URGENT: Can i apply before MCAT!?

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AshPreMed

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I'm taking my MCAT in September, but I realize it was way too late to apply later. Would it be possible to apply now then send my MCAT score later!?
My stats are below! Thanks! Plz respond ASAP!!!



University of Toronto (ranked 19th globally), Honor's Bachelor of Science. Pursuing a double major in Human Biology and Animal Physiology, and a minor in physiology.
3.3 cGPA, cum laude (if I graduate with that GPA), 1st year: 2.8, 2nd year: 3.0, 3rd year: 3.75, 4th year: in progress. One year long research project in Immunology during my fourth year (following application submission).

MCAT: Not taken, but before studying I got a 25O, so I expect >35 hopefully. My university is very tough on GPA (average is 2.5, admission is 88%, hence the "distinction" with a 3.2 lol).

White male, age 20, English is my second language.
Ohio citizen and Canadian citizen

ECs (almost all unpaid):
2010-Present: Youth Ambassador and Vice-President: Community Outreach Coordinator at the Canadian Blood Services Youth Committee (organized blood drives and increased awareness and community involvement).
2011-2012: President of a dormitory of 800 students at my university's council.
2010-2012: Research Associate Editor of Biomedical and Biological Sciences at a very well-known international undergraduate journal that has been featured in numerous publishers, such as Nature, Science, and The New York Times. Training to peer-review and edit took an entire summer.
2011-2012 Member of my university's council that makes "big" decisions.
2011-2012 Member of the Honorary Members committee of my university's council. The committee reviews and nominates guest professors for honorary memberships.
2011 Volunteer at the Canadian Cancer Society Driven to Quit [Smoking] Challenge (walked around Toronto encouraging people to quit smoking by education and a reward program).
2011-2012 Volunteer at the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children (raised funds and awareness).
2011-Present Tutor (only paid position)
2012-Present Fourth Year Representative at a non-violence support group targeting youth, called Leave Out Violence (LOVE)
2010-2011 House Representative of my dorm's floor of 50 students at council (before I was elected as president of the building).
2009-2011 Member of Intramural Rugby team
2009-2010 Member of Intramural Soccer team

In high school:
2006-2009: Peer Mentor of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and English.
2006-2008: Head of Administration at the student council (improved student-staff relations and learning methods which were reviewed by students).
2007-2008: Head of Anti-bullying (helped reduce bullying and improve understanding).
2008-2009: Head of Discipline (supervised the Administration and Anti-bullying departments)

Would it help to include?:
SATII: Physics (800), Biology (750), Chemistry (780): Total 2330/2400
4 APs, 2 A Levels (British), 7 O Levels (British). All A+s.

Honors and Awards:
University of Toronto Undergraduate Grant (2012)
Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor Award (2009)
Leadership Certificate (2009) and Certificate of Appreciation (2006) from my high school's student life department.
Certificate of Participation at a Leadership Symposium at my university (2010).
Queen's University Admission Scholarship (2009) - Declined
Certificate of Completion of a Necropsy Course from a research society (2012).
 
omg please do it now! They're delayed majorly right now, if you submit now, you'll get verified around end of august...
 
Wait what do you mean? Which universities!? I havent even gotten my references yet! 🙁
 
AshPreMed said:
Wait what do you mean? Which universities!? I havent even gotten my references yet! 🙁
Click to expand...

you don't need them.
All you need is your transcript to submit primaries. Submit those later after you get verified!
 
Okay... Problem is my professor made a mistake in my final exame, he forgot to mark the last question! I submitted it for remark and it hasnt been replied to yet. I got a B+ instead of an A or something! But is 3.75 good enough for primaries anyway?

can i later resubmit my TRUE transcript after it gets remarked because it was just INCOMPLETELY marked! Absolutely not my fault!
 
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Luvahgilahsa said:
you don't need them.
All you need is your transcript to submit primaries. Submit those later after you get verified!
Click to expand...

Just pick one school, apply to it and pay the fees and get your app verified.

Then, later, you can add in other schools.

Definitely apply before your MCAT... like today if possible.
 
Luvahgilahsa said:
you don't need them.
All you need is your transcript to submit primaries. Submit those later after you get verified!
Click to expand...

