How late is late?

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acromonkey

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All you hear is "apply early, apply early." Obviously, early is right away. But what is considered late? Is mid-july late? Is august late? I'm just confused here. I want to obviously get my application in as soon as possible, but I don't really want to be "late." I'm contemplating pushing my test day, which would mean I wouldn't get my results until mid-July. How late is that? What if it was the end of July? I'm not sure of this timeline here, so I'm just trying to get an idea. Any advice would really help. I have been taking some practice tests throughout my studying and I have been improving on each one, until this week which was the lowest score I have scored. So I'm getting nervous and I just want to make sure that if I decide to push the test, that it isn't going to be very late. Any help is truly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!

Is a mid July test date too late?
 
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Some general definitions (dates are AMCAS primary verified w/ MCAT score):
Early -- before July 1 (June 1-30) -- first seen by most any school (in for initial sending of AMCAS primaries to schools or close to first submission date; therefore essentially in before ANY school looks at apps)
Good -- July 1-July 31 (in before most schools begin actually looking at apps)
Late -- Aug 1-Sept 30 (early applicants are being interviewed; most applicants already submitted)
Prohibitively Late -- Oct 1 forward (many applicants have been interviewed and the first round of acceptances go out on ~Oct 15)

Keep in mind, it will take ~5 wks for your MCAT score and a a few weeks (sometimes as many as 6-8 at peak times in the application process) to be verified
 
apumic said:
Some general definitions (dates are AMCAS primary verified w/ MCAT score):
Early -- before July 1 (June 1-30) -- first seen by most any school (in for initial sending of AMCAS primaries to schools or close to first submission date; therefore essentially in before ANY school looks at apps)
Good -- July 1-July 31 (in before most schools begin actually looking at apps)
Late -- Aug 1-Sept 30 (early applicants are being interviewed; most applicants already submitted)
Prohibitively Late -- Oct 1 forward (many applicants have been interviewed and the first round of acceptances go out on ~Oct 15)

Keep in mind, it will take ~5 wks for your MCAT score and a a few weeks (sometimes as many as 6-8 at peak times in the application process) to be verified
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Thank you for the timeline. So if a test score was to come July 16th, it would still take several weeks after that for the schools to see my application? Can I submit my AMCAS application for verification before I receive my MCAT scores?
 
acromonkey said:
Thank you for the timeline. So if a test score was to come July 16th, it would still take several weeks after that for the schools to see my application? Can I submit my AMCAS application for verification before I receive my MCAT scores?
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You can and you should!!
 
So schools will receive my application without the scores? and then when the scores are available, they will receive them? Or AMCAS will hold my application until they receive the score and then my entire application will be sent to the schools?
 
apumic said:
Some general definitions (dates are AMCAS primary verified w/ MCAT score):
Early -- before July 1 (June 1-30) -- first seen by most any school (in for initial sending of AMCAS primaries to schools or close to first submission date; therefore essentially in before ANY school looks at apps)
Good -- July 1-July 31 (in before most schools begin actually looking at apps)
Late -- Aug 1-Sept 30 (early applicants are being interviewed; most applicants already submitted)
Prohibitively Late -- Oct 1 forward (many applicants have been interviewed and the first round of acceptances go out on ~Oct 15)

Keep in mind, it will take ~5 wks for your MCAT score and a a few weeks (sometimes as many as 6-8 at peak times in the application process) to be verified
Click to expand...

Please note this timelime MAY be shifted a BIT due to the earlier receipt of applications by medical schools, since AMCAS will be submitting them to schools around mid June (12 June if I remember correctly).
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Please note this timelime MAY be shifted a BIT due to the earlier receipt of applications by medical schools, since AMCAS will be submitting them to schools around mid June (12 June if I remember correctly).
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True, but I doubt that will make much of a difference. I tried to stay round w/ my dates (i.e., months). If it's in during June, you're more or less in the first batch for sure. July, you're probably in the first batch (but likely toward the bottom). August...you're now at the top of the next big batch. Sept...you're at the bottom of the 2nd batch or somewhere in the mess of paperwork in some admin asst's office. Oct...you probably aren't getting looked seriously at before most schools fill up.
 
