Submitting mid August for next cycle too late?

[Colonel Sanders]

I am applying next cycle and thinking about submitting my AMCAS primary in mid August. This will allow me to put summer grades on the application and raise my science GPA from a 3.45 to a 3.51. I know this seems like a small difference but I have heard that the 3.5 mark is really important and being below 3.5 will really hurt an application. Any advice?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[theseeker4]

I am applying next cycle and thinking about submitting my AMCAS primary in mid August. This will allow me to put summer grades on the application and raise my science GPA from a 3.45 to a 3.51. I know this seems like a small difference but I have heard that the 3.5 mark is really important and being below 3.5 will really hurt an application. Any advice?

Submitting in mid-August should be fine, if you were verified before that.. You won't be late, as long as everything is set and ready to do then.

When do the classes end? If you take your finals in mid-August, then you have to wait a week or two for the transcripts to be updated, then they have to be sent to AMCAS, you may be looking at late September or even October by the time you are verified and the application is sent to schools. I am not sure the 0.06 GPA difference would counter the lateness of the application at that point, though I am sure it depends on the school. Something to think about.

 

[flodhi1]

I am applying next cycle and thinking about submitting my AMCAS primary in mid August. This will allow me to put summer grades on the application and raise my science GPA from a 3.45 to a 3.51. I know this seems like a small difference but I have heard that the 3.5 mark is really important and being below 3.5 will really hurt an application. Any advice?

I can assure you that a 3.45 in June will be stronger than a 3.51 in mid-August. You can always SUBMIT in June and then "update" the schools with your grades in mid-August. This will help you out in two ways, one by obviously having your application in early which is essential but also providing schools with an update which shows the schools you are interested and sometimes updates really do bring your application into light from the huge piles especially if it shows upward trend in grades.

 

[citrusguy2010]

I can assure you that a 3.45 in June will be stronger than a 3.51 in mid-August. You can always SUBMIT in June and then "update" the schools with your grades in mid-August. This will help you out in two ways, one by obviously having your application in early which is essential but also providing schools with an update which shows the schools you are interested.

+1. I firmly believe that turning it in June is MUCH better. For what it's worth I turned it in June 1st and I had a gpa WAY worse than your's and I got 3 early interviews and even an early acceptance. I can not stress enough the importance of turning it in early. The application process is hard enough as it is so you should be aiming to get EVERY advantage possible against the house.

 

[shinbeats]

+1. I firmly believe that turning it in June is MUCH better. For what it's worth I turned it in June 1st and I had a gpa WAY worse than your's and I got 3 early interviews and even an early acceptance. I can not stress enough the importance of turning it in early. The application process is hard enough as it is so you should be aiming to get EVERY advantage possible against the house.

I can assure you that a 3.45 in June will be stronger than a 3.51 in mid-August. You can always SUBMIT in June and then "update" the schools with your grades in mid-August. This will help you out in two ways, one by obviously having your application in early which is essential but also providing schools with an update which shows the schools you are interested and sometimes updates really do bring your application into light from the huge piles especially if it shows upward trend in grades.

+2 both of them are correct, If I were you I would apply in June. Applying in June would give you an advantage which is way beyond increasing your gpa from a 3.45 to a 3.51 also flodhi1 is right some schools really like updates but also hate useless updates. An update concerning grades in mid August would be a wonderful addition to your already early/advantageous application. I was a reapplicant and my cGPA was way below yours, the first time I applied late and received 0 interviews. The next cycle with absolutely the same stats when I applied in mid-June I was accepted into 3 MD schools. Applying early really does make that big of a difference and unfortunately a lot of premeds are unaware of it until they actually reapply and waste ample amount of time.

 

[octupus]

+1. I firmly believe that turning it in June is MUCH better. For what it's worth I turned it in June 1st and I had a gpa WAY worse than your's and I got 3 early interviews and even an early acceptance. I can not stress enough the importance of turning it in early. The application process is hard enough as it is so you should be aiming to get EVERY advantage possible against the house.

As someone who submitted mid July, I really wish I had done it in June. I would definitely go with the advice and send updates to your schools or if applicable, include it in your secondaries. Submitting in August, then waiting for secondaries (some schools won't send them out til you are verified) will put you way behind. It's not worth it for a small boost. If it's not a difference between 3.4 and 3.7, IMO, it's not worth it. Good luck!

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Submitting in mid-August should be fine, if you were verified before that.. You won't be late, as long as everything is set and ready to do then.

When do the classes end? If you take your finals in mid-August, then you have to wait a week or two for the transcripts to be updated, then they have to be sent to AMCAS, you may be looking at late September or even October by the time you are verified and the application is sent to schools. I am not sure the 0.06 GPA difference would counter the lateness of the application at that point, though I am sure it depends on the school. Something to think about.

