Using a whole gap year to take the MCAT and nothing else - how much of a red flag is it?

[rmfo12]

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I graduated last spring and have spent most of the past year preparing for the MCAT. Although I'm happy with my score (99th percentile), I'm afraid that the fact that I didn't keep up with ECs will be a big red flag to adcoms, especially since my ECs are on the weak side to begin with (checked boxes, but bare minimum hours). I struggled with depression a lot this past year, so I barely had motivation to get out of bed to study for the MCAT most days, let alone work on ECs, though I know this isn't an excuse that would be looked upon favorably from the standpoint of admissions. I was planning on applying this cycle and submitting on the first day, but I don't have a draft of my PS even ready nor my activities section entirely filled out. I also don't have strong LORs as of now since I haven't kept up with ECs for a while. With all of this being said, should I delay my app a year to work on my ECs/soft skills? I would plan on doing clinical research full-time, as well as add some more tutoring/volunteering on the side. Would this show adcoms that I'm committed to medical school or is the year I spent prepping for the MCAT a death sentence for my app? I am mostly aiming for mid-tier schools, but I'm not sure of my chances anymore.

Stats:
ORM, MI
Graduated from a prestigious (non-Ivy) undergrad; double-major in neuro/psych
3.65 cGPA/3.55 sGPA (upward trend)
522 MCAT, balanced

ECs:
~ 200 hours clinical volunteering - typical hospital volunteering stuff
~75 hours non-clinical (Red Cross + local org)
50 hrs clinical research (summer)
100 hrs paid work as a tutor for my university
50 hours shadowing across 4 specialties

 

[Goro]

It makes your score less impressive.

note: you won't get an entire year to study for Boards.

 

[ciestar]

It makes your score less impressive.

note: you won't get an entire year to study for Boards.

I had to take extra time for boards. They make you make it up in other ways for doing so

 

[907914]

I graduated last spring and have spent most of the past year preparing for the MCAT. Although I'm happy with my score (99th percentile), I'm afraid that the fact that I didn't keep up with ECs will be a big red flag to adcoms, especially since my ECs are on the weak side to begin with (checked boxes, but bare minimum hours). I struggled with depression a lot this past year, so I barely had motivation to get out of bed to study for the MCAT most days, let alone work on ECs, though I know this isn't an excuse that would be looked upon favorably from the standpoint of admissions. I was planning on applying this cycle and submitting on the first day, but I don't have a draft of my PS even ready nor my activities section entirely filled out. I also don't have strong LORs as of now since I haven't kept up with ECs for a while. With all of this being said, should I delay my app a year to work on my ECs/soft skills? I would plan on doing clinical research full-time, as well as add some more tutoring/volunteering on the side. Would this show adcoms that I'm committed to medical school or is the year I spent prepping for the MCAT a death sentence for my app? I am mostly aiming for mid-tier schools, but I'm not sure of my chances anymore.

Stats:
ORM, MI
Graduated from a prestigious (non-Ivy) undergrad; double-major in neuro/psych
3.65 cGPA/3.55 sGPA (upward trend)
522 MCAT, balanced

ECs:
~ 200 hours clinical volunteering - typical hospital volunteering stuff
~75 hours non-clinical (Red Cross + local org)
50 hrs clinical research (summer)
100 hrs paid work as a tutor for my university
50 hours shadowing across 4 specialties

What else did you do with this year? I am sorry about your depression, but a year spent on nothing but studying will likely be perceived as a fairly unproductive gap year. Most students only study for around 3 months (ranging from 1 - 6 months) while they are concurrently doing ECs, working, having families, and (a lot of the time) going to school full time. You have a good score, but your ECs are fairly lackluster. I would genuinely consider an additional gap year to bolster your application because as it stands the MCAT is the primary good thing about it...

Edit: this is probably on the harsher end. You should be fine ish I would think

 

[rmfo12]

Didn't do anything else this year that would be worthy of mentioning on my app. Do you still think that I should take another year or should I apply now? I wouldn't know which schools to apply to if I were to do so now, but I want to give myself the best chances. I'm hoping that if I were to take another year off and start doing ECs ASAP it could offset some of the damage I did by not doing anything else last year.

 

[Catalystik]

1) should I delay my app a year to work on my ECs/soft skills?

1) Yes. And also get your mental health issues under control.