Applying in the Fall... Decrease Chance of Acceptance?

[cetrav]

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I just graduated college and have yet to take the MCAT. I am taking it in early September, then applying to schools as soon as I get my score. Does applying later in the Fall, right before most deadlines, decrease my likelihood of getting in? My adviser says there is a close to 0% chance of getting accepted with a last-minute application, but I really don't want to believe her. My dad, who is on the admissions board for a med school, says not to worry, as long as I score well on the MCAT, which I'm hoping I will. So, my question is, do spots fill up fast with Early Decision students, and students who get their apps in during the summer? Does anyone know if there really is a huge disadvantage for applying later?

 

[el_duderino]

Your dad is a med school adcom?

I'd definitely apply there this year, then wait to see my MCAT score before deciding whether to apply anywhere else.

What's your GPA like? ECs?

 

[mvenus929]

Yes. I wouldn't say the chance is close to 0%, but it is significantly lower than if you submit your application on the first day.

My friends on the admissions committee at our school said that early in the interview season (September), they could recommend just about anyone to be accepted. Later in the cycle (January), they had to fight for acceptances of their interviewees.

 

[cetrav]

Very high GPA--above a 3.7, with moderate ECs. I would be applying in October, November at the latest, if I like my score.

 

[ct303]

Why wouldn't you just wait and give yourself the very best shot at the best school you could get into? My app wasn't verified until August- I had one interview this cycle. Fortunately I was accepted but I was weeks away from reapplying.

 

[Beth_W737]

That's very very late for allopathic schools. I wouldn't risk it, it looks bad to be a reapplicant. If you have to apply get everything in, be verified for your dads school and just apply there.

 

[Ismet]

Spots definitely do not fill up with Early Decision applicants. Not many people apply ED, and even fewer get accepted ED.

While your chances aren't 0%, they're not good. Since your dad is on the admissions committee of a school, you're most likely guaranteed at least an interview at that school. Just submit AMCAS and list your dad's school. If you take the MCAT and get a great score, consider adding more schools on. However, you CANNOT wait until October/November to submit AMCAS. Submit it over the summer so that it is verified by the time your MCAT score comes in.

 

[cetrav]

Can I submit AMCAS without having an MCAT score on file?

 

[el_duderino]

Can I submit AMCAS without having an MCAT score on file?

Yup.

 

[theseeker4]

I just graduated college and have yet to take the MCAT. I am taking it in early September, then applying to schools as soon as I get my score. Does applying later in the Fall, right before most deadlines, decrease my likelihood of getting in? My adviser says there is a close to 0% chance of getting accepted with a last-minute application, but I really don't want to believe her. My dad, who is on the admissions board for a med school, says not to worry, as long as I score well on the MCAT, which I'm hoping I will. So, my question is, do spots fill up fast with Early Decision students, and students who get their apps in during the summer? Does anyone know if there really is a huge disadvantage for applying later?

Do you just want a chance of getting in somewhere this cycle, or do you want to get into the best school possible? If the former, apply late this cycle, but you might not get in anywhere even with good stats. If the latter, wait to apply until next year. Yes, spots fill up quickly, and there is a very big disadvantage to applying late. Your father being on the admissions committee probably will help you with that school, so you can apply there if you want to go and take his word for it that it won't hurt you there, but anywhere else, it puts you at a significant disadvantage and is probably not worth wasting the money, and being labeled a reapplicant, to apply that late this year.

 

[woltej1]

That's very very late for allopathic schools. I wouldn't risk it, it looks bad to be a reapplicant. If you have to apply get everything in, be verified for your dads school and just apply there.

It doesn't look bad to be a reapplicant. Obviously getting in the first time is ideal, but with the average age of matriculates approaching 25, there are obviously more re applicants getting in than before.

 

[kyamh]

It doesn't look bad to be a reapplicant. Obviously getting in the first time is ideal, but with the average age of matriculates approaching 25, there are obviously more re applicants getting in than before.

I don't know that I agree. The average age is high because more students are coming in from other professions, after having taken time to pursue other interests, after post-bac programs, after having taken a year between high school and college, whatever.

Being a reapplicant is not the end of the world but it's definitely not good. If you are a committee member and you know that last year a bunch of your peers have looked at this applicant and decided that he or she was not competitive...at any of the 10-30 school this applicant applied....wouldn't your opinion already be colored? Wouldn't you try harder to look and see what's "wrong" with the candidate? It's like someone applying for a job after being fired - your first thought is why that person was fired from their last job.

