Was "complete by Labor Day" too late for this cycle?

[sasukeuchiha33]

Hi all. So, I was complete with almost all of my apps on 9/1 (a week before Labor Day). Given that the SDN guideline is apps completed by Labor Day are considered on time, I felt pretty good about when I submitted. That, coupled with the delays caused by COVID, made me think that this was considered even earlier than in previous cycles. But just checking out a lot of these school specific thread, boy was I wrong. Honestly it seems like the monstrous increase in applications this cycle means that people who submitted by Labor Day are actually way behind- it seems like a lot of schools are just starting to send out interviews for students complete in late July/early August, and since schools only have a limited # of interview slots, I'm guessing these will fill quickly with apps completed in that time range. Compared to that, beginning of September seems horribly late. Maybe I'm just being super neurotic, but idk. What do you all think? ADCOM/other expert advice would be highly appreciated. @Goro @LizzyM @Lucca @Faha @gonnif

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[Goro]

Hi all. So, I was complete with almost all of my apps on 9/1 (a week before Labor Day). Given that the SDN guideline is apps completed by Labor Day are considered on time, I felt pretty good about when I submitted. That, coupled with the delays caused by COVID, made me think that this was considered even earlier than in previous cycles. But just checking out a lot of these school specific thread, boy was I wrong. Honestly it seems like the monstrous increase in applications this cycle means that people who submitted by Labor Day are actually way behind- it seems like a lot of schools are just starting to send out interviews for students complete in late July/early August, and since schools only have a limited # of interview slots, I'm guessing these will fill quickly with apps completed in that time range. Compared to that, beginning of September seems horribly late. Maybe I'm just being super neurotic, but idk. What do you all think? ADCOM/other expert advice would be highly appreciated. @Goro @LizzyM @Lucca @Faha @gonnif

No, with COVID, the MD cycle was delayed and now it's too late.

Due ot the increase in apps, it's the schools that are behind, not the applicants.

And yes, you're being super neurotic....but hey' it's SDN.

 

[spartandoc2019]

@Goro I thought you said early-mid oct was still okay to submit?

 

[LizzyM]

AMCAS went online in 2001 (a fiasco) but by now the electronic interface is a well oiled machine and it is possible to prescreen and skim the cream on a daily basis so that the highest priority (however a school defines that) get sent for review asap and others are set aside for later in the cycle. Eventually, every applicant gets eyeballed but it will take longer for some than for others. I'm sticking by my Labor Day rule that being complete by Labor Day, including letters and secondaries, is not "late"

 

[penguinsfan71]

Using the threads on SDN as a barometer on when people submitted their apps is going to give you a very biased perspective. The premeds here are the super neurotic ones that think submitting the day after the app opens is late.

 

[Removed 982794]

No, with COVID, the MD cycle was delayed and now it's too late.

Due ot the increase in apps, it's the schools that are behind, not the applicants.

And yes, you're being super neurotic....but hey' it's SDN.

When we say it’s an increase in apps is this not a normal increase? There’s more than the usual increase per year?

 

[Goro]

When we say it’s an increase in apps is this not a normal increase? There’s more than the usual increase per year?

Apps increase in numbers whenever the economy goes into the toilet.

 

[Removed 982794]

Apps increase in numbers whenever the economy goes into the toilet.

Huh so it’s going to be a more competitive cycle..?

 

[Goro]

Huh so it’s going to be a more competitive cycle..?

I believe so

 

[spottedcory]

Was digging around previous threads and it looks like it was normal for people complete in August to hear back around October/November. It just takes them that long to review applications. Also keep in mind that even though there was a huge frontload of complete applications this year because of COVID, the majority of these apps would have been turned in anyway in a normal cycle.

 

[KnightDoc]

I believe so

The jury is still out on this. It is definitely an abnormal increase because, as @Goro correctly predicted last spring, many people have pushed forward an application to try to escape the effects of the economic downturn. Whether or not this cycle is more competitive as a result remains to be seen.

If these applications are proportionally distributed throughout the pool, then , yes, it will be more competitive. On the other hand, if people whose applications are not quite ready for prime time rushed an application due to the pandemic, then those applications will probably be bunched towards the bottom of a pool in which 60% of applicants are not successful, and the increase will not have much of an impact on competitive applications.

I've been saying since the spring that I think it would take more than 6 months (the time period from the start of the pandemic to the end of the summer) to pull together a competitive application, so I just don't think a significant number of people who weren't already planning on applying this cycle will be competitive. Next cycle, of course, will be another story.