Submitting tonight, need some quick advice

[Ncognito13]

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[Lya]

Should be moved to WAMC.

If I were you, I would honestly skip this cycle, apply super early next cycle, and apply to all the top schools you want so long as you have decent ECs as well.

EDIT: Of course, you need some safeties in the list, but you will have a better chance next year. So if you don't mind waiting another year, I would do that.

 

[SN12357]

You're probably going to get in somewhere but you certainly decreased your chances and your options by applying so late.

My advice is to remove Pitt and Mayo. Pitt ends their interviewing season early (December, I think--they started early, too). Mayo is a tiny, tiny class, and therefore one of the lowest acceptance rates of all schools.

But you should also check the schools' individual deadlines for secondaries and do the math on whether or not you will be able to submit on time, given how late your application will be verified by AMCAS.

And if you want to sweep up in an application cycle, wait until next year and apply early.

 

[Mr Avante]

Don't skip, OP.

 

[supermintyfresh]

Don't skip, OP.

+1. A year, especially if you don't know what to do during the gap, can be a long time. Plus, you already have your entire application ready. Just pre-write the secondaries ASAP, and submit as soon as you get them. Good luck!

 

[Dral]

I had your same stats (exact MCAT breakdown even). Maybe a TAD higher GPA, but barely. I got interviews at both Ivy League Schools I applied to, so I'd go for it.

If anything, I'd remove a few mid-uppers and add more safeties.

 

[SN12357]

Also forgot to say, your GPA is average for the top schools, not low.

 

[Ncognito13]

I had your same stats (exact MCAT breakdown even). Maybe a TAD higher GPA, but barely. I got interviews at both Ivy League Schools I applied to, so I'd go for it.

If anything, I'd remove a few mid-uppers and add more safeties.

Sounds good, thanks. I'm definitely applying tonight. Which safeties do you recommend? I honestly have zero knowledge of schools outside CA, just little things people tell me.

 

[Apache1618]

You can add schools after you submitted. One possible method for you is to take off any schools you are "iffy" about and then add the rest of your schools within the next 6 weeks as you wait to be verified. This will give you time to look at the MSAR, do some research, etc. The link to the AMCAS page that verifies this is below. With your stats you should be fine this cycle. Best of luck!

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/147904/aftersub_shared_2.1.html

 

[Burla]

You can add schools after you submitted. One possible method for you is to take off any schools you are "iffy" about and then add the rest of your schools within the next 6 weeks as you wait to be verified. This will give you time to look at the MSAR, do some research, etc. The link to the AMCAS page that verifies this is below. With your stats you should be fine this cycle. Best of luck!

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/147904/aftersub_shared_2.1.html

+1

Look for schools that are "non-rolling"

 

[supermintyfresh]

+1

Look for schools that are "non-rolling"

Yeah, look for non-rolling schools (ie: Harvard), where the decision is not made until a certain date. Do not let that make you not rush pre-writing secondaries, as the interview slots are still limited, and come and go on a rolling basis.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

It's taking AMCAS a ridiculously long time to verify this year. People have been waiting 8+ weeks, so just remember that by the time you can actually submit your secondaries (assuming you've pre-written all of them) it might be close to some of the November deadlines. Also, UCs take even longer because they spend 1-2 weeks just pre-screening your application. At some schools they're already on January interviews (although I would say the majority are still at October-November).

As a comparison, we have nearly identical stats, I submitted 6/27, got verified 8/8 and finished all of my secondaries by mid to late August and schools are still interviewing people who came before me.

Just keep all of this in mind before submitting. You have great stats, so it would be a shame if not waiting for the next cycle kept you out of your dream schools.

 

[Lya]

Be brutally honest: Being complete in late October - early November is average or late this cycle? Some people are getting 10+ interviews (especially with stats like yours) and many applicants already completed 3+ interviews so far. Sure, people do get in with late applications, but what are your goals for medical school? Just getting into anywhere and you don't care? Or do you have particular schools in mind that you really want to go to, because they have particular programs that you desire? If it is the former, by all means go ahead. But if it is the latter, don't set your expectations too high.