apumic said:
True, but I doubt that will make much of a difference. I tried to stay round w/ my dates (i.e., months). If it's in during June, you're more or less in the first batch for sure. July, you're probably in the first batch (but likely toward the bottom). August...you're now at the top of the next big batch. Sept...you're at the bottom of the 2nd batch or somewhere in the mess of paperwork in some admin asst's office. Oct...you probably aren't getting looked seriously at before most schools fill up.
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I think it's still about 10 days, which *may or may not* make a difference. Honestly, I'm sure there's logic to the madness of it all, so they probably have "batches" and whatnot, but I think that this *could* affect the schedule by "about a week"--not that it'd make a HUGE difference in the big scheme of things. Just wanted to remind everyone about the difference in AMCAS submission times.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
I think it's still about 10 days, which *may or may not* make a difference. Honestly, I'm sure there's logic to the madness of it all, so they probably have "batches" and whatnot, but I think that this *could* affect the schedule by "about a week"--not that it'd make a HUGE difference in the big scheme of things. Just wanted to remind everyone about the difference in AMCAS submission times.
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True...basically, though, what we do know is this (correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I recall being the case):


  • AMCAS sends out primaries on June 17 (before that schools cannot see the primaries at all)
  • Most schools (per a number of adcoms) don't even look at the materials until Aug 1, because that is the earliest most adcom members return from summer research/vacation/whatever (most schools have 9-month faculty calendars)
  • Applications at most schools appear to be processed in roughly the order they are received

In other words, before Aug 1 doesn't really matter that much at most schools EXCEPT that you are at the bottom of the pile in terms of consideration in that first batch of applications. That being said, it is highly unlikely they are going to have given away your spot before getting through the initial batch of apps, so if you're in that first batch, you're probably not at a significant disadvantage except insofar as the first person in the batch probably got his secondary app a day or two earlier. Nevertheless, if you're quick with the secondary, you can regain lost ground right there.
 
apumic said:
True...basically, though, what we do know is this (correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I recall being the case):


  • AMCAS sends out primaries on June 17 (before that schools cannot see the primaries at all)
  • Most schools (per a number of adcoms) don't even look at the materials until Aug 1, because that is the earliest most adcom members return from summer research/vacation/whatever (most schools have 9-month faculty calendars)
  • Applications at most schools appear to be processed in roughly the order they are received

In other words, before Aug 1 doesn't really matter that much at most schools EXCEPT that you are at the bottom of the pile in terms of consideration in that first batch of applications. That being said, it is highly unlikely they are going to have given away your spot before getting through the initial batch of apps, so if you're in that first batch, you're probably not at a significant disadvantage except insofar as the first person in the batch probably got his secondary app a day or two earlier. Nevertheless, if you're quick with the secondary, you can regain lost ground right there.
Click to expand...

So if I submit my primary June 1st, but plan on taking the June 17th mcat test (release date July 17th), would I be in the first or second batch (presuming I got my secondaries done quickly before August 1)? I guess it would depend on whether the schools in question released the secondaries without the mcat score?
 
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what's the basis for this "batch" concept? i think it's just a bunch of SDN blathering. clearly med schools receive AMCAS apps electronically as they are verified, as evidenced by the fact that people often get secondaries within hours of verification.

frankly i think that the importance of applying early is overdone on this forum. yes, October is way too late, which is why EDP is a terrible idea for almost everyone. the important thing is to be complete (AMCAS, MCAT, secondary, letters) by Labor Day. i've been told this by several reputable sources IRL, and if you take a look at MDApps then the anecdotal evidence bears that out: people with solid apps that go complete by the end of August are getting into medical school, by and large. the hardest part of the process isn't AMCAS actually, it's slogging through secondaries (and making sure you can pay for them all!) that tends to slow people down. so, the more places you plan on applying to, the more time you need to leave yourself to get everything done.

there are some schools i think for which this doesn't hold true, UM and Mayo come to mind as places that like to start filling slots very early. but in general, the timeline is as i've stated.

as far as the OP goes, i think any of the June MCAT dates are fine. you just need to be really organized. finalize and submit AMCAS the same week you take the test. submit to just one school pending MCAT results so you can know how high your reach schools will go, and add more accordingly once you know your scores. research secondary prompts on SDN and get them written June/July while you wait. this allows you to turn secondaries around within hours of receipt. lastly, know what your committee letter process is like. when i applied, my letter didn't come out until August, so it wouldn't have done me a lick of good to try to go complete any sooner.
 
submitted AMCAS early september, verified late september, most secondaries complete by mid october, plenty of interviews, going to med school in the fall....

the timeline posted above would be the SDN timeline, reality would shift it about a month later. there's plenty of schools that don't even do their premed committee letter interviews until after school starts in august or september, those applicants obviously aren't complete in july...