No medical school is going to send seconardies until you get an MCAT score, as far as I know.

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/reserving/261800/deadlineandscorerelease.html

Earliest you will get your score back is october 2nd. That is pretty late to be complete for primaries.....

Also, no one cares about your high school achievements or your SAT scores. Don't mention those.
 
Holy **** I have so many questions! I dont even know what the app system looks like! People in the What Are my Chances thread told me to NOT apply because I dont have clinical experience and that having to reapply another time lowers my chances. What do i do?

Can I opt out later if MCAT is bad (worst case)?

By med schools not sending sceondaries until I get MCAT, do u mean primaries need MCAT?

Please stay helping me on this page. Stay refreshing. I need to talk as fast as a Chat!
 
AshPreMed said:
Holy **** I have so many questions! I dont even know what the app system looks like! People in the What Are my Chances thread told me to NOT apply because I dont have clinical experience and that having to reapply another time lowers my chances. What do i do?

Can I opt out later if MCAT is bad (worst case)?

By med schools not sending sceondaries until I get MCAT, do u mean primaries need MCAT?
Click to expand...

You can get the primary verified and sent out before an MCAT score is released. But no medical school that I know of will you get a secondary or an interview without knowing your score. So, they will just throw your application in the "waiting to be screened" pile.

You can no clinical experience? It sounds like your should just apply next cycle....
 
READ MY POST PLEASE AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. I dont know whats "clinical" is it good enough? I have tons of positions I think.

Will sending a primary now be better than sending it later if I get the secondaries at the same time? Whats the advatnage of sending a primary now?
 
tiedyeddog said:
No medical school is going to send seconardies until you get an MCAT score, as far as I know.

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/reserving/261800/deadlineandscorerelease.html

Earliest you will get your score back is october 2nd. That is pretty late to be complete for primaries.....

Also, no one cares about your high school achievements or your SAT scores. Don't mention those.
Click to expand...

A lot of schools do not screen for mcat scores before MCAT.
I've gotten 13 secondaries so far and my MCAT scores aren't even coming out until next week...
 
If I get the secondaries now but submit my MCAT in early October, is there any advantage? Am I earlier in the cue to be judged?? Do I need MCAT score to be in the secondaries application or can those be submitted too before MCAT score?
 
AshPreMed said:
If I get the secondaries now but submit my MCAT in early October, is there any advantage? Am I earlier in the cue to be judged??
Click to expand...

If that other person is right and you get secondaries before an MCAT score is released than yes, it is to your benefit to submit as soon as possible.

Secondary essay writing can be very time consuming, so it's good to get them knocked out as soon as possible.
 
tiedyeddog said:
Really? What schools?
Click to expand...

Medical College of Wisconsin, Cornell, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Georgetown, NYU, SUNY upstate, U of Chicago, Loma Linda, USC and some I can't remember on the top of my head right now. But a lot don't require MCAT before secondary is sent out.
 
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What about when the secondaries can be sent!? Do those need an MCAT score in them? I just want to be judged earlier to get a higher chance!
 
AshPreMed said:
What about when the secondaries can be sent!? Do those need an MCAT score in them? I just want to be judged earlier to get a higher chance!
Click to expand...

you can send out secondaries whenever you want. But i'm holding them off until my MCAT scores because I don't want to waste money on them if I have to spend 70-140 on each secondaries if my MCAT is too low.
 
Do primaries put you anywhere earlier in the cue being judged? Are you judged on the first come first serve bases of SECONDARIES only? I'm confident I can get above 30 in MCAT.
 
Luvahgilahsa said:
you can send out secondaries whenever you want. But i'm holding them off until my MCAT scores because I don't want to waste money on them if I have to spend 70-140 on each secondaries if my MCAT is too low.
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this sounds like a great way to do it. Have the essays written and saved but don't submit until you get a score.

I have to say, however, given the OPs GPA is 3.3, she/he has zero clinical experience, and the only MCAT diagnostic they have done was a 25, I would not pay for a bunch of primaries until an MCAT score comes back.
 
AshPreMed said:
Do primaries put you anywhere earlier in the cue being judged? Are you judged on the first come first serve bases of SECONDARIES only? I'm confident I can get above 30 in MCAT.
Click to expand...

