Applying with poor MCAT for experience

[joshto]

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Does anyone suggest applying to a select number of schools just for the experienece of applying (i.e. getting familiar with the application process, the deadlines, etc.)? Would this help me next year when I hope to apply with a higher MCAT score?

 

[jochi1543]

Waste of time, money, and energy, AND you have to deal with the reapplicant stigma.

 

[mongrel]

Yep... that's a pretty terrible idea. Just keep reading these forums and you'll find out everything you need to know about the application process.

 

[Karen12345]

I agree with jochi, except for the stigma. As a reapplicant, I don't feel stigmatized. I am actually doing some interesting things in my year off.

 

[LikeClockWork]

Yeah, applying ain't cheap, so use that money for something better. Maybe get a new iPod to listen to while studying...?

 

[frickonastick]

I just wanted to lend more support to the "don't do it!" replies. Applying once is enough stress and money spent! It's like the MCAT - no one should take the real test just for the experience. That's what practice tests are for. I suppose there is no "practice medical school application", but you can start working on your PS, common essays (or even specific ones for schools you want to apply to), and figuring out what you'll put in your AMCAS activities section, if you really want to see what it is like.

 

[Kthanksbye]

Does anyone suggest applying to a select number of schools just for the experienece of applying (i.e. getting familiar with the application process, the deadlines, etc.)?

NO!

Would this help me next year when I hope to apply with a higher MCAT score?

NO!

 

[hp540]

Does anyone suggest applying to a select number of schools just for the experienece of applying (i.e. getting familiar with the application process, the deadlines, etc.)? Would this help me next year when I hope to apply with a higher MCAT score?

No, worst idea ever.

 

[Kthanksbye]

Someone who hates you very very much told you to do this.

 

[joshto]

What parts of the process are particularly strenuous? Please dont say all.
Am I missing anything?


LORs - 2 of them
PS - 1
Transcripts
AMCAS Application

 

[joshto]

Someone who hates you very very much told you to do this.

LOL!

 

[Law2Doc]

Does anyone suggest applying to a select number of schools just for the experienece of applying (i.e. getting familiar with the application process, the deadlines, etc.)? Would this help me next year when I hope to apply with a higher MCAT score?

Agree with the others -- bad idea. You should go into this process with the goal of not being a reapplicant and only having to do stuff once -- putting your best foot forward. Line all the ducks in a row, then - One shot, one kill. There are disadvantages to being a reapplicant -- you generally would have to show substantial improvement. So instead of one step forward because of experience, you can end up in the subsequent year starting two steps back. Don't do this.

 

[Wombat Jones]

You forgot secondaries...

 

[etf]

I agree with jochi, except for the stigma. As a reapplicant, I don't feel stigmatized. I am actually doing some interesting things in my year off.

as a reapplicant, i feel HIGHLY stigmatized, and have seen the effects of not getting all my ducks in a row before i pull the trigger. i have made improvements to every aspect of my application over a one year period, and have fared markedly worse than i did last time. do it once and do it right.

 

[FrickenhugeMD]

If you really want that ahead of the game feeling and want to know what it is like, there is something you can do. Do a search and look up the thread with all the secondary prompts for the schools that you are interested in applying to. Write out all of these like they are due this coming cycle, including a personal statement and save them. When it comes time for next cycle you will not only be done with everything, you can use that extra time to perfect all those essays.

I agree with everyone here, Dont apply now! But if you want to be on the ball like what its sounding like, do what I wrote earlier. I could never motivate myself to do it, but boy it sure would have made things easier this cycle

good luck on that MCAT

 

[jochi1543]

What parts of the process are particularly strenuous? Please dont say all.
Am I missing anything?


LORs - 2 of them
PS - 1
Transcripts
AMCAS Application

80 secondary essays, maybe? And the $4000 you'll pay to be rejected everywhere?

