What is Early Decision?

[swifteagle43]

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The deadline is August 1st...if I have everything in by the end of the week including transcripts, mcat, personal statements and letters of recommendation then can I apply for Early Decision before the August 1st deadline?


What is Early Decision?

 

[jochi1543]

For ED, you ONLY apply to one school and you make the promise of accepting the offer if the school agrees to admit you. You are not allowed to apply to any other schools until October 1st and ONLY if you get rejected from ED. So you better be pretty positive that 1) you REALLY want to go to that particular school 2) you have a REALLY good chance of getting in there. Generally, if you are thinking about ED, it's a good idea to contact the adcom first with your stats and ask whether they think it's worth your while.

 

[swifteagle43]

For ED, you ONLY apply to one school and you make the promise of accepting the offer if the school agrees to admit you. You are not allowed to apply to any other schools until October 1st and ONLY if you get rejected from ED. So you better be pretty positive that 1) you REALLY want to go to that particular school 2) you have a REALLY good chance of getting in there. Generally, if you are thinking about ED, it's a good idea to contact the adcom first with your stats and ask whether they think it's worth your while.

if the schools average MCAT is a 30.6 and you have a 32 is that pretty competetive?

 

[MahSpoon]

If you're asking now, it's too late to do it. Sounds like you haven't submitted a primary yet and you won't get verified by Aug 1

 

[lawnboy313]

If you're asking now, it's too late to do it. Sounds like you haven't submitted a primary yet and you won't get verified by Aug 1

Is it that you have to be verified by August 1, or that you have to submit by August 1?

Yale's website, for example, says "E.D.P. applications to Yale must submit their AMCAS application by August 1, and the Yale Supplemental Application by August 31, 2007." I think they would have used "verified" if, in fact, you needed to be verified by August 1.

It may vary by school. Anyone know for sure?

 

[146233]

Is it that you have to be verified by August 1, or that you have to submit by August 1?

Yale's website, for example, says "E.D.P. applications to Yale must submit their AMCAS application by August 1, and the Yale Supplemental Application by August 31, 2007." I think they would have used "verified" if, in fact, you needed to be verified by August 1.

It may vary by school. Anyone know for sure?

I would err on the side of being verified by August 1. That's the deadline for when they want your application in their hands [which only happens post-verification].

 

[lawnboy313]

I would err on the side of being verified by August 1. That's the deadline for when they want your application in their hands [which only happens post-verification].

I just called the Yale admissions office to be absolutely sure. They said that the August 1 deadline is for submitting the AMCAS application. It does not need to be verified by August 1. So in regards to the OP's original question: yes, as long as you submit your AMCAS app by August 1, you can still do EDP. Secondary application deadlines for EDP vary (I think).

But of course, as zipmedic said, the earlier you're verified the better.

 

[somethingpositi]

All my advisors have strongly recommended against early decision. The schools have no incentive to take an average applicant early, because that person could take up a spot that they might want to give to someone else later. The people they do want to lock in early are the really good people who might go somewhere else. If you're that good, you'll probably get in regular decision. If you don't get in early, you're screwed because ALL your other applications end up being late, which is a HUGE disadvantage.