Early Decision?

[AznSeal]

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What are the pros and cons of applying early?

I really want to apply early to UAB (i'm an Alabama resident with 3.7 GPA and 31 MCATs) but I won't apply early if it hurts my chances elsewhere.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

The plus is you find out really early. The con is if you don't get it in, you will be applying late for the regular cycle.

IIRC, people applying EDP have very good reasons. I would talk to the Dean of the school and see if they are willing to assess your chances for EDP.

 

[BABSstudent]

What are the pros and cons of applying early?

I really want to apply early to UAB (i'm an Alabama resident with 3.7 GPA and 31 MCATs) but I won't apply early if it hurts my chances elsewhere.

I will assume you mean early decision programs instead of just applying early. You say early decision in the title but not again in your post.

The pro:
You only apply to one school and can get in early.

The cons:
You can only apply to one school.
There are very few seats for EDP.
If you don't get in, you are told in October. This makes you very late in regards to every other school and more difficult to get in.

 

[coffeesnob]

What are the pros and cons of applying early?

I really want to apply early to UAB (i'm an Alabama resident with 3.7 GPA and 31 MCATs) but I won't apply early if it hurts my chances elsewhere.

I am getting a sense that you may not fully understand how early admission works for medical school... I apologize if I am misunderstanding your words.

You can only apply to one school for early admission. You cannot apply to other schools until you get rejected. If you get accepted, that's the best world scenario. If you get rejected, you will only then start applying to other schools, which will be around late September-early October. Yes, if you get rejected, then it will definitely hurt your chances elsewhere (b/c you are applying late).

For UAB, the average MCAT and GPA for the entering class last year (2012) was 29.9 and 3.76. So your GPA is slightly lower than the average. You should understand that medical school early decision standards are not necessarily lower than those used for regular decision. I would definitely contact the dean and see if you will get an interview. Do not apply early unless you have the blessings from the school's dean.

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