Rolling Admission

[DrMattOglesby]

Is it best to apply only to schools that do not have rolling admissions at this point (aug 27) ?
and what exactly does it mean when a school has rolling admissions versus one that doesn't?

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[Phoenix.]

Is it best to apply only to schools that do not have rolling admissions at this point (aug 27) ?
and what exactly does it mean when a school has rolling admissions versus one that doesn't?

Rolling means that they review, interview, and accept people on a rolling basis. So, earlier in the cycle there are a lot more interviews and spots to be given out, so it gets harder after they've accepted more people to get those interview and acceptance letters later in the year. For non-rolling schools I believe that they collect all of the apps, send out invites on a somewhat rolling basis, but don't make any decisions until some later date (March 15?, when they make all decisions on who to accept and who to reject at the same time. At least that's my understanding. I don't remember which schools do which, but I do remember that Cornell is non-rolling.

I've seen you post in other threads that you "can't" apply to allopathic schools this cycle because it's too late with your stats. I don't recall what they are specifically, but I recall thinking that your stats are fine, and that you should give it a shot if you want to apply this year (if you get moving ASAP). Sure, you might not have the options that you would have if you applied with the first wave of applicants, but I've heard of people with a 3.6 gpa and a 30-32 MCAT applying in September and getting a couple of interviews and even getting accepted. So, perhaps just apply to those schools that are your state schools and/or you really want to go to. If you don't get in, apply earlier and more broadly next year. Or, post your stats, state of residence, ECs, etc., and have people weigh in on what they think. Take a look through the advice given in the "What are my chances" thread at the top of the forum. Oh, and if you're a URM, I don't think there would be any significant detriment to applying this "late." Good luck!

 

[meowkat444]

well, the problem is that the schools without rolling admission are usually also the most competitive (yale, harvard, duke, etc), and no one in their right mind would advise you to only apply to these schools.

so, no. although the later you go, rolling schools get almost as competitive. so get it in as soon as you can, or consider waiting a year! good luck.

 

[drizzt3117]

non-rolling admissions only refers to the fact that schools don't send out acceptances (for the most part) until spring. Those schools still interview on a rolling cycle and it's certainly possible that all the interviews (for actual spots in the class) will be granted by a certain point and you'll only be interviewing for a spot on the wait list even at a non-rolling school.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

oouuh no no...that post was just a remark of what i considered to be the normally competitive stats (3.6 and 30)
i think i will have about a 3.6 cumGPA (includes City college credits)
and i think ill have a 3.8 BCPM GPA (includes city college credits)
but i have no clue what my MCAT scores are, or will be. I find out Sept 12th at @5pm.
so basically im wondering if i should wait around til my MCAT results come in...or take my chances and apply without seeing them????

*i guess an expected response to this would be to ask me what my practice MCAT scores were like, but I never took a practice one from the computer with shorter questions...and i never did a practice essay...and i never did a complete practice Physical Sciences (really stupid i know).
but on the bio and verbal I managed to pull in scores averaging around a 10 with a standard deviation of about 1.5

 

[ADeadLois]

non-rolling admissions only refers to the fact that schools don't send out acceptances (for the most part) until spring. Those schools still interview on a rolling cycle and it's certainly possible that all the interviews (for actual spots in the class) will be granted by a certain point and you'll only be interviewing for a spot on the wait list even at a non-rolling school.

Exactly. Interview slots are really the limiting factor that leads to the advantageousness of applying early. I'm fairly certain every school gives out interviews on a rolling basis, regardless of whether or not they they are rolling or non-rolling with regards to acceptances.

 

[NJDIF]

when you say "applying" do you mean starting from scratch with the AMCAS? or having been completed with secondaries by now?

 

[Phoenix.]

when you say "applying" do you mean starting from scratch with the AMCAS? or having been completed with secondaries by now?

I believe the OP has not submitted his primary app yet.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

no primary has yet been submitted.
which leads me to a dumb question:
"what is a secondary?"
do all applicants receive secondaries from schools that they apply to?
as far as i know the order goes:
1) primary app,
2)secondary app (is this simply writing additional essays?),
3)interviews,
4) then youre either accepted/rejected (although this can come earlier on in the process).

caveat* these steps take a LOONG time ?

