Has COVID-19 really delayed the application timeline (especially interviews) that much?

[worried_applicant]

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Hi, just another neurotic premed here who also (unfortunately) submitted materials a bit later.

I've read a lot of comments from adcoms and knowledgeable people who predicted that COVID-19 would push the application timeline behind a decent bit. However, most of these comments are from a few weeks/months back. I've tried searching for more recent posts and comments in the forum, but I haven't found much.

Now that interview season is underway, can anyone (particularly experts like @Catalystik @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM @Moko ) comment on how much COVID-19 has actually affected medical school admission's schedules?

For my personal interest:
I'm especially curious about interviews/interview invites because I was just complete for my last school today (completed between Labor Day and today for all my schools). I checked with previous year's school specific threads, and it seems that people complete after Labor Day usually receive news from mid-November to December at the earliest. However, I know many schools finish interviewing by December and for some of these schools, their websites still have the same timeline as prior to COVID-19 (e.g. UCLA: Admissions Timeline - David Geffen School of Medicine - Los Angeles, CA , though they do note they interview until the class is filled). I recalled experts saying that a good portion of interviews will actually occur after the New Year, but does this still hold? Additionally, was this comment for rolling and non-rolling admissions? Finally, even if I have high-ish stats (LizzyM ~80), how much have I screwed myself over by applying so "late" (in quotes because I don't know what is late this year)?

(I apologize if I sound neurotic and need to take a chill pill)


Sorry if my thread has annoyed any experts because my concerns have been asked elsewhere (also I saw @gyngyn just commented on another thread about app timing, so please don't be too mad at me.)
Thanks so much in advance!

 

[KnightDoc]

I am not one of the experts you specifically requested, but I have good news for you, so hopefully you will welcome my contribution! 😎

There is no indication that things are "pushed behind a decent bit" across the board, although this might very well be the case at individual schools. Complete by Labor Day is fine any year, notwithstanding SDN neurosis that anything after Day 1 of submissions is late. It's 9/13 and you're done. You're fine. This year; any year. You're not late, and you're not screwed, particularly with your stats.

Definitely chill, and try to resist the urge to come back in two weeks if you haven't received an II by then, because they need time to review your file, and you might not hear for a month or two. 😎

 

[worried_applicant]

I am not one of the experts you specifically requested, but I have good news for you, so hopefully you will welcome my contribution! 😎

There is no indication that things are "pushed behind a decent bit" across the board, although this might very well be the case at individual schools. Complete by Labor Day is fine any year, notwithstanding SDN neurosis that anything after Day 1 of submissions is late. It's 9/13 and you're done. You're fine. This year; any year. You're not late, and you're not screwed, particularly with your stats.

Definitely chill, and try to resist the urge to come back in two weeks if you haven't received an II by then, because they need time to review your file, and you might not hear for a month or two. 😎

All comments are welcomed and appreciated!
I don't expect to hear back until November; just wanted to gauge the situation (sorry for my neuroticism). However, thank you for the kind words and reassurance!

 

[KnightDoc]

All comments are welcomed and appreciated!
I don't expect to hear back until November; just wanted to gauge the situation (sorry for my neuroticism). However, thank you for the kind words and reassurance!

And I don't mean to get your hopes up, but applications are stratified when they come in, which is why some people who submit in July don't hear until January while others who submit in August hear in September. With 3.88/523, I don't think you're going to be at the bottom of the pile, and I think you very well might have a few IIs before the end of October. You just have to give them some time to get to you, since you will be reviewed after high stat applications that came in from July through now, unless there is something else in your application that creates a review preference.

 

[Catalystik]

Now that interview season is underway, can anyone (particularly experts like @Catalystik @Goro @gyngyn @LizzyM @Moko ) comment on how much COVID-19 has actually affected medical school admission's schedules?

Our last interview is scheduled for 3 weeks later than in spring 2020.

 

[squids82]

A relative told me that his school is interviewing “significantly” more people due to the online interviews. I didn’t get an exact number or projection so hopefully significantly only means a few more percentage points but I also wouldn’t be shocked if it was more because they can use VITA as another weed out tool based on how much weight they give it

 

[Goro]

I sound neurotic and need to take a chill pill


You answered your own question there.