Apply now or wait?

[paranitroxide]

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Hello everyone, as of today I am waitlisted at one school and have no acceptances. I have my AMCAS application ready and have submitted all my transcript.

My problem is simply monetary, Do I spend about a $1000 (which I do not have by the way) or wait a little bit more in case I get accepted. I know applying early is the best thing to do, but in my situation what would you do?

If you think I should wait, how much longer?

Thank you

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[mikeyboy]

I would submit it to one school (your top choice) just to make sure it's verified and ready to go. Then, in early-mid July, call the school and explain your situation, maybe they'll give you a better estimate. If it's not good, submit to more schools.

 

[captain hazel]

as mentioned above, it depends on just how much hope there is of you getting off that one waitlist. do you know where you are on the waitlist? if there's any current waitlist movement?

if there's hope, then I don't think waiting until mid-July to reapply to all those schools is a horrible idea, especially when you're talking about $1000.
apply to just one or two for now; sitting a week or two on the rest isn't a terribly huge deal, I don't think.

 

[yodaf]

Have you already sent your transcripts in? If not do that immediately, that will only cost you a couple of bucks and get your new AMCAS into shape. Then send a sob email to your waitlist school and explain the financial implications of resubmitting. Maybe they'll feel sorry for you and give you an idea if you have a chance. Just make sure you tell them you will not hold any information they provide against them, like if they say you have a chance and you don't get in. Most won't talk unless you give them the disclaimer.

If they say you're not going to make it then move on.

 

[paranitroxide]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First of all Thank you for helping me out.

Here is a more detail description of my application cycle.
I took the April MCAT last year and I felt so confident about my performance that I applied before receiving my scores to the following

USF
UF The first four are Florida Schools
UM
FSU
Harvard
Yale
MSSM
Duke
Tufts
Boston
Mayo
ETC,

You get the point, I thought I was going to do so good on the MCAT(actually got a 28N, I am retaking in August) that I applied to a bunch of IV league schools. I thought, if I don't do so great on the MCAT I will just rely on my state schools. As for Lor's mines were very strong. Even though my GPA (overall 3.45, science 3.5) does not show it I attended a good University for four years and graduated Magna Cume Laude (3.76) and I was very liked by all my fellow teachers. Why is my Gpa so low? My first two years of college I attended a community College, at this time I had no Idea what I want it to be, I completed a 60 credit AA and finished with a 3.0 GPA. Now keep in mind that the only class recquired my medical schools that I took in the community college was Calculus and general chemistry and I got a B in all of them. Anyway, as for my clinical experience, I have been volunteering at an assisted living facility for more than a year. I get extensive patient contact and see doctors, nurses and health professionals interact with the patient when they come around.

Interviews, I only got interviews at Tufts, MSSM and USF.

USF denied me post interview, I talked to Mr. Larkin (admissions Director) and he told me that my interviews had not gone great and this was the main reason I did not get accepted. It was my first interview and I was really nervous so I understand.

MSSM's interview went great but I got denied. Even after writting a letter of intent.

Finally Tufts interview went great I felt very good about my chances and was told that If was interested in attending the school I should show interest. I did not show any interest because of the above stated interest. I did not want to write LOI's to two schools.

Anyways I really thank you for your advice and I really appreciate your help.

THANK YOU

 

[paranitroxide]

I did send my transcripts in already. I just need to press the submit button. I hear some of you telling me that I should apply to one or just two schools now. I am guessing from your advice that adding schools to AMCAS is not a big deal after you have already submitted. Is this correct? I thought adding schools to AMCAS would take for ever after submission.

Thank you all for your advice, I appreciate very much.

👍 👍

 

[pyroporphrin]

I would wait a weed two at the most.

I am waitlisted at Tufts as well but they will not give out any information on my position in the waitlist.

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[paranitroxide]

When I told my Pre Med Committee the schools I was applying to last year they told me if I was taking Intra Venous Hallucinogens, maybe it stuck.

Thank you for the correction

 

[size_tens]

I'm in a similar position to the OP. 2 WL's no acceptances. Even though the schools haven't given me any indication of my chances of getting in, I have a gut feeling that I'll make it. I've just requested my transcript to be sent out to AMCAS and plan on waiting until the beginning of August to submit. To me applying late really doesn't seem like that much of a disadvantage. I didn't submit my primary application to St. Louis U until December last year, and that's the school I probably have the best chance of getting admitted to at this point.

 

[Medikit]

Submit the application before July 15th.

You could have added more schools on after you got your scores back, right?

 

[paranitroxide]

I have a gut feeling as well, I just hope is not wishful thinking.

