My stats according to AACOMAS (AMCAS sees them differently, is why I have to postbacc):
GPA : ~3.8 for everything
MCAT : 36Q
Ok, currently I am in a post-bacc to an M.D. school, and applying to my state schools as well. My post-bacc program historically has taken absolutely every student scoring grades about a certain level in this program, so my chances are at least 90% I will get into the M.D. school. I have nothing against D.O.s, but the fact is, the majority of the non-primary care residency spots are allopathic, and the odds are substantially better to match as an M.D.
HOWEVER, 90% is not 100%, and so I want to hedge my bets. The M.D. school I am at may not accept me until April or May. Also, I could apply for that National Guard - ASW program a few months earlier, which could affect things.
The three D.O. schools I applied to using a fee waiver : CCOM, DMU-COM, MSU-COM.
Each of them demands a non-refundable deposit of around $1000, and I would prefer not to pay this.
Is there any way I can time it so that I probably won't have to waste $1000? The problem is, the longer I wait to turn in a secondary, the smaller the improvement in my chances becomes.
Let's suppose that I have a 97% chance of getting into one of those 3 osteopathic schools, were I to turn my secondaries in by October 1. That improves my chances of getting into a medical school to nearly 100% for this year.
(99.7% if my math is correct)
But if I waited until Febuary, I might have only a 50% chance of getting in to one of those 3 osteopathic schools. That means the marginal benefit from applying at all is much less.
Uggh. I don't know what to do. It defeats the whole purpose to apply, go to interviews, and then not pay the deposit for at least 1 school. But, $1000 is enough money to matter. I could buy groceries and gas for a couple of months, or buy a new laptop, or do lots of things with an extra grand.