Does re-applying hurt?

[BDNF]

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I plan on retaking my mcat. the question is, should I apply this year anyways, and reapply next year if I don't get in anywhere?

Does re-applying actually hurt you? Is there any down side to reapplying for the second time? Do admission committee's frown upon reapplying? I know in the application there is a check box for "reapplicant."

or would it be better just to wait a year, retake, and then apply?

 

[chad5871]

I think it would hurt your wallet more than anything.

 

[LikeClockWork]

From what I understand, re-applying isn't frowned upon by adcom's but it's not ideal for the candidate. The first time you apply, your stats are as-is. The question is whether not to accept based on those stats. When you apply the second time, the big question is "We didn't take him/her last year, what's changed that it should be any different this year?" Thus you need to have a pretty good reason they should let you in the second time (MCAT and/or GPA increase and the like).

 

[searun]

A reapplicant is at a competitive disadvantage. You should get all of your ducks lined up and apply when you have the optimum chance of success. So if your MCAT is weak, do not apply until you have retaken the MCAT and made a substantial improvement that will make you competitive in the applicant pool.

I had a high gpa and a strong MCAT but little clinical exposure. So after I graduated from college, I spent one year getting the necessary clinical exposure to firm up my application. As a result, I had multiple acceptances from some highly regarded schools and now attend a top ten school. I doubt that I would have been accepted anywhere if I had not taken the extra year to optimize my chances of success.

You want to avoid being a reapplicant if at all possible.

 

[Law2Doc]

I plan on retaking my mcat. the question is, should I apply this year anyways, and reapply next year if I don't get in anywhere?

Does re-applying actually hurt you? Is there any down side to reapplying for the second time? Do admission committee's frown upon reapplying? I know in the application there is a check box for "reapplicant."

or would it be better just to wait a year, retake, and then apply?

Your goal should be to have all your ducks in a row and pull the trigger just once. Whether being a reapplicant hurts is a bit school dependant. There are absolutely schools that give reapplicants different scrutiny, with higher hurdles to surmount. You often have to show substantial improvement over your prior application, which creates a burden you wouldn't have if you had waited to apply.

 

[BDNF]

A reapplicant is at a competitive disadvantage. You should get all of your ducks lined up and apply when you have the optimum chance of success. So if your MCAT is weak, do not apply until you have retaken the MCAT and made a substantial improvement that will make you competitive in the applicant pool.

I had a high gpa and a strong MCAT but little clinical exposure. So after I graduated from college, I spent one year getting the necessary clinical exposure to firm up my application. As a result, I had multiple acceptances from some highly regarded schools and now attend a top ten school. I doubt that I would have been accepted anywhere if I had not taken the extra year to optimize my chances of success.

You want to avoid being a reapplicant if at all possible.

Wow, thanks. That answers my question.

I was considering applying and if I didn't get in, just apply again. I didn't realize all the ramifications of applying when i'm not ready. You said you took of an extra year to optimize your chance of success, why doesn't everybody do that, even if they are already successful?

On a similar note, I know aamc doesn't send information on whether or not I void an MCAT to AMCAS schools. Is there anything wrong with taking an mcat and voiding if I don't think I did well? I know there you can only sit for an MCAT 3 times per year, but other than the personal discomfort of having to take the test multiple times, there isn't anything wrong with voiding?

 

[Tofutti27]

Searun, may I ask what sort of clinical exposure you gained? I am looking to strengthen my clinical background this year, and would love to hear what worked for you.