Without MCAT score, how do you decide on where to apply?

[justapremed]

I just took the MCAT yesterday, and I really feel like it could go either way, good or bad. I have an overall GPA of 3.79 and science GPA of 3.68. My clinical experience is mediocre, though extracurricular in general is good.

I got down to 30-some schools based just on geographical preferences, but how do I go from here? I want it down to maybe 20-ish. But seeing as how my MCAT could be anywhere from high 20s to mid 30s, I'm not sure what to do!

I plan on applying early, like as soon as AMCAS opens, and submit secondaries as they come in. But I have to know where to apply first! I don't like this feeling of applying "blindly"

Any suggestions?

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[flip26]

I just took the MCAT yesterday, and I really feel like it could go either way, good or bad. I have an overall GPA of 3.79 and science GPA of 3.68. My clinical experience is mediocre, though extracurricular in general is good.

I got down to 30-some schools based just on geographical preferences, but how do I go from here? I want it down to maybe 20-ish. But seeing as how my MCAT could be anywhere from high 20s to mid 30s, I'm not sure what to do!

I plan on applying early, like as soon as AMCAS opens, and submit secondaries as they come in. But I have to know where to apply first! I don't like this feeling of applying "blindly"

Any suggestions?

How many of your 30-ish schools are in the Top 30 USNWR?

With your grades, I suggest that if you want to end up with a list of around 20 schools, your list should have no more than say 5 top 30 schools.

If somehow your MCAT comes back 35+, then you can add some more top 30 schools.

 

[greg1184]

I would chose schools in my state and then wait for my MCAT to choose others.

 

[TheRealMD]

Simple. Apply only to the one "up there" school that probably wouldn't take you if your MCAT isn't up to snuff so you can avoid a) wasting your money applying to 30 schools at once b) settling for a school when you believe you can get better and finally c) get your AMCAS app processed ASAP.

Remember that you can add more schools later depending on how your MCAT score turns out. One other thing I should point out is that submitting your app at the end of June when you get your MCAT score is still early. It's not the kiss of death. I'd probably wait until then to submit anyway.

 

[nikeshp]

top 30? the ranking only goes to 61.

 

[justapremed]

Hm, maybe I will wait till June 23rd-ish to submit my application then... The rush doesn't start till mid-June/August?

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

My advice would be to get verified (the biggest hurdle in this process) as quickly as possible (in other words, submit AMCAS early and list schools that would consider you with the worst score you think you got). You can always add more competitive schools to your verified app. once you know how did.

 

[DRBHOOM]

I plan on applying early, like as soon as AMCAS opens, and submit secondaries as they come in. But I have to know where to apply first! I don't like this feeling of applying "blindly"

Any suggestions?

I'm sort of in the same boat w/o a paddler per sey as OP; however, I'm taking my MCAT on july 18th ... The nitty gritty: 3.98 gpa; i would hope avg. ECs, good LORs, decent PS...
What I was planning on doing was to just apply to all of my state schools, TN, and then wait for the score @ approx. aug.19... Would that be a better method of attack?

 

[Law2Doc]

I just took the MCAT yesterday, and I really feel like it could go either way, good or bad. I have an overall GPA of 3.79 and science GPA of 3.68. My clinical experience is mediocre, though extracurricular in general is good.

I got down to 30-some schools based just on geographical preferences, but how do I go from here? I want it down to maybe 20-ish. But seeing as how my MCAT could be anywhere from high 20s to mid 30s, I'm not sure what to do!

I plan on applying early, like as soon as AMCAS opens, and submit secondaries as they come in. But I have to know where to apply first! I don't like this feeling of applying "blindly"

Any suggestions?

A may MCAT is early enough to sit and wait until you see the score before applying. I sure wouldn't apply before you see the score, I would get everything else ready to go but not submit yet. I would give the opposite advice if you took the test in August, in which case you cannot wait for the score without being a late applicant, but in your case, you wait. Make two lists, one to use if you did better than expected, and one if you did worse. And bear in mind that if you did really poorly (less than, say, 27) you may want to sit out this cycle altogether and improve your score and other stats for the following year, rather than bear the cost and other disadvantages of being a reapplicant.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm sort of in the same boat w/o a paddler per sey as OP; however, I'm taking my MCAT on july 18th ...

