Okay to Wait to Apply!? Help!

[molarseeker]

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SDN,

I am a senior neuroscience student at UCLA and I graduate this year on June 14th. Here is my dilemma. I am going to be applying to both M.D. and D.O. medical schools. I know that applications can be submitted around June 1st for both M.D. and D.O. schools. I have not taken the MCAT yet, but am registered to take it April 4th. However, I do not believe that with my course load, research, and volunteer work, I will be ready to take the exam April 4th, so I am trying to reschedule to May 23rd.

My question is this: Since it takes 30-35 days to get back the MCAT scores, I will get my scores back between June 23-28 if my test date is May 23rd. My GPA for M.D. schools will be around 3.3 and my GPA for D.O. schools around 3.4. I have 2 years of volunteer work in a surgery center, 1.5 years volunteering with a company that offers reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children, six months of volunteer in the radiology department at a hospital, 1 year of Alzheimer's research, and 50+ hours of M.D. and D.O. shadowing. Also, I am taking a year off, so in the gap year, I hopefully will get a paid job working in either a lab doing research, or working in a medical setting. On top of that, I want to get more volunteer hours. With these stats, do you think that it would hurt my chances significantly if I waited to apply till June 21st instead of applying June 1st because of rolling admissions? I am going to be applying to MOST D.O. schools and probably 30-40 M.D. schools.

Thanks! You're the best!

 

[DocScrooge]

You can submit your primary apps without an MCAT score. They take about a month+ to process (verification of your transcripts) so you'll have no issues and your MCAT scores will be in at a perfect time. Apply as soon as you can.

 

[TwinsFan]

SDN,

I am a senior neuroscience student at UCLA and I graduate this year on June 14th. Here is my dilemma. I am going to be applying to both M.D. and D.O. medical schools. I know that applications can be submitted around June 1st for both M.D. and D.O. schools. I have not taken the MCAT yet, but am registered to take it April 4th. However, I do not believe that with my course load, research, and volunteer work, I will be ready to take the exam April 4th, so I am trying to reschedule to May 11th (my birthday 👎).

My question is this: Since it takes 30-35 days to get back the MCAT scores, I will get my scores back between June 11-16 if my test date is May 11. My GPA for M.D. schools will be around 3.3 and my GPA for D.O. schools around 3.4. I have 2 years of volunteer work in a surgery center, 1.5 years volunteering with a company that offers reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children, six months of volunteer in the radiology department at a hospital, 1 year of Alzheimer's research, and 50+ hours of M.D. and D.O. shadowing. Also, I am taking a year off, so in the gap year, I hopefully will get a paid job working in either a lab doing research, or working in a medical setting. On top of that, I want to get more volunteer hours. With these stats, do you think that it would hurt my chances significantly if I waited to apply till June 21st instead of applying June 1st because of rolling admissions? I am going to be applying to MOST D.O. schools and probably 30-40 M.D. schools.

Thanks! You're the best!👍

Late versus early June shouldn't have an impact on applications, many schools don't receive their first batch of apps until the end of June or early July.

And for the bolded, applying to 60-70 schools is insane. Pare down the list so you can turn around the secondaries quickly, won't get burnt out, and actually write quality essays.

 

[molarseeker]

Late versus early June shouldn't have an impact on applications, many schools don't receive their first batch of apps until the end of June or early July.

And for the bolded, applying to 60-70 schools is insane. Pare down the list so you can turn around the secondaries quickly, won't get burnt out, and actually write quality essays.

Even with my low GPA though?

 

[MedPR]

Even with my low GPA though?

3.3 is low. You don't need to be applying to 30-40 MD schools, you need to be applying to the ones that will entertain your low GPA. Disregard if you are a URM though.


I'm not sure why you would put off applying though. You can apply with a pending MCAT score.


Edit: If you're not a URM, I suggest not applying MD unless your practice test scores are in the mid 30s or higher.

 

[molarseeker]

3.3 is low. You don't need to be applying to 30-40 MD schools, you need to be applying to the ones that will entertain your low GPA. Disregard if you are a URM though.


