When to apply for this cycle?

[RocuROMANium]

My MCAT was moved from early May to June 28 and I will receive my score on July 14. So, I saw in an old, non-COVID related thread that applicants taking the MCAT midsummer should apply to one throwaway school in order to get their application verified in time and then, once they get their score back, apply to an appropriate medical school list. I'm assuming this is still advisable even during this pandemic correct?

However, I'm a nontraditional applicant with a very low GPA so the list I have already created is filled with low to mid-tier medical schools so should I just apply? I mean, whether I get a 510 or a 528 my school list won't change anyways.

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[paradoxic_toxic]

Yeah, get verified ASAP and submit when you get your score.

 

[KnightDoc]

My MCAT was moved from early May to June 28 and I will receive my score on July 14. So, I saw in an old, non-COVID related thread that applicants taking the MCAT midsummer should apply to one throwaway school in order to get their application verified in time and then, once they get their score back, apply to an appropriate medical school list. I'm assuming this is still advisable even during this pandemic correct?

However, I'm a nontraditional applicant with a very low GPA so the list I have already created is filled with low to mid-tier medical schools so should I just apply? I mean, whether I get a 510 or a 528 my school list won't change anyways.

What if you get a 505? 500? The idea of a throwaway is to avoid being a reapplicant if you have to abort the cycle after you submit. Surely, there is some MCAT score that will cause you to rethink applying this cycle. What if your 6/28 test is cancelled after you have submitted without throwaways. What if you cancel before leaving the test center.

You are failing to consider the obvious. Since you are targeting low and mid tier schools, your throwaway could be HMS!!!

 

[RocuROMANium]

That's funny because HMS was the first throwaway I considered ha. Ok so I will definitely apply to a throwaway to get my app verified and then submit after I receive my MCAT score unless, as @KnightDoc mentions, I totally bomb the MCAT in which case I would not apply this cycle.

@gonnif with my GPA being just over 3.0 as long as I do NOT bomb the MCAT, my school list won't change. Whether that score is a 510 or a 528 (God willing it's between these two), I don't meet any MS's 10th percentile for GPA so regardless of my score I will still apply to low tier medical schools. Does that make sense?

 

[Goro]

That's funny because HMS was the first throwaway I considered ha. Ok so I will definitely apply to a throwaway to get my app verified and then submit after I receive my MCAT score unless, as @KnightDoc mentions, I totally bomb the MCAT in which case I would not apply this cycle.

@gonnif with my GPA being just over 3.0 as long as I do NOT bomb the MCAT, my school list won't change. Whether that score is a 510 or a 528 (God willing it's between these two), I don't meet any MS's 10th percentile for GPA so regardless of my score I will still apply to low tier medical schools. Does that make sense?

That GPA is not viable for MD schools, unless you have a massive rising GPA trend. If not, it's circling the drain for DO as well. A high MCAT will not remediate a low GPA; it will simply emphasize the disparities.

 

[RocuROMANium]

That GPA is not viable for MD schools, unless you have a massive rising GPA trend. If not, it's circling the drain for DO as well. A high MCAT will not remediate a low GPA; it will simply emphasize the disparities.

Yes, I have a 3.05 after a 67 credit 4.0 postbac

 

[Goro]

Yes, I have a 3.05 after a 67 credit 4.0 postbac

Ahh, you have successfully reinvented yourself! But your MCAT score will make or break you. Do NOT apply until you have that score. I fear too many pre-meds are engaging in magic thinking that the lack of a score will not be a hindrance.

Do apply to the throwaway school. As a reinventor, you will need to target both MD and DO

 

[RocuROMANium]

Ahh, you have successfully reinvented yourself! But your MCAT score will make or break you. Do NOT apply until you have that score. I fear too many pre-meds are engaging in magic thinking that the lack of a score will not be a hindrance.

Do apply to the throwaway school. As a reinventor, you will need to target both MD and DO

Reinventing yourself is a strange thing. I spent the last two years being the top of my class and taking on this mindset of excellence but yet I will submit a medical school application with one of the lowest GPA’s these schools will see this cycle.

Anyways, as a reinventor, it’s confusing to make a school list because you don’t fit anyone’s average accepted GPA range so do I only use my MCAT score to make a list?

 

[Goro]

Reinventing yourself is a strange thing. I spent the last two years being the top of my class and taking on this mindset of excellence but yet I will submit a medical school application with one of the lowest GPA’s these schools will see this cycle.

Anyways, as a reinventor, it’s confusing to make a school list because you don’t fit anyone’s average accepted GPA range so do I only use my MCAT score to make a list?

It's a challenge to get one's mindset out of the cGPA is all mindset into "here's proof that the me of now is not the me of then, and I have proved that I can handle med school."

The list I use is based upon schools that have taken reinventors AND some data in MSAR...the # of people who have post-bac work and/or post-grad degrees. You can't merely rely on MCAT score because there are plenty of schools that can afford to take a pass on reivnetors.

 

[rosegoldkitten]

Hi fellow reinventor (post-bacc work) that applied this past cycle with ugrad of 3.16 and had 3 interviews and 3 acceptances here!

I applied to one throwaway as my MCAT was scheduled for mid July. Obviously I can only speak anecdotally, but I based my initial list off of my practice exams while I researched schools that also favored reinvention (all before my official score was released to get a VERY general list). I made sure I applied mostly to schools where my true MCAT score was at least around the median, with reaches being in the 10th percentile.

 

[RocuROMANium]

Hi fellow reinventor (post-bacc work) that applied this past cycle with ugrad of 3.16 and had 3 interviews and 3 acceptances here!

I applied to one throwaway as my MCAT was scheduled for mid July. Obviously I can only speak anecdotally, but I based my initial list off of my practice exams while I researched schools that also favored reinvention (all before my official score was released to get a VERY general list). I made sure I applied mostly to schools where my true MCAT score was at least around the median, with reaches being in the 10th percentile.

Did the schools that accepted you discuss your GPA? Was your MCAT score at, above or below the medians for those schools?

Edit: congratulations by the way!

 

[rosegoldkitten]

Did the schools that accepted you discuss your GPA? Was your MCAT score at, above or below the medians for those schools?

Edit: congratulations by the way!

None of them ever brought it up with me in the interview. I switched from engineering into biology about halfway through college, so most of my reinvention related interview talk pertained more to that but I wouldn't say it was most of my interview talk.

For 2 of them, my MCAT was pretty right on to the median. For the one I'll be attending, my MCAT was only in the 10th percentile and was actually a pretty big reach stats-wise, though I think I fit their mission really well.

Thanks!