Applying for Fall 2006, when should I start?

[cee]

I plan on finishing my prereqs and applying for the entering class of 2006 (graduating class of 2010)... everyone says about the application process "start early!".. so when should i start collecting all my stuff to be sent to AACOMAS, as well as letters of recommendation, etc.

from the sound of it, i should start a good year before i plan on going to school, which would be this coming summer for summer 2006. obviously, my transcripts wouldnt be complete, but i'd like to get everything else ready.. what should the chronological sequence of getting this together for the next year or so be?

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[cee]

bump

 

[DORoe]

You have the right idea here. You should take the April MCAT if at all possible and begin the AACOMAS application when it become available (I think in June). You will have to send your transcripts with your AACOMAS application. It will be ok that they are not complete transcripts as you will probably have to send complete transcripts before you matriculate. Ideally you would begin recieving secondary applications and turning them in sometime in August and get interview invites for October. You should probably talk to some people about getting letters of recommendation. Those will need to be sent with your secondary applications.

 

[medic170]

I plan on finishing my prereqs and applying for the entering class of 2006 (graduating class of 2010)... everyone says about the application process "start early!".. so when should i start collecting all my stuff to be sent to AACOMAS, as well as letters of recommendation, etc.

from the sound of it, i should start a good year before i plan on going to school, which would be this coming summer for summer 2006. obviously, my transcripts wouldnt be complete, but i'd like to get everything else ready.. what should the chronological sequence of getting this together for the next year or so be?

AACOMAS will not even start accepting applications for 2006 until May/June 2005. Work on you LOR's and study for that MCAT right now.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I plan on finishing my prereqs and applying for the entering class of 2006 (graduating class of 2010)... everyone says about the application process "start early!".. so when should i start collecting all my stuff to be sent to AACOMAS, as well as letters of recommendation, etc.

from the sound of it, i should start a good year before i plan on going to school, which would be this coming summer for summer 2006. obviously, my transcripts wouldnt be complete, but i'd like to get everything else ready.. what should the chronological sequence of getting this together for the next year or so be?

Applications are available starting in May/June, so have everything taken care of by the summer. Prepare for the MCAT & take it both times. Determine who will write your recommendations and get them written early (They can wait to send them off.)

Make a complete listing of your accomplishments and write or be prepared to write an essay discussing your qualifications and reasoning for entering medical school.

Get a copy of your transcript sent to yourself at the end of this semester, & have all the records from any college you've ever attended, so when the application becomes available in early summer, you can get it submitted before the fall semester begins.

My #1 advice: get it done before the fall semester begins. The most common thing that holds people back are recommendations, so inform those people early.

 

[medic170]

Prepare for the MCAT & take it both times.

Why on Earth would anyone want to plan on taking that dreaded exam both times? Get it right the first time and save yourself the money, time, and aggravation!

 

[Ypo.]

Why on Earth would anyone want to plan on taking that dreaded exam both times? Get it right the first time and save yourself the money, time, and aggravation!

I agree, do it right the first time...take it in April. Then if you don't do as well as you think you need to to get an acceptance, you should work on your weaknesses and take it again in August.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Why on Earth would anyone want to plan on taking that dreaded exam both times? Get it right the first time and save yourself the money, time, and aggravation!

--> Because applying for medical school is a gamble, and any MCAT score is not a guarantee to get in.

I took the MCAT twice, and went up 4 points by virtue of just taking it a second time. I did not study or prepare in between exams.

Perhaps if your score is 4 points higher than the average accepted at the school you want to go to, and you have an exceptional GPA, then it won't be necessary.

However, if you are lacking in any area, or your score is not well above average, then paying the extra amount is both rational and necessary.

The extra time is only part of one day. The money is minor compared to how much you will pay for school.

I know too many people that took the MCAT only once thinking the score was high enough, and who are now not in medical school. The MCAT averages for each school are too inconsitent to risk it.

 

[crys20]

I took the MCAT twice, and went up 4 points by virtue of just taking it a second time. I did not study or prepare in between exams.

This is risky and not a common occurence! Don't retake the MCAT unless you score low enough to warrant a retake (whatever that is for you and the schools you wish to apply to) and plan on raising that score somehow. It's pretty rare to go up 4 pts on retake with no addl prep, IMO.

 

[OSUdoc08]

This is risky and not a common occurence! Don't retake the MCAT unless you score low enough to warrant a retake (whatever that is for you and the schools you wish to apply to) and plan on raising that score somehow. It's pretty rare to go up 4 pts on retake with no addl prep, IMO.

It may be uncommon, but 90% of the people I talked to went up when they took it again. If you don't go up, then you don't have to release that second score.

I cannot overemphasize this----there is no way to determine what a "score low enough to warrant a retake is"

I know people with MCAT's of 28 & 30 that were not accepted to medical school.

