Are You a Pre-Med Struggling With a “Should-I” Question? We’re Here to Help.

If you’re planning to apply to medical school, you might be wondering one or more of these things right now. Check out our guidance and related resources below.

Should I Take the MCAT again? 

We recommend taking the MCAT a maximum of three times—really, you should aim for two. (Medical schools prefer it.) "Since this exam’s introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice," reported the AAMC. "About 5% have tested three times.”

Data from the AAMC suggests that the longer the time between your first and second exam, the bigger the point gain. Many factors likely play into this, one of them is as simple as completing helpful college courses. 

You can take the MCAT seven times in your lifetime. The cap is three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. There is no uniform way that schools handle multiple MCAT scores. Some will take your highest, others your most recent, others an average of your scores. So, if you scored really well on test one, you might do better to leave that score alone. But generally, we do recommend taking the test twice because it’s very likely that you’ll be able to improve your score by at least a couple of points.

Related: 

Key Considerations Before Retaking the MCAT 

Preparing for the MCAT: Tips and Advice from an Expert

Should I Apply Early Decision? 

We rarely advise clients to apply early decision. Not only do you have to be 100% ready to commit to the school where you apply early if admitted, but you must be an absolute all-star. If you’re an average applicant, you will not improve your chances of admission. If you want to apply for early decision, August 1st is the Early Decision Program (EDP) deadline for all medical schools that use the AMCAS submission system. (And most do.) The EDP will tell you if you were accepted or not by October 1st, so you will still have time to apply to other medical schools if you’re rejected.

Should I Take a Gap Year?

Maybe. In 2019, 43.9% of matriculating medical students had taken a gap year or two before medical school, according to the AAMC. You might even take a longer pause. Fun fact: The average age of a 2021 Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania matriculant was 24—ranging between 21 and 30. 

So, why might you want to take some time between undergrad and med school? You can use a gap year to beef up your transcript with a post-bacc or master's degree. Or you might take a break from academics to immerse yourself in a clinical or research experience. 

If you're light on clinical or research experience, we highly recommend a gap year. Longer-term clinical and research roles will teach you things a short stint cannot. And, if you work full-time in a clinical or research environment, that will further enhance your candidacy. 

Maybe you want to put away more money before attending medical school. Never a bad idea. Whatever work you do—it doesn’t have to be medical, you could be a bond trader or consultant—should challenge you in the areas of leadership, critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving. This is a transferable skill set to medical school and residency. What a gap year cannot be: A year of nothing but MCAT prep and vacation. Schools need to know you can handle multiple priorities and that you value learning and helping others.

Related:

Blog Series: Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School

Clinical Experiences that Medical Schools Love

How to Find Clinical Experiences for Your Gap Year(s)

Anatomy of a Successful MBA Application: Show Meaningful Professional Experience

In this three-part blog series, we’re taking a deep dive into what admissions committees are looking for in your MBA application. Each post will highlight one question your application must answer effectively for admissions success. 

After you’ve demonstrated academic readiness, the MBA admissions committee will assess the quality and quantity of your full-time, post-baccalaureate work experience. They want to know: Does this applicant have the professional experience they need to accomplish their short-term post-MBA goals? 

To get their answer, the admissions committee will pay closest attention to your:

  • Resume and Essays. Think of your resume as a general overview of your life from the start of college until today, that articulates clearly the results you’ve achieved and impact you’ve had in each role or involvement. In contrast, your essay responses should be deep dives that will show the reader, through anecdote, your abilities in the areas of innovation and/or leadership and/or teamwork. On average, business school matriculants have about four years of work experience. If you’ve spent less than four years working, provide an explanation as to why you want to get your MBA now. 

Review our blog on crafting a results-driven resume. 

Review our blog on key mistakes to avoid when writing your MBA application essays.

  • Your stated career goals. Provide the admissions committee with specific short-term, post MBA goals that make sense given what you’ve done in the past. This will convince them that you will hit the ground running securing an internship and job as soon as you enter the program.

    A common mistake we see in MBA admissions is applicants who, unknowingly, position themselves as an employment risk. This can happen when you articulate a goal set that is too vague or unrelated to any of your past experiences. Once you are admitted, you will have the opportunity to reevaluate your goals. You’re allowed to change your mind! But your first goal, of course, is getting into business school. 

