<p>D will be a Jr. this fall and was planning to take MCAT next Aug.(2010) She is needing to take a Science course the Summer of 2010 that can not be taken during her academic year with her current schedule. Those MCAT results will be avaiable then Sept '10. With her having taken the test late does this have a disadvantage to the pool applying? She will graduate May 2011. Candidates begin applying June correct?</p>
<p>Yes, a severe disadvantage. If there’s no other way around this, I strongly – strongly – suggest she delay her application by a year.</p>
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<p>This is exactly what my child plans to do - delay his application by a year (hopefully not two years, Knock! Knock!!). I am not sure whether it is by design or by accident for him to choose this way though. He is definitely not like one of his friends who would plan all the courses to take in 4 years before he entered the college.</p>
<p>One slight downside that I can see it: He may forget a lot of course materials just because he took some of his pre-reqs very early in his college career (e.g., organic chemistry I in the Spring of his freshmen year). So I guess it may take him more time to pick it up again come MCAT time. It is his choice and we as parents have no problem with his choice because he has grown up and should make his own decision. If right now he all of a sudden chooses to pursue another career path (e.g., graduate school or law school), we will support his decision as well.</p>
<p>Please explain the reasoning for this being a disadvantage. Is it since all others are applying since early June?
Thank you for the prompt reply.</p>
<p>Yes. By the time your daughter’s application will have been verified, others will have already received invitations for interview. She will be fighting with many students for the remaining interview spots. This will put her at a severe disadvantage because you can’t get accepted without having interviewed, and if she doesn’t get many interviews, she’ll have trouble getting acceptances.</p>
<p>I say all this as someone who applied late, like your daughter is planning to, and it was very nearly a disaster for me. I was lucky to get into any medical schools at all. The stress of the situation was almost intolerable. You and your daughter do not want to be in that position. It is extremely unpleasant.</p>
<p>How long does it take “to have the application verified” once submitted?</p>
<p>Would it be worth her contacting the Medical schools she is interested in about dates? i.e is it worth her submitting to such and such school? Do schools fill or do they wait for applicatants?</p>
<p>[AMCAS</a> School Application Deadlines for the 2009 Entering Class](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2009deadlines.htm#deadline1]AMCAS”>http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2009deadlines.htm#deadline1)</p>
<p>We came up with this site with dates. We know next year this could change but we feel this could be a ball park date/school .</p>
<p>Sorry I can’t seem to make my links work.</p>
<p>Depends – earlier is faster, so being later compounds the difficulties. Be prepared for verification to take a month.</p>
<p>Then, don’t forget that there’s the secondary process. Be prepared for a couple weeks to process, a couple weeks to do the secondary if your daughter is on the ball, and then a couple weeks to process again.</p>
<p>Then there’s interview scheduling. Many schools assign you a date, so you have to be prepared to wait some time for that as well. By this time you might be getting your first interview in December or so.</p>
<p>Many medical schools give away a third of their spots on October 15 and continue admitting students rapidly from there. Getting an MCAT score in September won’t kill you, but it’ll do most of it.</p>
<p>Deadlines don’t mean anything. Submitting at the deadline means you’ll be in consideration for the last couple of spots, which is not a position you want to be in anyway.</p>
<p>Weve been trying to tweak her fall 09/Spring 10 schedule and trying to see if we can fit Physics I and II in. Because trying to find these classes in summer has been difficult plus the timing will make her have to take her MCAT in late July or early Aug at the earliest.
Is it insane to have her take Organic Chem. which is a both semesters and the Physics classes also during the same time? Doing this would let her have the ability to take the MCAT in May of 2010.
Daughter will graduate in May 2011.
One advisor said when she was making her schedule up in the spring Not to do this, you will be nuts
I have a friend who is a doctor and said taking things like this is reality.
She really wants to do well in her classes and maintain her GPA.
I am trying not to let my heart string pull here but realize taking the MCAT late will really put her at a disadvantage. She really does not want to delay another year.
My career path did not have all these Sciences so
what do I know ?</p>
<p>From a fellow mom, listen to the advice regarding the Sept MCAT. Since your daughter is hesitating on Org and Physics at the same time, can I assume she has not had an overly heavy college load? Many applicants carry such courses, and more, routinely. If her other courses are not too tough and she is up for the task, it is doable. If she decides to go this route, understand that she will also have to fit in some MCAT prep and study time before the May or June dates. This can fall during finals. Since she is coming to this decision at this point in her college career (nothing wrong with that) why not take the extra year. Beyond the academics, has she shown that she is truly interested in medicine by exploring research, clinical exposure, etc? If she has not, then that is a perfect time to do that, after her summer physics. Then she can study for MCAT’s also. Like the SAT, a good score is her foot in the door.
My son decided freshman year, took 15-16 credits (required at his college), had excellent advising, went to a top school, did research, medical volunteering, etc., took the MCAT in May, had interview in Sept and was admitted Oct 15. That is the good news. The bad, it wasn’t easy. The MCAT was hideous, and beyond state schools, he had only two interview offers to reach schools. He declined these since he was admitted early to his first choice, so I do not know how he would have fared. I tell you this because, he was an excellent candidate and we now know just getting into your state school is quite an accomplishment.
You are a good mom to do this research. My son recently told a group of relatives that he credits me with helping to get him to med school because I kept him up to date (nagged him) on deadlines and he says being in the early pool led to his success. Good luck and keep getting informed.</p>
<p>groundhog: I learned from this site that it is a great achievement if an applicant has two interview offers to any schools, let alone the reach ones. Congratulation to both your son and YOU, the big helper, for a job well done.</p>
<p>It is very common for students to take a year or two between college and medical school. Admission is so competitive that it makes no sense to harm your chances by essentially applying late. Give enough time to study for the MCAT, get the scores, and have complete applications submitted early in the process. Long term, there is much more to gain than to lose by incorporating an extra year in the scheme of things.</p>
<p>Just by a quick read through, the top ten schools seem to be about half composed of non traditional students, most of which I assumed were just students that took a year or two off. It is an enormous advantage. You are judged as being more mature, and honestly the things that can be done in that time are far more extensive and impressive. I tutored inner city middle schoolers for four years, but how can that compete with someone who did teach for america for two years? I did research for three part time, but how can that compete to full time research for a year or two at the NIH? Take the time off to prepare properly, if that is indeed the best way for your child, and use the extra time to your advantage!</p>
<p>D did a quick schedule revamp last night and it looks like taking Organic Chemistry and Physics I & II is doable for upcoming fall and spring. She will have to shift some other classes. She is out of state now so we are doing this all over the phone so not ideal conditions. We plan to talk to her more detailed on her view of delaying submitting application until June 2011. Pros and cons of now verse later. She from the get go has felt she should try anyhow. Meaning if all her ducks lined up course wise MCAT next May/June '10 and then apply as soon as she can after that.</p>
<p>She has carried 17 credits last yr and if my memory is correct 16/16 freshman year. In addition is assisting in two science labs (did last year and will again this year) and is tutoring Chemistry.</p>
<p>She lacks “medical volunteer /hands on” but has plans in place to begin that in fall. She is currently doing medical research at a University this summer.
She has volunteered in other areas mostly church related (soup kitchen and other faith based venues).</p>
<p>The history with this child she works best under pressure and with not a lot of free time. Did even as a 5 year old. </p>
<p>Love to hear credit being given to you “groundhog” even if not directly. :-)</p>