Not sure what to do

[itslilytho]

Hi everyone I’m taking my MCAT at the end of this month for the first time. My college offers a committee letter service and have all my reference letters, my two mock interview feedbacks, and my application. The only thing they need is my MCAT score, they said they can’t write me a letter until they have it and it won’t be released until end of July. My advisor said this in his email:

“Alternately, you could gain a 2-month jump on having your documents in the hands of med schools by switching to the Clearinghouse track. I could send your packet as soon as I receive Dr. X’s letter, and you submit med apps and send me a Packet Mailing Request. Moreover, I could include an advisor note that would include the nice things a committee evaluation might say. There’s a question on TMDSAS for “Why aren’t you receiving a committee evaluation?” to which you’d say something like, “Due to the timing of my MCAT test, my pre-health advisor recommended that I forego the committee evaluation in order to submit a much earlier application.”

I am not sure what to do at this point. I am going to submit all my primary application and transcripts this week, and was going to send out my secondaries within a week of finishing my MCAT. I have heard having a committee letter is important....

Can someone offer their advice or experience?

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[Balo]

Texas does have an earlier cycle than AMCAS and AACOMAS to my knowledge, so favoring time over tradition is wise. Having a committee letter helps, but not having it, especially with advice from your pre-med advisor specifically recommending you not to have it in order to submit early, is probably not going to kill you and may even help in this situation.

 

[Rusrus]

Hi everyone I’m taking my MCAT at the end of this month for the first time. My college offers a committee letter service and have all my reference letters, my two mock interview feedbacks, and my application. The only thing they need is my MCAT score, they said they can’t write me a letter until they have it and it won’t be released until end of July. My advisor said this in his email:

“Alternately, you could gain a 2-month jump on having your documents in the hands of med schools by switching to the Clearinghouse track. I could send your packet as soon as I receive Dr. X’s letter, and you submit med apps and send me a Packet Mailing Request. Moreover, I could include an advisor note that would include the nice things a committee evaluation might say. There’s a question on TMDSAS for “Why aren’t you receiving a committee evaluation?” to which you’d say something like, “Due to the timing of my MCAT test, my pre-health advisor recommended that I forego the committee evaluation in order to submit a much earlier application.”

I am not sure what to do at this point. I am going to submit all my primary application and transcripts this week, and was going to send out my secondaries within a week of finishing my MCAT. I have heard having a committee letter is important....

Can someone offer their advice or experience?

I did not have a committee letter and in that section explaining why, I simply mentioned that I chose to select professors who I have established strong relationships with in the classroom, research, etc. whom I believe can speak well on my behalf. I do advise you to caution when applying without your MCAT - if your score comes back, is not competitive, and leads to an unsuccessful cycle, you'll be labeled as a re-applicant.