Can someone please help me out with my timeline- I'm taking my MCAT on June 28th and will be applying this cycle!

[Jack-Kennedy35]

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Hey Guys,

I was hoping you guys might be able to help me out in regard to planning my cycle out. I really appreciate it.

I am currently a senior attending UCLA and have an overall GPA of 3.80 and a 3.73 science gpa. However, if I get all A's this spring quarter and include them in my primary, my overall gpa can rise to a 3.82 ( I think I have a great chance as of now). My activities are all really strong in my opinion and I have a lot of research experience and clinical experience (including hundreds of shadowing hours) and community service .

Here is the issue, I'm scheduled to take the MCAT on June 28th and I know this is not entirely ideal but I think I will be right on time as long as I pre-write my secondaries. What are your thoughts on this? Do you also suggest I wait until my spring grades come out (likely by the June 23rd) and submit my primary by June 23th/24th or so, considering my MCAT date? Will i be at a disadvantage?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how my overall timeline will look like, in regard to when I'll be receiving my secondaries and by when I should try to get them out by, to be on time with my current plan. If I apply to 35 schools, will it be reasonable to expect that I can prewrite them all between June 23rd-July 30th?

Thanks for your consideration and I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.
@Catalystik

 

[Catalystik]

I am currently a senior attending UCLA and have an overall GPA of 3.80 and a 3.73 science gpa. However, if I get all A's this spring quarter and include them in my primary, my overall gpa can rise to a 3.82 ( I think I have a great chance as of now). My activities are all really strong in my opinion and I have a lot of research experience and clinical experience (including hundreds of shadowing hours) and community service .

Here is the issue, I'm scheduled to take the MCAT on June 28th and I know this is not entirely ideal but I think I will be right on time as long as I pre-write my secondaries.
1) What are your thoughts on this?
2) Do you also suggest I wait until my spring grades come out (likely by the June 23rd) and submit my primary by June 23th/24th or so, considering my MCAT date?
3) Will i be at a disadvantage?

4) Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how my overall timeline will look like, in regard to when I'll be receiving my secondaries and by when I should try to get them out by, to be on time with my current plan.
5) If I apply to 35 schools, will it be reasonable to expect that I can prewrite them all between June 23rd-July 30th?
@Catalystik

1) If you wait until July 28 or so to submit your Primary, after the MCAT score is known, it will take another 4-ish weeks to get your transcript verified before AMCAS sends your application to your schools, so approximately Aug 28. This would make it near impossible to get Secondaries returned before the Labor Day cut off that would make your application "late,"It would be better to submit your Primary sooner to just one school, IF you are willing to take the risk of having a score so low that you decide not to apply after all.

2) There is no downside to waiting until after spring term grades are out before sending in your transcripts, considering your timeframe. I suggest you apply soon after this so verification is completed by about the time the MCAT score is known.

3) You will be at a disadvantage if you don't get Secondaries returned before Labor Day.

4) Many Secondaries will arrive soon after your application is Complete (with both transcript verified and MCAT score known) and you have added additional schools based on how competitive your MCAT score looks, and some will arrive after a few weeks due to your application being screened by schools first before they decide to offer you a Secondary. A two-week turn-around time for each Secondary would be your goal.

5) Yes. But 35 schools seems like an excessive number if your application is as strong as you imply.

 

[deleted962973]

Hey Guys,

I was hoping you guys might be able to help me out in regard to planning my cycle out. I really appreciate it.

I am currently a senior attending UCLA and have an overall GPA of 3.80 and a 3.73 science gpa. However, if I get all A's this spring quarter and include them in my primary, my overall gpa can rise to a 3.82 ( I think I have a great chance as of now). My activities are all really strong in my opinion and I have a lot of research experience and clinical experience (including hundreds of shadowing hours) and community service .

Here is the issue, I'm scheduled to take the MCAT on June 28th and I know this is not entirely ideal but I think I will be right on time as long as I pre-write my secondaries. What are your thoughts on this? Do you also suggest I wait until my spring grades come out (likely by the June 23rd) and submit my primary by June 23th/24th or so, considering my MCAT date? Will i be at a disadvantage?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how my overall timeline will look like, in regard to when I'll be receiving my secondaries and by when I should try to get them out by, to be on time with my current plan. If I apply to 35 schools, will it be reasonable to expect that I can prewrite them all between June 23rd-July 30th?

Thanks for your consideration and I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.
@Catalystik

As a UCLA student I’m assuming you’re applying to Cali schools. Most CA schools employ a screen pre secondary so even if you are verified by end of July, it is quite likely that you won’t get your secondaries til end of August or September. I’d encourage you to move your MCAT up if at all possible.