Too late to submit to AMCAS??

[Langleychris]

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Hey guys, first time posting here. I have a very important question to pose to you all. Your help/input would be extremely appreciated.

Ok, so I am a 4th yr student from Canada (Windsor, ten mins away from Wayne State in Detroit). GPA is 3.76, 32Q on MCAT. My AMCAS application is done (even have most of my LOE in), and I am going to submit it tomorrow morning. HOWEVER: is it way too late for me to submit to AMCAS? They have had my official transcript since June 6, and I was just waiting on my MCAT result, which is why my app is so late. I am applying to a wide range of schools (25), including Wayne State.

My worry is that if I submit and don't get in simply because of the whole rolling admission thing, I will be at a severe disadvantage if I reapply next year (I have heard that in the US a "reapplicant" status is extremely damning).

I have lots of hospital, volunteer and research experience also.

So what do you think: submit to AMCAS tomorrow and take the risk, or just wait until next June??

 

[vokuf]

Send it in now!!!

 

[1289]

not that it matters at this point, but your best bet probably would've been to submit your app with just one school and then added more after you got your mcat score.. no point dwelling on that now. i hear that amcas processing is running on about a 6 week delay, so the earliest you could submit your secondaries is mid October. i know there are a handful of schools that even have deadlines around then, so to answer your question: YES. this is very late.

and just to address the "damning" reapplicant thing, i'm a reapp and I have 3 interviews already this cycle.. so i really dont htink it's that bad as long as you improve the things you need to. if you're financially stable throw your app in this cycle and see what happens

 

[Langleychris]

So you feel that if I am rejected due to lack of seats, I will not be severely disadvantaged next year? That is what I am most worried about. I can spare the application money at this point.

 

[Lucky Louie]

Save your money! I'm really not a long-time poster here, so I'm really learning too. But, for goodness sake, the more I read about these things, you need to get going much earlier than this. If your money is tight, save it to when you'll be most successful. Only you can answer that, but If you really want to get a more truthful answer, go to the source. Call the admissions folks at several schools and ask if it's too late.

 

[Langleychris]

To be honest I was uninformed. In Canada, our admissions are not "rolling", and every school across the country has a firm deadline of Oct. 5. There is no "verification" required. I have been learning as I have been going here

 

[Chir0nex]

I'm sorry to say that you are pretty late. While it is not impossible to get acceptance it is unlikely, especially considering you are an international applicant. I would probably skip this cycle (in the US at least). It will be quite expensive, and will take a ton of time if you receive secondaries. Are you ok going to school in Canada? It sounds like you are on track for schools there, so I would apply there and then wait for next cycle if needed for US schools.

 

[bigdogrob4284]

I would skip the cycle and save money. The only way I would recommend submitting this late is if you had amazing stats/ec's.

 

[Quicksilver005]

I would skip the cycle and save money. The only way I would recommend submitting this late is if you had amazing stats/ec's.

Just like what this person said...depends on how much mulah you got.

 

[Langleychris]

My main concern is the whole "reapplicant" status. Do you guys think I will have a hard time next year if I DO give it a shot now, but am rejected to do lack of seats??

 

[Praefectus]

You'd have to send it in immediately and then start pre-writing secondaries.

 

[Chir0nex]

My main concern is the whole "reapplicant" status. Do you guys think I will have a hard time next year if I DO give it a shot now, but am rejected to do lack of seats??

The reapplicant label on its own is not a problem I don't think (may vary for International applicant) but there is something else to consider. If you fail to gain entry next cycle (unlikely since you have fine stats, but still possible) then you will have a problem. Applying in a thrid cycle is very rough, and could hurt your chances.

Ultimately the choice comes down to you. Will being a reapplicant majorly damage your chances? Likely no, especially if you improve your application. Is it worth applying this cycle? Likely no, since you are International and do not have outstanding stats.

 

[doctorwho101]

I mean, if you were to submit now, you would probably be at a severe disadvantage just based on timing. I submitted 8/1 and I am STILL waiting for verification (hopefully in the next day or two!). Save your money and apply next year!

 

[JustMeditate]

There really isn't any point in applying this late. If you submit your AMCAS today, it won't be verified until mid-October. Then, you won't really have all of your secondary invites until the beginning of November. Mid-November is likely the earliest you'd get any interview invites, meaning that December would be the earliest you'd actually be able to schedule an interview. At that point, you are basically interviewing for a spot on the wait list. Add to all of that the disadvantage of being an international student, and you've got virtually no chance of being accepted anywhere, even though your stats are pretty damn good.

Being a reapplicant does put you at a disadvantage, and if you apply now, you guarantee yourself that "reapplicant" label. Why, might you ask, does this put you at a disadvantage?

(1) All medical schools will keep your original AMCAS and Secondary Applications on file, and will re-review them the second time you apply. So, you'll look incredibly lazy if you don't have significant, new experiences to add to your application for the second cycle and if you can't write new, novel secondary essays. In other words, the expectations for a re-applicant are very, very high. Fail once, and you have to work twice as hard to prove your worthiness.

(2) All medical schools will be able to see that you are a re-applicant, and regardless of your stats, will secretly wonder, "Why didn't he get in the first time? Did he interview badly? Is there something else, some red flag, I am not seeing? Was he just too lazy to apply in a timely manner?" Do you really want adcoms thinking that, if you can possibly help it?

(3) If you need to reapply after next cycle, you will be a triple reapplicant. That is a HUGE red flag.

You have nothing to gain by applying now. It's not worth it.

 

[Marcus Brody]

It is probably way too late, especially for 25 schools. What is that, about $2000 + interview costs? Bit of a waste considering your greatly reduced, and already so-so, chances. But if you have money to burn, you can't improve your application much, and need interview experience, I guess it can't hurt. Re-applicants aren't looked on unfavorably, and if they are at all it's offset by the advantage they have in being familiar with the whole process.

 

[Taranis]

I'd suggest a comprise, reduce the number of schools you are applying to down to a few, so that if you aren't successful you will have lots of Canadian-friendly schools that you didn't apply to this year, and also so you don't waste as much money if you don't get in.

 

[Langleychris]

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up sending in my application, but I dropped the number of schools down to 10, most of them Canadian-friendly and the rest with matriculant stats way below mine.

I have accepted that if I don't get in, then I will be ready for next June. I have a number of volunteering/shadowing opportunities I will take advantage of in the meantime.

 

[Fivo]

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up sending in my application, but I dropped the number of schools down to 10, most of them Canadian-friendly and the rest with matriculant stats way below mine.

I have accepted that if I don't get in, then I will be ready for next June. I have a number of volunteering/shadowing opportunities I will take advantage of in the meantime.

Good luck buddy. Be sure to update this thread with any updates this cycle. Hopefully you can get in.