when people say apply early, what you need to hear is don't apply late. couple of points to keep in mind. obviously med schools will overstate the importance of having an app in early because they want all the apps in early for their own sake. it makes it easier for them to decide who to interview. what you won't see is any actual stats indicating that applicants actually do better submitting early. I dare anyone to offer me anything other than anecdotal evidence on this. a good applicant gets in as long as they get their app complete in a reasonable time frame. also, do you think schools give out early interviews to mediocre applicants just because their apps are in early? I mean do you seriously think someone who gets there app submitted in july and is offered an early interview wouldn't have been offered an interview if his app was in 6 weeks later? I'm betting this is highly unlikely. as it is, applying very early puts your application in a big pile with all of the other neurotic applicants applications, so it better stand out in a big way. I'd rather have my application looked at fresh a little later on in the process (not late, just in the time when most interview invites actually go out) but after all the great applications have been offered interviews and are no longer who I'm competing with for an interview spot. as to the original question, I have no idea why anyone takes their MCAT prior to mid july. you're cheating yourself out of study time and gaining nothing. a couple more points on that exam mean so much more than getting that app in a couple weeks earlier in august or july.

the only thing I will offer is that secondaries are a bitch and take a lot of time, so if you're taking a full course load in the fall, it may be worth it to you to get apps in early and get some of them done before classes start, but that's pretty much the only advantage to you as an applicant to applying in the summer, and that isn't really an issue either as you can wite your essays early by following the threads on here.
 
gravitywave said:
what's the basis for this "batch" concept? i think it's just a bunch of SDN blathering. clearly med schools receive AMCAS apps electronically as they are verified, as evidenced by the fact that people often get secondaries within hours of verification.

frankly i think that the importance of applying early is overdone on this forum. yes, October is way too late, which is why EDP is a terrible idea for almost everyone. the important thing is to be complete (AMCAS, MCAT, secondary, letters) by Labor Day. i've been told this by several reputable sources IRL, and if you take a look at MDApps then the anecdotal evidence bears that out: people with solid apps that go complete by the end of August are getting into medical school, by and large. the hardest part of the process isn't AMCAS actually, it's slogging through secondaries (and making sure you can pay for them all!) that tends to slow people down. so, the more places you plan on applying to, the more time you need to leave yourself to get everything done.

there are some schools i think for which this doesn't hold true, UM and Mayo come to mind as places that like to start filling slots very early. but in general, the timeline is as i've stated.

as far as the OP goes, i think any of the June MCAT dates are fine. you just need to be really organized. finalize and submit AMCAS the same week you take the test. submit to just one school pending MCAT results so you can know how high your reach schools will go, and add more accordingly once you know your scores. research secondary prompts on SDN and get them written June/July while you wait. this allows you to turn secondaries around within hours of receipt. lastly, know what your committee letter process is like. when i applied, my letter didn't come out until August, so it wouldn't have done me a lick of good to try to go complete any sooner.
Click to expand...

"Batch" really just being more of a way to categorize applications. People who are complete before Aug 1 are generally in the first group to be seen by most schools. Perhaps "wave" would be a better term.
 
okay, thanks for the clarification! I wasn't sure if you meant "complete package" or not.
 
July 16th means you get your score August 16th - if you are already verified by then, you would still be a little late because people will have begun to recieve interview invites
 
raltima07 said:
July 16th means you get your score August 16th - if you are already verified by then, you would still be a little late because people will have begun to recieve interview invites
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I personally wouldn't think its LATE per se, but just around average
 
I think the main problem with a July MCAT is that if you have no other score to fall back on, what if you get something like a 23? You don't find out until August, after you've paid for AMCAS and everything. At that point, it is pretty much too late to study and test again for the cycle. You will have effectively wasted your money.
 
SDN breeds neuroticism about submission dates. There aren't really distinct batches of early and late, but rather a continuous stream of applications that piles up pretty quickly. LizzyM said in another thread that adcoms can go in the electronic database of received applications and sort by criteria like MCAT. This means that applications are not strictly read by receipt date, and adcoms can cherry pick applications that effectively 'jump the queue'.

My school sends out committee letters mid-August. Many SDNers would consider app completion in late August to be 'late'. Nevertheless, we are a feeder to UMich, which has rolling admissions and gives out interview invites pretty early. This fact is probably due to the strength of applicants from my school, or the reputation of the school, but that just shows that timing is absolutely not the overriding factor.

I do recognize that it's important to be on top of your secondaries so you're not frantically filling them out come mid-August.

I am concerned about this rumor that schools look at the turnaround time as a gauge of your interest in that school. Any truth in this?
 
when you get that i think i'm late text 😱
 
I'd say that submitting in the last 30 days before a deadline is "late" for medical schools in contrast to graduate schools where it seems to be the norm.

If you are well above avg for the school, and/or are a seriously non-trad applicant (>5 yrs since college graduation) you can get away with it more easily than the average or below average college student applicant.
 
