How late is too late to apply?

[deleted585480]

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Hi I have still yet to shadow or take the mcat, but am graduating in the spring and would like to skip a gap year. How late would it be to apply?

 

[HappyHobPod]

Applications run from August through June, so you still have time to apply if you take the MCAT at the beginning of next year sometime. Just remember that it can take up to a month for you to get your scores back and seats can fill up quickly for early test dates. I'd check AAMC to see when dates are available to test. You probably should really get some shadowing done as well just to make sure that this is the career for you. Both of these things are possible depending on your schedule and depending on when MCAT seats fill up. Just know that studying for the MCAT can be very time consuming if you want to do well on it, which is beneficial seeing as that your MCAT score can greatly affect your chances of getting a scholarship. Also, schools will start to fill up in the spring, diminishing your chances of acceptance, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to be accepted somewhere. And try not to worry too much about having a gap year! It only gives you more time to make yourself a better candidate as well as relax a bit before what's going to be a very intense part of your life! If you won't have time to shadow or study for your MCAT next semester, then I would even highly recommend it so that you have time to focus on these two things.

 

[CATSandKILOS]

Last cycle the smaller schools were already interviewing for waitlist spots in late winter/spring. The larger schools push the timetable. A few of my classmates interviewed in June and were still accepted. However, I do not know what their stats were. It's def getting more competitive and stats that got you in early cycle (Aug-March) may not work that late.

 

[Bug530]

I applied late last cycle. I took the MCAT in January and my scores weren't released til February. I was waitlisted at three schools and only got in at NYCPM. Take the gap year, you'll have more/better options in the long run.

 

[deleted585480]

I applied late last cycle. I took the MCAT in January and my scores weren't released til February. I was waitlisted at three schools and only got in at NYCPM. Take the gap year, you'll have more/better options in the long run.

what were your stats like?

 

[Bug530]

I guess I was a bit unique because I flunked out of a post-baccalaureate semester due to a medical issue giving me a 2.9 for both science and cum GPA. I originally had a 3.28 cGPA and ~3.4 sGPA. I included a letter explaining this in most of my applications. I got a 32 on the MCAT.