Classes end mid August so I would probably not be verified until at least mid to late september and secondaries wouldn't be submitted until mid october. Your right, the 0.06 bump in GPA just isn't worth it. Time to bulk up on ECs and Volunteer work and hope for the best. Thanks

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Looking back I realize that I was a mid July submitter this cycle and that probably hurt me quite a bit. June 1 is the way to go

 

[JCTWP46]

Sorry to hijack but I am a little confused on how I should I go about my own process.
I'm looking at taking the MCAT either June 21, July 6, July 14, or July 26. Do I submit my AMCAS in June, take the MCAT on one of the dates, and update after I receive my scores? Not exactly sure how this works.

Also, which date would be most beneficial? Earlier is better I know, but is there a large difference between the ones I have listed? I plan on spending all month of May studying, then whatever time left before the date (pending on the date), and hopefully some time throughout the school year as well (but this won't be intense studying).

I asked my advisor about this, but he just gave me a "whenever you're ready" answer. I know I need to be ready, but I am also concerned about rolling admissions.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Sorry to hijack but I am a little confused on how I should I go about my own process.
I'm looking at taking the MCAT either June 21, July 6, July 14, or July 26. Do I submit my AMCAS in June, take the MCAT on one of the dates, and update after I receive my scores? Not exactly sure how this works.

Also, which date would be most beneficial? Earlier is better I know, but is there a large difference between the ones I have listed? I plan on spending all month of May studying, then whatever time left before the date (pending on the date), and hopefully some time throughout the school year as well (but this won't be intense studying).

I asked my advisor about this, but he just gave me a "whenever you're ready" answer. I know I need to be ready, but I am also concerned about rolling admissions.

You can submit your AMCAS application with everything but your MCAT score and they will begin the process of verifying it (which is what takes forever). Then when your MCAT score is released they will automatically send it to AMCAS who will send it to all of your schools. I would take the MCAT as early as possible but I think that even June 21st is late because you wont have scores from it until July 21st so you application wont technically be "complete" until then and you wont receive any secondaries until late July and into September. It would be ideal to have MCAT score available no later than early June (thus taking the test in April or early May). Hope this helps

 

[octupus]

Sorry to hijack but I am a little confused on how I should I go about my own process.
I'm looking at taking the MCAT either June 21, July 6, July 14, or July 26. Do I submit my AMCAS in June, take the MCAT on one of the dates, and update after I receive my scores? Not exactly sure how this works.

Also, which date would be most beneficial? Earlier is better I know, but is there a large difference between the ones I have listed? I plan on spending all month of May studying, then whatever time left before the date (pending on the date), and hopefully some time throughout the school year as well (but this won't be intense studying).

I asked my advisor about this, but he just gave me a "whenever you're ready" answer. I know I need to be ready, but I am also concerned about rolling admissions.

Is there a reason you are waiting until June 21st to take your exam? I certainly would not suggest you take it before you're 110% ready, but if I were you, I would focus and prep for a May exam and then work on your AMCAS right after. That should put you in mid/late June AMCAS submission which isn't bad.

 

[JCTWP46]

You can submit your AMCAS application with everything but your MCAT score and they will begin the process of verifying it (which is what takes forever). Then when your MCAT score is released they will automatically send it to AMCAS who will send it to all of your schools. I would take the MCAT as early as possible but I think that even June 21st is late because you wont have scores from it until July 21st so you application wont technically be "complete" until then and you wont receive any secondaries until late July and into September. It would be ideal to have MCAT score available no later than early June (thus taking the test in April or early May). Hope this helps

Is there a reason you are waiting until June 21st to take your exam? I certainly would not suggest you take it before you're 110% ready, but if I were you, I would focus and prep for a May exam and then work on your AMCAS right after. That should put you in mid/late June AMCAS submission which isn't bad.

I guess I haven't thought about it that way. I wanted to spend plenty of time preparing for it. I had planned on taking a heavier load in the spring to pull up my gpa (3.5), so I was going to spend the summer prepping. But maybe taking a lighter load and spending more time studying for the MCAT would be better.

Thanks to you both!

EDIT: I just calculated out what the difference would be between taking 12 hours and 17 hours on my gpa. It looks to be a difference of about .02 (3.58 vs 3.6 (this also depends on this weeks finals)). So maybe I should go with your suggestions. --To raise my sGPA: at 12 hours I would take 11-12 hours of appropriate classes; at 17 hours I would have 3 more hours. Sorry, thinking out loud some.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

I guess I haven't thought about it that way. I wanted to spend plenty of time preparing for it. I had planned on taking a heavier load in the spring to pull up my gpa (3.5), so I was going to spend the summer prepping. But maybe taking a lighter load and spending more time studying for the MCAT would be better.

Thanks to you both!

EDIT: I just calculated out what the difference would be between taking 12 hours and 17 hours on my gpa. It looks to be a difference of about .02 (3.58 vs 3.6 (this also depends on this weeks finals)). So maybe I should go with your suggestions. --To raise my sGPA: at 12 hours I would take 11-12 hours of appropriate classes; at 17 hours I would have 3 more hours. Sorry, thinking out loud some.

Yeah I think getting the MCAT done early and submitting your application on June 1st far outweighs the 0.02 difference in GPA.