I have filled out my AMCAS...PS and courses listed, biographical info....but i havent sent in my transcripts, nor got my LORs.

i feel so behind and lost in this application mess....maybe its just better that i apply next year =\

 

[jochi1543]

Your order is generally right. Yes, almost all secondaries involve extra essays, but they also ask for additional payment (I'd say the average is like $90).

You won't get too many secondaries until AFTER your primary is verified, which will probably take more than a month at this point in the cycle. Not all schools send secondaries, some will screen (generally on grades/MCAT/state residency). Some screeners I can think of are UCs, EVMS, VCU, Wake Forest, and generally state schools when it comes to OOS applicants. Most, however, will send a secondary to everyone.

 

[Jpc984]

no primary has yet been submitted.
which leads me to a dumb question:
"what is a secondary?"
do all applicants receive secondaries from schools that they apply to?
as far as i know the order goes:
1) primary app,
2)secondary app (is this simply writing additional essays?),
3)interviews,
4) then youre either accepted/rejected (although this can come earlier on in the process).

caveat* these steps take a LOONG time ?

I have filled out my AMCAS...PS and courses listed, biographical info....but i havent sent in my transcripts, nor got my LORs.

i feel so behind and lost in this application mess....maybe its just better that i apply next year =\

2) A secondary is just a way schools get more information and more money (>50 sometimes). Some secondaries have additional essays. Many of them ask to list/explain your ec's. (Yes this was done on the primary). Some just ask for a check.

4) If you get an interview, besides rejection/ accepted, you may get waitlisted.

I think the steps take a long time. In the end you cut and paste your essays together (they sort of repeat each other).

Send in your transcripts to AMCAS now (It takes a while for them to mark them as received). You do not need to send your LORs to AMCAS. Wait till the secondaries to send LORs, but ask your professors now if you haven't.

 

[hokiemon]

Although AMCAS can "verify" your application BEFORE you have a MCAT score, I believe your application is NOT complete until the score is in and then medical schools proceed with secondaries..

If that is in fact correct, nobody is late. Few things, before this year MCAT was set up where most students took the April exam. August mcaters were much smaller in number. Don't anyone of you know August test-takers that got in to school? I know 3 and they didn't get a score back till middle of October and please keep in mind that was when about 90% of the applicants had their scores and appz done back in June since they took April tests.

With our new format, just imagine how many people pick all sorts of random test dates. I'm sure a good deal took April but some did May, quite a few waited for classes to end and take it June or July, even August..

I'd guess that right now, AMCAS has fewer COMPLETED applications than it did last year since they're just getting in late July MCATs and still waiting for the 4 or 5 August MCAT dates.

Sure it helps to get your stuff in early but to a degree. If you're a 3.4 student with a 29, they're not going to be thrilled and jump on you because you turned in your application early.. They'll probably wait a couple weeks to see if they find a better applicant.

 

[Law2Doc]

Don't anyone of you know August test-takers that got in to school? I know 3 and they didn't get a score back till middle of October and please keep in mind that was when about 90% of the applicants had their scores and appz done back in June since they took April tests.

I know of many August MCATers who got in, but the sage advice for them, and still holds true now, is that to keep yourself from being late, you want to submit your apps before you receive your score. To start the process in October is a really bad idea. You want your app to be complete the instant the score hits, not months later when you see your score, submit the primary, get it verified, submit secondaries, and after the school finally realizes it has everything and forwards the packet to the committee. By then a lot of people are already getting accepted and a ton of interview slots will already be scheduled. Doesn't mean a top student can't still get in, but you went potentially from competing for 300 acceptance slots to about 100.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you're a 3.4 student with a 29, they're not going to be thrilled and jump on you because you turned in your application early.. They'll probably wait a couple weeks to see if they find a better applicant.

To some extent they wait, but to some extent they don't have a sense of who they still have coming in the application pool so they are more apt to interview more people lower in the pool early.
But mainly it's a function of how many slots you are competing for. You are competing for more possible slots earlier in the process than later in rolling admission.