You're not going to get judged for interviews until you are complete (MCAT is in) at almost all places (like my school.)
 
BUT THEN IS IT GOOD TO GET PRIMARIES NOW? Please post as soon as possible and ignore grammar and stuff that wastes time. I feel it takes 2 minutes per post.

Do I have 0 chance with no clinical experience? What if I start shadowing now for a total of 30 hours?

So you mean applying for primaries and secondaries EARLY are of no advantage (TO THE AD COMS) until my MCAT comes in? Is it the MCAT that decides basically when I actually applied in the May-October period? Getting an app earlier won't be helpful (other than doing work early)?
 
tiedyeddog said:
this sounds like a great way to do it. Have the essays written and saved but don't submit until you get a score.

I have to say, however, given the OPs GPA is 3.3, she/he has zero clinical experience, and the only MCAT diagnostic they have done was a 25, I would not pay for a bunch of primaries until an MCAT score comes back.
Click to expand...

agreed, it doesn't matter how hard your school grades, a 3.3 is a 3.3. There might be a slight multiplication factor when you apply if your school is known to have grade deflations, but it is not going to help you a whole lot.
I think all those high school stuff is unnecessary because med schools do not even give you places to enter them, nor do they care about them. Other than that, OP's EC lacks in medical related experiences such as shadowing and volunteering in the hospital. Also, don't underestimate the MCAT, I wouldn't waste too much money now and submit too many schools. Just add one school now and then add the rest later when you get verified or take more mcat practice tests to know approximately how well you're gonna do on the real thing.
 
AshPreMed said:
BUT THEN IS IT GOOD TO GET PRIMARIES NOW? Please post as soon as possible and ignore grammar and stuff that wastes time. I feel it takes 2 minutes per post.

Do I have 0 chance with no clinical experience? What if I start shadowing now for a total of 30 hours?

So you mean applying for primaries and secondaries EARLY are of no advantage (TO THE AD COMS) until my MCAT comes in? Is it the MCAT that decides basically when I actually applied in the May-October period? Getting an app earlier won't be helpful (other than doing work early)?
Click to expand...

Dude what is wrong with you, chill the **** out. You aren't paying me here, I am doing you a favor with the best advice I can give. I can't guess your chances, you have less of a chance compared to someone who has 100 hours, how about that?

You will not get an advantage from getting an interview standpoint if your MCAT is delayed, correct. Submitting now without an MCAT will help you get secondary essays done faster.
 
Is verified meaning getting secondary apps? Then I said, what if I do shadowing NOW for 3 hours a week!?

Whats the point of applying to one school only?
 
Luvahgilahsa said:
agreed, it doesn't matter how hard your school grades, a 3.3 is a 3.3. There might be a slight multiplication factor when you apply if your school is known to have grade deflations, but it is not going to help you a whole lot.
I think all those high school stuff is unnecessary because med schools do not even give you places to enter them, nor do they care about them. Other than that, OP's EC lacks in medical related experiences such as shadowing and volunteering in the hospital. Also, don't underestimate the MCAT, I wouldn't waste too much money now and submit too many schools. Just add one school now and then add the rest later when you get verified or take more mcat practice tests to know approximately how well you're gonna do on the real thing.
Click to expand...

agreed, good way to go
 
AshPreMed said:
Is verified meaning getting secondary apps? Then I said, what if I do shadowing NOW for 3 hours a week!?

Whats the point of applying to one school only?
Click to expand...

because you have to pay at least the initial 80 or something dollars to get your thing verified. When you add the rest of your schools later, they'll be automatically sent out, and you don't have to wait around forever to get them evaluated ( which can take up to 4-6 weeks).
 
Sorry I wasnt trying to sound like I was yelling or something. Just in a huge gigantic rush! I felt some questions were not being asnwered lol.

So, you're saying I will still be late in my application because my MCAT is going to arrive in October, and only then do I get an interview? Would submitting secondaries before my MCAT speed up the time I get my interview in October?
 
AshPreMed said:
No but I can try to do that now, maybe 2 hours per week...?
Click to expand...

Alright Bro,

If you have ZERO clinicals and your GPA is a 3.3---I think it's a waste to apply this cycle.

