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deleted715192
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Study hard for the MCAT and kill it. After that, get some clinical experience, shadowing, and altruistic activities in a non-clinical setting. Make sure you have some solid LORs as well.
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What have you already done?
Once you submit secondaries, accept that interview invites are out of your control. You will wait a long time on some schools, but you should assume that all schools will be slow (II in November/December). Do your best on the interviews you do get. Learn from them, cross your fingers and toes, and move on. Have a backup plan that would strengthen your app if you don't get it.
Edit it's worthwile to write responses to diversity and challenge prompts soon after submitting your primary. You'll use (slightly altered versions of) them for a lot of schools. If you can't think of a good basis for those now, it's a good idea to do something that will help you do that.
Edit it's worthwile to write responses to diversity and challenge prompts soon after submitting your primary. You'll use (slightly altered versions of) them for a lot of schools. If you can't think of a good basis for those now, it's a good idea to do something that will help you do that.
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I definitely think submitting early is a good idea and try to finish the secondary apps ASAP.
It would helpful if you listed what you already have done but make sure you have volunteering/shadowing/clinical experience (the more, the better). A leadership position is always a plus too like if there is treasurer or president for any volunteer organizations you participate in. Personally, I think gaining clinical experience through a paid position along with some volunteer work is a smart idea because the application cycle is expensive (especially if you apply broadly and have to pay for a bunch of flights to interviews). I work as a scribe which I think is great but even a CNA or something like that
It would helpful if you listed what you already have done but make sure you have volunteering/shadowing/clinical experience (the more, the better). A leadership position is always a plus too like if there is treasurer or president for any volunteer organizations you participate in. Personally, I think gaining clinical experience through a paid position along with some volunteer work is a smart idea because the application cycle is expensive (especially if you apply broadly and have to pay for a bunch of flights to interviews). I work as a scribe which I think is great but even a CNA or something like that
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deleted393595
Please for the love of God/Jesus/Zeus don't be me, and wait until the last minute to do your PS.
GET IT DONE NOW!
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don't do anything right now except study for your mcat. once that's done, you have the whole semester to write your ps/prewrite secondaries if you want (more than enough time)
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I think writing a decent personal statement was hard. If you're a good writer and know what you want to say then it probably won't be that bad. I went through like 7 awful ones before I got a decent idea.
Also don't get lazy with your secondaries. I got so sick of writing that I only submitted 10/15 secondaries. So I guess pre writing is a good idea.
Finally make sure to ask for your LOR early.
But right now just focus on that MCAT!
Good luck!
Also don't get lazy with your secondaries. I got so sick of writing that I only submitted 10/15 secondaries. So I guess pre writing is a good idea.
Finally make sure to ask for your LOR early.
But right now just focus on that MCAT!
Good luck!
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Focus on your MCAT first, then you will have plenty of time to begin the following:
1) Reach out to potential letter writers
2) Develop a list of schools to apply to (will depend on your MCAT score) - this will also help you figure out how many letters you need
3) Begin writing your personal statement. The earlier the better. I waited until May to start and it actually caused me to delay submission of my primary app by a couple weeks, because it took much longer than I thought to perfect.
4) Start compiling a list of activities you have done in undergrad, and pick the most significant ones to explain in more detail on your primary.
5) A good time to start pre-writing secondaries, if you so choose, is after you have perfected and submitted your primary (you will have a month between when you can first submit your primary and when schools send out secondaries).
1) Reach out to potential letter writers
2) Develop a list of schools to apply to (will depend on your MCAT score) - this will also help you figure out how many letters you need
3) Begin writing your personal statement. The earlier the better. I waited until May to start and it actually caused me to delay submission of my primary app by a couple weeks, because it took much longer than I thought to perfect.
4) Start compiling a list of activities you have done in undergrad, and pick the most significant ones to explain in more detail on your primary.
5) A good time to start pre-writing secondaries, if you so choose, is after you have perfected and submitted your primary (you will have a month between when you can first submit your primary and when schools send out secondaries).
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If you are very well-organized and start working on the steps above in early spring, it is quite feasible to have all of your apps completely finished (including secondaries) by mid July. This of course assumes that your letter writers submit their letters in a timely fashion.
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I started getting my LORs in December of my before application. My school has a committee letter process so I needed to be complete early. I used Interfolio to collect the letters.
You will only do one PS but it will take multiple drafts and hopefully several people reading it for content and clarity. As for pre writing secondaries, wait until you have your MCAT scores and make your school list.
I bought MSAR and US News to help calculate my list. I also met with my premed advisor to get a list of schools that typically take our graduates.
If you see a suit or shoes on sale buy it.
You will only do one PS but it will take multiple drafts and hopefully several people reading it for content and clarity. As for pre writing secondaries, wait until you have your MCAT scores and make your school list.
I bought MSAR and US News to help calculate my list. I also met with my premed advisor to get a list of schools that typically take our graduates.
If you see a suit or shoes on sale buy it.
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