I'm not sure why you would put off applying though. You can apply with a pending MCAT score.

That was my reasoning behind applying to the 30-40 MD schools. I have a great upward trend so this may help.

 

[MedPR]

That was my reasoning behind applying to the 30-40 MD schools. I have a great upward trend so this may help.

Ok then.

 

[molarseeker]

Ok then.

No I'm asking you haha. I figured the more schools that I apply to the more chance I have right? I would only apply to the lower GPA schools anyways.

 

[MedPR]

No I'm asking you haha. I figured the more schools that I apply to the more chance I have right? I would only apply to the lower GPA schools anyways.

Buy the MSAR and look into how many schools your GPA is acceptable for. After you cross out schools with high IS bias, LOR/coursework requirements you don't meet, and possibly schools that don't match your personal preference (location, curriculum, etc) you will find that there are not 30+ schools you have a reasonable chance at.

Of course, if you do very well on the MCAT (37+), there may very well be a good amount of schools, but I think you will still be hard pressed to find 30+.

 

[molarseeker]

What about D.O?

 

[phikapdoctor]

Don't post multiple threads.

 

[MedPR]

What about D.O?

3.4 is low even for DO, but not as low as 3.3 is for MD.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[molarseeker]

3.4 is low even for DO, but not as low as 3.3 is for MD.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

I know my GPA is low as I said in my post.

 

[MedPR]

I know my GPA is low as I said in my post.

What do you mean by "What about DO?" ?

 

[abolt18]

Honestly if you applied June 1 or July 1 the difference is very very minor.

 

[MedPR]

Honestly if you applied June 1 or July 1 the difference is very very minor.

Maybe so (I disagree), but unless the OP is waiting on his score in order to decide where to apply, I don't think there is any reason not to apply on the first day.

 

[abolt18]

Maybe so (I disagree), but unless the OP is waiting on his score in order to decide where to apply, I don't think there is any reason not to apply on the first day.

Yeah I can see that definitely. I just don't think that 1 month makes a huge difference. After that, I believe you're beginning to push it.

 

[molarseeker]

I'm not waiting to see where to apply because I know my GPA is do low that I'm probably gonna end up at a DO school.

 

[coolingglasses]

No I'm asking you haha. I figured the more schools that I apply to the more chance I have right? I would only apply to the lower GPA schools anyways.

When your stats are low, I find the cycle is highly unpredictable.

That said, 30-40 schools at once is insane and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I did 21 DO secondaries and I'm working on 9 MD secondaries right now. Even with a 3 month gap between DO and MD applications, I feel like I'm running out of steam answering "why school xyz"

 

[coolingglasses]

Oh wow. it's 30-40 PLUS most of the DO schools.

You're a character.

 

[05silvergt]

Thin your list down a LOT! Applying to that many schools is ridiculous for several reasons. The biggest reasons are of course cost and time spent doing secondaries. Pick schools you actually want to go to. With your stats I would say 10-12 schools of both MD and DO would be plenty, if not too many.

Hell, I applied to less than 10 schools and have one acceptance and had another interview yesterday which I feel confident about, and I have a 3.2/3.1 26. Not exactly awe inspiring stats.

Take everything you see on SDN with a grain of salt, you don't need 3.5 28 to get an interview at a DO school.

 

[MedPR]

Thin your list down a LOT! Applying to that many schools is ridiculous for several reasons. The biggest reasons are of course cost and time spent doing secondaries. Pick schools you actually want to go to. With your stats I would say 10-12 schools of both MD and DO would be plenty, if not too many.

Hell, I applied to less than 10 schools and have one acceptance and had another interview yesterday which I feel confident about, and I have a 3.2/3.1 26. Not exactly awe inspiring stats.

Take everything you see on SDN with a grain of salt, you don't need 3.5 28 to get an interview at a DO school.

Including this ^ post.