Zero clinicals is a big red flag--I mean at least try to get SOME shadowing in or even a basic general hospital volunteer position.

Zero clinicals paired with a <3.5 GPA makes me really question your shots. You seem to be panicking a bit so I suggest you stop--calm down--and really analyze your position. How much will it cost you to apply and do all your secondaries? If it's over 2k, then you should reconsider.

Hopefully your MCAT score is good and can help remediate the lower than average GPA--but again, the fact that you do not have ONE clinical experience really raises some questions. Now then, this is what I got from your posting-if you do in fact have some sort of clinical experience--disregard all of this.
 
first off you're being very presumptuous talking about getting interviews as soon as you get your mcat score. some schools don't send secondaries until the mcat score comes in , and there can be a huge delay in sending them. by the time you submit in october, your app will be at the very bottom of a large pile. many interviews will already be filled, and some acceptances will already be given out. there is no guarantee you will get any interviews at that point. just being realistic.
 
I organizing blood donations clinical exp? 😛

What if I do hours now? Really, the minimum of 30 or 50? Would those give me a good chance of applying now?

What if my MCAT was >33. Would that give me a good chance for an interview in October?

Again, what is this VERIFICATION process? Also, would I be considered a reapplicant to ALL US Med schools, if I just got primaries and verified at one university?
 
AshPreMed said:
Is verified meaning getting secondary apps? Then I said, what if I do shadowing NOW for 3 hours a week!?

Whats the point of applying to one school only?
Click to expand...

I don't think you should be applying if you don't know these basic facts. Go read the AMCAS manual.
 
You also want to keep in mind that places will not read your application until it's complete (ie. your secondary, primary, MCAT, letters, etc. are all sent and received). You will not be at any advantage of being earlier in line by submitting secondaries without an MCAT score. And this also goes for your letters of recommendation too.

If you take the MCAT soon, you won't be super late by any means. I'm not sure why SDN gives the impression that applying in July is some sort of death wish. I didn't take my MCAT until the end of July, much less submit my primary (my score came out the same day that my primary was verified, took about 4 weeks). Your GPA isn't particularly strong, and the standards are a little bit higher for Canadian applicants.

Don't talk about your SAT or HS accomplishments. If you are going ot wait until September to take your MCAT, then just apply next year. Don't take a diagnostic score to mean anything about what you will actually get on the exam. I'm not sure where you get the idea that a 25 means you should expect to get >35 on the actual exam.
 
AshPreMed said:
Sorry I wasnt trying to sound like I was yelling or something. Just in a huge gigantic rush! I felt some questions were not being asnwered lol.

So, you're saying I will still be late in my application because my MCAT is going to arrive in October, and only then do I get an interview? Would submitting secondaries before my MCAT speed up the time I get my interview in October?
Click to expand...

Alright, last time, we have answered your questions to completeness.

You will not be selected for interviews until schools receive an MCAT score. As soon as they see your score they will add to you to list of applicants to be screened for interviews. Having seconadaries complete two months before won't help you out, or if it does, it will help very, very little.

You are going to be late no matter what you do. Getting an MCAT back in October is de facto making you late. Interviews are already starting to be given out at about this time.
 
AshPreMed said:
I organizing blood donations clinical exp? 😛

What if I do hours now? Really, the minimum of 30 or 50? Would those give me a good chance of applying now?
Click to expand...

Was the organizing administrative work in some office or did you actually SMELL patients?

And if you were to apply now, you would have to put your clinical as planned activities.
If you could somehow start somewhere tomorrow, to my knowledge you can put it as a present activity and list how many hours you plan on doing.

Again my friend, this is very cliche, but you should really try to get in a doctors office and see if thats what you really enjoy and want to do. You have a good academic background from your activities but you've never even seen what a doctor actually does on a day to day basis?
 
AshPreMed said:
I organizing blood donations clinical exp? 😛

What if I do hours now? Really, the minimum of 30 or 50? Would those give me a good chance of applying now?

What if my MCAT was >33. Would that give me a good chance for an interview in October?

Again, what is this VERIFICATION process? Also, would I be considered a reapplicant to ALL US Med schools, if I just got primaries and verified at one university?
Click to expand...
Yes, if you apply two years in a row that makes you a reapplicant.

