Confused and don't know what to do

[Gladiolus23]

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[Ismet]

A July 22 MCAT will give you your score at the end of August, at that point you're starting to get into mid-late application territory depending on the schools you're applying to (some schools end their interview season in December/January and fill up most of their interview spots by September). It's not detrimental, depending on what the rest of your app looks like, but it's not ideal. This is coming from someone who wasn't complete at my schools until late September of my app year, still ended up being fairly successful, but if I had to do it all again, I would have submitted in June/July.

Like @gonnif said, you won't know your school list until you know your MCAT. If you decide to apply this cycle, do NOT send your AMCAS to a bunch of schools until you have an MCAT score back. If you want, you can submit AMCAS with just 1 school so that you can get verified, then submit it to the rest of the schools once you get your score.

It's certainly not impossible to take the MCAT that late and be successful, but it's not advisable if you have other options. If you can take an extra year and bolster your app even more while focusing 100% on the MCAT now, then I'd take it (something else I probably would have done if I had to do it all again).

 

[Cotterpin]

You should do the best job you possibly can on the MCAT and then apply on the first day next cycle. It's better to take your time and do it all right the first time than to have to reapply. I know I wish I had done it that way.

 

[Cotterpin]

Mostly the advice I get falls into two categories: neurotic pre-meds tell me anything after early june is late/application death sentence/how dare you even consider it; while advisors, physicians, admission folks tell me they often don't begin reviewing apps until august, so an app couldn't possibly be "late" until after that. However, Gonnif's advice above is on point. It may lead to overload trying to study for the test, build a competitive app, and finish up classes all at the same time. Personally, I hate free time and i'm a bit masochistic, so I have hope.

They don't start reviewing apps until August. But if your app isn't complete until August, then you'll be at the end of the queue when they start reviewing. Unless your app really stands out, the interview slots will all be getting handed out to earlier applicants while you're waiting for them to get around to reading yours. It could still work out for you, but you're not giving yourself the best chance of acceptance.

 

[Ismet]

They don't start reviewing apps until August. But if your app isn't complete until August, then you'll be at the end of the queue when they start reviewing. Unless your app really stands out, the interview slots will all be getting handed out to earlier applicants while you're waiting for them to get around to reading yours. It could still work out for you, but you're not giving yourself the best chance of acceptance.

While the admissions committee might not meet to discuss applicants until August, interview offers start going out WELL before that. Many schools start sending out II's in July.

 

[LizzyM]

Applications are distributed for review by office staff. It is a first in, first out (FIFO) system except when they "skim the cream" by sorting the applications by something like MCAT score and preferentially reviewing all the MCAT >521 applicants and then FIFO. So yes, there is a queue although you can jump it if you have the right score.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Applications are distributed for review by office staff. It is a first in, first out (FIFO) system except when they "skim the cream" by sorting the applications by something like MCAT score and preferentially reviewing all the MCAT >521 applicants and then FIFO. So yes, there is a queue although you can jump it if you have the right score.

Cue someone to then use this as an excuse to apply late, "Applying early won't matter to me because I'll just get a 521 like LizzyM said and jump the queue!!!"

 

[Cotterpin]

That argument is based on the "queue" (what a funny word) being sorted/reviewed by order of submission, first to last. While that may be, I wonder if it really happens that way? "Dr. Johnson, put that application down! He submitted on July 1st, but we're only reviewing the last week of June today". Could be, I wouldn't know. I just know most businesses/offices/schools/humans-in-general are less organized than they profess to be.

I guess i'm just saying if you're in the giant pile of apps when they get started reviewing, you will be judged/compared/competing with/against everyone else in the pile. Date of submission doesn't sound like a metric often used to select potentially successful future physicians (again, if you're in the pile when they start, in my mind, you're competing against everyone else in the pile). Logic follows that everyone floating into the pile later will be at a disadvantage as II's begin going out, but until then I don't find the DOS argument to be bulletproof.

And of course my app will stand out, my mom has been telling me i'm a special snowflake for years.

Feel free to correct me, I'm just a pre-med bumping around in the dark.

This would maybe make sense if the apps were all in hard copy form and lumped together in an literal giant pile, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case. We submit them digitally and they receive them digitally and can sort them based on whatever metric they like. Unless your numbers are particularly fantastic, I think you'll initially get sorted by date of submission like almost everybody else. Then they have to get around to reading your app before they can get the holistic view of your app.