Should I submit my entire school list all at once or split them into batches?

[evenfeather]

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As a CA ORM I'm applying to 35+ schools. I'm afraid that if I add all of them at once, I'll get 35+ secondaries at once and that will be nigh impossible to complete in 2 weeks and also ensure quality. So should I split them into batches?

I have 15 schools uploaded on AMCAS at the moment. Should I finish these secondaries first before adding another 10, then another 10, and so on? Or should I just add them all now? Won't that just make me a "late" applicant, or at least later than I could have been if I had just added everything now?

 

[PickaGodnPray]

You don't need to complete all schools in two weeks, that is just the recommended timeline (except at programs like UCLA with 15 days). Schools won't see a difference between an applicant who finished their secondary in two weeks vs one who took a month if it comes in on the exact same day.
Best advice, look online and see what schools send out interviews early and which you have a better shot at to complete first. Some schools don't even have secondary essays (NYMC) and some only have 1-2, so also look at which ones require the most work.

 

[Goro]

>35?

You'll just burn yourself out on secondaries.

Also, apps are not processed in numerical order of receipt.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What do you mean 35+? Like... 36? Or 80?

There are some schools that anecdotally interview applicants who complete secondaries by the end of July due to the volume of applications they receive and have to process (check the school-specific forums). Do you know if the schools later on your list are not one of "those" schools?

 

[evenfeather]

Wait, schools don't review applications in the order of receipt (complete with secondaries)? Unless I'm misunderstanding, I thought they did and that was the whole point of trying to apply early, rolling admissions, etc. Is that not correct?

I'm applying to around 19 target schools and 8 moderate reaches, so 27 "realistic" schools- But I have an additional 15 "high" reaches where I'm below their 25%tile but still above the 10%tile for at least one of my stats (cGPA, sGPA, MCAT). Honestly, I don't have high hopes for these schools, but I've been told to just apply if I can since at least 10-25% of the class would be matriculating with my stats and you never know which schools will show you love.

I'm applying to so many schools because as an ORM from California with a below average GPA and MCAT for my demographic (3.77/3.62/510), I figured I had to cast a wider net. I also don't have any research experience as a non-trad, which makes it even more so. I know there is a risk of my essay quality being compromised, but I recently quit my job and can work on these essays full time so I figured it would be okay. (Also I heard it's pretty common to apply to 35-40 schools if you are CA ORM anyway...).

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[wysdoc]

Wait, schools don't review applications in the order of receipt? Unless I'm misunderstanding, I thought they did and that was the whole point of trying to apply early, rolling admissions, etc. Is that not correct?

I'm applying to around 19 target schools and 8 moderate reaches, so 27 "realistic" schools- But I have an additional 15 "high" reaches where I'm below their 25%tile but still above the 10%tile for at least one of my stats (cGPA, sGPA, MCAT). Honestly, I don't have high hopes for these schools, but I've been told to just apply since at least 10-25% of the class would be matriculating with my stats and you never know which schools will show you love.

I'm applying to so many schools because as an ORM from California with a below average GPA and MCAT for my demographic (3.77/3.62/510), I figured I had to cast a wider net. I also don't have any research experience as a non-trad, which makes it even more so. I know there is a risk of my essay quality being compromised, but I recently quit my job and can work on these essays full time so I figured it would be okay. (Also I heard it's pretty common to apply to 35-40 schools if you are CA ORM anyway...).

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Schools don’t give out all their interviews early in the cycle because they know there will be more great applicants coming in over time.
Even if you turn yours in earlier than somebody else, a school will still wait a while to see what their pool of applicants looks like this year before choosing people to interview.
I understand why you are casting a wide net but you still should filter it to schools that are in your stats range and that don’t restrict their matriculants to regional/ adjoining states

 

[evenfeather]

Schools don’t give out all their interviews early in the cycle because they know there will be more great applicants coming in over time.
Even if you turn yours in earlier than somebody else, a school will still wait a while to see what their pool of applicants looks like this year before choosing people to interview.
I understand why you are casting a wide net but you still should filter it to schools that are in your stats range and that don’t restrict their matriculants to regional/ adjoining states

Thank you, that makes sense. Your last sentence is actually why I asked the original question- since I want to prioritize schools in my stats range, my plan was to split it into batches. For example, 15 schools in the first batch, then the other 12 schools in the 2nd batch after finishing the first one, and then maybe adding the upper reaches in the 3rd batch if I have the energy and might as well shoot my shot. But I wanted to check here if this is a good idea or if it's actually recommended to just add every school at once and finish secondaries as they come.

 

[PickaGodnPray]

Wait, schools don't review applications in the order of receipt (complete with secondaries)? Unless I'm misunderstanding, I thought they did and that was the whole point of trying to apply early, rolling admissions, etc. Is that not correct?

Schools will look at their total applicants for the first round of interviews and offer their August interviews to ~25 of applicants for example. After that they look at all the applications remaining and any new ones coming in to offer for September interviews and it repeats until they are out of interviews. So submitting within two weeks does nothing for you if you submit the last day of August when schools already have sent 2-4 rounds of interviews (depending on schools of course).
Example was hypothetical but with it being this late already, focus on your top yield programs. I know you also want to shoot a shot at your reach schools, but submitting late with your stats unless you have an x factor is like trying to hit a pitch against Skubal as an amateur, incredibly hard already and further handicapped.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

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