I am a Freshmen entering as a Sophmore standing, would it be advantageous to graduate early (3 years...taking the mcat etc) and applying to med school?
Graduating Early
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I graduated in 3 years, and then took a year off to apply and work as a clinical researcher. Best decision ever 🙂 It gave me time to work on my applications without the stress of exams and school, let me buff up my application by getting very unique and quality clinical research experience, and I think I learned a lot more from my working than from most of my classes at school, lol. Some things you just don't learn in a classroom. Oh yeah, and it saved me 40k, in fact, I actually got to make money! Woot.
So yeah, if you can graduate comfortably in 3 years (i.e. not sacrificing EC's and grades), then I'd recommend taking a year off and applying. Because if you don't take the year off, you'll be applying the summer of your 2nd year of college, and will probably be at a disadvantage in terms of clinical/research/interesting experiences compared to other applicants. And your young age may raise some eyebrows from interviewers.
Just my two cents. I loved taking my "senior year" off though, and I think it really helped my application. I don't think I would have done nearly as well if I had applied straight to med school the summer of my sophmore year.
So yeah, if you can graduate comfortably in 3 years (i.e. not sacrificing EC's and grades), then I'd recommend taking a year off and applying. Because if you don't take the year off, you'll be applying the summer of your 2nd year of college, and will probably be at a disadvantage in terms of clinical/research/interesting experiences compared to other applicants. And your young age may raise some eyebrows from interviewers.
Just my two cents. I loved taking my "senior year" off though, and I think it really helped my application. I don't think I would have done nearly as well if I had applied straight to med school the summer of my sophmore year.
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Well, you can just plan your classes to be on course for an early graduation, and if you find that it's too stressful, and that your grades/sleep quality/life quality is suffering, then go ahead and ease up the course load. College isn't worth rushing 🙂 (I had a lot of AP creds, so I only took like 16 credits on average a semester and still graduated early.)
If by your last semester your GPA is great, and you have all your pre reqs done, then you can decide to graduate early and boost your app with some work experience (and making a salary is still making more money than ...not making a salary, lol). But if your GPA is lower than you like it to be, then you might as well go the 4th year and take some easy classes to boost your GPA up.
If by your last semester your GPA is great, and you have all your pre reqs done, then you can decide to graduate early and boost your app with some work experience (and making a salary is still making more money than ...not making a salary, lol). But if your GPA is lower than you like it to be, then you might as well go the 4th year and take some easy classes to boost your GPA up.
This is solid advice, thank you.
Did you still have ample time to pursue a social life?
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Yup, I got really involved in a sports club, partied with my friends and had crazy adventures, and ended up with a fiance too 🙂
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Why would anyone graduate a year early who has all 4 years of college paid for? I have enough credits to graduate right now but senior year I am just going to take 11-12 credits both semesters of classes I find interesting and enjoy myself. It's the last time I'll ever have for something like it and I don't want to throw it away.
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Money aside, my reasons were:
1. I had a great job opportunity that would provide me with fantastic opportunities (possible publications, great LORs, LOTS of amazing clinical exposure, etc) that would set me apart from other applicants far better than another year at school would have.
2. My gpa upward trend had peaked my last year, and I was worried that I'd actually lower my GPA with more classes, lol. So I figured it'd be smart of me to quit while I'm ahead.
3. It's just nice to have a year with no tests, and weekends and nights totally and utterly free 🙂 I still lived around campus, so I still hung out and partied with my friends and enjoyed the great college lifestyle, just ..without the classes. I thought it was a win-win honestly 😉
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I did this successfully, applying to med school after my second year of college, but it was purely a financial decision, which you are not faced with. Enjoy your college years, and have more time for research, work-related clinical exposure, shadowing, and volunteering.
Its not going to matter at all if you are one year ahead of people when you are done with your residency.
Lets say you have a three year residency, so you finish when you are 28 instead of 29, its not like you are going to take it easy for that one year and enjoy yourself, you are going to immediately start working to pay off your loans
I would rather have that extra year during my early 20's then my later 20s /early 30s. The real world is not like college, you cant just hang out and take it easy because you have some free time, you have to do your job.
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