How early is 'EARLY'?

[Archdelux]

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I have a question that hopefully others can benefit from as well:

Clearly the consensus is to apply 'early', but what does that mean? I was planning to take the MCAT on May 27th, which means that If I submit my amcas at the end of may (after mcat), then I will supposedly have my application complete by mid-July. Is this early??

Considering I will submit 2ndaries throughout August, when might I begin to expect interview invites? What is the general time-frame for these things?

Thanks!!

 

[wutwinb]

I have a question that hopefully others can benefit from as well:

Clearly the consensus is to apply 'early', but what does that mean? I was planning to take the MCAT on May 27th, which means that If I submit my amcas at the end of may (after mcat), then I will supposedly have my application complete by mid-July. Is this early??

Considering I will submit 2ndaries throughout August, when might I begin to expect interview invites? What is the general time-frame for these things?

Thanks!!

This is what I did (and I consider myself a very early applicant).


-I took the January MCAT, so my scores were available by end of February
-I submitted AMCAS the very first day it opened (June 5th this cycle), and it was verified only 2 days later (if you wait until much later in the summer, it will take much longer to be verified by AMCAS).

If you take the May 27th MCAT, your scores won't become available until the end of June. It won't matter if you submit AMCAS on the first day, because (most) schools won't send you secondaries until they have AMCAS and MCAT. Having your AMCAS finished by mid-july is OKAY, but it all depends how fast you can finish secondaries.


-I had 90% of my secondaries submitted before the end of JULY. I made to have a short turnaround for secondary submission and only have MAX of 3 secondaries in my possession at once.

-I was complete at most schools before the second week of August. Invites came shortly after.


All I can say is, THE EARLIER THE BETTER. Just get it done before classes start and before secondaries pile up. Other applicants might tell you it's okay to wait a little longer, but why take that chance? Good luck

 

[MDRus]

well, that is earlyish.

early is to have MCAT scores in hand on June 1. submit primary that week. then submit secondaries over the rest of the summer. they trickle in and they take a lot of work. basically, I worked every night for a couple of hours all summer. and weekends.

if you push that all back to mid july, you won't be complete at some schools until october, maybe later. and that is NOT early.

advice: take the MCAT earlier.

 

[Archdelux]

Thanks for the comments. I am planning to take a Kaplan course that ends on April 3rd; so I could take the April 19th mcat--I don't want to do mid-may because of finals.

In any case, I was worried that I may not have enough time post-kaplan to brush up on stuff before the actual test. Do you think this is an issue? If my course ends April 3rd, I will have one week to study (the week after the course I am travelling to a conference to present research--so that week is gone).

Do you think the benefit for submitting everything earlier is worth it?

 

[MDee]

Keep in mind that MCAT score releases will now be 14 days after the exam, instead of 30 days like last year. Thats what I read a few months ago in an articles stating the changes to the MCAT.

 

[Archdelux]

huh? On the website, it still lists the 'tentative release date' as approx. one month after the exam..

 

[alwaysaangel]

I have a question that hopefully others can benefit from as well:

Clearly the consensus is to apply 'early', but what does that mean? I was planning to take the MCAT on May 27th, which means that If I submit my amcas at the end of may (after mcat), then I will supposedly have my application complete by mid-July. Is this early??

Considering I will submit 2ndaries throughout August, when might I begin to expect interview invites? What is the general time-frame for these things?

Thanks!!

Submitting the end of June will make NO difference in when you get secondaries and interviews. You will be right there with everyone else who submitted June 1st. I submitted around the end of June 2 years ago and it took less than 24 hours to go from "submitted" to "being verified" or whatever the terminology is. Then it would have come out and been done shortly thereafter if I hadn't been missing a transcript (long story -AMCAS lied to me). Even when I submitted early July it only took 5 working days to get verified and I still got early interviews, and an acceptance on 10/16.

Schools don't even get the applicants info until late June/early July, they won't send secondaries until July/August and they won't interview until September/October. Submitted June 20th will put you in the first pile to be reviewed and its nothing to worry about.

Don't let your MCAT score suffer so you can be one month earlier - if we were talking August vs. September that would be one thing - but May vs. June is NEGLIGIBLE. Just take your MCAT in May, Submit as soon as the score is available in June (have all your transcripts in before that), and then send out every secondary you get within a week of receiving it. That will make you as early as any other applicant.

