Gap Year, Higher Expectations?

[premedboy239]

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I just had three questions regarding gap years, as I am planning/considering my own.

- Are gap years a soft requirement for top schools?
- Are applicants who take a gap year considered with more stringency?
- Is an applicant who is efficient with their time (i.e. sizable, but not prodigious hours for each activity) competitive for top schools WITHOUT a gap year?

Thank you!

 

[EileenX]

1) Not a requirement for top schools.
2) Applicants are not considered more stringently unless you are a re-applicant.
3) Many applicants are competitive for top schools without a gap year.

Not sure on the exact statistics for these top schools, but I bet someone knows/you can find it online. Basically, can you hit what top medical schools are looking for? For some, it takes an extra gap year, for others, it does not. Many of my friends have successfully made Harvard, John Hopkins, UCSF, NYU, etc. this cycle without a gap year, though I opted to take one after agonizing over it, more so to explore myself and prevent burnout rather than a pressing need to (feel free to PM me).

A relatively standard profile of a non-gap year applicant (from looking at my friends and profiles of others online) that is competitive at these schools usually include >3.9 GPA, >520 MCAT, having 3-4 years of research with at least one presentation/publication/grant, President/founder of at least one organization, 3-4 years of volunteering in a clinical setting, and 3-4 years of a non-clinical volunteering activity. Strength in one category can make up for another. As you can see, it requires excellent academics and early and sustained involvement in the required activities, which can often be hard to juggle for students and pose a risk to GPA/MCAT, particularly ones who don't know what they're doing immediately.