When to send secondaries?

I'm assuming you haven't already taken the MCAT, so it may or may not matter if you have your secondaries in as soon as they come. (Some schools, I forget which ones, screen for certain scores on the MCATs and each subsection.) However, it may be a good idea to start completing the ones that do not screen for GPA and MCAT score so that when your MCATs do come in, your file will not be further delayed.

I noticed in other threads you were from Pittsburgh. They sent me a secondary last year when the whole AMCAS fiasco set them behind. They cashed my check and then rejected me the next day!!!

 

I'm not too hurt! Had I been interviewed and accepted, it would have been a hard school to deny. I've lived in Pittsburgh for a little shy of two decades and worked in Oakland this year, so I really need a change of scenary!

 

I think Pittsburgh is a lovely city in which to raise a family as it has nice suberbs that are accessible to the city. (I grew up in Fox Chapel.) However, it is a few steps behind other major metropolitan cities in terms of nightlife and transportation that I would want as a young adult.

Anyhow, I'm going to start up at AE in the fall, so I can't tell you too much about the quality of teaching at the school or the clinical program. (Although I have heard that the 3rd and 4th years are unparalled to other programs from the patient diversity and the number of affiliated hospitals ) I applied to AE early, I filled out the secondary online when it was available and was offered an interview in late August. I scheduled my interview in October and was accepted in early January. I had a great interview with my doctor and have kept in touch with her since. I even had lunch with her when I went up to sign my loan papers!

Let me know if you need any other advice. The interview was pretty laid back, but it did take an hour. And the secondary was short. Since you're still in school, you won't have to write the essay on what you're doing if you're not in school.

 

are you in school this fall or working full time?

i recommend getting the secondaries in as soon as you can, even without your august scores. that way everything will be set and ready for review as soon as possible.
besides, why wait?
if you're on vacation now, it'll help so much to get them out of the way before school starts up.

also, i think schools note down when your application was returned. i have no idea if it matters, but i would think it would be show more interest if you actually got the application in at a decent time period, instead of like 5 months later.