Blood donation organization is not clinical.

Do five million hours.

Maybe you should be studying for the MCAT right now.
 
LaughingMan said:
Alright Bro,

If you have ZERO clinicals and your GPA is a 3.3---I think it's a waste to apply this cycle.

Zero clinicals is a big red flag--I mean at least try to get SOME shadowing in or even a basic general hospital volunteer position.

Zero clinicals paired with a <3.5 GPA makes me really question your shots. You seem to be panicking a bit so I suggest you stop--calm down--and really analyze your position. How much will it cost you to apply and do all your secondaries? If it's over 2k, then you should reconsider.

Hopefully your MCAT score is good and can help remediate the lower than average GPA--but again, the fact that you do not have ONE clinical experience really raises some questions. Now then, this is what I got from your posting-if you do in fact have some sort of clinical experience--disregard all of this.
Click to expand...

Seriously, unless OP has a very strong application somewhere else, 3.3 GPA is really not going to help you at all.

Take a look at this, Cornell is infamous for grade deflation, for the premed classes, median score is a B-, which is 2.7. This means at least half of the students will receive 2.7 GPA.
This is the acceptance/rejection chart for Cornell students, this is not all, but only the ones that have selected "release my information" on the AMCAS application.
http://www.career.cornell.edu/paths/health/medschool/upload/AaChart2008.pdf

Even though Cornell is well know for the grade deflation, 3.3 GPA has very little chance of getting in to medical school no matter what MCAT they have.
 
Alright I see that you are planning on taking the MCAT and haven't.

If you are getting your MCAT scores in October bro--it's best to wait. Build up your clinicals as you have none--and apply super early next cycle. I truly feel it would be a waste to apply this cycle that late in the game with no clinical experience. Save the money---do something for yourself and good luck next cycle.
 
Okay. I thought the secondary put me in line. Please answer my other questions too!

Also, I'm an American citizen too from Ohio!

Also, my univeristy (university of Toronto) deflates more! Class average for premeds (who came in with >88% highschool) is a 2.5 because it ranges from a C to a B-. University of Toronto is the mother of deflations! EVERYONE in canada hates it.
 
people are going to stop answering your questions because it's July 15th of your application year and you don't even know how the app process works. it's one thing to not have taken the mcat yet, or not have submit your primary, but you seem to know nothing about how this process works or what you need to have a successful application. don't apply this year. it will inevitably lead to disappointment and losing money.
 
Luvahgilahsa said:
Seriously, unless OP has a very strong application somewhere else, 3.3 GPA is really not going to help you at all.

Take a look at this, Cornell is infamous for grade deflation, for the premed classes, median score is a B-, which is 2.7. This means at least half of the students will receive 2.7 GPA.
This is the acceptance/rejection chart for Cornell students, this is not all, but only the ones that have selected "release my information" on the AMCAS application.
http://www.career.cornell.edu/paths/health/medschool/upload/AaChart2008.pdf

Even though Cornell is well know for the grade deflation, 3.3 GPA has very little chance of getting in to medical school no matter what GPA they have.
Click to expand...

35+ and a 3.3 GPA is a 70% admittance rate.. I would take those odds :laugh:
 
FIRE ALARM! BE BACK IN 20 minutes! (Living in a dorm.)

Thank you all for your help. I hope I dont die lol
 
AshPreMed said:
Okay. I thought the secondary put me in line. Please answer my other questions too!

Also, I'm an American citizen too from Ohio!
Click to expand...

Just forget about applying this year. You won't get in. You will be so late in the game that you will not even get interviews. I know people with >3.8 and 35 MCAT scores that don't get interviews because they are way late in applying. You would be competing against these people with your sub-par everything.
 
AshPreMed said:
FIRE ALARM! BE BACK IN 20 minutes! (Living in a dorm.)

Thank you all for your help. I hope I dont die lol
Click to expand...

Dude chill, I know you are panicking right now but no need to set anything on fire!
 
This guy said I had 70% chance! Is that with clinical exp? whats without?
 
Ill be getting research in 4th year ! I can list that as in progress. See first post please again!
 
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