Related:

Anatomy of a Successful MBA Application: Demonstrate Academic Readiness

Best Law Schools for Practical Training

Which law school experiences best prepare a student for a legal career? In the most recent Law School Alumni Employment and Satisfaction study, the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) added this question for 2019 law school graduates. And their answer was clear: experiential learning. The majority of respondents, 70 percent, named clinical and experiential courses as their most impactful. On the other end of the scale, just 17 percent named student affairs programs and resources. 

The emphasis on experiential learning aligns with the National Jurist’s methodology for its 2024 ranking of Law Schools with the Best Practical Training. The methodology places the heaviest weight on student participation in clinic offerings (32 percent), followed by externships (25 percent), simulation courses (20 percent), moot court / pro-bono work (10 percent), and practical training offerings (10 percent). The ranking allots extra credit to schools that require or guarantee clinic work. 

Review the National Jurist’s top ten-ranked programs for practical training below and check out the full list here.

  1. Baylor University School of Law

  2. University of St. Thomas School of Law (MN)

  3. Northeastern University School of Law

  4. Elon University School of Law

  5. University of Minnesota Law School

  6. Drake University Law School

  7. University of Denver Sturm College of Law

  8. Cornell Law School

  9. Pepperdine Caruso School of Law

  10. Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Preparing for the MCAT: Tips and Advice from an Expert

In the tutoring world, Dr. Stuart Donnelly is known as “Dr. MCAT.” With 24 years of teaching experience, a unique take on MCAT prep, and a great sense of humor, he has become a favorite tutor of Apply Point clients (and consultants). 

We asked him to answer some of our clients’ most frequently asked questions. 

When should I begin studying for the MCAT? “I would say six months before you take it—though, some students leave it until a little later, say, five months before the test. It depends on how strong your background knowledge is in chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology. If you’re not feeling confident in these areas, start six months before because it will take three months just to get through the material.” 

What’s the biggest mistake I could make when prepping for the MCAT? “A major mistake students make: They wait to take the practice test until they get through all the material. And because it takes three months to read the material the first time, by the time they take a practice test, their score is nowhere near where they want to be, and they freak out. So, they go back to reading the material again for another month or two. They’re putting off that next practice test often until the week before the real thing. And their score is still terrible. I think students can begin taking practice tests as soon as two weeks into the studying process. When you’re taking a practice test for the first time, you don’t know how to take the test yet. The first two or three practice tests are going to be just awful. So, get used to it and get it out of the way quickly.”  

Is there a "best way" to take a practice test? “When you’re taking a practice test, take it at the same time in the morning as when the tests are; have your routine be the same as it will be on test day.

The MCAT is such a long exam—the “seat time,” including breaks, is about seven and a half hours. How can I build my stamina? “By doing lots and lots of practice tests. Seriously, that is the only way to do it. Early into practice, students don't have the stamina yet and lose concentration. They don’t have any time management skills yet either. It's only when you've taken three, four, or five practice tests that your score starts to improve. And when you’ve taken seven or eight of them, you get closer to your target figure. I would say nine or 10 tests into it, you start to score in the ballpark you're looking for. And then you want to do that at least two or three times more to make sure that it wasn't a fluke. Then you're ready to take the test. We’re talking about 20 weeks—at least—of preparation. You could take the test every other week.”

Any advice for test day? “Keep your schedule the same as it normally is. If you’d normally have a cup of coffee in the morning, make sure you get your cup of coffee. You'll also want to be familiar with the testing center. Go the day or week before just to make sure you know what train to catch or where to park, and which room the test is in. On the day of the exam, you want to get there as calm and relaxed as you can be.”

Related: Thinking of Retaking the MCAT? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Anatomy of a Successful MBA Application: Demonstrate Academic Readiness

In this three-part blog series, we’re taking a deep dive into what admissions committees are looking for in your MBA application. Each post will highlight one question your application must answer effectively for admissions success. 

The first question that an MBA admissions committee will ask when they look at your application is simple: Will this applicant be able to compete in the academic rigor of our program?

Elite MBA programs are academically challenging. You must be able to thrive amidst the inevitable analytical and quantitative challenges. Since the best predictor of future success is how you’ve handled rigorous academics in the past, to answer this question, the admissions committee will pay closest attention to your: 

  • Undergraduate (and graduate if you have them) Transcripts. They will consider not only your GPA, but also the quality of your course load. Does your GPA fall into the average range for the schools where you are applying (typically between a 3.3 and a 3.7)? Did you take on challenging courses and do well? Did you succeed in classes that required analytical or quantitative work? 

