What does Apply Early really mean?

[MedSkool4me]

I hear this from time to time - "apply early." What does this really mean? I plan to apply this year and have my records, ps, etc in between june 1-5th, except im taking the mcats june 15th, so that will be pending. Is your app considered in after mcats are recieved or just when they start a file on you? Can anyone tell me a timeframe of what is applying early? and when primaries and secondaries should be in? Thanks

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[gsmithers68]

I hear this from time to time - "apply early." What does this really mean? I plan to apply this year and have my records, ps, etc in between june 1-5th, except im taking the mcats june 15th, so that will be pending. Is your app considered in after mcats are recieved or just when they start a file on you? Can anyone tell me a timeframe of what is applying early? and when primaries and secondaries should be in? Thanks

Your app will be pending until your app is complete with your MCAT score... You can receive some secondaries before the score is received but I do not think that it will be an issue if you take it in June with the short turn around for scores now.

 

[mr burrito]

i heard a stat at one of my interviews that 25% of the total applications are submitted on the first day, coupled with the fact that many schools have rolling admissions, and you have a pretty good argument for applying as soon as possible.

 

[xanthomondo]

i heard a stat at one of my interviews that 25% of the total applications are submitted on the first day, coupled with the fact that many schools have rolling admissions, and you have a pretty good argument for applying as soon as possible.

People make up statistics to prove their point, 14% of the population knows this, duh.

 

[AnesthesiaMD]

I hear this from time to time - "apply early." What does this really mean? I plan to apply this year and have my records, ps, etc in between june 1-5th, except im taking the mcats june 15th, so that will be pending. Is your app considered in after mcats are recieved or just when they start a file on you? Can anyone tell me a timeframe of what is applying early? and when primaries and secondaries should be in? Thanks

Well June 1st is early...and when I apply, I will get my secondaries in as soon as humanly possible.

 

[Phoenix.]

MedSkool4Me: I'm doing exactly what you are. I figure if we have all of our transcripts in and submit on June 5th (the first day possible), it should take a few weeks to get verified (from what I've read on SDN). Then, it will just be two or three weeks until our scores come out. If we start on the secondaries that are sent automatically when we're verified, we shouldn't be behind at all for those schools (since I've heard that most adcoms don't even start to look at apps until the end of July). For the others, if we turn them around as fast as possible, I doubt we'll be that far behind those who submitted on June 5th with their MCAT score in.

FYI: I see that Tulane's secondary is already available. You might want to check into the schools you're applying to and see if you can get a jump start on some of them in June after you take the MCAT. Good luck!

 

[gary5]

AE = AOFD (Apply Early = Apply On the First Day)

AOLD = WYORL (Apply On the Last Day = Write Your Own Rejection Letters)

 

[alwaysaangel]

i heard a stat at one of my interviews that 25% of the total applications are submitted on the first day, coupled with the fact that many schools have rolling admissions, and you have a pretty good argument for applying as soon as possible.

Submitted. Not complete and verified. There is no way 25% of total applicants are submitted with all transcripts in on the first day. That would make the whole 1 day wait time in June, 10 week wait time in October very odd...

 

[nick_carraway]

I think a completed AMCAS (incl. MCAT and transcript) before July is considered applying early. Schools don't even look at applications until early July even though AMCAS can be submited in early June.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Secondaries aren't sent out until VERY late July/early August, interviews aren't given until Sept/Oct (which puts review of early completed files in mid August/September).

If your primary is complete (submitted, verified, MCAT scores available) by the end of July you will be just as early as everyone who was complete at the beginning of June.

After that just keep up with secondaries (no longer than 1 wk turn around) and you'll be as early as possible.

 

[emaj1n]

Applying early is submitting AMCAS in June/early July and having a one-week turn-around on secondaries. Some secondaries come out late June and early July.

Applying in June will give you a better shot than if you apply in July, as June applicants will receive secondaries first.