Edit: Point being, you never know which schools are going to want you. Even if your ECs/PS/secondary fit perfectly with the school's mission and you are statistically competitive you might still end up getting rejected pre-interview. I've interviewed at 7 MD schools, only 2 of which were low GPA schools (my stats are ~3.2/~33). The other 5 have me at a <10% GPA and median or worse MCAT. They are all schools I applied to just for fun. All the other low-statistics MD schools I applied to rejected me pre-interview.

Doesn't make much sense, does it?

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[Night Hawk]

.

 

[05silvergt]

Including this ^ post.

Edit: Point being, you never know which schools are going to want you. Even if your ECs/PS/secondary fit perfectly with the school's mission and you are statistically competitive you might still end up getting rejected pre-interview. I've interviewed at 7 MD schools, only 2 of which were low GPA schools (my stats are ~3.2/~33). The other 5 have me at a <10% GPA and median or worse MCAT. They are all schools I applied to just for fun. All the other low-statistics MD schools I applied to rejected me pre-interview.

Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

I agree that you can't know which schools will/won't be interested in you. I was just trying to emphasize the need for the OP to cut his list from ~50 schools to something more realistic around 20-25, which is still a lot.

 

[sc4s2cg]

I'll copy-paste what I posted to another user who had a similar question:

Yeah good idea, at least you get verified before August. Just remember that med schools won't see your application until AACOMAS/AMCAS gets your MCAT. Also remember it takes a month for your MCAT scores to come back, so we are looking at September when your application will be sent out to med schools.

That said, I took it in July, got the score back in August. Submitted application with score in August, got verified September. I had 8/12 (this was correct at the time, but yesterday I got my 9th interview at my top 1 school) DO schools send me interviews, and got 2/3 acceptances at the places where I actually went to interview (still waiting to hear back from the third). So a relatively late application worked out for me, although I did not get any MD interviews. Also weird, I did not get any in-state interviews...I'm in Ohio, which I hear has high in-state selection. All my DO interviews and acceptances were from OOS.

Just so you get an idea. My DO GPA is c3.54, s3.64. Six years of volunteering at my church, 200 clinical hours from my previous nursing major, some 50 hours in soup kitchen, 80 hours shadowing, 50 hours research. I applied to 12 DO and 10 MD schools.

 

[ValentineLissar]

Here are my thoughts on your situation. When it comes to the MD schools, with a low GPA of 3.3, not being in the first stack of people who review your file can be a serious killer. By then, some schools will have already reviewed a couple of hundred applicants before they see yours. Of course, your application may have a compelling PS and ECs, outstanding set of LORs, and you might just get lucky. And every year there are people who get in with stats lower than yours. But, in general, it's going to be a rough road especially if you get the silent treatment for months.

I would agree with MedPR and recommend getting the MSAR or the excel sheet of the LizzyM / SDN equivalent, and applying smart. It's going to be pretty costly on your pocket book and a pain getting those secondaries out.

For DO schools, submitting your primary application in June 23rd is fine. I submitted mine on June 8th and didn't get any secondaries until the beginning of July because half of the schools didn't even begin uploading secondaries. Of course, this differs among the DO schools. On the whole, I think the DO application cycle has more wiggle room with how late you can apply. That being said, always apply earlier if you can.

 

[molarseeker]

Here are my thoughts on your situation. When it comes to the MD schools, with a low GPA of 3.3, not being in the first stack of people who review your file can be a serious killer. By then, some schools will have already reviewed a couple of hundred applicants before they see yours. Of course, your application may have a compelling PS and ECs, outstanding set of LORs, and you might just get lucky. And every year there are people who get in with stats lower than yours. But, in general, it's going to be a rough road especially if you get the silent treatment for months.

I would agree with MedPR and recommend getting the MSAR or the excel sheet of the LizzyM / SDN equivalent, and applying smart. It's going to be pretty costly on your pocket book and a pain getting those secondaries out.

