Need advice from people who have gone, or are currently going, through this

[Exoduso]

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So for the past few weeks, nay, months, it seems like the pressure is starting to get to me. I am currently a 4th year at UCLA and it seems like my choice of a major was the catalyst to trigger all of my worries. I came into UCLA after spending three years in a CC and had a 3.9 GPA even after taking the majority of the pre-med coursework. Since transferring to the UC system, however, my UC GPA is varying per quarter up and down the 3.5-3.6 range. While I'm certain many here will say that it's alright, the difficulty in approaching professors on campus is unreal and the competitiveness around me on a daily basis doesn't help the feeling that getting LOR from any professor here will be a major challenge.

Here is basically my laundry list of challenges, hopefully I can get some people to shed light on some of these because getting any sort of counseling on the matter at UCLA seems to be a shot in the dark:

1. I am scheduled to take the MCAT next month but feel nowhere near ready. Assuming I postpone, how late is still considered okay to take it? Also, since I've already reviewed all the material for the test a few times, especially over last summer, but have done little practice problems, how long on average would you suggest doing practice exams and problems before feeling adequately ready to challenge the MCAT?

2. LORs. I have two, one from a PI I worked with a few summers back, and another from a science professor I took several courses with, but no professor from the UC. I am planning on asking one of the professors from my previous quarter, however I did not get too close to him so I will attempt to ask for a meeting and see if I can get a positive response from there. Otherwise, how should I approach letters this late in the game? Should I try and approach previous instructors and do the same? And finally, what type of non-science professor did you ask your letter from?

3. While on the subject of letters, is it better to send the letters directly to AMCAS when the application season opens? Is using Interfolio and the likes a better option? What if I am forced to go through the application process again next year in the case that I don't get into any school I want? If I go directly through AMCAS, will I need to ask all the professors to resubmit their letters? That might be a hassle, which is why I'm asking about the Interfolio service.

Thank you for anyone who takes the time to help with even partially reducing my stress! 🙂

 

[spankydog]

1. Okay so I took my MCAT at the very end of May and submitted my primary application Jun 17th (a week after you could submit it) before getting my score back. This was risky but I applied to 20 MD schools in a broad range just in case I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. I ended up doing fine on my MCAT (and then only sent out 10 secondaries) because I practiced, practiced, practiced. I would not take that exam without taking at least 8-10 aamc style practice MCAT exams in realistic testing conditions. Postponing your exam sucks because it costs 90 bucks but in the grand scheme of things, you need to make sure you're 99% ready (no one feels 100% confident on test day) when you take that exam and that all comes from the practice tests. I submitted all my secondaries by August and was able to get many early interviews so I don't think that the later MCAT date hurt my application.
2. I felt really awkward asking for LOR from professors but my only advice for this is to just suck it up and go ask for letters. I am not sure how your school works but at my undergrad, we have a prehealth committee that requires we get 3 science and 2 non science letters. They then compile these letters and electronically send them to amcas (I'm assuming) and all my secondaries got my LOR's that way. While you don't want a mediocre LOR, some schools have specific requirements for how many letters they want so just ASK. To get my 3rd nonscience I literally went into my prof's office last minute and explained to her that I was in a tough situation and she said that professors know students need these letters and that she wouldn't mind writing me one. You'll never know if you don't ask! Also, considering you have a couple months before needing the letters (you only really need your letters for the secondaries), I would start visiting your professors' office hours now with made up questions and just demonstrate your enthusiasm about their course. For nonscience, I got my letters from a theatre performance class and an upper level english/women studies class to show that I was well-rounded.
3. Can't really comment on this because we had our prehealth committee send in the letters!

good luck with everything! I know this all sucks 🙁

 

[Exoduso]

Yeah I'm starting to realize that I went about the MCAT studying all wrong by trying to learn the material without really doing a lot of practice problems. I'll start doing that, and I guess I'll move the test to the end of May if it truly doesn't affect things that much in the long run.

Anyone else care to shed some light based on their experience?

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

1) visit the MCAT forum on this site.

2) Check for what indvidual schools require. Pick the best people you can to meet those requirements.

3) Use Interfolio or school letter service.

 

[TheOne13]

I graduated from UCLA in June 2013 and applied this cycle with no success, but I have friends/acquaintances who were successful.

1) I agree with what has already been said about the MCAT. I would highly recommend that you not take it until you are confident that you can score 30+ (not saying that you can't have success with a high 20's score, but I think most people recommend you aim for 30+). Take as many practice official full length tests as you can in similar testing scenarios (i.e. same time, little to no distractions, etc.). As for how late your score can be in, I honestly have no idea, but I think I read in a thread somewhere that August is pushing it.

2) UCLA is a large school and even some of the upper-division classes have 100+ students and I went through the frustration of trying to develop a relationship with professors as well. I would suspect that mediocre/generic LOR's played a part in my lack of success; however, my successful friends did the same thing I did; that is, they also just asked 2 science and 1 non-science professor for letters because that's what is required from most schools and not because they had a close relationship with the professor. Those friends didn't have spectacular EC's, stats, and were not URM and they didn't have a close relationship with the professors; they just got what the schools required. However, I would say this is not an ideal situation (and their success may be the exception to the rule) and you would be better served by getting the strongest letters you can get. I personally asked all my professors in May and had two letters in by June and the last in by July as I was receiving secondaries. I would get them ASAP because professors are busy and you never know how long they might take to get it in. I straight up emailed them to ask if they were willing to write me one and they all responded within a week. I would have a CV, personal statement, and some instructions prepared for them. My non-science writer was a professor from a Scandinavian folklore class that was fairly small. If you took a foreign language with a professor, I would try to get one from them if you believe their English is strong enough. Many of those classes meet 5 days a week and you get to really know the instructor.

3) UCLA does not have a committee so I used Interfolio. It costs like $20 bucks (don't quote me on that) for a year and I'd recommend it to you as well. If you use it, make sure you have instructions for your professor. If they want to mail it, provide a stamped and addressed envelope with the required form. Otherwise, you can have them submit electronically. In the event you have to re-apply like I do, you can just pay some more money to keep the account open and resend the letters yourself to AMCAS. No need to ask the professors again.

Keep working hard and best of luck!