 

[Munchkin6245]

If that's true then obviously it wasn't the score holding them back. I got a 26 on my one and only MCAT and have 4 acceptances. So, you can argue all you want how the MCAT affects your application but when it comes down to it, a lot of it has to do with your personality which will be reflected during the interview. And if you don't get to that point maybe check your personal statement. The process is a game and you have to figure out how to win.

Here's what I think you should do: start saving money now, it's an expensive process
#1. Find opportunities to volunteer, get involved, it will boost your ec's.
#2. Work on getting your LORs ready, pick profs and drs. wisely
#3. Your prehealth advisors/committee can be a great resource, become a familiar face in their office.
#4. Start studying for the MCAT, I would wait until after the holidays, but you know your own learning speed so start when you think you will need to.
#5. Take the MCAT in April.
#6. Work on and finish your personal statement by June. Start the day after the MCAT.
#7. Also work on making lists of your ec's, honors/awards, etc. Buying the Princeton Review: Guide to Medical School will help you.
#8. Make a list of the schools you are interested in applying to. Don't overload o the schools. You may not have to apply to as many schools as you thought.
#9. Apply in July, as early as you can should provide better options.
#10. Send out secondaries, you should have the "Why do you want to attend our school?" question ready for each school you've applied to.
#11. Retake the MCAT if you NEED to. The way I decided this is with my gpa (3.36) I wouldn't retake if I got an MCAT <25, I lucked out with my 26.
But that's your choice, you know how strong your app is.

Good luck!

 

[OSUdoc08]

If that's true then obviously it wasn't the score holding them back. I got a 26 on my one and only MCAT and have 4 acceptances. So, you can argue all you want how the MCAT affects your application but when it comes down to it, a lot of it has to do with your personality which will be reflected during the interview. And if you don't get to that point maybe check your personal statement. The process is a game and you have to figure out how to win.

Here's what I think you should do: start saving money now, it's an expensive process
#1. Find opportunities to volunteer, get involved, it will boost your ec's.
#2. Work on getting your LORs ready, pick profs and drs. wisely
#3. Your prehealth advisors/committee can be a great resource, become a familiar face in their office.
#4. Start studying for the MCAT, I would wait until after the holidays, but you know your own learning speed so start when you think you will need to.
#5. Take the MCAT in April.
#6. Work on and finish your personal statement by June. Start the day after the MCAT.
#7. Also work on making lists of your ec's, honors/awards, etc. Buying the Princeton Review: Guide to Medical School will help you.
#8. Make a list of the schools you are interested in applying to. Don't overload o the schools. You may not have to apply to as many schools as you thought.
#9. Apply in July, as early as you can should provide better options.
#10. Send out secondaries, you should have the "Why do you want to attend our school?" question ready for each school you've applied to.
#11. Retake the MCAT if you NEED to. The way I decided this is with my gpa (3.36) I wouldn't retake if I got an MCAT <25, I lucked out with my 26.
But that's your choice, you know how strong your app is.

Good luck!

I agree with all of this, and it depends on the school. However, most schools have an average MCAT above 26 and an average GPA above 3.36. For example, my school had an average GPA of 3.5-3.6 and an average MCAT of 27-28.

 

[cee]

If that's true then obviously it wasn't the score holding them back. I got a 26 on my one and only MCAT and have 4 acceptances. So, you can argue all you want how the MCAT affects your application but when it comes down to it, a lot of it has to do with your personality which will be reflected during the interview. And if you don't get to that point maybe check your personal statement. The process is a game and you have to figure out how to win.

Here's what I think you should do: start saving money now, it's an expensive process
#1. Find opportunities to volunteer, get involved, it will boost your ec's.
#2. Work on getting your LORs ready, pick profs and drs. wisely
#3. Your prehealth advisors/committee can be a great resource, become a familiar face in their office.
#4. Start studying for the MCAT, I would wait until after the holidays, but you know your own learning speed so start when you think you will need to.
#5. Take the MCAT in April.
#6. Work on and finish your personal statement by June. Start the day after the MCAT.
#7. Also work on making lists of your ec's, honors/awards, etc. Buying the Princeton Review: Guide to Medical School will help you.
#8. Make a list of the schools you are interested in applying to. Don't overload o the schools. You may not have to apply to as many schools as you thought.
#9. Apply in July, as early as you can should provide better options.
#10. Send out secondaries, you should have the "Why do you want to attend our school?" question ready for each school you've applied to.
#11. Retake the MCAT if you NEED to. The way I decided this is with my gpa (3.36) I wouldn't retake if I got an MCAT <25, I lucked out with my 26.
But that's your choice, you know how strong your app is.

Good luck!

ok, well i think taking april MCATs are a bit of a gamble for me, only because i wont have a lot of my classes finished to get started.. let me break down the progression of these 2 years in terms of academically for me:

Summer 04: Anatomy/Physiology I
Fall 04: Chem 1, Anatomy/Physiology II
Spring 05: Chem 2, Bio 1 <-------------[when you all say i should do MCAT]
Summer 05: Physics 1, Physics 2, Bio 2
Fall 05: Organic Chem 1
Spring 06: Organic Chem 2

as you see, if i were to take the MCAT in april of 05, i would probably only have half of the helpful classes that I would need to take the MCAT.. i was aiming for August of 05 and studying the small amt of organic chem on the side.. if i had to take the MCAT april 06, would my scores come back in time to possibly make a decision on me for Fall 06?

