POLL: When did you submit vs. how successful was your app?

[spumoni620]

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I noticed quite a few threads asking questions to the effect of "should i submit amcas after june 24? if i'm studying abroad, should i submit after i come back? is there a difference between submitting on june 3 vs july 3?" etc. etc. Since there were different responses and what my pre-med advisor has been telling me is different from some of your experiences, thought i'd just poll to see how ppl's submission dates influenced app response...(and then i'll plot the data points, run a regression and post the graph. 😀 )

thanks for voting!!!!

 

[mellotron]

It really depends on how ambitious you are, I guess. I submitted my AMCAS in October! Secondaries were generally a week or two ahead of the deadlines. I wasn't very ambitious - I'm from Ohio, so I applied to 3 of our state schools and 2 privates. Got 4 interviews and 2 acceptances. If you're aiming real high, then I'd probably advise you to take any advantage you can.

What I'm saying is I don't think turning in your stuff immediately is a huge advantage. If it's ready, well, then there's no reason to sit on it. But while you're out of the country you may have an experience that you wish you could have incorporated into your essay or whatever. Getting your app *right* IMHO is better than getting it submitted *early*.

 

[monkeyarms]

i also sent in all of my secondaries about two weeks ahead of the deadlines and got interviews at three of my top four and acceptance at my top choice.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

My story. . . I submitted in late July and was verified in late August. I had all of my secondaries completed by late September. What held me up the most was LORs. I was waiting on one who was really late.

I had 17 complete applications, and 2 interviews before December. I had 2 more invites for early 2003, but I declined them. I have 1 acceptance, but would have probably had more if I would not have withdrawn my app from most of the schools (after getting the acceptance).

If I would have had my LORs in place early (like now), I would have been finished with most of my secondaries by the end of August.

Submitting your AMCAS by July is still reasonably early, so don't fret. Just get it done. Earlier is better, though. So get off SDN and get crackin'.

 

[MichiMO]

I also submitted in October after getting my MCAT scores back. However, what hurt me the worst, I think, was submitting secondaries really late (like on the deadline) and getting LOR late. I was getting all my secondaries right in the middle of finals and scrambling to get LOR...it was not pleasant. I also think this kept me from getting interviews at places like Drexel and NYMC, which I think I would have had a good shot at had I applied earlier. But, I ended up being accepted at my state school (no rolling admissions) and got two inteviews out of the four places I applied. So, while submitting late did hurt me, it obviously wasn't fatal and my state school was my top choice all along, so I was probably a little lazier with the other secondaries.
But, doing it again, I definitly would have submitted earlier and to more schools...if anything, just not to have been worrying about it while I was trying to study for exams.

 

[gwyn779]

Hmm, I think I submitted in August (2000). Maybe late July, certainly no earlier than that. I took April MCATs, so I'd had my scores for a while. I had my first interview in October (then was accepted ~2 weeks later), cancelled one in December, went to another in Feb., then cancelled one more in April. So I didn't apply right at the deadline, but I didn't wait past August. And since I got in, I would consider the process sucessful.

 

[calipaww]

i was a 2nd time applicant this year. my 1st year my amacas was on time but my 2darys were late🙁( plus amcas online sucked! but anyways this year I sumbitted in the 1st week and had a 1-2 day turn around for my secondarys and timing made all the difference!!!! i think cause i didnt retake teh mcats and my application is pretty much the same! , and my numebrs are very average .. so i think timing is huge!

 

[pocwana]

poll options n/a. submitted june 19 2002. already had mcat scores from april 2001. happy i did it so early cuz first accept & .: much relief came oct 19 2002.

 

[nimbus001]

Submitted my AMCAS in middle of july because I am a lazy bum...And took a lot of time to do the secondaries...Didn't seem to hurt me ....




Hopkins Class of 2007

 

[ispic]

Well,

Just to clear up one possible intangible in the application process, the whole MCAT score issure should clear itself up once AAMC switches the MCAT to a computerized CBT format, like the boards, it should get the results back in 2-3 wks, so by the end of May you can get results. However, if you are a super competitive applicant, you should have no problem submitting your stuff right before the deadline, schools will climb all over themselves just to get someone with extremely competitive scores. But the old addage is still true for the rest of us, turn in the materials early 🙂

 

[vscarlet27]

Hi,

I just thought I'd share my experience because I think rolling admissions really hurt my chances at a lot of schools. I had to submit my AMCAS in August because I was studying abroad; I got secondaries by September - October. Letters of recs and MCAT scores were all in, but I was a procrastinator (well, I had lots of personal stuff going on too) and was definitely a deadline girl for submitting a lot of the secondaries. I got interviews at 7 schools -all from Jan-March - but was waitlisted at every single school except one (a rejection, and ironically, the "worst" school I interviewed at). None of my other "back-up" schools interviewed me, and I definitely think that was a function of being a late applicant.

So bottom line is that because of all that, I am struggling with the uncertainty and anxiety of being on waitlists at my top choice schools. It blows. I thought I was going to have to think about AMCAS 2004, but thankfully, one school accepted me off their waitlist (a week after waitlisting me to begin with!). Apply early and be on top of the game, any sacrifice now will work out so much better later on ...

 

[amk10]

I submitted to several schools within 4-8 weeks of the submission date, but added schools later. I submitted my app to USC within the last possible week for AMCAS, and completed their secondary within a week of the deadline. 13 days later, I had an interview with them. My scores aren't stellar - right about average for USC, so I don't really know what stood out about me. Maybe I was just at the top of the pile 🙂 Anyway, they're my only acceptance, and I am on one other waitlist (which was another school I applied late to.) I almost didn't apply to USC because it was so late in the process, but I'm REALLY glad I did.

 

[spumoni620]

Thanks all for the replies and votes. So far it seems like most ppl did submit within a month of the 1st submission date....and mixed responses for those who waited till mid-july, august etc.
I guess I should admit what I know already: there's plenty of luck involved in this process along w/timing and good stats...regardless of when we apply...

 

[exmike]

i hope to submit mine day one, but my transcripts wont be sent until jun 12th, amcas will dilly dally for a couple weeks, so i figure early july before its sent out for good

 

[ephgirl]

I procrastinated a lot after my April MCAT, and submitted my AMCAS at the end of July. I was good about my secondaries, though, and did each one within 2 weeks of receiving. I had 11 interviews (first one at the end of October) and turned down 4 more invites out of the 18 schools I applied to. 5 acceptances and 5 waitlists. Good luck everyone doing AMCAS this summer!