Good luck.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Thanks for the comments. I am planning to take a Kaplan course that ends on April 3rd; so I could take the April 19th mcat--I don't want to do mid-may because of finals.

In any case, I was worried that I may not have enough time post-kaplan to brush up on stuff before the actual test. Do you think this is an issue? If my course ends April 3rd, I will have one week to study (the week after the course I am travelling to a conference to present research--so that week is gone).

Do you think the benefit for submitting everything earlier is worth it?

Just read this - you maybe want to go ahead and take the April exam in this case. But that depends how you study. When the test was only offered 2 times per year prep courses set it so that you had 1 week to finish reviewing before taking your test. Because for most people thats the best way to do it - everything you learned in your class is still fresh in your head and you have a little bit of time to review things you didn't catch before you take your test.

If you really think that you will do better by having an entire extra month then go for it - but for most people they would burn out and not be at their best by the end of that.

So thats a decision you need to make based on your study style - and it should have nothing to do with whether you submit your app in June or July.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Keep in mind that MCAT score releases will now be 14 days after the exam, instead of 30 days like last year. Thats what I read a few months ago in an articles stating the changes to the MCAT.

That was their original plan - they were hoping to have it to 14 days by this year. I'm pretty sure I heard they flopped that though - its going to be 30 days for one more year - maybe next year they'll manage the faster turnaround.

 

[Picklesali]

My only advice is to make sure you've completed your secondaries before school starts. I did not, and it was exhausting. I ended up being burnt out at the very beginning of the semester because of writing secondaries and then suffered some more by missing a lot of school because of interviews.

 

[Archdelux]

Just read this - you maybe want to go ahead and take the April exam in this case. But that depends how you study. When the test was only offered 2 times per year prep courses set it so that you had 1 week to finish reviewing before taking your test. Because for most people thats the best way to do it - everything you learned in your class is still fresh in your head and you have a little bit of time to review things you didn't catch before you take your test.

If you really think that you will do better by having an entire extra month then go for it - but for most people they would burn out and not be at their best by the end of that.

So thats a decision you need to make based on your study style - and it should have nothing to do with whether you submit your app in June or July.

You make a good point. Did you take a prep course? My reasoning behind extending it a couple weeks after school ends (and 1.5 months after the prep course ends) is that I want to be able to take practice tests AFTER I've learned all the material. With the kaplan course, there are intermittent tests administered throughout the course (5 test, i think). But they also provide the 8 aamc tests for us. I thought it would be more beneficial to take these tests after studying/mastering the material instead of during (or before). Is this reasonable?

I was planning to finish the prep course in the beginning of April, and then study for a couple mroe weeks for mcat (largely taking practice tests), then study for finals, then go home and study for 2 more weeks (taking mcat tests) and then finally take it end may. - what do you think about this? Is it better to take practice tests after studying the material or during?

Thanks again for all the input!!

 

[TarHeel55]

Don't let your MCAT score suffer so you can be one month earlier - if we were talking August vs. September that would be one thing - but May vs. June is NEGLIGIBLE. Just take your MCAT in May, Submit as soon as the score is available in June (have all your transcripts in before that), and then send out every secondary you get within a week of receiving it. That will make you as early as any other applicant.

Totally agree with this. I took the 5/31/2007 MCAT. I never felt that my score release date made my application "late" relative to the progress of other folks on SDN.

Hint: AMCAS makes transcript request forms available at the beginning of May. As soon as the forms are available, request your transcripts
immediately. I recall a lot of threads in June and July where people lamented stalled applications because their schools were very slow in releasing their transcripts, or the transcripts were lost in the mail.

 

[MDRus]

Totally agree with this. I took the 5/31/2007 MCAT. I never felt that my score release date made my application "late" relative to the progress of other folks on SDN.

Hint: AMCAS makes transcript request forms available at the beginning of May. As soon as the forms are available, request your transcripts
immediately. I recall a lot of threads in June and July where people lamented stalled applications because their schools were very slow in releasing their transcripts, or the transcripts were lost in the mail.

agree. you can get ALL your ducks in a row, transcripts, LORs, etc, so that the only thing left is the MCAT score. can't you even submit the AMCAS and let them verify when they eventuaLLY get the score?

