Applying in September logistics

[deleted673832]

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Hey guys, just wanted to clarify a few things and ask for advice.

I have taken the MCAT on April and was planning to apply the day AMCAS opens up, some time around the 3rd of June. Unfortunately, my MCAT scores were not satisfactory enough so I decided to retake it in September, and study for it the whole summer.

Now my question is: Since I will be taking the September MCAT on the 23rd, what day should I submit my application? Do I have to wait for my scores to get back or can I simply submit it the 3rd of June? I am asking because I definitely want to apply with the new scores, not the old ones (although I know that both of them will be shown to the med schools).
Also to clarify, I want to apply this cycle!
Thank you!

 

[candbgirl]

You can still apply the first day just know that many(if not most) schools will not review your application until your new MCAT is received near the end of October. Some schools might not even send secondaries until your new MCAT score is in. By then many interviews will already be given out and many acceptances issued. You will be very late in the application cycle. Not a good move for anyone even if they have a stellar stats.

 

[miamiheatfan]

If you want to apply this cycle and not put yourself in a deep hole, you should take your MCAT a LOT earlier. July at the latest, or early August. Even doing those will make you later than ideal in terms of being complete (finishing secondaries and having letters in). If you retake the MCAT on September 23, you won’t be complete until the end of October at earliest. At that point people have already been accepted to med school and you are still not complete at schools. And yeah you can turn in your primary early to be verified and start working on secondaries. If you want to retake the MCAT in September you should apply next cycle.

 

[cactus8910]

Don't apply this cycle.

October is way to late to be sending schools your MCAT scores. Many schools will have outright accepted people (they can start doing this Oct. 15th) before they even get your scores.
You won't be able to predict in June what score you'll get in September, so how would you even pick schools to apply to?

A gap year or two is not the end of the world, especially if the alternative is spending a bunch of time and money to apply, getting rejected everywhere, and then having to take a gap year and reapply anyway.

 

[johnnytest]

Your app will very late. An app that late needs to be amazing in order to garner attention. You are already re-taking the MCAT, so assuming you are going to do amazing is a gamble. Even if your app is complete in October, it takes some time (weeks or even months) for someone to review it. Here's a potential timeline:

App Complete: October
Review: October - April
Interviews Given: November onward
Interviews Attended: December onward
Acceptances: January onward.

As you can see there can be a lot of lag time between each step of the process. You may get an interview in October but you may not be able to schedule it until December. All the while precious seats are being offered at rolling schools.

Anecdotal Example: I submitted everything to Albert Einstein in Late August. I had to wait until Late October for their complete email. Then in December I received an interview from them for which the earliest date I could choose was Mid-Feb. Einstein offers a lot of acceptances starting Feb 1st, which is much later than most schools. Nevertheless, I found out in Mid-March I was waitlisted and then ultimately rejected. Every school is different but the general idea is to apply as early as possible.

Lastly, maybe you should share your MCAT score percentiles. Are you re-taking for the sole purpose of top 20 schools? If so, then maybe reconsider as your score may be good enough for middle/low tier schools and a June submission will do you wonders for those schools.

 

[deleted673832]

Thanks for all the replies, really appreciated. Is there completely no hope for this kind of late admission? I would have taken a gap year, but being an international student there are a lot of obstacles regarding my immigration status. This is why I wanted to apply this cycle.

If I understood correctly then, I can still technically send my application to various medschools with the low MCAT scores and then update it once I receive the new ones? Do I have to notify the medschools that I will send them new MCAT scores? Thanks again everyone!

 

[Blue Blood]

Take a gap year and do something with it to stand out. If you're fine with DO, October may be still doable. Their cycle runs a bit later. However, it's almost throwing money away to apply MD in October.

 

[deleted673832]

Your app will very late. An app that late needs to be amazing in order to garner attention. You are already re-taking the MCAT, so assuming you are going to do amazing is a gamble. Even if your app is complete in October, it takes some time (weeks or even months) for someone to review it. Here's a potential timeline:

App Complete: October
Review: October - April
Interviews Given: November onward
Interviews Attended: December onward
Acceptances: January onward.

As you can see there can be a lot of lag time between each step of the process. You may get an interview in October but you may not be able to schedule it until December. All the while precious seats are being offered at rolling schools.

Lastly, maybe you should share your MCAT score percentiles. Are you re-taking for the sole purpose of top 20 schools? If so, then maybe reconsider as your score may be good enough for middle/low tier schools and a June submission will do you wonders for those schools.