You actually aren't in the same boat. The OP can wait for the score and still not be a late applicant. I'm not sure a July test gives you the same cushion.

 

[MossPoh]

You actually aren't in the same boat. The OP can wait for the score and still not be a late applicant. I'm not sure a July test gives you the same cushion.

Its only a month for scores now. I don't think August is still considered horribly late.

Anyway, you have a tentative list until you get your score and you can narrow it down. I'm applying to around 25 schools, but I have a low gpa. (I actually had more if you can believe it) You will undoubtedly find schools that don't like OOS or are very very expensive....or are just in a region of the country you don't want to live.

Thirty allopathic schools is a lot, simply because so many schools do not favor OOS. I included all of the schools in my state private and public (8). Then I applied to a bunch of different osteopathic schools I was interested in. The allopathic schools were focused on the lower tier for the most part. I think my reach schools are Penn State and Jefferson. It is just a process. You're gpa isn't bad, so you could probably cut 15 schools out and still be fine.

 

[scgamer2000]

I agree with the folks who say you should go ahead and at least get your transcript verified. You can add schools later to your list, I believe.

My best advice for picking schools would be to look at your practice test scores (you took some, right?) and use that as a gauge of your likely MCAT performance. If you want to play it really conservatively, knock 2 points off your average practice score.

 

[Law2Doc]

I agree with the folks who say you should go ahead and at least get your transcript verified. You can add schools later to your list, I believe.

You will still end up a reapplicant if you submit your primary and don't get in, regardless of whether you add schools later. You will have to check yes next to the boxes on some applications that ask if you've ever submitted an application to med school before. So bad idea in my opinion for someone who took a May MCAT. Sit and wait it out and once you see your score, you can still shoot stuff out and be totally in the early half of applicants. Which is fine.

 

[Law2Doc]

Its only a month for scores now. I don't think August is still considered horribly late.

That's much quicker than a couple of years back. So that's even more reason not to submit until you see your scores if you took the test in May or June, or even July. If you apply by August with a strong application, the reason you don't get in has little to do with being a late applicant. The story changes if you wait until the fall. But even then, the strongest applicants still get in. So the whole "apply early" notion is overblown on here. Sure, for a weak applicant it can help, because schools don't know what is still coming down the pike and may jump the gun. But not as much as folks on here like to suggest.

 

[Alfred E Newman]

That's much quicker than a couple of years back. So that's even more reason not to submit until you see your scores if you took the test in May or June, or even July. If you apply by August with a strong application, the reason you don't get in has little to do with being a late applicant. The story changes if you wait until the fall. But even then, the strongest applicants still get in. So the whole "apply early" notion is overblown on here. Sure, for a weak applicant it can help, because schools don't know what is still coming down the pike and may jump the gun. But not as much as folks on here like to suggest.

Law2Doc, I am taking my MCAT for the first time on July 10th (with a score release around Aug 10). I hope to do well enough on that test date, but who really knows? Anyhow, what do you suggest I do? Should I submit primary AMCAS early and get verified so that I'm just waiting for my MCAT score and app will be complete on Aug 10....or wait to see what score is on Aug 10 then submit AMCAS at that time if I am happy with MCAT score?

 

[surfstarj]

OP,

Do your AMCAS, apply to your state school on it and submit it for verification. Once you get your scores back, add more schools to your AMCAS depending on your score and where you think you should apply. Adding schools only takes 1-3 days since you'll already be verified.

 

[surfstarj]

You will still end up a reapplicant if you submit your primary and don't get in, regardless of whether you add schools later. You will have to check yes next to the boxes on some applications that ask if you've ever submitted an application to med school before. So bad idea in my opinion for someone who took a May MCAT. Sit and wait it out and once you see your score, you can still shoot stuff out and be totally in the early half of applicants. Which is fine.

I think "reapplicant" only applies to those who've applied in a previous cycle, not another school in the same cycle. Unless this is the OPs second time around, they would not be considered a reapplicant.

 

[justapremed]

No, I am not a re-applicant

Ok, so three things:

(1) To verify, nothing on my AMCAS application be -changed- once I get it verified, except for addition of schools. And once it's already verified and I try to add a school, it's much quicker than getting my app originally verified.