 

[TarHeel55]

You make a good point. Did you take a prep course? My reasoning behind extending it a couple weeks after school ends (and 1.5 months after the prep course ends) is that I want to be able to take practice tests AFTER I've learned all the material. With the kaplan course, there are intermittent tests administered throughout the course (5 test, i think). But they also provide the 8 aamc tests for us. I thought it would be more beneficial to take these tests after studying/mastering the material instead of during (or before). Is this reasonable?

This is what I did. Every person's style of studying is different, but I can say that this method worked for me. I took three weeks off in May and immersed myself in practice section and full-length tests from the Kaplan syllabus. The online syllabus has so much material; there is no way I could have completed most of it during the course itself. Plus, I kind of liked the single-minded focus of those weeks, in a weird sort of way. To avoid burnout, I took full-length tests only every second or third day, and I got PLENTY of aerobic exercise. I scored way beyond my hopes and expectations for myself, so I have no regrets about using this study plan.

 

[alwaysaangel]

You make a good point. Did you take a prep course? My reasoning behind extending it a couple weeks after school ends (and 1.5 months after the prep course ends) is that I want to be able to take practice tests AFTER I've learned all the material. With the kaplan course, there are intermittent tests administered throughout the course (5 test, i think). But they also provide the 8 aamc tests for us. I thought it would be more beneficial to take these tests after studying/mastering the material instead of during (or before). Is this reasonable?

I was planning to finish the prep course in the beginning of April, and then study for a couple mroe weeks for mcat (largely taking practice tests), then study for finals, then go home and study for 2 more weeks (taking mcat tests) and then finally take it end may. - what do you think about this? Is it better to take practice tests after studying the material or during?

Thanks again for all the input!!

I've taken and taught MCAT prep courses with Princeton Review. It would be beneficial for you to take SOME of the AMCAS tests after you finish - but not all of them.

Of those 8 only 6,7, and 8 are going to be useful the others will be too old and too easy - they'll give you a false sense of security. (maybe 5 would be ok).

But ultimately its your choice- if you think you can make use of that extra 1.5 months and not burn out. Then do it - you should know yourself well enough to know if it will work for you or not.

 

[Maxprime]

I have a question that hopefully others can benefit from as well:

Clearly the consensus is to apply 'early', but what does that mean? I was planning to take the MCAT on May 27th, which means that If I submit my amcas at the end of may (after mcat), then I will supposedly have my application complete by mid-July. Is this early??

Considering I will submit 2ndaries throughout August, when might I begin to expect interview invites? What is the general time-frame for these things?

Thanks!!

Start working on your AMCAS in the womb, try to book a seat for the MCAT in the nursery so you are still fresh on your female reproductive anatomy. Submit secondaries before puberty and you'll be all set.

 

[carwreck]

I think you're fine if you take the May MCAT. I took the May 27 MCAT this year and submitted by primary first week of July. The key is to finish your secondaries quickly. I believe one post said to get them in before you start school. I second that opinion!

I received interview invites first week of August and had an acceptance on 10/15. So yes, May MCAT is totally doable if you need the extra time. I had originally signed up to do the April MCAT but pushed it back because I didn't feel as though I were ready. It paid off to wait!

 

[bodonid]

k

 

[mvenus929]

Totally agree with this. I took the 5/31/2007 MCAT. I never felt that my score release date made my application "late" relative to the progress of other folks on SDN.

Hint: AMCAS makes transcript request forms available at the beginning of May. As soon as the forms are available, request your transcripts
immediately. I recall a lot of threads in June and July where people lamented stalled applications because their schools were very slow in releasing their transcripts, or the transcripts were lost in the mail.

Wait until after your school releases Spring grades, and THEN send in your transcripts. Otherwise, you'll have to resend them anyway.

How Late is "LATE"? I know I applied late, but I got two early interviews. For the schools I wasn't as competitive in, is it possible that interview slots were filled by the time I was complete? If this seems like a dumb question, consider this: I didn't know there was an AMCAS waiting period and I thought August was early (hey, just look at my post count, I am an anube; btw what does anube mean???) Does anyone else think there should be a class to teach us this stuff?

Late would probably be submitting your primary after Sept 1. It takes longer to verify, and then schools will be a bit slower in reviewing your application.

a-nu-be. a newbie.