MSc. defense in August..apply early?

[Arb]

I'm planning on defending in August so should I wait until I have my degree before applying or just do it in June? I applied for 2005 entering class and had most of the secondaries done in September and already have my MCAT score and it didn't seem to help. Does applying early really make a difference?

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[ntmed]

I'm planning on defending in August so should I wait until I have my degree before applying or just do it in June? I applied for 2005 entering class and had most of the secondaries done in September and already have my MCAT score and it didn't seem to help. Does applying early really make a difference?

Yes, very much so. You should apply on the very first date possible, which I believe is June 1st. Because of the early bottleneck, every day you delay, likely delays the processing of your application by a week. Maybe more. Note that most medical schools select the majority of people they will interview by around mid-September (give-or-take). If you don't apply until August, medical schools won't be able to consider you until around October (after they get your secondary). By then, you will have a lower chance of getting accepted.

You should also send your transcripts before June 1st. The AAMC accepts them around April. Check with them to be sure. This way, on June 1st, your application will be ready for processing.