 

[Goro]

Yes. Everything I've seen from people applying, and those getting rejected (or late interviews followed by wait-list and then rejections) is that if you're applying after 9/1, you're applying too late.

The cycle is longer for DO programs, so you have until the end of the year.

You can apply and at least get verified, which will save some time, but by the time the school gets your MCAT (and sends you a secondary), you're geeting too late to be competitive, because the MD schools fill up their interview slots and seats fast.


Does applying later in the Fall, right before most deadlines, decrease my likelihood of getting in? My adviser says there is a close to 0% chance of getting accepted with a last-minute application, but I really don't want to believe her.

 

[Espadaleader]

Don't apply. Being complete in October is a death-knell. There are so many applicants that are complete a full 3 months ahead of you with similar or better scores. Don't underestimate the power of an early application.

 

[el_duderino]

I don't know that I agree. The average age is high because more students are coming in from other professions, after having taken time to pursue other interests, after post-bac programs, after having taken a year between high school and college, whatever.

Being a reapplicant is not the end of the world but it's definitely not good. If you are a committee member and you know that last year a bunch of your peers have looked at this applicant and decided that he or she was not competitive...at any of the 10-30 school this applicant applied....wouldn't your opinion already be colored? Wouldn't you try harder to look and see what's "wrong" with the candidate? It's like someone applying for a job after being fired - your first thought is why that person was fired from their last job.

The overwhelming impression I've gotten from adcoms is that they're almost regretful they have to reject so many applicants. When you're accepting 1-2% of the entire application base, you are well aware you're rejecting a lot of great candidates. I think that being a reapplicant is no big deal and doesn't imply that anything is "wrong" so much as they were "just not quite good enough" last time.

 

[cetrav]

If I wait until next year to apply, I'll have two years gap for which I'll have to get a full-time job to start paying off my loans, and in addition, I've noticed many schools are requiring 2016 applicants to have taken the courses required by the NEW MCAT-- biochemistry, social sciences, etc. Being a non-science major, I never took those courses, so would have to invest MORE money into taking them during those two years. So either way, I feel very disadvantaged and have officially entered panic mode.

 

[el_duderino]

Well if you don't have any plans for the fall anyway, you can skip this application cycle and use that year to take the missing classes.

The only reason I'd say apply this cycle is because your dad is an adcom. Everything else says "wait a year." This also means you don't have to rush the MCAT and can spend longer preparing for it.

 

[Ismet]

It doesn't look bad to be a reapplicant. Obviously getting in the first time is ideal, but with the average age of matriculates approaching 25, there are obviously more re applicants getting in than before.

I don't follow your logic.

1) If you are a reapplicant to a school, adcoms are able to see both your current application and your previous application. If you haven't done much to improve, most likely you're not getting in the 2nd time around either. Most people don't realize they have to reapply until late in the cycle when they don't get off waitlists, so unless they were proactive about continuing their ECs until getting an acceptance, they scramble in late spring/summer to beef up their app again, which doesn't look good.

2) Being a reapplicant is not an app-killer, but I wouldn't go as far as to say "it doesn't look bad."

3) The increasing age of matriculants is largely due to more people taking gap years and more non-traditional applicants.

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

Yes.

http://mstp.wustl.edu/admissions/Pages/Statistics.aspx

 

[snowflakes]

It depends on the strength of your app. With a very strong app and high GPA/MCAT, you'll be okay. However, no matter how well you do, you'd probably do better had you applied early. So, it also depends on your goals. Do you want the best possible cycle you are capable of, or do you just want to get into any medical school and start next year? I do know people who applied late and did fine. But they were also very strong applicants--one of them, for example, is matriculating at Harvard. I also know people who applied late with solid applications, but are now reapplicants.

Applying late is pretty much a gamble. You can get lucky and get into a school you're happy with. You can also only get into a school you don't really like or is very expensive and matriculate with the knowledge that applying earlier could have given you more options. You can also get unlucky and get 0 acceptances, meaning you'll have to reapply. If you reapply, you're at a further disadvantage the next year because then you'll have to prove you were productive while you were applying and have added something more to your application (just applying earlier the next cycle with the same app isn't enough). Furthermore, the costs of the application process are huge. If you apply late, you also gamble the money you're spending on your application, as some schools will barely consider a late application.

So, you judge your app and your preferences. How strong is it? And are you willing to take this gamble?

 

[DokterMom]

Do you want to go to Daddy's medical school? And are you well-qualified to do so?
If so, you might be fine.

Otherwise, you're diminishing your chances by applying late.