How do you apply to med school?

[arboth]

I'm a junior and will be taking my MCAT this August. Can I submit my primary application before I take my MCAT? What exactly constitutes as applyin early, normal and late? Is there a significant advantage towards applying early?

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[chable]

Don't you have a "36 (12, 12, 12)" MCAT score already? Go talk to your pre-med guidance counselor.

 

[GreenShirt]

You can submit your AMCAS before your MCAT. Your app won't be sent to schools until the MCAT is submitted, but they can start calculating your GPA.

The primary deadlines for schools are October 15-December 15
http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/deadlines.htm

Submitting in June/July is good, August/September is getting late, October/November would be very late.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

I'm a junior and will be taking my MCAT this August. Can I submit my primary application before I take my MCAT? What exactly constitutes as applyin early, normal and late? Is there a significant advantage towards applying early?

There is an advantage applying early. Depending on your scores, it may be significant for you. If you are a Texas resident, and applying to Texas schools, you damn well better apply as early as humanly possible.

 

[Dart1516]

You can submit your AMCAS before your MCAT.

Your app will be submitted prior to receiving an MCAT score. Some schools (those that do not establish cutoffs based on mcat score) will send you their secondary before they receive your mcat score. Other schools will wait for you MCAT score, but AMCAS will send your materials along once your GPA has been determined and all supporting materials are in.

 

[arboth]

my gpa isnt as high as it should be and im hoping to get into a top 5 school. so i figure if i can hit the 40 mark, i'll be good to go. im just worried that schools like harvard and washington u are gonna get ridiculous amounts of applicants immediately. wish i had that 4.0

 

[BigRedPremed]

my gpa isnt as high as it should be and im hoping to get into a top 5 school. so i figure if i can hit the 40 mark, i'll be good to go. im just worried that schools like harvard and washington u are gonna get ridiculous amounts of applicants immediately. wish i had that 4.0

Tell me this is sarcasm

 

[DrLizzie]

my gpa isnt as high as it should be and im hoping to get into a top 5 school. so i figure if i can hit the 40 mark, i'll be good to go. im just worried that schools like harvard and washington u are gonna get ridiculous amounts of applicants immediately. wish i had that 4.0

 

[foofish]

Tell me this is sarcasm

Or a troll, since I'd wager anyone capable of a 36 on the MCAT is also smart enough to a) know to talk to their premed adviser and b) figure out how to apply to med school before actually applying to med school.

Also, as far as med school ambition goes, it's a pretty big jump from Jefferson and Drexel to Harvard....

 

[Law2Doc]

my gpa isnt as high as it should be and im hoping to get into a top 5 school. so i figure if i can hit the 40 mark, i'll be good to go. im just worried that schools like harvard and washington u are gonna get ridiculous amounts of applicants immediately. wish i had that 4.0

The cardinal sin around here is to presume a good core on the MCAT before you take it. Folks who struggled with GPA rarely "rock" the MCAT, so until your score is in your post reads like a "what if I won the lottery?" post.

Forget about top 5 schools until you have credentials that merit such. At this point you should be hoping to score well enough to get into a med school. Half of all applicants wont.

 

[pennybridge]

actually capable of a 40 on the MCAT

the people who say "I'm shooting for a 40" are the ones that take it three times to break 30.

It's the people that say "i have no idea what I'll score, I hope its good" that end up getting over 40. because they suck

 

[foofish]

The cardinal sin around here is to presume a good core on the MCAT before you take it. Folks who struggled with GPA rarely "rock" the MCAT, so until your score is in your post reads like a "what if I won the lottery?" post.

Forget about top 5 schools until you have credentials that merit such. At this point you should be hoping to score well enough to get into a med school. Half of all applicants wont.

Ah, Law2Doc, but I think you missed that the OP is one of that special breed that is retaking the MCAT because they are unhappy with their 36. Logic and rational thought clearly already does not prevail here.

Personally, I'd be more concerned about that 3.2 gpa (or whatever it is).

 

[Robizzle]

the people who say "I'm shooting for a 40" are the ones that take it three times to break 30.

It's the people that say "i have no idea what I'll score, I hope its good" that end up getting over 40. because they suck

Same folks who always say "I donno.. I either completely aced or failed it.. you know what I mean?" after you ask them how they did on a test, and you have no choice but to say "Haha.. yeah man I know what you mean."

 

[dbhvt]

wish i had that 4.0

Why don't you have the 4.0?

 

[Law2Doc]

Ah, Law2Doc, but I think you missed that the OP is one of that special breed that is retaking the MCAT because they are unhappy with their 36..

You're right - should have checked. Looking at his posts in other threads (in addition to his inconsistent MCAT story) I also see that he has also stated he is hoping to have a shot at GW, Drexel and Jefferson. Not exactly members of "the top five", but perhaps more realistic given his reported GPA.