Good luck to you as well. 🙂

 

[sistahnik]

I want to know why you didn't send tufts a LOI like they suggested you do? I mean I understand that you already sent one to another school, but my goodness the school just basically told you what you needed to do. well I think you need to add another breed of schools to your list and keep focused. 👍

 

[paranitroxide]

You answered your own question, but to reinforce your answer..... I think it would have been unethical to do such a thing. MSSM was my top choice and I would have never led two schools to believe they were my top choice. What about if MSSM would have accepted me?

😕 😕

 

[mikeyboy]

You don't have to say "you always were my top choice." Just say you guarantee you will matriculate if accepted, and say how interested you are. Would chosen MSSM over Harvard? If not, then by your logic you misled MSSM into believing they were your top choice.

 

[Alexander99]

With only one waitlist this late in the game (it's almost July), I'd apply again as if you didn't have a waitlist at all. I know you want to save money but there's a good chance you won't get in. That being the case, you need to make sure your application is in early for the 2005 cycle. The $$$ sucks but you just have to bite the bullet.

 

[woolie]

I would also apply again and just try and charge the cost (if you can) and consider it insurance against the future. Then you will have a super early application, your score is not so devastating - many fine people get into medical school with a 28 - and by applying again so early it shows that yes, you REALLY want to do this and you are willing to do whatever it takes. I think that alot of schools look favorably on a second time applicant, persistance is a good quality in a physician. Also, you could focus more on the Jefferson, Drexel, Albany, NYMC level and see what happens.

 

[pratik7]

i would wait till mid july to submit. Submitting in two weeks will not put you at that much of a disadvantage and you may hear from your waitlist

 

[balaA7180]

I suggest you take a year (or two) off before you apply again. I say this because most schools want re-applicants to have significantly improved their status in all areas before they re-apply. I mean, if schools rejected you the first time, why should they accept you now? I'm just warning you not to throw your $$ away (money which you don't have). On the other hand, getting a solid MCAT score changes everything....

 

[Fusion]

Although you should remain optimistic and continue to show interest, you shouldn't wait for one waitlist to come through to submit AMCAS. If you were waiting on two or three schools, I would advise you not to submit AMCAS just yet. However, you are counting on this one school to come through for you. You could potentially be on the waitlist until the very end (late August), at which point you would be behind if you decided to re-apply this year.

I would suggest you to go ahead and submit your transcripts and AMCAS application. Apply to the FL schools for now, where you have the best shot. If you get in at Tufts, great. At worst, you have spent a few hundred bucks for nothing, which you can consider as more of an insurance policy. If you don't get in, you will at least have re-applied relatively early in the new cycle.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

[skypilot]

Adding schools to AMCAS is quick and easy and takes much less time because your transcripts are already verified. I would consider spending the $180 to submit to one school.

 

[paranitroxide]

I think I am going to wait until July 10 to apply. Thank you all for your advice. I just want to verify something that was just stated..... Does everybody agree that adding school to AMCAS once the application is submitted is no problem? Has anybody done it before? Does it take a long time for the schools you add to receive the information?

finally, Would there be a significant difference between applying today vs July 10th?

👍 👍 👍

 

[crazygal]

I have a very similar situation as well. I have a 27 (10,9,8) MCAT and a 3.9 GPA from a well known midwest university. I also have two waitlists (Creighton and UNMC). In the past, these statistics have been competitive at these schools. However, this year seems to be different as is the case across the country. I don't have any exact information on my acceptance chances, but I have a negative gut feeling. My question is what do I do to improve???

I've recently started thinking about taking the August MCAT in order to be able to apply for 2005 rather than 2006. I know my main downfall is my MCAT and how it does not correlate to my GPA. I felt confident when I came out of the August MCAT, so I was disappointed with my scores. However, I don't want to wait until April to retake, but the August only leaves me a month and a half to review. I don't really want to take more classes because my GPA is so high already, and I don't wish to jeopardize it by taking more difficult upper level science classes. I have a decent amount of clinical and volunteer experience (no research though).

I was also an athlete at a Division I institution, and I actually have a year of eligibility remaining. Should I go back to school for a semester and use my last year of eligibility for athletics and take a few classes to stay eligible? Should I take the August MCAT? I am so perplexed. One more thing...another mistake of mine was to only apply to two schools last year. I would definitely apply to many more this year. Thanks for the help!!!!

 

[paranitroxide]

I think you should definitely apply again and take the august MCAT once again. With your numbers you should be able to get in somewhere. If you really want to be a doctor do not pospone it for another year unless you are forced to do so my circumstances (such as not been accepted). Even though you studied for the MCAT a long time ago you will notice that once you get rolling things will come to you much easier. I say go for it again. Best wishes and good luck.

 

[crazygal]

bumppppppppppp

 

[liverotcod]

You have reasonable stats for mid and lower tier schools. Your problem was with your school list, which won't happen again. Applying in mid to late July will not put at a significant disadvantage. You could send in your AACOMAS now, perhaps, as a backup plan, and hold off on the AMCAS.