What Exactly Does Everyone Mean When They Say Apply Early??!!

[msa786]

I have seen this written so many times. What exactly constitutes the term "early"? This cycle will be a little different so does anyone have any ideas as to when the best time to send out applications are? Is August good enough? Thanks guys!

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[AnEyeLikeMars]

I have seen this written so many times. What exactly constitutes the term "early"? This cycle will be a little different so does anyone have any ideas as to when the best time to send out applications are? Is August good enough? Thanks guys!

As early as possible. I would recommend earlier than August if possible.

 

[zippa]

Early means that you should have your application sent in to be verified by June, so by July (once verified) medical schools can start reviewing you applications. August is kind of late in the game.

 

[NN11]

You'll get varying opinions but the consensus is that if your application has been verified by mid July, you're good to go.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

I don't think people say this with a specific date in mind, and there's no real "best time". Complete your app as early as possible. Early submission = early verification = early secondaries = early interviews = early acceptances. Look around here at the stress level; you don't want to still be praying for interviews this time next year.

 

[63768]

app submitted early to mid june. LORs ready by end of may. transcripts sent ASAP.

 

[Crazy4F1]

for me, AMCAS in by late june (the week of my brother's HS graduation, as i remember), letters in by early july, AMCAS verified by early july (w/in 3 weeks of submission, i think), most secondaries done by end of july, the rest done by aug 15.

here's an easy way to think of it: you want *everything* complete in every file at every medical school before you go back to school for the fall semester. make applying your summer project.

 

[NN11]

Ideally (a near perfect early submission requires the following):

April-May: 1) Send all official transcripts to AMCAS 2) make sure all your letter writers have submitted their LORs

May 3rd: begin entering all your grades from an official transcript, personal statement (PS) and extracurricular activities (ECs) into your AMCAS application

Early-Mid June: Submit your AMCAS application

Mid -Late June: Your AMCAS application will be verified if all your documents are in order

Late June-Early July: many if not most secondary applications begin rolling in and it is also necessary to submit your LORs at the same time.

August-May: Interview invitations offered

Oct 15th: Earliest regular acceptance offered.

Oct-Aug: all other acceptances offered

 

[Kfire326]

I thought I was on the late side of early (but not yet 'late') when I applied.. but that was pre-SDN... heh.

I submitted my AMCAS on July 24, got verified August 17. While that was going on, I sent secondaries to schools that would accept them pre-verification (I got secondaries off school websites...some schools websites say you can send in the secondary pre-verification...if not, you can call/email to find out. SUNY Downstate is one example). Finished all but a few secondaries by early sept...I dragged some apps till late sept because I wasn't thrilled about those schools...

Now I'm curious to know.. was this late, or just on the later side of early/cutting it close?

 

[NN11]

I thought I was on the late side of early (but not yet 'late') when I applied.. but that was pre-SDN... heh.

I submitted my AMCAS on July 24, got verified August 17. While that was going on, I sent secondaries to schools that would accept them pre-verification (I got secondaries off school websites...some schools websites say you can send in the secondary pre-verification...if not, you can call/email to find out. SUNY Downstate is one example). Finished all but a few secondaries by early sept...I dragged some apps till late sept because I wasn't thrilled about those schools...

Now I'm curious to know.. was this late, or just on the later side of early/cutting it close?

kfire, if you're a strong applicant, a later submission doesn't really hinder you. But what defines a strong applicant in my mind could be something completely different in the mind of an adcom member, and who really wants to take a chance on a late submission?

So much of the application process is a crapshoot, in the sense, that it depends on who is reading your essays and whether they can relate to your experiences.

Early in the game the Adcom members haven't read too many applications and therefore have not seen too many stellar applicants to compare you to. Consequently, it is to most people's advantange to get their attention early in the game, that's all.


.

 

[dasacohen]

Ideally (a near perfect early submission requires the following):

April-May: 1) Send all official transcripts to AMCAS 2) make sure all your letter writers have submitted their LORs

May 3rd: begin entering all your grades from an official transcript, personal statement (PS) and extracurricular activities (ECs) into your AMCAS application

Early-Mid June: Submit your AMCAS application

Mid -Late June: Your AMCAS application will be verified if all your documents are in order

Late June-Early July: many if not most secondary applications begin rolling in and it is also necessary to submit your LORs at the same time.

August-May: Interview invitations offered

Sept-Oct: Earliest acceptances offered

Oct-Aug: all other acceptances offered

I think this is a perfect discription. Make sure to have all your LOR's by April/May. Have your AMCAS submitted by the first or second week of June. And then when the secondaries come in, try and turn them out by two weeks later (or in the very worst, a month).

G'luck!

 

[chipmunk73]

I got my primaries in by mid-august. Totally regretted it!!! Get it in by June!

 

[Cirrus83]

If it's not in by the first day the AMCAS opens, you're doomed. DOOMED!!!