Of course, my percentiles were 40-50%, which I know are absolutely horrible. I don't think I have a chance at low tier MD schools. Do you think taking the MCAT, say September 3rd would somewhat bump me up time wise?

 

[desertdweller]

I wouldn't apply until you are certain you will do better on the next MCAT. Since schools won't look at your app until the new scores come in, hold off until maybe August, after you have taken many full length practice tests. I applied very late last cycle (submitted primary early October) and still got an acceptance to where I wanted so it can be done. The process is time consuming, mentally consuming, and expensive. You might reconsider a gap year.

 

[johnnytest]

Of course, my percentiles were 40-50%, which I know are absolutely horrible. I don't think I have a chance at low tier MD schools. Do you think taking the MCAT, say September 3rd would somewhat bump me up time wise?

A couple of things. Being an international student means your app has to be even more robust than the average applicant. If you do submit your app you will state on the primary and secondary apps if you are taking another MCAT. Those schools will wait for your second scores and you will be complete in October. If you do not designate you will take another MCAT then the schools will go ahead and review your app and may give out an official decision before your second MCAT. Also, I don't think you can update schools with a second MCAT score unless you specifically tell them you are taking it a second time.

I think taking a gap year, spending even a year devoted to MCAT, and doing other productive activities will make you a stronger candidate.

Edit: Sept 3rd vs Sept 23rd is minimal difference. It's still late.

 

[deleted673832]

While it is AAMC guidelines not to review, the policy is up to each individual school. A school can review based on an existing score even though a planned MCAT is noted. With OP being an international applicant, and the formal policy that many medical school have of discouraging non-US citizen or permanent residents, he could easy be rejected prior to the retake.

I am well aware of that issue, but I am planning to apply to schools that have no policies against international students (I have found copious amount thanks to MSAR).

 

[DokterMom]

You would actually be better off burning $1,000 then spending it applying US MD in October.

Applying US MD that late (October) is actually worse for you than not applying this cycle at all, because your chances of success are exceedingly small, and it makes you a re-applicant next year, thereby damaging what should be your best chance. Applying US DO may still be a viable option, since their cycle is later and since you won't be an AMCAS reapplicant if this cycle doesn't go your way.

You mention immigration status as part of your motivation for applying this year. What happens immigration-wise if you don't get accepted? Can you continue to take undergrad or grad classes instead?

 

[deleted673832]

You would actually be better off burning $1,000 then spending it applying US MD in October.

Applying US MD that late (October) is actually worse for you than not applying this cycle at all, because your chances of success are exceedingly small, and it makes you a re-applicant next year, thereby damaging what should be your best chance. Applying US DO may still be a viable option, since their cycle is later and since you won't be an AMCAS reapplicant if this cycle doesn't go your way.

You mention immigration status as part of your motivation for applying this year. What happens immigration-wise if you don't get accepted? Can you continue to take undergrad or grad classes instead?

I can technically continue to take grad classes. The reason that I don't want to take a gap year is because I would need to apply for an OPT (Optional Practical Training), which will allow me to stay about 13 month in the States in order to look for a job. I could do that, but any other chances for additional OPTs would be gone, and I would like to keep this opportunity until after the med school.

 

[JPA178]

In a word, don't. For reasons stated by everyone else in the thread.

 

[deleted673832]

So would you all say that best solution to this would be to apply say next June, but still take the MCAT this September? I figured I would have 2 years (since I am rising senior) to work on my extracurricular activities and improve my application. I guess I would also avoid the reaplicant status...

 

[cactus8910]

So would you all say that best solution to this would be to apply say next June, but still take the MCAT this September? I figured I would have 2 years (since I am rising senior) to work on my extracurricular activities and improve my application. I guess I would also avoid the reaplicant status...

Take the MCAT this September if you're ready for it then (scoring well on practice tests). If not, reschedule for when you're ready (preferably April or earlier so you have your score back before AMCAS submission opens).

 

[deleted673832]

Alright, I will definitely give this a lot of thought. I think I will eventually apply the next cycle. Thank you everyone so much for your replies, again, really appreciated. Wish everyone good luck!

 

[samac]

I retook in August and applied September. Was a dumb move on my part, but I was only applying instate MD so thought I'd give it a shot. My interviews were in Janurary/Feburary. And we were flat out told the class was full so they were filling the waitlist. I also applied DO, where I got a much quicker turn around on interview invites and I was not just going for a waitlist spot.
Needless to say I'm taking my DO acceptance and running with it.