Delayed my secondaries and now I'm worried I ruined my previously competitive application

[CptSpike]

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Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here and I feel so horrible and worried for having delayed my secondaries like this. Overall, i had a fairly competitive application with 524 MCAT 3.98 GPA and around 200-300 hours each of clinical volunteering, scribing, research, a completed thesis, teaching as a TA, and non-clinical volunteering with some leadership. However, due to burnout and also other circumstances that I'm not gonna mention, I've only gotten a handful of secondaries in so far and I'm currently grinding out every day to finish as many I can as soon as possible. How are my odds looking with September secondaries now and how much are my chances impacted for all med schools in general and also "highly competitive" schools despite pretty much all schools being competitive. Any advice or answers are appreciated.

 

[Goro]

Getting them in late is better than not getting them in at all.

 

[Goro]

Whatever was playing you in preventing you from getting your secondaries in on time, do take care and make sure that you are up to the task of handling the process, as well as the furnace of medical school.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here and I feel so horrible and worried for having delayed my secondaries like this. Overall, i had a fairly competitive application with 524 MCAT 3.98 GPA and around 200-300 hours each of clinical volunteering, scribing, research, a completed thesis, teaching as a TA, and non-clinical volunteering with some leadership. However, due to burnout and also other circumstances that I'm not gonna mention, I've only gotten a handful of secondaries in so far and I'm currently grinding out every day to finish as many I can as soon as possible. How are my odds looking with September secondaries now and how much are my chances impacted for all med schools in general and also "highly competitive" schools despite pretty much all schools being competitive. Any advice or answers are appreciated.

Time to put on my Judge Judy regalia:

(Please, I'm joking.)

You are responsible for your application process. I don't know how you coped with the stress of your undergraduate coursework to finish with a 524/3.98, but you clearly are a capable individual who could have handled the juggling of priorities in applying to undergraduate or medical school.

Maybe you have some valid issues of burnout or other circumstances, but then you're raising questions to me on whether you're going into medicine for the "right reasons." Are you in it for "the game" of getting multiple acceptances, or are you in it to commit to the next decades of further sacrifice, pressure, or burnout? Why are you making excuses now to soften the blow if you wind up not getting into your dream medical school?

So either get the work done, because your metrics tell me you can do it, or don't. But figure out why you are not as passionate about jumping through this hoop, knowing you'll have more complicated obstacle courses ahead as a medical student. The sooner you figure that out, the less likely you'll find yourself in your dream medical school and wanting to leave. All you have done is confirm you're just a box-checker. You'll do hundreds of hours of clinical and non-clinical experience but can't carve out the time to finish secondary apps... that's a blinking warning light on your dashboard.

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here and I feel so horrible and worried for having delayed my secondaries like this. Overall, i had a fairly competitive application with 524 MCAT 3.98 GPA and around 200-300 hours each of clinical volunteering, scribing, research, a completed thesis, teaching as a TA, and non-clinical volunteering with some leadership. However, due to burnout and also other circumstances that I'm not gonna mention, I've only gotten a handful of secondaries in so far and I'm currently grinding out every day to finish as many I can as soon as possible. How are my odds looking with September secondaries now and how much are my chances impacted for all med schools in general and also "highly competitive" schools despite pretty much all schools being competitive. Any advice or answers are appreciated.

Can’t tell you anything odds wise because each school handle things differently in how they evaluate each individual application. What I will say is that secondary burn-out is real. I felt that a little bit. But if you’re not in the right head space to put your best foot forward at the moment, reflect and possibly consider reapplying when the time is right.

Getting them in by rushing through them may do more harm than good, so churning out quality secondaries is more important. However, Goro is right. Not turning them in at all ensures a 0% a school will reach back out to you.

 

[LunaOri]

If your true priority is to become a physician, prioritize the order of secondaries. Don’t chase the “top 20”. Do your state schools first (they won’t yield protect) followed by schools with whom you share the best mission fit.
Applicants with low clinical and service hours are at risk for not being accepted. That doesn’t mean you aren’t FIT for medical school, it means that you aren’t READY for medical school and could benefit from another year or two of experience and maturation.

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

Your odds are dramatically lower compared to applicants who submitted their secondaries in July, but that does not mean there is a zero percent chance of acceptance in this cycle. Take a look at this resource that we point people to as a way of highlighting how the University of Michigan tracks its applicant pool.

Many applicants with a 524/3.98 do not get accepted into medical school in general. The actual statistic is 17% (See AAMC Table). Why? Perhaps they submitted late. Perhaps they did not have a strong enough written application and the admissions committees went with a student with lower scores/grades but a more compelling narrative that persuaded ADCOMS to select them rather than someone else. All of these things matter, but the good news is that you have another chance to apply if you ultimately do not get in this cycle. The best advice, don't make the same mistakes twice and plan ahead!