For DO schools, submitting your primary application in June 23rd is fine. I submitted mine on June 8th and didn't get any secondaries until the beginning of July because half of the schools didn't even begin uploading secondaries. Of course, this differs among the DO schools. On the whole, I think the DO application cycle has more wiggle room with how late you can apply. That being said, always apply earlier if you can.

I have till May 23 to take the mcat. If I got a 35 on the mcat do you think I would have a chance at Md?

 

[MedPR]

I agree that you can't know which schools will/won't be interested in you. I was just trying to emphasize the need for the OP to cut his list from ~50 schools to something more realistic around 20-25, which is still a lot.

I agree that 50+ is too much. How many he applies to will depend on his MCAT score. I'm a URM with a similar GPA and a ~33 MCAT and I applied to ~23 schools. It was a good amount, but it probably wouldn't be enough for an ORM with a worse (or even same) MCAT.

 

[ValentineLissar]

Yes, you have a chance at MD schools with a 35+ on the MCAT. But you also have to consider it's still not going to be smooth sailing because you have other applicants who will have those similarly high scores on the MCAT and a higher GPA to match.

I think you should focus on doing your best on the MCAT and don't lose focus on it even if you are getting great scores on the practice tests. Build a list of schools that accept applicants with average MCAT scores that lower than 35 or even 32 just in case you fall short of that score. Of course if you get a fantastic score, you can also think about throwing in some more reach schools too. Also, you should consider getting all the letters of recs done in advance and during study breaks, make sure you fill out the AMCAs and AACOMAs coursework when the applications become available on May 1st. It's tedious but not difficult. As soon as you finish taking the MCAT on May 23rd, start drafting a PS. It should take about several weeks to get a fantastic one and you will go through many drafts of it. But I think you can have everything ready to go by June 23rd when you get your MCAT score back. Then you can really start cutting or adding schools depending on your score.

 

[MedPR]

Yes, you have a chance at MD schools with a 35+ on the MCAT. But you also have to consider it's still not going to be smooth sailing because you have other applicants who will have those similarly high scores on the MCAT and a higher GPA to match.

I think you should focus on doing your best on the MCAT and don't lose focus on it even if you are getting great scores on the practice tests. Build a list of schools that accept applicants with average MCAT scores that lower than 35 or even 32 just in case you fall short of that score. Of course if you get a fantastic score, you can also think about throwing in some more reach schools too. Also, you should consider getting all the letters of recs done in advance and during study breaks, make sure you fill out the AMCAs and AACOMAs coursework when the applications become available on May 1st. It's tedious but not difficult. As soon as you finish taking the MCAT on May 23rd, start drafting a PS. It should take about several weeks to get a fantastic one and you will go through many drafts of it. But I think you can have everything ready to go by June 23rd when you get your MCAT score back. Then you can really start cutting or adding schools depending on your score.

At least 121/141 MD schools accept kids lower than a 35 average and the vast majority also have their average right at 32. That is not a good starting point for weeding out schools. The OP will be held back by their GPA assuming a 32+ MCAT score.

 

[molarseeker]

At least 121/141 MD schools accept kids lower than a 35 average and the vast majority also have their average right at 32. That is not a good starting point for weeding out schools. The OP will be held back by their GPA assuming a 32+ MCAT score.

Ill just get a 45 McAT score. 35 is child's play.

 

[IslandStyle808]

SDN,

I am a senior neuroscience student at UCLA and I graduate this year on June 14th. Here is my dilemma. I am going to be applying to both M.D. and D.O. medical schools. I know that applications can be submitted around June 1st for both M.D. and D.O. schools. I have not taken the MCAT yet, but am registered to take it April 4th. However, I do not believe that with my course load, research, and volunteer work, I will be ready to take the exam April 4th, so I am trying to reschedule to May 23rd.