Same thing with secondaries. It has to be in the next day after you receive, or you have no chance of going. Just start applying to DO and the carribean, because you're DOOMED!

I wonder if anybody took this post seriously.

 

[hawkeyepeirce]

Yesterday.

 

[trudat]

so I've realized that applying to medical school is seriously about luck.

I think the first step of the luck starts w/ the prompt on ur MCAT. Perhaps you'll get to write about something cool, like "advancements in technology" or maybe ull get stuck having to write about the "connection between the French Revolution and Coral from the Real World New York"

so after that mess...then comes who u choose to write ur LORs. Did you pick that super cool professor who is also irresponsible....or, did u pick that professor who pretends to like u

the cycle continues with who is reading ur application and who conducts ur interview....it seriously is so random that u never know what u are gonna get.

I don't think applying early really matters if u are a strong candidate....even if u apply late...u can withstand being a few weeks behind other weaker candidates.

If you are a weak candidate ....I think what helps to get u into at least one school.... is to apply to MORE schools.

but whatever.

 

[gary5]

"Early" means that you submit everything on the very first day possible, which means that you have it written and completed before then.

 

[Law2Doc]

I thought I was on the late side of early (but not yet 'late') when I applied.. but that was pre-SDN... heh.

I submitted my AMCAS on July 24, got verified August 17. While that was going on, I sent secondaries to schools that would accept them pre-verification (I got secondaries off school websites...some schools websites say you can send in the secondary pre-verification...if not, you can call/email to find out. SUNY Downstate is one example). Finished all but a few secondaries by early sept...I dragged some apps till late sept because I wasn't thrilled about those schools...

Now I'm curious to know.. was this late, or just on the later side of early/cutting it close?

You did fine, and were not a late applicant. You were still complete long before all of the August MCATers, many of whom get in. Some people on here take early to the extreme.

 

[Kfire326]

You did fine, and were not a late applicant. You were still complete long before all of the August MCATers, many of whom get in. Some people on here take early to the extreme.

That's what I figured - as long as I'm complete before August scores went out, I was set.

 

[postbacker]

With the May 3 AMCAS start, will "July" become the "new August?" and so on...will what is thought of now as "late" be 30 days earlier? Will June MCAT test dates be "late" like August test dates are now viewed? Will student applicants whose final quarter ends in mid June (delaying final transcript submission to late June, verification to late July) now be at a huge disadvantage compared to semester system grads?

It will be interesting to watch how this year shakes out...

 

[HumbleMD]

Good timeline NN. One tiny note about the "ideal" acceptance time is that unless doing Early Decision Program somewhere, the earliest acceptances are offered October 15, according to AMCAS rules. Very few schools actually offer them on Ocober 15 (UMich is one, and Baylor was maybe a week afterwards).

 

[NN11]

With the May 3 AMCAS start, will "July" become the "new August?" and so on...will what is thought of now as "late" be 30 days earlier? Will June MCAT test dates be "late" like August test dates are now viewed? Will student applicants whose final quarter ends in mid June (delaying final transcript submission to late June, verification to late July) now be at a huge disadvantage compared to semester system grads?

It will be interesting to watch how this year shakes out...

May 3rd is the first day you can start working on AMCAS, however, you cannot submit until sometime between June 1st to 5th. This is the way it has always been for electronic submission.

As for all your other questions, who really knows since there is no precedence !!!

since there will be several small surges in AMCAS submission rather than two large surges, it will be interesting to see if the new system favors later or earlier applicants more.

 

[postbacker]

May 3rd is the first day you can start working on AMCAS, however, you cannot submit until sometime between June 1st to 5th. This is the way it has always been for electronic submission.

Thanks for the clarification - so this may very well be a "win-win" for applicants and schools, smoothing out the verification logjam in the summer...unless actual AMCAS submission moves earlier, I don't think the "what is the new late" questions really come into play...

 

[Critical Mass]

God timeline NN. One tiny note about the "ideal" acceptance time is that unless doing Early Decision Program somewhere, the earliest acceptance are offered October 15, according to AMCAS rules. Very few schools actually offer them on Ocober 15 (UMich is one, and Baylor was maybe a week afterwards).

Given the likelihood of acceptance with EDP's at most places, I can't seem to find any benefit with applying via EDP. It seems like even if were accepted, you would squander your gambling chip for a scholarship. If you're not competative enough to get a scholarship, then you probably wouldn't get in via EDP anyway.

 

[HumbleMD]

Thanks for the clarification - so this may very well be a "win-win" for applicants and schools, smoothing out the verification logjam in the summer...unless actual AMCAS submission moves earlier, I don't think the "what is the new late" questions really come into play...

pink is the new black

 

[NN11]

Good timeline NN. One tiny note about the "ideal" acceptance time is that unless doing Early Decision Program somewhere, the earliest acceptance are offered October 15, according to AMCAS rules. Very few schools actually offer them on Ocober 15 (UMich is one, and Baylor was maybe a week afterwards).