 

[JCTWP46]

What are your opinions on enrolling in a Kaplan course on campus that runs from Jan. 7-May 5, if I plan on taking the MCAT in May? The price is a little steep, but my parents will consider helping out. I am worried about getting behind with studying. I will be taking 12-13 hrs in the spring (physics 2 with lab, biochem., ornithology with lab, and one or two one hour courses) to keep my load on the lower end, working 18 hrs a week as a scribe, and doing 4-6 hrs/week volunteering. Also some clubs/societies. So I feel the course may keep me on track. Any input is appreciated, I am having trouble finding info on a strong correlation between taking this course and doing well on the exam.

 

[Ismet]

What are your opinions on enrolling in a Kaplan course on campus that runs from Jan. 7-May 5, if I plan on taking the MCAT in May? The price is a little steep, but my parents will consider helping out. I am worried about getting behind with studying. I will be taking 12-13 hrs in the spring (physics 2 with lab, biochem., ornithology with lab, and one or two one hour courses) to keep my load on the lower end, working 18 hrs a week as a scribe, and doing 4-6 hrs/week volunteering. Also some clubs/societies. So I feel the course may keep me on track. Any input is appreciated, I am having trouble finding info on a strong correlation between taking this course and doing well on the exam.

Kaplan courses run that long?! Mine was January to "April," and the only April date was the MSCT 3/wrap-up lecture. So it essentially ended in March. I studied on my own for April-May, taking Kaplan and AAMC practice tests every week, and took the MCAT on May 20. I scored right at my practice test average, so I'd say I was prepared.

 

[JCTWP46]

Kaplan courses run that long?! Mine was January to "April," and the only April date was the MSCT 3/wrap-up lecture. So it essentially ended in March. I studied on my own for April-May, taking Kaplan and AAMC practice tests every week, and took the MCAT on May 20. I scored right at my practice test average, so I'd say I was prepared.

I saw the other one that ended in April. The class dates and times are identical to the one I was referring to. The only difference is that they extend the time in between the last exams to where the last one takes place on Sat. May 5. Idk why this is. Your timeline seems very similar to mine as I am looking at taking the MCAT on May 19. I currently have purchased the EK Complete Study Package, the Kaplan MCAT Premier, and the Kaplan Practice Tests. I'm trying to figure out where to go from here as far as studying from Jan-May.

 

[deleted261193]

i think the course is worth it to keep you on track esp if you are balancing other coursework + activities with the mcat studying. i think i have pretty good discipline when it comes to studying but having an mcat prep course definitely helped keep me to a schedule of regular studying, and it also helped me spread out the studying of the diff subjects evenly.

 

[Ismet]

I saw the other one that ended in April. The class dates and times are identical to the one I was referring to. The only difference is that they extend the time in between the last exams to where the last one takes place on Sat. May 5. Idk why this is. Your timeline seems very similar to mine as I am looking at taking the MCAT on May 19. I currently have purchased the EK Complete Study Package, the Kaplan MCAT Premier, and the Kaplan Practice Tests. I'm trying to figure out where to go from here as far as studying from Jan-May.

i think the course is worth it to keep you on track esp if you are balancing other coursework + activities with the mcat studying. i think i have pretty good discipline when it comes to studying but having an mcat prep course definitely helped keep me to a schedule of regular studying, and it also helped me spread out the studying of the diff subjects evenly.

TBH, I only took the Kaplan course because I got it for $1000 through an auction. The best thing about the course was the practice tests and practice questions, an amazing resource. The actual lectures were pointless. I've heard it greatly depends on your teacher...you could get someone who knows a lot or you could get some college student who just took the test last year and is teaching for Kaplan in his year off. The teacher reads out loud from a book for 3 hours. If someone happened to ask a question that was not in the teacher's book of lectures and answers, he had to look it up and get back to us during the next class. That said, I've seen people on SDN who liked their Kaplan teacher, so I may have just had bad luck.

Check out the MCAT forum on here, and look at SN2ed's MCAT study strategy. Lots of SDNers swear by it, I only wish I had found SDN earlier than this past May!

 

[JCTWP46]

TBH, I only took the Kaplan course because I got it for $1000 through an auction. The best thing about the course was the practice tests and practice questions, an amazing resource. The actual lectures were pointless. I've heard it greatly depends on your teacher...you could get someone who knows a lot or you could get some college student who just took the test last year and is teaching for Kaplan in his year off. The teacher reads out loud from a book for 3 hours. If someone happened to ask a question that was not in the teacher's book of lectures and answers, he had to look it up and get back to us during the next class. That said, I've seen people on SDN who liked their Kaplan teacher, so I may have just had bad luck.

Check out the MCAT forum on here, and look at SN2ed's MCAT study strategy. Lots of SDNers swear by it, I only wish I had found SDN earlier than this past May!

Oh I see. Well I would hate to waste 2 grand on a course with an awful teacher when I could spend a 1/4 of that on material and get the same benefit. I just looked through part of SN2ed's strategy and it looks like a great plan, but I am unsure if it would be doable with my schedule. I bought the material I have now based off of NickNaylor's schedule. I was planning on using that, but on second thought, it seems that the EK material is much better for an overall review without too much depth. I'm thinking I may need some more in-depth materials to help me prepare.