Applying now for this cycle

[NateShoe]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I didn't see any recent posts related to my situation, so I was hoping that posting this would draw some of these people in my same position into conversation to give me some advice. I took the Aug. 14th MCAT and got my scores back, which turned out very well. (35Q - BS12/VR10/PS13) However, not having my scores for so long, I wasn't sure where to apply to keep things realistic without wasting my money. Also, I wasn't sure if my score would make up for a lack of EC's in the end. All I have is about a month and a half of research in organic chemistry and I've been working in the surgery unit at a hospital for a few months now. I would have great LORs and my GPA is fairly decent (about 3.75 both overall and science). Question being, without even having in my primary at this time, am I completely s.o.l. if I want to try to go for 2008? I am on the fence completely, as taking a year off for full-time cancer research and volunteering would both be rewarding and strengthen my application to a highly-competitive level. It would also be a nice break from the regular schedules I've been on for so long. However, getting in for 2008 would be great as well. I plan on applying to all Ohio schools (hopefully in at OSU) and also any other schools that accept a fair percent of out-of-staters (I have a list of these from the out-of-state matriculant percentages from each school). Any help I can get would be awesome. Also, hopefully some other late people will use this opportunity to get some advice. Thanks everyone.

 

[hawk126]

Congrats on your score. I'm not sure what I'd do in your situation. On one hand if you apply this cycle with your grades and score I would think that you're almost sure to get in somewhere. On the other hand if you wait and do some cool research, get a publication or two and submit your primary on day 1 of the next cycle, then one would think that you'd have a great shot at someplace stellar! It depends on what you want in the end... does it matter to you whether you get into a top-tier school? If so, I'd say your chances are better if you wait and get a publication. If you're not concerned with the top-tier schools and just want to get in, then I'd pull the trigger this cycle. Good luck... though you probably won't need it.

 

[NateShoe]

I appreciate it. That's exactly why I'm on the fence. Because of OSU's tendency to have early fill from rolling admissions (from hearsay), I don't know about getting in there. I also think I need some time to think about how far away I want to go and so forth. Taking a year off, in the grand scheme of things, will be so unnoticeable by the end that it may pay off in the short term without any negative consequences. Having a whole year to get everything in perfect order just seems to easy and too ideal to pass up, but who knows. I am not set on going top-tier, but I would hate to sell myself short and settle for something lower simply because I'm late in the process. It's more a matter of finding what schools I want to go to, what I would settle for and so forth. Thanks again for the advice, though. Anything that gets the wheels turning and gets me closer to making a decision is excellent.

 

[drizzt3117]

I would definitely wait if you have a lack of clinical experience.

 

[RPedigo]

I've moved this thread to the pre-allopathic forum, as the thread is more suited for that particular area. Good luck on the application process!