Benefits to Applying Early

[dok101]

I see a lot of people say that applying early is to one's advantage. Can anyone explain exactly why applying during the Summer is advantageous? I'm planning on taking the MCAT next August but would be willing to alter my plans if I felt it was to my advantage to take the April MCAT and apply during the Summer. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you.

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[Sundarban1]

I see a lot of people say that applying early is to one's advantage. Can anyone explain exactly why applying during the Summer is advantageous? I'm planning on taking the MCAT next August but would be willing to alter my plans if I felt it was to my advantage to take the April MCAT and apply during the Summer. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you.

Simply because most schools are rolling admissions and by the time August comes, secondaries are complete, you're called to interview, etc. most of the class has been filled with April applicants. The better your MCAT/GPA, EC's, etc. the less you have to worry. However you often hear of people with boarderline/below average stats who were granted accecptance because they've applied early whereas their statistically similar counterparts were left waitlisted/rejected at the same schools simply because they applied late/took the August MCAT.

 

[Law2Doc]

Simply because most schools are rolling admissions and by the time August comes, secondaries are complete, you're called to interview, etc. most of the class has been filled with April applicants. The better your MCAT/GPA, EC's, etc. the less you have to worry. However you often hear of people with boarderline/below average stats who were granted accecptance because they've applied early whereas their statistically similar counterparts were left waitlisted/rejected at the same schools simply because they applied late/took the August MCAT.

While I totally agree with the above poster's post, I have to note that the disadvantage of applying with an August MCAT is sometimes overemphasized on this board. Obviously you have an advantage in any rolling admissions process if you are in the beginning of the pack. But lots of people take the August MCAT and still get interviews and get in. If you are going to take the August MCAT, you really want to have AMCAS submitted, and all your LORs forwarded to your committee or letter service BEFORE you take the MCAT, so that everything moves forward immediately once the scores hit. Note though, that there is late, and there is late, and so while it might pay to take the August MCAT if it means getting a better score (or just completing the prereqs), it never pays to dally and get your app submitted in late November or beyond.

 

[smc927]

I'm no expert but this is what I did:

I took summer Organic I. I didn't have any organic so I didn't want to take the April MCAT.

I took the August MCAT and had my appilication ready and submitted so my GPA could be confirmed, etc. I had my letters of recommendation arranged beforehand. When my MCAT score came out mid(?)-October I immediately released it and my application was complete.

Within about 30 days I was interviewed and accepted at my #1 choice (KCOM). Within roughly 60 days I was interviewed and accepted at my #2 choice (PCOM).

When I interviewed at KCOM in mid-November they told me they had been interviewing only a few weeks. PCOM had a late start so I was toward the beginning of their interviewing cycle.

Good luck!