(2) Also, if I accomplish something over the summer after AMCAS has verified my app (say, a research publication), would I mail the individual schools?

(3) Lastly, I've been involved with research for some time, but haven't had much interaction with my research advisor because I usually did it when I was so busy with the rest of my life that I couldn't really give research my 100%. Therefore, I haven't asked her for a letter of rec. But this summer, that'll change, since full time research will be my focus. If I asked her for a letter of rec later (so it'll be up on interfolio Aug or something), is that worth anything (ie. can I do anything with it?) if I've already verified my AMCAS and stuff in June?

 

[surfstarj]

No, I am not a re-applicant

Ok, so three things:

(1) To verify, nothing on my AMCAS application be -changed- once I get it verified, except for addition of schools. And once it's already verified and I try to add a school, it's much quicker than getting my app originally verified.

(2) Also, if I accomplish something over the summer after AMCAS has verified my app (say, a research publication), would I mail the individual schools?

(3) Lastly, I've been involved with research for some time, but haven't had much interaction with my research advisor because I usually did it when I was so busy with the rest of my life that I couldn't really give research my 100%. Therefore, I haven't asked her for a letter of rec. But this summer, that'll change, since full time research will be my focus. If I asked her for a letter of rec later (so it'll be up on interfolio Aug or something), is that worth anything (ie. can I do anything with it?) if I've already verified my AMCAS and stuff in June?

1) correct, make sure everything is ready to go when you submit because you won't be able to change anything but the schools.
2) yeah, you'd send an update letter to the schools you applied
3) Most schools have you send your letters of rec in at the same time as your secondary. If you could ask her sooner rather than later, you could wait to send your secondaries until July WITH her letter. July is still early to have your secondaries turned in and be complete at schools. August isn't late to be complete either, but keep in mind, schools do start giving out interviews in August. I don't really know how sending in a letter of rec after you're complete works (if it matters or not).

 

[DRBHOOM]

1) correct, make sure everything is ready to go when you submit because you won't be able to change anything but the schools.
2) yeah, you'd send an update letter to the schools you applied
3) Most schools have you send your letters of rec in at the same time as your secondary. If you could ask her sooner rather than later, you could wait to send your secondaries until July WITH her letter. July is still early to have your secondaries turned in and be complete at schools. August isn't late to be complete either, but keep in mind, schools do start giving out interviews in August. I don't really know how sending in a letter of rec after you're complete works (if it matters or not).

sorry for barging in on OP's thread, but
minus the mcat date, i'm in this boat as well... I was wondering is there a set standard when you have somebody write you a letter? What i'm trying to say is there some sort of a form like the pre-med committee has so others can assess you?? Similar to OP if I got published or even submitted to a journal would you suggest write a formal business type letter to say that one thing?? (sounds like i'm wasting their time, and sorry for the anal-ity)
I would like to get my research professor to write a LOR and the head pharmacist that I worked for 2 years for; however, I would hate to just tell them I need a LOR and they write something that's along the lines or hard worker, good student, etc....
thank you to all for the comments, and op for posting a great question

 

[dreams]

You will still end up a reapplicant if you submit your primary and don't get in, regardless of whether you add schools later. You will have to check yes next to the boxes on some applications that ask if you've ever submitted an application to med school before. So bad idea in my opinion for someone who took a May MCAT. Sit and wait it out and once you see your score, you can still shoot stuff out and be totally in the early half of applicants. Which is fine.

well if this is true than would the schools that you didnt apply to the first time look at you as a reapp if they havent even seen you before??? I dont think so but who knows, what about waiting till July when the June scores come back is that late???

 

[justapremed]

3) If you could ask her sooner rather than later, you could wait to send your secondaries until July WITH her letter.

hm, right, I wouldn't want to turn in my secondaries in August. I want to turn in primaries in June, and get the secondaries done as they come. Ideally

But the reason I don't want to ask her any earlier is because I feel like we both don't really know each other too well. I don't want her writing me a really bland, standard letter. But this summer is going to be the first time when I'm actually going to do 100% lab (no summer courses, no semester courses, etc), so I feel like I could maybe shine, do well on group presentations, etc in which case, later on I would feel better about asking her for a LoR...

So I guess it's a ... no, I won't be turning her LoR with my secondaries... Hm, I just wish it could be worth something even if I send this additional LoR later on...