URM late applicant, am I done for? Advice needed

[chasingthemd2]

Would anyone care to give me honest feedback about me as a late applicant? I've been kind of down lately because I know I'm late in the game. I'll be taking a late MCAT (Aug 17) and I'll be sending in my AMCAS app for verification at the end of July. This means I'll be complete (MCAT and AMCAS app) by late September. I'm taking my first practice test soon, so I don't have an MCAT number yet on me, but my goal is a 505. (I did content review for a month and a half, now I'm on to practicing.)

Here's my background:

I'm a black applicant, URM.
cGPA: 3.47
sGPA: 3.33
Major: Biology
ECs and others:
Taught English to immigrants and refugees: 20 hours
Mentored black freshmen students (paid employment): 500 hours
Mentored minority STEM students, held a leadership position: 154 hours
Mentored minority elementary school students about college, became the activity director: 80 hours
Received awards on my mentorship and STEM excellence
Featured in one of my university's biannual magazines
A lot of summer research experience (cancer & diabetes research, paid): 800+
Presented research at one national conference and one regional conference
Planted trees with an environmental justice nonprofit: 90 hours
Joined a premedical fraternity, held various small leadership roles (ex. educated others on health disparities): 560 hours
Participated in a social justice scholarship program: 500 hours
clinical volunteer hours: 20
shadowing hours: 60
I have strong LORS


I'm super worried about how late I am in the game and if I'm competitive enough. I've spent hours and hours looking up threads on late applicants. I did see one in the URM thread, but many people seemed to have been complete in late July, August, or early September, whereas I'll be complete in the late September. I won't make the "labor day" rule. I'd really like to go through with this cycle. Also, this is my gap year too. For my gap year, I'll be teaching English abroad in France. I'm going to continue shadowing abroad. I really don't want to take another gap year if I don't have to. **If I did have to take another gap year, I would either do research or pursue a master's program.

1. Please let me know what you think. Some people have told me to go through with it, while others have told me to apply the next cycle.
2. If you also have a success story or a comeback story as a late applicant, feel free to share. Kind of need to hear more stories! And your updates
I know I'm not the only late applicant out there who has these worries.

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[Seihai]

Better place might be the premedical forums or the WAMC subforum, but I'd encourage you to apply next cycle rather than this cycle if you can. Being a later applicant isn't necessarily an app-killer, but it doesn't do you any favors either.

 

[chasingthemd2]

Better place might be the premedical forums or the WAMC subforum, but I'd encourage you to apply next cycle rather than this cycle if you can. Being a later applicant isn't necessarily an app-killer, but it doesn't do you any favors either.

I will post it on there! Thanks!

 

[chasingthemd2]

I'll be taking a late MCAT (Aug 17) and I'll be sending in my AMCAS app for verification at the end of July. This means I'll be complete (MCAT and AMCAS app) by late September. I'm taking my first practice test soon, so I don't have an MCAT number yet on me. (I did content review for a month and a half, now I'm on to practicing.)

Here's my background:

I'm a black applicant, URM.
cGPA: 3.47
sGPA: 3.33
Major: Biology
ECs and others:
Taught English to immigrants and refugees: 20 hours
Planted trees with an environmental justice nonprofit: 90 hours
Mentored black freshmen students (paid employment): 500 hours
Held a leadership position in a minority STEM organization: 154 hours
Mentored elementary school students about college, became the activity director: 80 hours
Received awards on my mentorship and STEM excellence
Featured in one of my university's biannual magazines
A lot of summer research experience (cancer & diabetes research, paid): 800+
Presented research at one national conference and one regional conference
Joined a premedical fraternity, held various small leadership roles (ex. educated others on health disparities): 560 hours
Participated in a social justice scholarship program: 500 hours
clinical volunteer hours: 20
shadowing hours: 60
I have strong LORS


I'm super worried about how late I am in the game and if I'm competitive enough. I won't make the "labor day" rule. I'd really like to go through with this cycle though. This is my gap year too, and I'll be abroad for a good majority of the time, but I'm going to continue shadowing. I really don't want to take another gap year if I don't have to. **If I did have to take another gap year, I would either do research or pursue a master's program.

1. Please let me know what you think. Some people have told me to go through with it, while others have told me to apply the next cycle.
2. If you also have a success story or a comeback story as a late applicant, feel free to share. Kind of need to hear more stories! And your updates
I know I'm not the only late applicant out there who has these worries.

 

[Dr panda]

Get the actual score and come back

 

[OchemOficionado]

I will post it on there! Thanks!

Cross posting isn’t allowed. Where would you like it posted and we can move it for you? (WAMC isn’t ideal without a MCAT score)

I’m less worried about the lateness of your app and more worried about your lack of clinical hours.

 

[chasingthemd2]

Cross posting isn’t allowed. Where would you like it posted and we can move it for you? (WAMC isn’t ideal without a MCAT score)

I’m less worried about the lateness of your app and more worried about your lack of clinical hours.

Sorry, I'm new to studentdoctornetwork. I'll take it down in the WAMC as I just posted there then. I think I'll wait until I take my first FL then

 

[ihoop24]

Do you have any other clinical experience besides the 20 hours of volunteering?

 

[chasingthemd2]

Cross posting isn’t allowed. Where would you like it posted and we can move it for you? (WAMC isn’t ideal without a MCAT score)

I’m less worried about the lateness of your app and more worried about your lack of clinical hours.

I think I'll keep it to WAMC! I will update it when I get my practice MCAT scores.

 

[chasingthemd2]

Do you have any other clinical experience besides the 20 hours of volunteering?

No, that is something I realized is a huge weakness, both my clinical volunteer and shadowing hours. I was very caught up on the student organizations I was involved in. This is something I am looking to increase throughout the year though!

 

[ihoop24]

No, that is something I realized is a huge weakness, both my clinical volunteer and shadowing hours. I was very caught up on the student organizations I was involved in. This is something I am looking to increase throughout the year though!

I would suggest not applying this cycle and taking a gap year to get more clinical experience. You don't need anymore shadowing.

 

[candbgirl]

Your shadowing is more than enough so stop shadowing. Applying in late September with 20 hours of clinical experience is setting yourself up for a very long cycle. Stay home and get working on your clinical experiences. You need at least 150 hours of direct patient contact . Start now and you can send updates throughout the cycle to schools that take them. Or even better, skip this cycle, plug the holes and apply day one next June. Your GPAs are pretty low too. You really aren’t ready to apply.