Apply now or a year later.

[Jalby]

This is for a friend who PMed me asking for advice. He's not listenening to me, so you guys give your opinions.

He graduated from Dartmouth with a 2.8 GPA, no upward or downward trend. He didn't apply to school at the time (1996). He then decided a year ago that he wanted to be a doctor, so he went to UCLA to get an advanced degree in physio. He has taken 5 classes so far, and gotton strait A's. He obtained a 34 MCAT (11V, 11B, 12P). He has also published 4 research papers in the past year. His clinical stuff is pretty good. I forgot what it was, but he is in there with the surgeons.

So my question is this. He wants to apply right now to 40 schools and hopefully get in. I think if he waited a year to apply, he will get a lot more good grades (9 more classes). But not much else will chance. What do you guys think.

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[Mudd]

One thing he has working against him either way is that the class will fall into his post-bach GPA. The 2.8 cannot be hidden, but hopefully offset. Not every school looks closely enough to distinguish a 5-course 4.0 from a 14-course 4.0, so waiting may not do that much for him (unless they've changed the way the transmittal notification appears).

If the random indicators are correct, the applicant pool might reach its local minimum this year, so percentagewise, he might want to apply now.

The MCAT score is impressive, as is the 4.0 so far, but his achille's heal is still there to be seen. It just doesn't seem that another year will erase that. Hopefully there are ad com people who scrutinize enough to see this applicant's potential.

Best of luck advising him.

 

[Zack90]

I'd say apply this year if he has the funds... As you know, this can be a pretty random process.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Depends on where he wants to go. I'm sure he can get into a lot more schools if he finished his degree with a 4.0 vs. 5 classes. You never know... someone might overlook the 2.8 and give him a shot. If that's fine with him, then no reason not to apply now, and hope for the best (and prepare for next year).

 

[rajneel1]

i say to wait. he needs all the time that he can get to make his application strong.

 

[Joe Joe on da Radio]

wait...since 5 A's are not going to counter 4 years of B- work. i think 14 A's at the end of his masters will be much more convincing of his abilities as a student.

 

[racergirl]

I agree that one more year of excellent work will help his chances.

 

[Modnar]

I agree with the previous posters. Waiting another year couldn't hurt, plus having finished his master's will be a feather in his cap.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

Unless his app, transcripts, and letters of rec are ready to go I would say to wait. His app probably won't be ready to go until July if he decides to apply this year, whereas he can work to get next year's app in early and further develop his app.