 

[pinkblue]

What parts of the process are particularly strenuous? Please dont say all.
Am I missing anything?


LORs - 2 of them
PS - 1
Transcripts
AMCAS Application

filling out secondaries, missing multiple schooldays to go to interviews, dealing w/ airport/security/taxis/hotels, being interviewed....

 

[Doublecortin]

Does anyone suggest applying to a select number of schools just for the experienece of applying (i.e. getting familiar with the application process, the deadlines, etc.)? Would this help me next year when I hope to apply with a higher MCAT score?

no, 👎

 

[joshto]

I have 26s now on MCAT. I plan to take MCAT next august.
I plan to apply to NYC area schools

Should I:

a) apply early next year with 26s
b) take MCAT in august and apply next year (even though I will be a late applicant -- even though I will submit my AMCAS application done, but I am assuming they won't look ay my file until my MCAT is complete??)

I am stuck and have no idea what to do and I really dont want to make this decision now; I would love to procrastinate, but I know it needs attention now.

(I am not interested in taking a year off)

 

[Old Grunt]

I have 26s now on MCAT. I plan to take MCAT next august.
I plan to apply to NYC area schools

Should I:

a) apply early next year with 26s
b) take MCAT in august and apply next year (even though I will be a late applicant -- even though I will submit my AMCAS application done, but I am assuming they won't look ay my file until my MCAT is complete??)

I am stuck and have no idea what to do and I really dont want to make this decision now; I would love to procrastinate, but I know it needs attention now.

(I am not interested in taking a year off)

Applying for practice is a good idea only if you are into sado-masochism. Don't do it.

If you think you can do better on the MCAT, I'd consider re-taking and doing it earlier than in August. If you take it in August, you won't get your scores back until September and then you are still pretty late in the process. If you retake it next year, you can apply early and hopefully with a stronger score.

If you don't want to retake it, then let it rip and apply early and broadly. My MCAT isn't much better than yours so I am certainly not on a high horse about retaking it.

 

[mongrel]

Line all the ducks in a row, then - One shot, one kill.

And if you're really good you might be able to get at the end of the row and shoot down through all the ducks - One shot, multiple kills.

 

[joshto]

would you choose option a) or b)?

 

[scholarken]

would you choose option a) or b)?

Why must you re-take the MCAT in August? If possible, take it in April or May next year, so you have the option of re-taking it AND applying early.

 

[Kthanksbye]

would you choose option a) or b)?

You can get in with a 26, I believe. It will be harder, but not impossible. It will be easier if your state school is highly inbreed (they have to lower the objective standards like mcat and gpa to be able to maintain a high in-state population). DO schools also have lower average mcat scores. If you really want to try it, a 26 might work out for you. Personally, my goal for the mcat was that if I got anything below 30, I would retake no questions asked. 30 - 35 I would go ahead and apply this cycle and retake if I didn't get in. 35+, no way I'm ever taking the mcat again. Guess you have to decide what your own cut-offs are.

 

[Law2Doc]

And if you're really good you might be able to get at the end of the row and shoot down through all the ducks - One shot, multiple kills.

Yeah. Somebody out there in expression-land really doesn't like ducks.

 

[87138]

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[dmcR600]

You know, I think I may the only one here who thinks your idea is not categorically bad. However, why not go through the motions of applying? Get your application in order, start asking for all LORs, and even work on some of the secondary essay questions to schools you intend to apply to. If you have the time, I think it's a great idea. However, by no means should you submit the AMCAS now unless you are the second coming of Jesus or something. If you worked through everything now, you'd have the quite a few months to revisit everything a few times and tweak the essays to your liking. That's time that most applicants wish they had.


Cliff Notes - Start working on application, submit AMCAS in June 2008.

 

[TheRealMD]

Re-applicant stigma? I say there's no such thing.