My question is this: Since it takes 30-35 days to get back the MCAT scores, I will get my scores back between June 23-28 if my test date is May 23rd. My GPA for M.D. schools will be around 3.3 and my GPA for D.O. schools around 3.4. I have 2 years of volunteer work in a surgery center, 1.5 years volunteering with a company that offers reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children, six months of volunteer in the radiology department at a hospital, 1 year of Alzheimer's research, and 50+ hours of M.D. and D.O. shadowing. Also, I am taking a year off, so in the gap year, I hopefully will get a paid job working in either a lab doing research, or working in a medical setting. On top of that, I want to get more volunteer hours. With these stats, do you think that it would hurt my chances significantly if I waited to apply till June 21st instead of applying June 1st because of rolling admissions? I am going to be applying to MOST D.O. schools and probably 30-40 M.D. schools.

Thanks! You're the best!

I guess I will also put my two cents in

1) Get the MSAR book (the AACOMAS has a free version but not a lot of depth)
2) Mark schools that are OOS friendly
3) Mark schools that entertain a low GPA (look at the ranges)
4) Get you app verified a least 4-6 weeks before your MCAT scores are released.
5) When you get your MCAT scores, reexamine the schools you marked
6) Cut the list down further
7) Then apply

Having 50 schools does increase your chances but OP you have to weigh the costs and benefits. With that amount of schools, you will be spending a lot of money that could be potentially used for your interviews or other things. Do your research on the schools and strike a balance that gives you the maximum chance of getting in without costing too much money.

Good luck!

 

[DocScrooge]

3.4 is low even for DO, but not as low as 3.3 is for MD.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

3.4 is perfectly fine for DO (and could be good enough for MD if you have a great MCAT score). Some users have the tendency to scour the boards for opportunities to discourage other applicants.

I know a few people personally who have gotten multiple interviews and acceptances with sub 3.2 GPAs and 26-29 MCATs. I myself applied in November (which is considered late) with barely over a 3.2 and received interviews at all my top choices. If you apply early and demonstrate your passion for osteopathic medicine and particular schools, you should be successful next application cycle. Just make sure you block out the negative SDN noise and focus on getting your apps done.

 

[molarseeker]

3.4 is perfectly fine for DO (and could be good enough for MD if you have a great MCAT score). Some users have the tendency to scour the boards for opportunities to discourage other applicants.

I know a few people personally who have gotten multiple interviews and acceptances with sub 3.2 GPAs and 26-29 MCATs. I myself applied in November (which is considered late) with barely over a 3.2 and received interviews at all my top choices. If you apply early and demonstrate your passion for osteopathic medicine and particular schools, you should be successful next application cycle. Just make sure you block out the negative SDN noise and focus on getting your apps done.

Thank you for your kinda words.

 

[MedPR]

3.4 is perfectly fine for DO (and could be good enough for MD if you have a great MCAT score). Some users have the tendency to scour the boards for opportunities to discourage other applicants.

I know a few people personally who have gotten multiple interviews and acceptances with sub 3.2 GPAs and 26-29 MCATs. I myself applied in November (which is considered late) with barely over a 3.2 and received interviews at all my top choices. If you apply early and demonstrate your passion for osteopathic medicine and particular schools, you should be successful next application cycle. Just make sure you block out the negative SDN noise and focus on getting your apps done.

Ugh. Another person who thinks anecdotal success means below-median stats are not low or detrimental.

Not going to get into this with you too.

 

[molarseeker]

Ugh. Another person who thinks anecdotal success means below-median stats are not low or detrimental.

Not going to get into this with you too.

MedPR stop posting on this thread. I understand that my stats are below
Average. Does it make you feel better to
Keep repeating yourself?

 

[MedPR]

MedPR stop posting on this thread. I understand that my stats are below
Average. Does it make you feel better to
Keep repeating yourself?

I didn't repeat myself. Reread the post you just quoted.

 

[DocScrooge]

Ugh. Another person who thinks anecdotal success means below-median stats are not low or detrimental.

Not going to get into this with you too.

Wrong. I'm saying that in OP's case, applying early to DO schools with a 3.4 GPA, his solid resume, and a decent MCAT will most likely yield him admission.

There's really nothing to get into. You can cite median stats all you want and even pat yourself on the backside for being "right". It still doesn't make your feedback anything more than nonconstructive drivel.