higher stats nontrad with a later submission and a lot of angst... advice from anyone with the patience to read it?

[ana.stomosis]

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[Goro]

Eliminate the life story, it will make the missive easier to read.

Ask your specific questions at the end.

My oldest student to matriculate was 53. Your age won't be a difference. If you scroll through MSAR Online, you'll see people admitted > 30-40+.

Challenges? Tell the truth, be reflective, and mention who you showed grit and resilience.

 

[eigen]

If you’re seriously asking if you should withdraw your app over a few minor typos and submitting mid-July, despite having a 520 MCAT and a near-perfect GPA…my answer is a very strong “heck no”.

But yes, you’re being very dramatic. Dangerously so. I’d also suggest you maybe suffering from a pre-med tendency to be very myopic about the process, and might be spending too much time in online premed spaces that are filled with… less than realistic takes from worried students.

I wouldn’t even consider this late to submit. It will still get verified in time for you to have secondaries in by Labor Day? And from your comment that you got secondaries, I’m not even sure if you mean you submitted this late or were verified this late.

 

[ana.stomosis]

If you’re seriously asking if you should withdraw your app over a few minor typos and submitting mid-July, despite having a 520 MCAT and a near-perfect GPA…my answer is a very strong “heck no”.

But yes, you’re being very dramatic. Dangerously so. I’d also suggest you maybe suffering from a pre-med tendency to be very myopic about the process, and might be spending too much time in online premed spaces that are filled with… less than realistic takes from worried students.

I wouldn’t even consider this late to submit. It will still get verified in time for you to have secondaries in by Labor Day? And from your comment that you got secondaries, I’m not even sure if you mean you submitted this late or were verified this late.

Submitted. I am ready for review. Tufts is the only secondary invite I've gotten. I assume it was just an automatic send when you meet some minimum criteria even though verification is a long way off. Quite nice of them, to be honest.

And, I am inclined to agree with your assessment, hah. I was caught off guard by so many things early on in this process that I now err on the side of hyper-vigilance. I feel late based on what I read, but don't have an advisor or anyone like that, so my primary source of information is unfortunately the exaggerated internet of stressed out strangers. Plenty of people can advise not to trust the internet, but not everyone makes constructive suggestions about where else to go for info specific to my situation. People I know who have gone to med school went in the 90s or 2010s, so I truthfully don't know what to expect, or what kind of shot I have given my multiple withdrawals.

This cycle seems to be getting verified slowly compared to the norm, and I do think I will be on the later side. For the schools I'd be happiest with, I think I have a few marks against me that could really hurt among thousands of other perfect applicants without silly errors and late(r) apps. I feel like I could have a good shot at a T10 that would give me a full ride- IF I was early and had more research. I wasn't saying I'd throw in the towel because of the errors alone, it was just like an "UGH I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED THAT. Have I further ruined my chances of reaching the *ideal* outcome? Would it be better to scrap this and try again next year, now that I know what to expect, rather than possibly being a reapplicant?" train of thought. All that's to say, this was my intention in posting here - genuinely hoping to get an informed answer, not a panic-induced one. So thank you! That was what I needed to hear.

 

[eigen]

Yeah, I get that. Honestly at least half of my time as an advisor is talking my students out of doom spirals that started from peers or online.

Can I ask why you care about a T10 school? Are you particularly focused on on a career in academic medicine or in a highly competitive specialty?

If you are, that’s fine, but I find a lot of people are overly focused on rank when it will make little if any difference in their careers.

 

[ana.stomosis]

It is 100% because those are the most famously generous schools when it comes to low-income students. That's it. I don't care about rank, it's unimportant to me. But I do care about the fact that getting a full ride would mean my vision of practicing medicine is slightly less unrealistic. Without as much debt, it's more likely I won't be tied to a job/work structure that feels antithetical to the hopes I have for my career. And yes, I know there are still many barriers beyond money that dictate where someone's career goes, but one thing's for sure- less debt would make it much easier to work according to my ethic rather than my need to pay off predatory loaners. Especially with federal loan forgiveness ending for a hefty portion of med school costs, these are genuine concerns for someone who has only ever wanted to work in public and nonprofit systems. I am not motivated by money, rather by the ability to be free to use my hard earned skills for the good of community, not only the interests of corporate medicine. Maybe I'm dreaming and when I graduate every health system in the country will be owned by private equity, but dear lord, I hope not.

So that's the reason. If someone else wants to give me a full need-based scholarship, I more than welcome it, but my understanding is that these top tier schools are among the few who can?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It is 100% because those are the most famously generous schools when it comes to low-income students. That's it. I don't care about rank, it's unimportant to me. But I do care about the fact that getting a full ride would mean my vision of practicing medicine is slightly less unrealistic. Without as much debt, it's more likely I won't be tied to a job/work structure that feels antithetical to the hopes I have for my career. And yes, I know there are still many barriers beyond money that dictate where someone's career goes, but one thing's for sure- less debt would make it much easier to work according to my ethic rather than my need to pay off predatory loaners. Especially with federal loan forgiveness ending for a hefty portion of med school costs, these are genuine concerns for someone who has only ever wanted to work in public and nonprofit systems. I am not motivated by money, rather by the ability to be free to use my hard earned skills for the good of community, not only the interests of corporate medicine. Maybe I'm dreaming and when I graduate every health system in the country will be owned by private equity, but dear lord, I hope not.

So that's the reason. If someone else wants to give me a full need-based scholarship, I more than welcome it, but my understanding is that these top tier schools are among the few who can?

Have you talked with admissions officers at the schools where you want to apply? How do they respond about your expectations (granted, they don't know about the impact of the current upheaval of the student loan system)?

S

Thread 'SDN Article: The “One Big Beautiful Bill”: How New Budget Legislation May Reshape Medical Training and Healthcare Access'

Jul 5, 2025

The Student Doctor Network publishes articles weekly. Check out this article or other student loan articles at Student Doctor Network.

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A sweeping new federal budget bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” became law on July 4th after a dramatic final passage through Congress and signature of the President Trump. While headlines have focused on the bill’s massive tax cuts and border security provisions, the new law also contains far-reaching changes to medical education, physician workforce development, and access to care that are already generating...

• SDN Staff
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Financial Aid

Very very few applicants withdraw their AMCAS. You never know what the end of the cycle brings to you. You have a decent shot if you fit their mission. That's where a WAMC profile helps.