Late Applicants

[vivalavie]

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So I applied pretty late (partly because I just decided to apply to med school this summer, partly because one of my letter writers was kind of a jerk). I got my last LOR submitted mid-October, and I'm trying to figure out how much this kind of thing affects interviews and whatnot.

I have had a few interviews, but I can't help but think I'd have more options if I had applied earlier. Any other late submitters out there, what have your experiences been like?

I was also wondering what to expect for the rest of the cycle, I know some schools are still passing out invites because I just received one today. Scanning the threads, it's clear that schools interview in order of submission and some of the schools I applied to are only up to September applicants. Should I expect more invites for late March/April? When you interview this late in the cycle are you just interviewing for a spot on the waitlist? Anyone with anecdotal evidence?

I should say that I got into a school I like and if the whole application process ended today I'd be just fine with the way things turned out.

 

[patel2]

So I applied pretty late (partly because I just decided to apply to med school this summer, partly because one of my letter writers was kind of a jerk). I got my last LOR submitted mid-October, and I'm trying to figure out how much this kind of thing affects interviews and whatnot.

I have had a few interviews, but I can't help but think I'd have more options if I had applied earlier. Any other late submitters out there, what have your experiences been like?

I was also wondering what to expect for the rest of the cycle, I know some schools are still passing out invites because I just received one today. Scanning the threads, it's clear that schools interview in order of submission and some of the schools I applied to are only up to September applicants. Should I expect more invites for late March/April? When you interview this late in the cycle are you just interviewing for a spot on the waitlist? Anyone with anecdotal evidence?

I should say that I got into a school I like and if the whole application process ended today I'd be just fine with the way things turned out.

Depends on your stats. Most schools are rolling, but some do random review. Interviews go out through march/april at some places, but the number of invitations is much less. If you got a bunch of interviews this late, odds are you would have gotten even more had you applied early.

But still, you know what they say... When life hands you lemons, ask for some tequila and get s***faced.

 

[vivalavie]

Thanks Patel, my numbers are very competitive for any school and I've got some reasonably cool stuff on my C.V., though I think my whole app has kind of a rushed feel to it because it WAS rushed.

All in all I'm just happy to be going to med school, but still curious if I can expect to have more options by the end. Anyone know of people interviewing in March/April and getting accepted immediately, or is the best you can hope for a spot at the top of the wait list?

 

[LizzyM]

By March 15, every school has made at least as many offers as they have seats and some will have made three times as many offers as they have seats.

If a school continues to interview in March and April it is because it expects to have seats to fill after May 15 (maybe even before May 15) based on its yield (proportion of offers it makes that are accepted). This does not mean you are interviewing for the waitlist... it is entirely possible that the first communiation you'll recieve after the interview will be an offer rather than a note that you've been waitlisted.

Anyone who applies late and has an offer by January 21 is very good and very lucky.

 

[vivalavie]

Thanks Lizzy, makes sense.