Is it worst to apply and not make it, then reapply next year. OR. Just taking a gap year?

[Bigbird43]

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I am confusion. Why take a gap year when you can just reapply? I guess besides time and energy, is there much to lose?
Do med schools look down on reapplicants?

I still have 2 more years of undergrad though. Just curious.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

I am confusion. Why take a gap year when you can just reapply? I guess besides time and energy, is there much to lose?
Do med schools look down on reapplicants?

I still have 2 more years of undergrad though. Just curious.

Time, energy, and money. It'll probably cost you a couple bands to apply. I wouldn't say being a reapplicant is bad... unless you don't show proof of change from one year to the other. I am a reapplicant that went from 0 interviews the first cycle to 5 this cycle plus acceptance(s). I had to put in a fair amount of work to make my app better and rewrite my stuff, which wasn't hard tbh.

 

[Goro]

I am confusion. Why take a gap year when you can just reapply? I guess besides time and energy, is there much to lose?
Do med schools look down on reapplicants?

I still have 2 more years of undergrad though. Just curious.

Taking a gap year in recognition of the holes in your app means that you don't' have the angst and costs of an app year. The year is lost for both paths.

 

[raiderette]

The best is to apply once. Based on your number, adcoms will know if you are a reapplicant, even if they don't specifically ask (and many do). Some schools do not want to see back-to-back applications.
It is also one of the most D aining and mentally exhausting experiences of someone's life. I applied the first day and didn't get off the wait list of my school until June. It can be a year of hell, and you don't want to do it twice, only to be knocked out of places that might have given you a real shot if you had just waited.

 

[M&L]

yeah.. as the person who got accepted on her THIRD CYCLE - trust me... you wanna do it once. That being said, it depends on what you can improve. For example, if you volunteering hours, clinical hours, and research are great, but it is your essays, interviews, and maybe LORs that are lacking, - these things are easier to correct fast, and you could definitely apply the very next cycle. If you need more hours though, - you probably could consider taking a gap year to really bring that number up. If you need to take MCAT that all depends on how ready you are for it.
The other factor - some schools have 2 lifetime maximums, - you can only apply twice.

 

[Lucca]

Ideally, aim to apply once with the best possible application.

 

[DameJulie]

As someone who's been through the app process more than once, I highly recommend do it once and do it right.

Aside from the extra $$$, the time you spent at your first app cycle (e.g. essay writing, running around asking for LOR) can be used to invest in something that improves your app significantly. You will have more hurdles to jump through as a re-applicant than a first-time applicant.