Can you also check the deadlines for all the medical schools, because I am sure some of them have their deadlines on mid October? I am a little shocked that some people suggested not skipping this cycle. I mean, sure go ahead and submit if you would like. It is ultimately up to your decision. But honestly if I had your stat, I would rather aim for significantly higher chances to get into dream schools by applying early next year, instead of getting into safeties or lowering your chances for dream school this cycle. Maybe it is because I have particular programs and other things that I am looking for, but if you don't care where you get into, sure I think it is worthwhile to give it a try this cycle. Maybe it is also because my financial budget is a little too tight, so my view might be different from yours.

Ultimately, you can still give it a try, but adjust your expectations accordingly, so that you don't get surprised by silences with no e-mails or rejections or late interviews for wait list spots. And just because you are applying this year does not mean you can just sit back and do nothing, because chances are, you never know if you need to re-apply next year.


I am not trying to mean to you or be negative. As a re-applicant, I am just trying to be realistic here.

 

[HamsterHuey]

Question: What are the "safety schools"? I need a list of three to six of them as I still haven't had an interview invite this cycle.

 

[Lya]

Question: What are the "safety schools"? I need a list of three to six of them as I still haven't had an interview invite this cycle.

Safety schools are usually the schools that have lower average stats (MCAT, GPA) than yours, and if we set the average applicant stats as low 30 MCAT and 3.7 GPA, safety schools refer to low- and mid-tier schools: brand new schools like Hofstra, Quinnipiac, Western Michigan, and other schools like RFU, VCU, MCW, Drexel, BU, GW, Georgetown, and etc.

Go to WAMC forum and you will find the list under the thread with stats similar to the above.

 

[HamsterHuey]

Safety schools are usually the schools that have lower average stats (MCAT, GPA) than yours, and if we set the average applicant stats as low 30 MCAT and 3.7 GPA, safety schools refer to low- and mid-tier schools: brand new schools like Hofstra, Quinnipiac, Western Michigan, and other schools like RFU, VCU, MCW, Drexel, BU, GW, Georgetown, and etc.

Go to WAMC forum and you will find the list under the thread with stats similar to the above.

Thanks - sorry not to be clearer. I understand what the term "safety schools" means, but just wondering which schools those are specifically. Thanks for getting that list started for me.

So I have applied to MCW, Drexel, and Georgetown. I'm wondering if I should add a few more safeties?

Is it too late?

 

[HamsterHuey]

Thanks - sorry not to be clearer. I understand what the term "safety schools" means, but just wondering which schools those are specifically. Thanks for getting that list started for me.

So I have applied to MCW, Drexel, and Georgetown. I'm wondering if I should add a few more safeties?

Is it too late?

I should add my list of schools:

U Wisconsin
Mayo
OHSU
U. Miami
Wake Forest
MCW
U. Mich
SLU
Stanford
Brown
Rush
Drexel
U. Minn
Georgetown
Dartmouth
U Vermont
Wayne State
U Illinois

32 MCAT, BCPM GPA of 3.97, Cum GPA of 3.30, but a postbac GPA of 4.0 (with Physics, Ochem, Bio, GenChem, Statistics, Mol. Bio, Cell Bio, Genetics)

 

[Mr Avante]

I should add my list of schools:

U Wisconsin
Mayo
OHSU
U. Miami
Wake Forest
MCW
U. Mich
SLU
Stanford
Brown
Rush
Drexel
U. Minn
Georgetown
Dartmouth
U Vermont
Wayne State
U Illinois

32 MCAT, BCPM GPA of 3.97, Cum GPA of 3.30, but a postbac GPA of 4.0 (with Physics, Ochem, Bio, GenChem, Statistics, Mol. Bio, Cell Bio, Genetics)

Drexel, 4275 applications and counting. Oh boy!

 

[HamsterHuey]

Drexel, 4275 applications and counting. Oh boy!

Holy Moly!! That's not great to hear. Where do you get that info?

 

[Mr Avante]

Holy Moly!! That's not great to hear. Where do you get that info?

From a crack in my window. I suspect it is a space-time continuum.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to WAMC