Apply now or wait to apply next cycle

[stay_foolish]

ORM, CA, MCAT - 517 and GPA - 3.93 from a very competitive university and just average EC’s (research with no pubs, 200 clinical in hospitals with not many meaningful encounters, basic club and leadership exposure ). I feel like just filling up activity list for the sake of it in application without too much enthusiasm when looking at my peer applicant activities. Based on what I infer from SDN posts, I may not be ready for being a competitive medical school applicant for cycle this year. I am continuing my clinical activity, work as volunteer and research activity this year and confident I’ll get poster presentation this year and feel I could be a better applicant next year (I don’t think I will retake MCAT). But there is a genuine personal reason to apply this year, but worried being a reapplicant will look bad for next year cycle in case I don’t get in this cycle. If my MCAT/GPA score stays same, how can I still project as better reapplicant ?

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[gyngyn]

Where did you apply last cycle?

 

[stay_foolish]

I apologize for not not being clear. Haven’t applied anywhere yet. Planning to apply this year., but since I feel bit worried about my activities I am just concerned whether to postpone for next year. This year current plan -> All UC’s, Stanford, CUSM, OOS schools where median MCAT is around 515ish like creighton, Cincinnati, MCW, GT, GW.. need to finalize the list.

 

[stay_foolish]

My main concern is if Universities reject me once, how they will view me as reapplicant ?

 

[Faha]

Do you have any in person physician shadowing hours or non clinical volunteering hours ?

 

[stay_foolish]

I have in person shadowing experience of 25 hours during this may and could write some experience from that and around 100 hours of non clinical volunteering. I could continue shadowing and accumulate more hours this fall when I go back to Bay Area. I will cover decent amount of EC’s before I matriculate if I get into 2023-24 cycle. I prioritized more classes during covid summer and spent on MCAT study last summer. Only when I fill my application I feel I have rushed some activity like shadowing in last couple of month and results of research will come this year.

 

[Faha]

You can apply this month but in the coming year you should accumulate another 50 hours of in person physician shadowing and 150 hours of non clinical volunteering such as homeless shelter, food bank, etc. Also accumulate more clinical volunteering hours.
I suggest these schools with your stats:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Tufts
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
Albany
Rochester
Hackensack
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
George Washington
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
Wake Forest
NOVA MD
USF Morsani
Miami
Rosalind Franklin
Western Michigan
Oakland Beaumont
California University
Kaiser
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
UC Riverside (only if you are from that region)
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSF
UCSD
Your clinical and non clinical volunteering hours are far too low for schools such as Creighton, Georgetown, Tulane, St. Louis and several others.

 

[wysdoc]

I have in person shadowing experience of 25 hours during this may and could write some experience from that and around 100 hours of non clinical volunteering. I could continue shadowing and accumulate more hours this fall when I go back to Bay Area. I will cover decent amount of EC’s before I matriculate if I get into 2023-24 cycle. I prioritized more classes during covid summer and spent on MCAT study last summer. Only when I fill my application I feel I have rushed some activity like shadowing in last couple of month and results of research will come this year.

I edited your title to make it more relevant to your situation.
If you're feeling rushed, wait and your application will be more balanced out next year!

 

[LindaAccepted]

ORM, CA, MCAT - 517 and GPA - 3.93 from a very competitive university and just average EC’s (research with no pubs, 200 clinical in hospitals with not many meaningful encounters, basic club and leadership exposure ). I feel like just filling up activity list for the sake of it in application without too much enthusiasm when looking at my peer applicant activities. Based on what I infer from SDN posts, I may not be ready for being a competitive medical school applicant for cycle this year. I am continuing my clinical activity, work as volunteer and research activity this year and confident I’ll get poster presentation this year and feel I could be a better applicant next year (I don’t think I will retake MCAT). But there is a genuine personal reason to apply this year, but worried being a reapplicant will look bad for next year cycle in case I don’t get in this cycle. If my MCAT/GPA score stays same, how can I still project as better reapplicant ?

It's going to be hard to write compelling essays and project enthusiasm and confidence in your application when you are not enthusiastic about your experiences or chances.

I'd suggest waiting and applying in June of next year. Your stats are competitive. Get those experiences, present them well, and you should be in good shape.

 

[stay_foolish]

Thank you so much Faha for the list. I will definitely spend time with less fortunate people to help and also understand the disparities better in coming months.

Thanks Wysdoc and LindaAccepted for your inputs. One thing is definitely about my current confidence level and how I reflect in my essays.
But I am just curious about when I apply next cycle does reapplicant or being first time applicant matters to admissions in case I was able to convey my best side by overcoming my confidence level/show enthusiasm and still couldn’t get this cycle ?

I really prefer not to wait one more cycle, but definitely not at the expense it will reduce my chance next cycle.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Being a first-time reapplicant is not a negative. Many, many doctors applied twice or even 3 times. When you get to being a 3-time reapplicant it becomes a detriment.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

But I am just curious about when I apply next cycle does reapplicant or being first time applicant matters to admissions in case I was able to convey my best side by overcoming my confidence level/show enthusiasm and still couldn’t get this cycle ?

It is always better to show your best profile once. As mentioned, it's not bad to be a reapplicant as long as you present your best profile possible. But there is a point where you spend as much as a year of medical school tuition on applying... you should reconsider.