Because most students take the MCAT around the same time that they are applying to medical school, it is crucial that you find a careful balance between the time you spend on your application and MCAT prep. Here’s how it’s done:
(1) Set a goal for when you will get your primary application completed. When it comes to the AMCAS application, I’d recommend having it completed by the end of May so that you can submit it on the first day it can be submitted at the beginning of June. If you are applying to Texas schools, DO schools, or other non-traditional schools, however, you will want to carefully research their important dates as you begin to plan how you are going to slay the application beast ahead of you.
(2) Make a list of every task you need to complete before submitting your application. Once you’ve made this list, you should put the tasks in priority order and assign a due date to each one. You may think that you just need to focus all your energy on the MCAT and that you will just think about the application once this MCAT is out of the way, but this will not work. Some aspects of the application could take months for you to complete. For instance, if you wait until the last minute to ask for letters of recommendation, it will likely be too late since your professors will all be too busy to help you. Not to mention, if you have to rush someone to write a letter for you, chances are they won’t do a very good job.
(3) Plan each task into your MCAT study timeline. Treat application tasks with the same respect that you give to your MCAT studying assignments by planning them into your schedule at the same time. Remember this, a top MCAT score will do you no good if you don’t have a solid application to go along with it. Both are extremely crucial to earning you acceptance to the medical school of your dreams. Do yourself a big favor by giving both the application and your MCAT studying the due diligence they deserve.
If you are not sure what exactly you need to have accomplished in order to submit your primary application, be sure to take advantage of my Medical School Application Course. It will walk you through every task you need to complete and provide you with key tips for composing a stellar application. And best of all, it comes with full access to awesome tools such as my Medical School Application Spreadsheet that will help you stay 100-percent organized. You won’t want to miss out on this crucial resource.
As always, if you have any questions at all, please be sure to reach out. I am here to help! 🙂
Warm regards,
Andrew George
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