Submitting app on time

[mayoformayo]

I'm a bit confused about how long processing takes and how to incorporate it. I saw the 2020 AMCAS app is now open -- and I know June 1st is the earliest day to submit. I realize processing takes about a month.

Does this mean submit by early May so your application is processed early June?

Or do we submit + send transcripts June 1st?

Unfortunately my MCAT was delayed to May 9th but we can submit before the score arrives, from my understanding.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

Never mind the opening date. You submit when you are 100% ready.

The MD cycle (in a normal year) will be effectively over by mid-end of Sept.

DO is over by Dec.

 

[rdyotz]

Stop. Slow down. AMCAS 2021 (the one for people that start applying this year) does not open until May 4th. You can submit on May 28th. The time it takes to process depends on when you submit. Submitting day 1 could take 0-14 days (see below graph). This was a graph I made based on submitting dates and time to verify based on the 2020 cycle.

I would wait until you have your MCAT score before adding schools/submitting. As long as everything is done, you can submit June 9th (based on roughly 1 month to score) and still be early. You would likely be verified before most schools even send secondaries, and no interviews would be given out yet.

Here is the graph from data collected within this thread (152 self-reported data points) and from the AMCAS twitter account. Not all dates are represented from this thread, so I estimated some points which resulted in smoother transitions than AMCAS. Also, not everyone here posted times (only dates), so there is some variability. AMCAS data shows quick bumps due to not verifying on weekends (for the most part). Also, I ignored the data from Early Decision applicants who all got verified within a day.

The longest verification for SDN users was submitted on July 2nd, which took 28.61 days. Based on AMCAS, the longest day to get verified was if you submitted on June 29th, which took 30 days. AMCAS caught up with submissions/verifications on September 6th.

Hopefully, people applying in May get some use out of this (apply early?).

View attachment 294900

 

[mayoformayo]

Never mind the opening date. You submit when you are 100% ready.

The MD cycle (in a normal year) will be effectively over by mid-end of Sept.

DO is over by Dec.

I agree completely but I am ready since I already had to prepare everything that was due for my prehealth committee, including final PS, activity dates, and descriptions throughout my gap year. Just waiting for the "okay" to submit based on when it opens and my MCAT date, as I know it's rolling.

Stop. Slow down. AMCAS 2021 (the one for people that start applying this year) does not open until May 4th. You can submit on May 28th. The time it takes to process depends on when you submit. Submitting day 1 could take 0-14 days (see below graph). This was a graph I made based on submitting dates and time to verify based on the 2020 cycle.

I would wait until you have your MCAT score before adding schools/submitting. As long as everything is done, you can submit June 9th (based on roughly 1 month to score) and still be early. You would likely be verified before most schools even send secondaries, and no interviews would be given out yet.

Ah you cleared up so much! My mistake. This is 2021, you're right. I just saw on AAMC "The 2020 AMCAS application is now open," got surprised, and completely disregarded the fact that it's for Fall 2020 matriculants. And I see now that May 4 = can request transcripts, May 28 = can submit actual application.

As for applying based on MCAT, can't you submit one "throwaway" school to get processed on time, then add the rest once you have your MCAT? If not, I of course don't mind the 9 day difference, just trying to understand when I can submit to be processed as soon as possible since I'm ready (with the concern about May tests being cancelled too).

For instance, if I submit a school close to May 28th, then it's processed in those 0-14 days, I get my score in that time, then add my full school list and they are all submitted early June. If I wait until June 9th, and if it takes the full 14 days, it can be closer to July when it processes (if those few weeks even matter). I may be way overreaching about how much the few week difference makes; I've just heard so much that you should take an April MCAT to be early

 

[rdyotz]

I agree completely but I am ready since I already had to prepare everything that was due for my prehealth committee, including final PS, activity dates, and descriptions throughout my gap year. Just waiting for the "okay" to submit based on when it opens and my MCAT date, as I know it's rolling.



Ah you cleared up so much! My mistake. This is 2021, you're right. I just saw on AAMC "The 2020 AMCAS application is now open," got surprised, and completely disregarded the fact that it's for Fall 2020 matriculants. And I see now that May 4 = can request transcripts, May 28 = can submit actual application.

As for applying based on MCAT, can't you submit one "throwaway" school to get processed on time, then add the rest once you have your MCAT? If not, I of course don't mind the 9 day difference, just trying to understand when I can submit to be processed as soon as possible since I'm ready (with the concern about May tests being cancelled too).

For instance, if I submit a school close to May 28th, then it's processed in those 0-14 days, I get my score in that time, then add my full school list and they are all submitted early June. If I wait until June 9th, and if it takes the full 14 days, it can be closer to July when it processes (if those few weeks even matter). I may be way overreaching about how much the few week difference makes; I've just heard so much that you should take an April MCAT to be early

Yes, you can submit without an MCAT score using a throwaway school. What if every MCAT date is canceled or you don't do as well as you expect, then you wasted the application fee. Submitting June 9th may take 3 weeks to get verified, so everything would be complete June 30th. Secondaries started trickling in around the middle to June, with most not being sent until late June or July even. Yes, submitting early is important, but a few weeks will not hurt anything.

That said, right after you took the MCAT, I would start focusing on the application. I made dozens of edits to my application and took an extra month after it opened to polish everything and ended up with a good cycle.

 

[mayoformayo]

Yes, you can submit without an MCAT score using a throwaway school. What if every MCAT date is canceled or you don't do as well as you expect, then you wasted the application fee. Submitting June 9th may take 3 weeks to get verified, so everything would be complete June 30th. Secondaries started trickling in around the middle to June, with most not being sent until late June or July even. Yes, submitting early is important, but a few weeks will not hurt anything.

That said, right after you took the MCAT, I would start focusing on the application. I made dozens of edits to my application and took an extra month after it opened to polish everything and ended up with a good cycle.

Gotcha - if May dates are cancelled, I won't submit, but I'll know if they are before submission opens anyways.

I know grain of salt etc etc but I've been studying part time for 7 months and AAMC FLs are all 518-523 range (as my test was supposed to be next week). Not assuming I'll do this well and ik test anxiety and exam variations are factors, but I'm confident enough that it's unlikely that I'll do so poorly that I can't apply. I don't mind losing the application fee either. I'm glad the few weeks don't matter though; that was my main concern.

Great advice, I'll definitely go back and polish everything. I'll start doing that now since my only responsibilities are volunteering + MCAT as I'm in a gap year and can't go into work now. I'll also start prewriting some common secondary prompts if time permits (the english major in me enjoys it lol..).

Thanks for your detailed info and help clarifying everything, I really appreciate it.