 

[hokiemon]

I know of many August MCATers who got in, but the sage advice for them, and still holds true now, is that to keep yourself from being late, you want to submit your apps before you receive your score. To start the process in October is a really bad idea. You want your app to be complete the instant the score hits, not months later when you see your score, submit the primary, get it verified, submit secondaries, and after the school finally realizes it has everything and forwards the packet to the committee. By then a lot of people are already getting accepted and a ton of interview slots will already be scheduled. Doesn't mean a top student can't still get in, but you went potentially from competing for 300 acceptance slots to about 100.

I agree but the OP who was worried about sending in his primary in the next week or so doesn't really need to worry. When I called AMCAS they said if you submit in June it takes about a week or verify, in August about 2-4 weeks. To me that means they're getting more applications in August, which means more people are applying in August.

 

[Law2Doc]

I agree but the OP who was worried about sending in his primary in the next week or so doesn't really need to worry. When I called AMCAS they said if you submit in June it takes about a week or verify, in August about 2-4 weeks. To me that means they're getting more applications in August, which means more people are applying in August.

Not necessarilly more apps, probably just better spread out in June/July than as they get later in the process. Or it might mean they maintain a smaller staff after the initial month's glut.

 

[Ookluh]

Or things just continue to get more backed up as the process progresses.

 

[ADeadLois]

Although AMCAS can "verify" your application BEFORE you have a MCAT score, I believe your application is NOT complete until the score is in and then medical schools proceed with secondaries..

An important clarification here is that the word "complete" is generally not used in the context of only the AMCAS application. You're right, your application is not complete until your MCAT scores have been received, but this completion refers to your application at individual schools. AMCAS verification is a separate process and occurs independent of your MCAT scores. Similarly, receiving secondaries from individual schools is generally independent of your MCAT scores both pre and post verification, as very few schools screen applications pre-secondary.

When you hear people saying their application is "complete", this means that all materials (MCAT score, verified AMCAS, LORs, completed secondary and $) have been received and acknowledged by a particular school. I know this sounds nitpicky, but it's often a source of confusion here, so I thought I'd clarify.

 

[mvenus929]

I have filled out my AMCAS...PS and courses listed, biographical info....but i havent sent in my transcripts, nor got my LORs.

Send in your transcripts NOW. You want them there and waiting when you hit the submit button, because if they're not, you don't get put in line until they're in. Which means a longer wait time. Besides, if you decide your MCAT isn't good enough, you can just not hit the submit button, and you'll be ok.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

Send in your transcripts NOW. You want them there and waiting when you hit the submit button, because if they're not, you don't get put in line until they're in. Which means a longer wait time. Besides, if you decide your MCAT isn't good enough, you can just not hit the submit button, and you'll be ok.

i like you.
thanks for the good advice!

 

[UCLAlifer]

Exactly. Interview slots are really the limiting factor that leads to the advantageousness of applying early. I'm fairly certain every school gives out interviews on a rolling basis, regardless of whether or not they they are rolling or non-rolling with regards to acceptances.

so the earlier you apply, the more likely you are to get an interview...but once you get an interview, is there then an advantage to scheduling/having an early interview? Just wondering because I scheduled my east coast interview a month or so later than the earliest dates available at the time in case I got invites from other east coast schools so that i wouldn't have to make two trips out there

 

[ADeadLois]

so the earlier you apply, the more likely you are to get an interview...but once you get an interview, is there then an advantage to scheduling/having an early interview? Just wondering because I scheduled my east coast interview a month or so later than the earliest dates available at the time in case I got invites from other east coast schools so that i wouldn't have to make two trips out there

There's no real consensus on this. Generally speaking, a lot of schools like to get a sense of the strength of their interviewee pool prior to sending out acceptances. Some schools outright admit that they are conservative with acceptances early on (which is rather inconsequential, because they'd just keep you on hold until they get more interviewees). Thus, there doesn't appear to be any disadvantage in interviewing later, although there might be mitigating opinions on this.

Keep in mind that few, if any, schools fill up their classes based on the initial batch of acceptances, meaning that there are still plenty of spots available for late interviewees. Also, keep in mind that if a school offers you an interview, it means that, generally speaking, you are an acceptable applicant. As such, schedule the interview based on what's convenient for your schedule, realizing that getting an interview offer, however late, is still better than no interview invite at all.