LizzyM said:
I'd say that submitting in the last 30 days before a deadline is "late" for medical schools in contrast to graduate schools where it seems to be the norm.

If you are well above avg for the school, and/or are a seriously non-trad applicant (>5 yrs since college graduation) you can get away with it more easily than the average or below average college student applicant.
Click to expand...

Which deadline are you referring too? Are you talking about finishing an application in the last 30 days before the whole application process is over?
 
hiyaman said:
So is this rumor true?
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I'm interested in this as well. Do they really compare invite date to submission date? I thought it was always advantageous to get it in early so you can be completed and reviewed earlier.
 
I asked a similar question a while ago, and the consensus was that you're fine if you're complete in August. You're not technically early, but you still have a solid advantage over the people that apply after you. I doubt that any school is seriously getting filled up in august or September. The very first batch of acceptances go out in October, so there are still plenty of seats left if you're complete in August.
 
Great thread.

I applied early... June 1st submission.

However, as for applying LATE? I would say being VERIFIED after august 15th puts you at a disadvantage. Submitting in September? Not great.

The earlier you submit... the better. However, submitting towards the end of June is still safe.
 
Also, if you plan on submitting in Aug, make sure that your transcripts and everything are in order so there's no drama at the end!
 
What are some medical schools that consider late applicants (students that apply around the time of the AMCAS deadline dates for the primary applications?) Sometimes students have to apply late because they might have to re-take an MCAT in september.
 
If it's been more than 4-5 weeks you're probably pregnant
 
I applied in the third week of June and was in the same secondary cycle as my friend who applied during the first week.

From the view point of the medical schools, they have a lot going on in June and July. They have a graduating class they need to bid farewell and they also have an incoming class with 1x10^56 questions regarding housing and financial aid. So when you're an applicant submitting in June or July, they are just putting you in a pile and marking your date of submission. They are not in a rush, or immediately have the time, to start going through the apps.

From my experience and those of my friends, getting the primary in around July or August is fine, since it's more important how soon you will get back your secondary. This is especially important since a lot of schools have automatic secondaries. You may submit your primary in July and then submit your secondary within a week. Someone may submit the primary on June 1st and not send back the secondary until August or September (trust me this does happen, especially when you're applying to a lot of schools). So in this situation, even though you submitted your primary later, your still ahead because of your quick submission of your secondary.

It really all does come down to when you submit your secondary. That's when a decision is made regarding interview invites.
 
LizzyM said:
I'd say that submitting in the last 30 days before a deadline is "late" for medical schools in contrast to graduate schools where it seems to be the norm.

If you are well above avg for the school, and/or are a seriously non-trad applicant (>5 yrs since college graduation) you can get away with it more easily than the average or below average college student applicant.
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why is that? what is the advantage of being a non trad in how an adcom screens or looks at you?
 
People keep saying "as long as you're complete by the end of august you're good". "Complete" is not the same as "submitted secondaries". I had everything submitted by end of august/early September. However, most schools I was "complete" mid/end of September. 22 schools, 2 interviews, no acceptances. GPA 3.7, MCAT: 33. definitely a very top heavy list, but regardless, I will be submitting in a couple days and pre-writing secondaries this time around. take that for what you will.
 
alerk323 said:
People keep saying "as long as you're complete by the end of august you're good". "Complete" is not the same as "submitted secondaries". I had everything submitted by end of august/early September. However, most schools I was "complete" mid/end of September. 22 schools, 2 interviews, no acceptances. GPA 3.7, MCAT: 33. definitely a very top heavy list, but regardless, I will be submitting in a couple days and pre-writing secondaries this time around. take that for what you will.
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Unabashed revival/bump.

Do you suggest sending secondaries overnight then? Just submitted July 4, am kinda worried now.
 
bdc142 said:
Unabashed revival/bump.

Do you suggest sending secondaries overnight then? Just submitted July 4, am kinda worried now.
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You're fine. Take as much time as you need to write a good essay but don't waste your time puttering around. Since you have a month or so before secondaries come in, check the school specific threads for 2012-2013 and write the answers now. Then you'll be ready to submit them all quickly once you receive the invitation. Some secondaries are just requests for money.
 
Awesome thread! AMCAS marked my transcripts as received on July 6th. Will take time for them to verify it but nice knowing that I won't be at a great disadvantage as I thought I would be. Also, submitted 2 secondaries... some schls send them in early to non-verified applicants as well. Others don't even bother sending them into anyone till the end of July.
 
common man said:
why is that? what is the advantage of being a non trad in how an adcom screens or looks at you?
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Maybe they view us non-trads as a little less neurotic, ergo, a little less timely in getting stuff in?
 
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