increase since a higher GPA can only help. What's the rush? I found taking a year off to be very beneficial - you're not as stressed out traveling to interviews while still juggling classes & maintaining your grades. You can work to save up money or go travel or just relax before you start med school.