Best Vacation Time during app cycle summer?

[DoctorLacrosse]

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So the title is pretty self explanatory. after graduation this spring the girlfriend wants to go on a vacation. I'll be taking my MCAT in May and applying in June to both MD and DO schools, so I was wondering, when exactly would be the best time to vacation during the summer months after this is done? I know it'll take a while to be verified and to start receiving secondaries, so maybe that gap would be the best time, but typically when is that? Any tips or advice on how to plan this? thanks guys!

 

[Katsu]

Honestly, I'd put off a long-term vacation until the summer before you matriculate. If you really want to go this year, then aim for the last few weeks of August.

You're planning a May MCAT, but almost half of the pre-meds I know (including myself) ended up postponing/rescheduling the MCAT for a later date because of various reasons. Really try hard so this doesn't happen to you. Even if you take it in May, you should leave yourself a little bit of a cushion in case you have to re-take. This way you could get your scores back and retake the MCAT in early July and still apply this upcoming cycle.

Get your AMCAS in on day one. I know some people who submitted on the second day and weren't verified until 3 weeks later. Most schools won't send you secondaries until you're verified. I submitted the second week of July and wasn't verified until Labor Day. The faster you submit, the faster you'll be verified and get secondaries (usually 95% of them will be received within a week of your primary being verified). After you get your secondaries, it's just a matter of how fast you can churn them out. Go on this year's Allopathic school-specific threads to get the secondary essays. They don't change much from year to year. This way you can pre-write them as you're waiting for your MCAT score/AMCAS verification.

Assuming you do all this, you can definitely finish everything by August and go on vacation. Otherwise you'll burn up the whole summer with this god awful process like I did

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Honestly, I'd put off a long-term vacation until the summer before you matriculate. If you really want to go this year, then aim for the last few weeks of August.

You're planning a May MCAT, but almost half of the pre-meds I know (including myself) ended up postponing/rescheduling the MCAT for a later date because of various reasons. Really try hard so this doesn't happen to you. Even if you take it in May, you should leave yourself a little bit of a cushion in case you have to re-take. This way you could get your scores back and retake the MCAT in early July and still apply this upcoming cycle.

Get your AMCAS in on day one. I know some people who submitted on the second day and weren't verified until 3 weeks later. Most schools won't send you secondaries until you're verified. I submitted the second week of July and wasn't verified until Labor Day. The faster you submit, the faster you'll be verified and get secondaries (usually 95% of them will be received within a week of your primary being verified). After you get your secondaries, it's just a matter of how fast you can churn them out. Go on this year's Allopathic school-specific threads to get the secondary essays. They don't change much from year to year. This way you can pre-write them as you're waiting for your MCAT score/AMCAS verification.

Assuming you do all this, you can definitely finish everything by August and go on vacation. Otherwise you'll burn up the whole summer with this god awful process like I did

my oh my this is sounding less and less doable the more I think about it. thank you for that awesome breakdown.

I've already rescheduled my MCAT twice due to not being ready so I'm thinking May is gonna be a now or never deal for me. Hoping I won't have to retake but you're certainly right it'd be best to prepare for that just incase.

How does it work with submitting AMCAS on day one before even receiving MCAT scores? Do I submit anyway then it'll be updated once scores are out?

Also, would it be possible to maybe plan this vacation for right after my MCAT/graduation (end of May), prior to AMCAS even opening, to avoid any possible issues? Thank you again!

 

[terp720]

my oh my this is sounding less and less doable the more I think about it. thank you for that awesome breakdown.

I've already rescheduled my MCAT twice due to not being ready so I'm thinking May is gonna be a now or never deal for me. Hoping I won't have to retake but you're certainly right it'd be best to prepare for that just incase.

How does it work with submitting AMCAS on day one before even receiving MCAT scores? Do I submit anyway then it'll be updated once scores are out?

Also, would it be possible to maybe plan this vacation for right after my MCAT/graduation (end of May), prior to AMCAS even opening, to avoid any possible issues? Thank you again!

If you are ready to submit day 1 and do so, then you have a few weeks during which your app will be processed but before information is released to schools at the end of June. You can submit your app without having the MCAT score back.
This would be a great time to pre-write secondaries if you choose to, which would save you time as you get secondaries back, but it is pretty open for vacation.