What DOES happen however is that you'll apply one year and won't be outright rejected until the very end (May-June). You'll also have quit most of your activities since it may be your last year of college or so. You won't get accepted and you'll have nothing to put for the "how have you improved your app since last cycle" essay. There will also be no time to prepare unless you thought early in advance about applying again.

See all the problems you have to deal with when you apply more than once (especially back to back)? Not to mention the cost factor too. It's just something in general you want to avoid.

Same thing with the MCAT. There is no such thing as a "practice" MCAT. Assume the ones you must take count for everything. It may just be $210 per test but med schools get suspicious when you take it an excessive number of times.

 

[MC Tasty]

Well...26 is low for the MCAT. Not an automatic reject, but you better have a solid 4.0 gpa to counter that MCAT score.

No one has done this yet in the thread that I saw so I will. I am gonna walk you through what a year applying to medical school is like.

May
AMCAS is released and you can complete it

June
AMCAS is available for submission; pay AAMC $150 plus $30 for each school you apply to.

July-April
Receive and complete secondary applications. Pay med school $50-100 per secondary you return. These secondaries can require 2-3 recommendations from science and non-science faculty or pre-med advisor letter. A secondary can many hours/days to complete.

Wait to hear back from schools. (A lot of this)

Pay ~$400 for travel/hotel/food costs per interview and generally spend about two days away from school/work.

May 15
Accepted applicants choose where they want to go to school. Wait lists start to move a bit.

May 16-Mid August
Suffer on the waitlist and I hope you remembered to complete your AMCAS and send them your money while you were waiting.

----------

Applying to medical school is very expensive and time consuming. It took me many cycles to finally get in. It is the most difficult, ridiculous application process I have ever been through and I am glad it is finally over.

As far as choice a) or b), I would go with c) take your MCAT in april and apply early. I interviewed at the university of Cincinnati last year in early Feb, and I was told that I was competing for a spot on the waitlist. This is a rolling admission process. By applying late you are shooting yourself in the foot. If you need to talk a year off to get your stats in order, you take a year off, even if you don't want to.

There is no such thing as a stigma for re-applicants, however, if you are interviewed you will need to explain why you are applying to a school again, and how your application has changed. Some schools will not let you applying more than twice and these days the number of people getting in on their first attempt is shrinking.

Do what everyone has been telling you, save yourself a lot of pain and money. Get a solid application and then apply.

 

[Law2Doc]

Well...26 is low for the MCAT. Not an automatic reject, but you better have a solid 4.0 gpa to counter that MCAT score.

At most schools a 4.0 won't save a 26. The number of people with below a 27 in med school is quite low, and they typically had some non-numeric hook that got them in, numbers notwithstanding. A 26 with a 4.0 will just tend to raise questions about grade inflation -- The MCAT is meant in part to be a guage to let adcoms know how much to value a high GPA. Unless you have a really friendly state school that takes more lower number individuals, if you want to go to an allo med school you have to retake, plain and simple.
You only want to apply when you can put a competitive foot forward. Unless you think a 26 is the best you will ever get, you need to spend the time studying and not take the MCAT again untill you are scoring competitively in multiple full length practice tests. This may take time, but this is not a race. As MC Tasty suggested, if it takes an extra year it takes an extra year.

 

[greg1184]

Most schools have only asked me on the application if I have applied to THEIR school before. However there are a few schools that asked if you have applied to ANY school before, for example, UF. So if you are going to waste money and "test the market" you better figure out which schools do that.

 

[Law2Doc]

Most schools have only asked me on the application if I have applied to THEIR school before. However there are a few schools that asked if you have applied to ANY school before, for example, UF. So if you are going to waste money and "test the market" you better figure out which schools do that.

Doesn't AMCAS have a box inquiring if you've ever submitted AMCAS before? Generally schools will know if you are a reapplicant to med school, whether to theirs or not.

 

[thejonqproject]

i do not think there is that much stigma associated with being a reapplicant as some of you may think. it is true that the process is a bitch though.

i am one . then again...maybe this is why california hates me...

