Chance of Acceptance? (applying early decision a year earlier than normal)

[FlowRate]

Edit: I contacted the admissions office and they said nobody has ever been admitted without first receiving their bachelor's degree, so I figure it will probably be a fruitless endeavor. I'm willing to bet that their policy is so they can do the "BS/MD" program (which I graduated highschool a year too early to apply for =( ).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[FlowRate]

Anyone? Basically, I'm wondering how much above average I'd need to be in order to be accepted to med school during my 3rd year of college and how difficult it is to get in via an Early Decision (reply by oct) program.

How much will EC's help (or, in my case, hurt since I don't have publications and all kinds of crazy stuff like people on these boards)

 

[GoSpursGo]

Anyone? Basically, I'm wondering how much above average I'd need to be in order to be accepted to med school during my 3rd year of college and how difficult it is to get in via an Early Decision (reply by oct) program.

How much will EC's help (or, in my case, hurt since I don't have publications and all kinds of crazy stuff like people on these boards)

Unfortunately, you are asking a very unusual question, for which there is little basis for comparison. My advice is to call up their admissions office and ask what they think; I know a some med schools frown upon dropping previous commitments such as the pursuit of an undergrad degree, but I don't know if that schools is one of them.

Frankly, what you are suggesting seems very risky to me. If you don't get accepted EDP, then what's your backup plan? It would surely be too late to then pick your major back up, right? Why are you so intent on finishing a year early?

 

[Mobius1985]

My questions:
How feasible is it for me to be accepted a year early to this medical school (acceptance during 3rd year of undergrad)?
How about an early decision acceptance?
Would my age be a factor at all? (I'm about a year younger than your average applicant)

There would need to be a compelling reason for the adcomm to pass up college grads, which means most of those applying, to accept you. I don't see such a reason from what you've mentioned in your post.

Do not apply early decision unless your stats and expected ECs are well above average compared to those accepted to your target school. You will not get in, and will then be at a serious disadvantage for the rest of the application season.

Age is not a factor, if your application includes all the usual experiences by which an application is judged, and if your application shows leadership, which demonstrates maturity. On the other hand, you will not be excused in any way because you had one less year to prepare a solid application.

Side Note: Certainly it is possible to be accepted early. I applied after two years of college and was accepted. I earned my college degree at the end of the third year, before matriculation to med school. I had a full year of research and hundreds of hours of clinical experience and shadowing. I had strong leadership, and a lot of other ECs that expressed my diverse interests and skills.

Keep in mind that less than half of med school applicants get an acceptance. If you don't have a degree, and all the usual ECs, and don't get in, what is your backup plan?

 

[FlowRate]

There would be no need to drop my degree program if I wasn't accepted. The need for EDP in the 3rd year is that I could then register for the few prereq's that I'd need to get out of the way and matriculate with all my prereq's. If I didn't get accepted EDP, then I might still be able to get my preqrequisites out of the way, but the plan would be to continue with my degree program, see about acceptance during the normal application year and apply again the next year if I wasn't accepted.

There's no NEED to finish early, but it represents a decrease in the opportunity cost of school and would allow me to move on to something I love, instead of something I like.

My stats should be well above the average accepted GPA/MCAT, so I don't think that would be a problem. I have work experience, volunteering, will have shadowing but nothing leadershippy. I'm not sure how much the lack in leadership would hurt, though I am hoping to work something out before fall of next year.

Thanks for the honest advice, guys. I'll probably contact their admissions office. I will also be talking th our pre-med advisor about this later this month.


Also, I would probably only be applying to this one medical school, not only because of EDP, but because I think I have a reasonable chance getting accepted early. If I wasn't accepted, I would then be applying to multiple schools the next year (and finishing my degree), none through an EDP.