If you are able to get your application done so that traveling after graduation/MCAT doesn't compromise you getting your primary in as early as possible, don't see that causing an issue. If trying to get all that done (finishing up the semester, graduating, working on your app) would have an effect on your MCAT prep, I wouldn't do this.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

If you are ready to submit day 1 and do so, then you have a few weeks during which your app will be processed but before information is released to schools at the end of June. You can submit your app without having the MCAT score back.
This would be a great time to pre-write secondaries if you choose to, which would save you time as you get secondaries back, but it is pretty open for vacation.

If you are able to get your application done so that traveling after graduation/MCAT doesn't compromise you getting your primary in as early as possible, don't see that causing an issue. If trying to get all that done (finishing up the semester, graduating, working on your app) would have an effect on your MCAT prep, I wouldn't do this.

once submitted on day 1, how long does verification/receiving secondaries typically take? that sounds like it'd be the perfect time to vacation if there's a good amount of time there

 

[fhg]

The amount of time for verification post-submission varies a lot. You can see how long it took people based on submission times/dates here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2013-2014-amcas-verification-thread.1011614/. I would definitely second the suggestion of traveling after submitting your AMCAS but before verification.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

The amount of time for verification post-submission varies a lot. You can see how long it took people based on submission times/dates here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2013-2014-amcas-verification-thread.1011614/. I would definitely second the suggestion of traveling after submitting your AMCAS but before verification.

really thinking I'm gonna try to plan for this between submission and verification gap... any foreseeable complications that could arise from this? I figure as long as I submit the app and all materials before leaving for the trip I should be fine?

 

[fhg]

You should be fine. I did this last year. You can definitely still have a life and have a successful cycle.

 

[theseeker4]

really thinking I'm gonna try to plan for this between submission and verification gap... any foreseeable complications that could arise from this? I figure as long as I submit the app and all materials before leaving for the trip I should be fine?

Yeah, sounds like that is the best time, as long as your aren't planning a 2-month long vacation or something, in which case you might be sitting on secondary requests from schools much longer than they would like. As long as your vacation is a month or less in length, there should be zero issues with submitting, going on vacation, and coming back to start on secondaries. Just make sure your application is 100% complete, with everything lined up including transcripts sent to AMCAS before you leave.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Yeah, sounds like that is the best time, as long as your aren't planning a 2-month long vacation or something, in which case you might be sitting on secondary requests from schools much longer than they would like. As long as your vacation is a month or less in length, there should be zero issues with submitting, going on vacation, and coming back to start on secondaries. Just make sure your application is 100% complete, with everything lined up including transcripts sent to AMCAS before you leave.

well I'm only thinking like 5-7 days for a quick vaca, more than that and I might be returning single hahaha, but ok awesome. I really appreciate the responses from all of you, they've been more than helpful. Thank you guys!

 

[terp720]

well I'm only thinking like 5-7 days for a quick vaca, more than that and I might be returning single hahaha, but ok awesome. I really appreciate the responses from all of you, they've been more than helpful. Thank you guys!

if it's this short of a vacation, you have plenty of time during this gap. Your app may be verified while you're gone, but again nothing is released until end of June. So even with a week of vacation you can fit in pre-writing some secondaries if you want to get a jump start on that

 

[ThrombinHood]

Having submitted on day 1 (6/10) within the first 2 min of amcas opening I got verified by ~ 6/13 and didnt have a secondary until at least 7/1. You have roughly 3 weeks to kick back and relax before having to start secondaries. In all honesty, take a vacation. The application process is extremely tiresome and mentally draining. You need all the relaxation you can get.

 

[Espadaleader]

I would advise to not take a vacation. May and June may be too busy. The 2-3 weeks after you submit your primary should be time that you're pre-writing secondaries etc. Trust me, it doesn't seem like it but it will be.

• I would just take a 3 day road trip somewhere to get your mind off of medical school and spend time with your girl (which you need to do because your time will be limited during interviews). Go to the beach, rent a hotel, etc. I did that and it was fun.
• Start saving money for your 10 day cruise/Europe Trip/Disney World/(Enter Fantastic Trip Here) NEXT year when you actually have the time.

 

[kairos18]

I submitted my AMCAS day 1 and then I immediately left for a 10 day trip early/mid June. I got a couple of secondaries towards the end so I kind of jotted down some notes here and there about what I wanted to write about and then churned them out when I got home. The app cycle takes an immense amount of time but I don't see the harm in taking a little bit of time to have some fun!

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

this is why I love this site. not only giving me informative, helpful responses to help me make my decision, but actually ENCOURAGING me to do what I really want to do hahaha. glad that gap seems to have been a good vaca time for others in the past, discussed with the girl and we'll definitely be doing it during that time. can't thank you all enough for the input.