The Early Bird Gets into Medical School: Why You Should Apply Early
Applying to medical school can be a stressful process! At Code Blue Essays, we know how lengthy and complicated it can get, especially if you are applying to multiple medical schools. Fortunately, we have the hacks you need to make your application season as streamlined and low-stress as it can be!
As a rule, medical school hopefuls should aim to complete their applications as soon as AMCAS allows. Code Blue Essays even has you covered with information regarding your application timeline and when you should prepare yourself for the application drop! Getting your primary applications in early ensures that you are in the first round of candidates that undergo review.
Medical school acceptance rate is only 6.3%, and schools offer placements on a rolling admission basis. If you wait to submit your primary application, by the time you can interview, you will interview for far fewer spots, and are less likely to gain admission. Not only do you increase your chances of going to medical school if you submit as early as possible, but you also give yourself a much less stressful summer. The application process can loom ominously over you until you complete it.
Once your primary applications are submitted, you wait… and you work on likely secondary application essays. Spreading this process out with a cushion for timing is an ideal way to ensure you can give the best impression of yourself in your application. No matter what, sending your primary applications off is a massive relief. It is the culmination of years of effort, so give your application the best chance to shine by submitting it as soon as AAMC allows.
To be fully prepared to complete your application as soon as it is released, you will need to make sure that you can physically submit information quickly. Some application components are simply a matter of entering general information and uploading your transcripts into the AMCAS application. Other components take a bit more time to gather, so ready those items for submission ahead of time.
Many medical school hopefuls believe that your MCAT score is the single most important factor for medical school admission. MCAT scores are, in fact, very important for admission. AAMC categorizes test scores in the “highest importance” category along with a student’s GPA and completion of required courses. After all, the MCAT tests your “problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.”
Despite its importance, you do not need an MCAT score on file to complete your primary application on AMCAS. When your score is reported, it will automatically be uploaded to your application and sent to the schools you choose to apply to.
Other items that you’ll need for your AMCAS application are your letters of recommendation, your personal statement, and a description of your most meaningful experiences.
Recommendation letters, by nature, take a bit of time to compile. As a general rule, it’s helpful to secure your letter writers about two months before submitting your primary application. You’ll want distinguished writers who can speak highly of you. By giving them plenty of time to write a letter, you’re showing them a courtesy they can reciprocate when they write your letter. Further, your letter writer is likely very busy, so respect that they cannot drop everything and write your letter on the spot.
Remember that many future medical students are also trying to prepare to submit their applications right away, so your letter writer may become inundated by requests for other recommendations with similar due dates. Catch your recommenders earlier in the process for an advantage!
Your personal statement should be in its most polished state when you submit it with your AMCAS application. As another lengthy portion of the application process, ensure that it is ready to go early. Some students avoid writing their personal statement until the last minute, but smart students start writing early so they can dedicate the attention to their personal statement that it deserves. Code Blue Essays is here to coach you through getting started with our Superhero Training Academy, then helps you polish it with our editing services.
Compiling meaningful clinical experiences is a specific and tedious process. It is even more difficult and tedious if you’re trying to recall events that happened years ago with no recordings of those experiences. If you have been using Code Blue’s Clinical Experience Journal, the process could still be a bit tedious, but entering your experiences into your medical school application is simple and streamlined.
Preparing to have your AMCAS application ready to submit on the spot can seem daunting, but Code Blue Essays makes completing the intimidating steps of the application easier, so rest assured that you can do it, and ask for help! As you wrap up your primary applications and submit them early, remember that Code Blue is also here to support you during the later steps in your medical school application process. Reach out today for help with your secondary essays or need interview coaching. We’ve got what you need to get into medical school!