=/

5808 is my md apps.

 

[MDRus]

At most schools a 4.0 won't save a 26. The number of people with below a 27 in med school is quite low, and they typically had some non-numeric hook that got them in, numbers notwithstanding. A 26 with a 4.0 will just tend to raise questions about grade inflation -- The MCAT is meant in part to be a guage to let adcoms know how much to value a high GPA. Unless you have a really friendly state school that takes more lower number individuals, if you want to go to an allo med school you have to retake, plain and simple.
You only want to apply when you can put a competitive foot forward. Unless you think a 26 is the best you will ever get, you need to spend the time studying and not take the MCAT again untill you are scoring competitively in multiple full length practice tests. This may take time, but this is not a race. As MC Tasty suggested, if it takes an extra year it takes an extra year.

do not fear the extra year!!! i took an extra and have loved it. first, it goes by faster than you think. second, you can do things that will help your application a lot. third, what's the hurry, you have the rest of your life to be a doctor. fourth, you can set up your schedule so you can devote serious time to MCAT prep (my lab gave me a month off to study). fifth, now i'm working and "enjoying" the app process without added stress of other things. just work and relax and read SDN and go on interviews.

 

[greg1184]

Doesn't AMCAS have a box inquiring if you've ever submitted AMCAS before? Generally schools will know if you are a reapplicant to med school, whether to theirs or not.

Nope. Only thing it asks is that if you have applied to the specific school before at the end of the application, which the schools do not see.

 

[Law2Doc]

Nope. Only thing it asks is that if you have applied to the specific school before at the end of the application, which the schools do not see.

OK, but are you sure AMCAS doesn't offer that information up to the schools? It has your prior year info and knows that you submitted a prior primary. What I'm getting at is schools reportedly do know if you submitted a primary before, whether they specifically ask or not.

 

[jochi1543]

I don't think most people here are aware that the OP is an international applicant, which is a HUGE factor.

 

[greg1184]

OK, but are you sure AMCAS doesn't offer that information up to the schools? It has your prior year info and knows that you submitted a prior primary. What I'm getting at is schools reportedly do know if you submitted a primary before, whether they specifically ask or not.

I haven't heard of that. There was no question about whether I submitted an AMCAS before on the AMCAS application. AMCAS only saved my information as if I was just editing last year's application and resubmitting it. Whether they let schools know about my status without my knowledge, I have no idea; however so far it hasn't affected my applications negatively.

I was a re-applicant to only a few schools, and apparently the other schools have treated me (e.g. offering me relatively early interviews) like I have applied there the first time. The question of having applied to any schools in the past never came up in any of the secondary applications I have submitted except for a couple. The only question I was asked in the majority of the applications was if I applied to their school before, and if "yes" how did I improve my application. Of course, I answered no to these questions. If they really did know about it, why would they ask these questions on their secondaries? Unless it is a redundant thing.

 

[Law2Doc]

If they really did know about it, why would they ask these questions on their secondaries? Unless it is a redundant thing.

A lot of things in secondaries duplicate info already given in the primary.

 

[joshto]

it seems from the above posts that there may be some stigma attached to re-applicants. what has been said, is that if you are a re-applicant at a particular school, or a re-applicant to the AMCAS process as a whole, the school to which you apply to as a re-applicant will know you've previously applied to medical school (even if it isnt that particular school).

this stigma seems to stem from the fact that admission boards want to see some 'improvement' in the application of a re-applicant. this seems clear if the applicant applied early in the rolling admission process and had stats that could be better and were thus, rejected. however, what happens if you are an above average applicant and 'only' rejected because you applied late? will admssion boards the following years still have that sentiment of 'did you improve?', or will they understand that the rejection likely came from the fact that the application was submitted late?

 

[joshto]

does the stigma apply to applicants who got rejected just because they were late applying? are they still expected to improve their application?