How late is too late?

[yelowbela]

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Does it look bad of you apply a second time and the only reason for the denial was applying late?

(I am applying for 2008 and wont be done with premed courses and mcat unitl august. Thus my application wont be in until early sept. If I don't get in this round, will it look bad if I re-apply for next year?)

 

[Catalystik]

No, as long as you've made significant improvements in your application since the previous round, like more/continuing extracurriculars, better GPA, upper-level science courses, additional shadowing, possibly better letters of recommendation, etc. Considering the disadvantages of a late application, you could also just wait until the following June to apply and save application fees and a lot of stress by not repeating the process.

 

[chopstick1]

Does it look bad of you apply a second time and the only reason for the denial was applying late?

(I am applying for 2008 and wont be done with premed courses and mcat unitl august. Thus my application wont be in until early sept. If I don't get in this round, will it look bad if I re-apply for next year?)

not at all, I did the same. have all your application materials done ahead of time so once you see your mcat score, all you have to do is drop it in the mailbox and push send to release your scores. you'll be a slightly behind from everyone else applying but secondaries will show up by sep/oct and interviews will start rolling in around dec/jan. good luck!

 

[Law2Doc]

Does it look bad of you apply a second time and the only reason for the denial was applying late?

(I am applying for 2008 and wont be done with premed courses and mcat unitl august. Thus my application wont be in until early sept. If I don't get in this round, will it look bad if I re-apply for next year?)

I don't know what the prior posters are talking about. You really want to apply once, if at all possible. One shot, one kill. It is better to skip a round than be a reapplicant -- although many reapplicants do fine, it is a harder road, usually requiring substantial improvements (beyond just applying early) to get the same level of consideration. So yes, having to reapply is a disadvantage.

That being said, August MCATers don't do as horribly in the process as SDN would have you believe. You can submit your application earlier than your August MCAT, so that you are complete the instant the score is released. Lots of people get in this way.

 

[QofQuimica]

I was an August test-taker, but I waited to apply. I submitted my AMCAS on June 1 the following year, and it made me one of the earliest applicants instead of one of the latest. I started interviewing at the end of August and finished most of my interviews before Thanksgiving. I got my first acceptance at midnight on Oct. 15, which was about when the August test-takers were just getting their scores back. So, yes, you can apply in the fall after half the interview invites and god only knows how many acceptances have been given out already. But most schools have rolling admissions, and it seems that applying in the fall may put you at a significant disadvantage, especially if you don't have the kind of app that will make you stand out. The only thing more frustrating than spending six months in the "possible interview" pool before finally getting invited in the spring is never getting out of the possible interview pool at all because time ran out before the adcom could get around to inviting you.

Personally, I think a late app is an unnecessary risk to take even if you're a stellar applicant, never mind if you're average. This process sucks so much out of you in terms of time, money, and energy that I'd already made up my mind to get a chemistry post doc rather than go through it all again if I didn't get in the first time. Ironically, that made me especially determined to "get it all right" the first time. 🙂