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Hey everyone,
So, I'm looking for alittle advice on how to handle the timing situation I'm in. I'm currently a full-time CNA, but will be moving to a new floor of the hospital on June 29th to begin what is called SSP (working 1 - 2 shifts per pay period/2 shifts per month) to study for the MCAT exam (I'm taking it for the first time on September 18th). I know what you're thinking - this kid has no chance by SDN's logic. However, I'm almost ready to submit the primary when AMCAS opens next week, and this is my first time applying. I still have 5 weeks to go before I can switch floors, however I know that since my applications wont be complete at schools until mid-October (which, by the way, is not necessarily a death sentence), I feel as if I'm doing myself a disservice by not calling out for the next five weeks (it would be the same write-up, so I wouldn't be fired thankfully) to start studying and pre-writing secondaries (I'm applying to 41 schools.
I know I need to rock the MCAT is order for this application cycle to mean anything, and I really want to apply this year, because I think its time to after 7 years since I started college (I graduated in 2012 and have worked for the Air Force, another gov't agency, and started my own tutoring business since). So I'm wondering what would be a better plan. The reason I stopped studying for the exam earlier in the spring, was because I was accepted into my hospitals CNA program (which I thought was a good deal because they pay to train you, and then hire you on a floor.
3.65c/3.64s/solid ECs & LORs. Thoughts?
^This. Take your time to do well on the MCAT as well as increase your EC's. You seem to not think a mid/late primary application is killer to your app, but I strongly disagree. You won't have your primary or secondary in when interview slots are already being decided. Heck, you won't have your secondaries in until likely sometime around November, some schools end their interview seasons in December, others will be nearly halfway through already with many of the future slots already decided. Even with extremely strong stats you would be lowering your chances of admission by a huge amount.Why not wait a year and apply early? You'd have the bonus of a lot more clinical experience from your job and you could go add some serious volunteering EC's as well.
Taking the MCAT on September 18th means schools get your completed application between October 18th and 23rd. Many schools have October 15th as the deadline for applications, so actually your late app would be a death sentence. My advice if you're 100% going to apply this cycle? Basically do a streamlined version of the Sn2ed schedule to take the test in August so that you can beat the deadline. If you do poorly, you can retake for next cycle, but if your app is past the deadline you have a 0% chance of acceptance.
uhh I'm 100% certain October 15th is the deadline to submit your AMCAS primary application to some schools. You do NOT need to have a completed application by that date. You don't even need to be processed by that date. You just need to submit it by that date.
I mean.. it's certainly not helping but at least give the guy the right advice. It's by no means a 0% chance of acceptance.
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/147932/finishing_shared_5.1.html
"Your application must be submitted (not processed) by 11:59 p.m. ET of the deadline date."
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/147934/finishing_shared_5.2.html
"The application deadline is the date by which your application must be submitted to AMCAS. You must submit your application, agree to the certification statement, and pay the appropriate application fees by 11:59 p.m. ET of the deadline date. Your application does not need to be processed/verified by the deadline date."
All OP has to do is submit his primary way before his MCAT scores are released. His application won't be read or considered complete until they are released in October.. but he won't be automatically rejected because he missed the deadline.
There are schools with non-rolling admissions that have an early deadline for secondary submission. I said nothing about AMCAS.