Hey Humble, you're absolutely right, I shouldn't have lumped EDP with regular acceptances, most people won't be applying EDP and that timeline may be confusing to them. I'm going to fix it.

A few schools but not many do offer EDP acceptances before 10/15, looking back at last year's acceptances, USC and Penn state are some examples of such school

 

[msa786]

hmm so i am deducing from everyone that july 13 mcat and august applying would be too late and chances of admission greatly decrease?

 

[AnEyeLikeMars]

hmm so i am deducing from everyone that july 13 mcat and august applying would be too late and chances of admission greatly decrease?

It's really hard to say. If you submit your AMCAS and get it preverified pre-MCAT, and then submit secondaries as earlier as you possibly can (seriously, like within a few days of receiving them), you'll probably be okay. You could get all your secondaries out by the first half of september and interview (if invited) in november/december.

That being said, the earlier the better. Can you move the MCAT up at all? to June maybe? (I don't know about the new CBT schedules)

EDIT: I'd also mention that it depends on the school. Obviously it won't hurt you at non-rolling schools. Also, there are some schools at which applying early does not provide that great of an advantage because the adcomm will repeatedly defer applications to the next committee meeting if they're borderline.

 

[baylormed]

pink is the new black

Ooooooooo. Me wants one.

 

[Krisss17]

Ideally (a near perfect early submission requires the following):

April-May: 1) Send all official transcripts to AMCAS 2) make sure all your letter writers have submitted their LORs

May 3rd: begin entering all your grades from an official transcript, personal statement (PS) and extracurricular activities (ECs) into your AMCAS application

Early-Mid June: Submit your AMCAS application

Mid -Late June: Your AMCAS application will be verified if all your documents are in order

Late June-Early July: many if not most secondary applications begin rolling in and it is also necessary to submit your LORs at the same time.

August-May: Interview invitations offered

Oct 15th: Earliest regular acceptance offered.

Oct-Aug: all other acceptances offered

Thanks for laying this all out!

 

[wjustice]

Can you submit LOR's to schools before you receive a secondary invite? Do they start a file for you once you submit your AMCAS?

 

[msa786]

so i guess all those people taking summer mcat would be at an advantage if they fill out the amcas application asap and send in mcat scores later on correct?

 

[prettymonkey]

You don't need LOR's until you get secondary applications though right? So is it necessary to have those done by april or may if you cannot even submit the AMCAS until June? Then it has to be verified, then schools need to send you invites to send secondaries. So you actually don't need LOR's until like July?

 

[HumbleMD]

You don't need LOR's until you get secondary applications though right? So is it necessary to have those done by april or may if you cannot even submit the AMCAS until June? Then it has to be verified, then schools need to send you invites to send secondaries. So you actually don't need LOR's until like July?

Correct. HOWEVER LORs are known to be difficult to get on time from busy professors, so its good to tell them May, which will most likely mean they'll get them to you in July.

 

[NN11]

Ideally (a near perfect early submission requires the following):

April-May: 1) Send all official transcripts to AMCAS 2) make sure all your letter writers have submitted their LORs

May 3rd: begin entering all your grades from an official transcript, personal statement (PS) and extracurricular activities (ECs) into your AMCAS application

Early-Mid June: Submit your AMCAS application

Mid -Late June: Your AMCAS application will be verified if all your documents are in order

Late June-Early July: many if not most secondary applications begin rolling in and it is also necessary to submit your LORs at the same time.

August-May: Interview invitations offered

Oct 15th: Earliest regular acceptance offered.

Oct-Aug: all other acceptances offered

A point of clarification since some of you have PM'd me:

In April have official transcripts sent to yourself for entry into your application when AMCAS opens.

On or after May 3rd have official transcripts sent to AMCAS (you have to send to your school: the AMCAS transcript request form plus your school's official transcript request form)

READ BELOW:

"Issue: Matching official transcripts (OT’s) with your application.

Tips: 1) Applicants should not send transcripts prior to the opening of the AMCAS application. For the 2008 entering year, the application will become available on or about May 3, 2007.

2) Once the application is open, complete the Identifying and Schools Attended sections of the application. You do not need to submit your application right away, but if you at least complete these two sections, AMCAS staff will know which transcripts to expect.

3) Applicants should submit a Transcript Request Form, available in the AMCAS application, to their registrar and request that this form be included along with the official transcript. This form contains important information such as; the AAMC ID, transcript-issuing institution, and other information that assists AMCAS in matching your official transcript to your application."

 

[Symphony101]

when is the earliest possible interview? assuming that I turn in my primary on june 1st and then my secondaries as soon as I receive them? Do interviews occur in the summer? Or do they only start once the fall semester officially begins

 

[Funky]

when is the earliest possible interview? assuming that I turn in my primary on june 1st and then my secondaries as soon as I receive them? Do interviews occur in the summer? Or do they only start once the fall semester officially begins

I think the earliest that you may have an interview is late august or early september. I dont know if schools give out interviews before that.