<p>I used to read this forum years ago when I was applying to college. I am now 24 years old and graduated from undergrad in 2008. After graduating from UG, I decided I would like to go to med school and completed a post-bac program. My overall GPA is 3.7 and my science GPA is 3.6. I graduated from a top 15 undergrad (according to US news and rankings). I will be taking the MCAT in mid-August. If I apply this year to med school, I will be a late applicant. I may get in somewhere but it might not be my top choice. Should I apply anyway? Or should I wait and apply early next year? My parents say I should apply this year anyway and worst comes to worst, reapply next year if I am not satisfied with where I get in. They are concerned that if I wait another year to apply, I will be 26 when I start med school. Any advice would be appreciated. </p>
<p>Your parents are right to a point. What have you got to lose by applying now? Maybe you won’t get into your first choice. But you may not get into your first choice next year either. Where you go to medical school is of less importance than what you do there. What do they call the person who graduated last in his/her medical school class, from the “top” or the “lesser” medical school? Doctor. </p>
<p>They are wrong about your age mattering, though. A friend of mine applied when he was over 30 and was admitted. I remember years ago a letter to Ann Landers. The writer said something along the lines of: “I want to apply to medical school but I’ll be 50 in four years. Should I do it anyway?” Ann’s response: “And how old will you be in 4 years if you don’t go to medical school?”</p>
<p>You might try asking this in the Pre-Med forum. (Got to the forum discussion on the right side, click, then select Pre-Med under the Pre-med & Medical School header).</p>
<p>There are a number of people there who are current med students, some parents who have seen a son or daughter through the application process, and, I believe, one parent who is actually on the admission committee for medical school.</p>
<p>As for the age thing–the average age of first med students in the US is now 25. You aren’t too old this year and won’t be too old next year. (For the record, my older D is applying this cycle. She will be 25 next month–which means, assuming she gets accepted, she’ll be 26 when she starts medical school next year. She had a classmate who was accepted this cycle–he’s 42!)</p>
<p>As for the applying this year and next year–do ask in the pre-med forum. There are some issues you should be aware of. At some schools, being rejected the first time around severely decreases your odds of getting an acceptance from that school in the next admissions cycle. At others–not so much. </p>
<p>Have you taken any practice MCATS? How’s your scoring on the practice exams? Are you comfortable with the idea of canceling your scores on the day of the exam if you feel you’re not doing well on the test? </p>
<p>And you will be a very late applicant for this cycle—applications close at most US medical schools on October 1. (And it takes 4 weeks–no more no less–to get your MCAT scores back.)</p>
<p>Correction–most school application regular decision deadlines are between 10/15 and 12/15, but many schools start interviewing as early as October. The general wisdom is the earlier the better since you will need time to get your secondaries done before the application deadline. ( And it kinda seems like the higher the school ranking, the earlier the deadline…)</p>
<p>Medical school works on rolling admissions. Applicants can apply beginning in June. If you take the MCAT in August, you don’t get the scores for weeks. Since the applications can’t be read without the scores, you are competing for spots that are left after other spots are filled, etc. Those who apply during the summer, often have taken the MCAT in April, so they can get their applications in early. Medical school is a two-part application. First there is a general application and then you get invited to apply for the second round which includes interviews. As someone pointed out, those interviews aren’t until fall, but they have already been responding to candidates since summer and so there are less spots to offer the last group of applicants. </p>
<p>My son attends an LAC with a phenomenal admit rate to Medical School. The advisor told him that if he wants to apply to medical school his senior year, he should take the MCAT in April of his junior year. If he is willing to wait a year, then August is best so he can study for the exam without the pressure of his second semester courses. Of course, his situation is different since he is still in school. You can apply for more than one year, obviously. But, from what I can tell, applying to medical school makes applying to college seem like a fun way to spend to spend a few weeks. It is a process that drags on for months, includes essays, letters of recommendation, interviews, travel, etc. You need to decide if you have it in you to possibly do that two years in the row, including the significant expense of applications and travel.</p>
<p>Post your question on the Pre-Med Topics forum as well. There are members there who are currently in Med schools as well as some who have just finished the 09/10 cycle and others who are beginning the 10/11 cycle.</p>