 

[kaikai128]

ok, well i think taking april MCATs are a bit of a gamble for me, only because i wont have a lot of my classes finished to get started.. let me break down the progression of these 2 years in terms of academically for me:

Summer 04: Anatomy/Physiology I
Fall 04: Chem 1, Anatomy/Physiology II
Spring 05: Chem 2, Bio 1 <-------------[when you all say i should do MCAT]
Summer 05: Physics 1, Physics 2, Bio 2
Fall 05: Organic Chem 1
Spring 06: Organic Chem 2

as you see, if i were to take the MCAT in april of 05, i would probably only have half of the helpful classes that I would need to take the MCAT.. i was aiming for August of 05 and studying the small amt of organic chem on the side.. if i had to take the MCAT april 06, would my scores come back in time to possibly make a decision on me for Fall 06?

You are going to be put in a tough spot with taking all of your pre-recs at what seems to be somewhat compressed schedule...Are you completing a degree? I would see if you can take Physics 1 in Spring 05, and then take OChem 1 in the summer instead of physics 1. Then, by August you will have most of the O-Chem finished. I personally think that O-chem is somewhat like learning a language; for me, the class time really helped me learn the concepts. Otherwise, I would finsih my pre-recs and take the Spring 06 MCAT and plan on applying summer 06 for the 07 class. I am 1/2 way thru my 'year off' and am very glad I did it.

 

[cee]

You are going to be put in a tough spot with taking all of your pre-recs at what seems to be somewhat compressed schedule...Are you completing a degree? I would see if you can take Physics 1 in Spring 05, and then take OChem 1 in the summer instead of physics 1. Then, by August you will have most of the O-Chem finished. I personally think that O-chem is somewhat like learning a language; for me, the class time really helped me learn the concepts. Otherwise, I would finsih my pre-recs and take the Spring 06 MCAT and plan on applying summer 06 for the 07 class. I am 1/2 way thru my 'year off' and am very glad I did it.

i'm not completing a degree.. i've elected to take physics 1&2 because i there is a really awesome teacher at my school that teaches the combo in the summer, and its not overwhelming-- which gives me an opportunity to take my bio 2 class...

if i take the April 06 MCAT, will the scores come back in time for a decision for Fall 06? i heard that if the grades are good, they will wait for your april MCATs to make a decision...

can i get in for fall 06 taking april 06's MCAT?

 

[kaikai128]

i'm not completing a degree.. i've elected to take physics 1&2 because i there is a really awesome teacher at my school that teaches the combo in the summer, and its not overwhelming-- which gives me an opportunity to take my bio 2 class...

if i take the April 06 MCAT, will the scores come back in time for a decision for Fall 06? i heard that if the grades are good, they will wait for your april MCATs to make a decision...

can i get in for fall 06 taking april 06's MCAT?

I have never heard of someone taking the MCAT in April of the same year that they are planning to begin school. August of 05 is your last chance to take the MCAT for Fall of 2006 as far as I know. The April 06 MCAT has scores released in June; which is WAY past when schools are accpeting applications, interviewing, and accepting students. The deadline for applications at most schools is around Jan 1st and I think that every school requires a MCAT score to complete a packet--you would have to talk to individual schools to find out for sure.

Keep in mind that the entire application process beginning with taking the MCAT and ending with Matriculation at a school takes a minimum of about a year. You are either going to have to take the MCAT without having your pre-recs (which is a considerable disadvantage for most), rearrange classes, or take a little more time and apply the next year.

 

[OSUdoc08]

i'm not completing a degree.. i've elected to take physics 1&2 because i there is a really awesome teacher at my school that teaches the combo in the summer, and its not overwhelming-- which gives me an opportunity to take my bio 2 class...

if i take the April 06 MCAT, will the scores come back in time for a decision for Fall 06? i heard that if the grades are good, they will wait for your april MCATs to make a decision...

can i get in for fall 06 taking april 06's MCAT?

No. You must take the MCAT a year prior. Most schools require you to complete your degree even though it may not be written in the admission requirements. Just a little inside tip.

 

[medic170]

can i get in for fall 06 taking april 06's MCAT?

No, and you will need a bachelor degree too. Are you doing this post bacc and already have a degree? If not, plan on getting one before matriculation.

 

[cee]

No, and you will need a bachelor degree too. Are you doing this post bacc and already have a degree? If not, plan on getting one before matriculation.

ya, i already have a degree.. i guess its gonna take me 3 years to get into med school.. hmm, should i give it the ol' college try and take it august 05? its gonna be probably right after i finish my summer classes.. i'd really not want it to take 3 years, but i guess i wont have much choice the way things are going... even though i might get a bad score on the MCAT, should i take the august 05 for fall 06 start time?