Early Application Advantage?

[equineconstant]

I've seen a couple of threads like this for other types of medicine, but not one for vet schools. Is there any advantage to submitting your VMCAS application as soon as possible?

I'm doing an internship abroad this summer and I would really like to include it in my personal statement, but I can't write about it until I've done it. The pre-professional advisor at my school was concerned about that because I can submit my application as soon as June 7 and I don't start my internship until June 5. But is there really any reason I should worry about submitting it that early since it's not actually due until fall?

I know for sure that there's no advantage at UPenn if you send in an application early (I did a summer program there once and they talked about admissions), but does anyone know about any other schools? (The schools I'm applying to are LSU, Missouri, UPenn, Cornell, and Virginia--if anyone knows about them in particular, that would be much appreciated!)

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[hopefulinva]

No advantage, other than a huge load of stress off of your shoulders. 😉

It's a good idea to get it done early anyway, because the closer you get to the deadline, the more people there are taxing the servers to submit their own VMCAS. And once the VMCAS closes, the VMCAS closes, whether your internet crapped out for the submission or not.

Don't forget eLORs are due the same day! I told my evaluators the VMCAS deadline was a week beforehand, just so I'd be super sure they'd get them in on time for me. 😉

 

[SnowyRox]

It's disadvantageous to apply early because you will keep racking up animal/vet experience hours over the course of the summer. Absolutely no reason to submit June 5 as far as I know.

 

[heylodeb]

No advantage to applying early. Good idea to submit a week or two before the deadline in case there is a computer glitch.

 

[orcagirl]

I submitted mine 3 days before the deadline because I was so paranoid about every little detail. I didn't want a comma to be misplaced and then for the adcoms to think I didn't know how to write and just toss out my application. (Of course I know it doesn't really work like that). I was successful this cycle. I don't think they even really start to look at them until they are all in.

One of my eLOR didn't get submitted until like 3 hours before the deadline. He writes them for students every year and knows when the deadline is. There was no fooling him. And he had already written me a letter for a scholarship. It wasn't like he was starting from scratch.

 

[Bismarck]

There is no advantage to submitting early; the data will sit on the VMCAS server until mid-september anyway (they start printing materials then for shipment to schools). Take the time to polish your personal statement, write good summaries of your experiences (and gain new ones potentially), and carefully select which schools you wish to apply to as there is a definite cost to add new schools later to your application.

 

[Trilt]

I submitted mine 3 days before the deadline because I was so paranoid about every little detail. I didn't want a comma to be misplaced and then for the adcoms to think I didn't know how to write and just toss out my application. (Of course I know it doesn't really work like that). I was successful this cycle. I don't think they even really start to look at them until they are all in.

One of my eLOR didn't get submitted until like 3 hours before the deadline. He writes them for students every year and knows when the deadline is. There was no fooling him. And he had already written me a letter for a scholarship. It wasn't like he was starting from scratch.

Definitely submitted mine in the wee hours before the application was due, and my supplemental only a couple hours beforehand (although that was due to needing funds transferred to my american bank account 😱). Also had a rec letter go in the night before, but I was 100% expecting that from her and know it was probably one of the best recommendations I've ever had written.

I also echoed the checking every comma, dotting every I sentiment. I probably read every paragraph in my vmcas at least ten times, and personal statement/essays even more.

One related suggestion I kept to, though; I didn't let myself look at my application once it was submitted. If I needed to pull a description or something I would open VMCAS, go to that section, pull it out, and close it. I didn't re-read my PS for at least three months. I know that if I had sat and stared at the application for the next five months while I was waiting I would have gone insane.

 

[Emiloo4]

A few schools I applied to emailed us in November saying "We are beginning to look at applications" so don't rush it. PLEASE NOTE the app is due before then, but my point is that they get them all in and organize them before they start really looking. It's not like they put a sticky note saying you were one of the firsts for extra points. Some exceptions are Western (you just find out about interviews based on the order you submitted but it doesn't give you a better chance of getting in) and I think Ross has a "rolling admissions" of sorts.

 

[equineconstant]

Thanks, all! I thought that would be the case, but you've all given me a lot more confidence in it. 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

It's a good idea to get it done early anyway, because the closer you get to the deadline, the more people there are taxing the servers to submit their own VMCAS.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but if you're right, then VMCAS is run by clowns. The number of applications per year is measured in the ... what ... low tens of thousands? 2600 students get in each year, so I suppose somewhere from 5000 to 20000 apply?

Anyway, for an appropriately designed system doing the kinds of tasks VMCAS does, that's peanuts. We built systems at my last job designed to respond to twice that many queries per second and on databases that were easily 100 times larger than whatever VMCAS is doing.

I know VMCAS touts the whole "get it in and don't risk missing the deadline" thing, but they're being misleading about the reason. My guess is they just don't want to have to deal with all sorts of last-minute calls.

OTOH, I've never been impressed with VMCAS's intiative to develop. I get the impression they're run on a shoe-string minimalist budget. They don't have any reason to invest money in development, because they own the entire market with no competition. It sucks.

Oh. To the OP: No. There's no significant advantage to getting your application in early, unless it would make that much difference in how well you sleep at night.

 

[hopefulinva]

I know VMCAS touts the whole "get it in and don't risk missing the deadline" thing, but they're being misleading about the reason. My guess is they just don't want to have to deal with all sorts of last-minute calls.

Very likely. I didn't try to find out. 😉

 

[equitate]

I also submitted my VMCAS very last minute both cycles when I applied 😛. I didn't have any problems (THANK GOODNESS) but I don't recommend getting down to the wire like I did. I was just too busy messing around with it and being happy with my PS.

I'd say get it in a week or two ahead of time if you'd like, but I wouldn't submit it months ahead of time. It's always good to add new experiences and hours for as long as you possibly can, IMO.