    If your answer to any of these questions is “no” or even “...maybe,” consider taking an analytical course or two, prior to applying to business school. Succeeding in these additional classes will provide the dual benefit of shoring up your confidence and case for admission, as well as giving you a chance to confirm that you’ll enjoy the MBA curriculum. 

  • Standardized Test Scores. Submitting a strong GRE/GMAT/Executive Assessment score will reassure the admissions committee that you have the critical thinking, verbal reasoning, and quantitative skills necessary to succeed in the program. A strong quantitative score is particularly beneficial if your undergraduate major or professional experience did not require much in the way of analytics.

    The good news for business school applicants is that admissions committees will only use your highest submitted score. So, re-take it. You’ll likely do better the next time around.  Not only will a higher score benefit you from an admissions perspective, you will be more likely to get one of those sought after merit-based scholarships. 

MBAs come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. That’s the fun of business school! Just be sure you can convince them that you’ll thrive in their classroom.

LSAT to Debut Updated Writing Section this Summer

The LSAT’s writing section is getting refreshed. LSAC announced this week that, as of July 31st (start of LSAT testing cycle), the test will debut a new writing section designed to gauge test-takers’ argumentative writing skills. 

The update, made in response to the evolving needs of the profession, and to input gathered from the legal community, will no longer focus just on logical reasoning.  It will now try to capture an applicant’s “ability to construct a cogent argument based on a variety of evidentiary sources.” To do this, the section will provide test-takers with an issue and additional context, given through competing perspectives on that issue. The writer will be asked to draft an essay taking and supporting a position, taking into account and addressing, as appropriate, the context provided.

For now, the writing section will remain an unscored component of the LSAT. However, LSAC plans to collect data over the 2024-2025 testing administration period to assess the validity and reliability of the updated section. The organization will work towards its longer-term goal of providing a scored section for law school admissions officers. 

Interested test-takers can review a sample prompt, via LawHub, as a part of the free official LSAT Prep test library. A sample writing prompt is also available on LSAC.org. 

The 2024-2025 Allopathic Medical School Application: An Overview with Suggested Timing

If you’re looking to start medical school in the Fall of 2025, now is the time to get started with the application process! Applying to medical school is arduous, but proper planning can reduce your stress and help you to maintain a manageable task load.

The four components of the medical school application include:

  • Standardized tests: MCAT and Situational Judgment Exams

  • AMCAS application 

  • Secondary Applications

  • Interviews

Standardized Tests

MCAT: Your MCAT scores are typically valid for three years prior to matriculation, and you can take the exam up to three times.

  • Register: Select your preferred date, as well as a few alternative dates that would work. You can register for the test here. The ten-day deadline prior to the test is your last opportunity to schedule, reschedule, or cancel.

  • Prep: Start preparing for the MCAT at least six months prior to your planned test date. And sit for the exam no later than May 24, 2024 (scores released June 25th): This will avoid application delays. Keep in mind that we recommend that you take your exam by mid-April so that you can re-direct your attention to preparing the AMCAS application. 

Review our blog posts on the MCAT:

Situational Judgment Exams: There are two exams (CASPer and AAMC’s PREview) that fall under this umbrella. Depending upon the specific application requirements at the schools where you apply, you may need to take one, or possibly both. Currently, CASPer is the most commonly required of the two. 

CASPer: This test gauges your ability to critically evaluate complex scenarios and employ sound judgment and communication skills. Not all medical schools require applicants to take the CASPer, however, a growing number of allopathic programs do, currently over 40. Your CASPer score is generally only valid for one application cycle. 

The CASPer score is often requested alongside your secondary application or prior to an invitation to interview. Opting to take the test earlier in the cycle, rather than later, will allow you to have your scores readily available when requested, meaning that you can dedicate that time to preparing your secondary application materials or for mock interviews. It will also ensure that your application is not delayed as you wait for your scores.

Review our blog post on CASPer.

AAMC’s PREview Exam: Similar to the CASPer, the Preview exam gauges professional readiness by assessing your judgment in nine competency areas identified as critical for medical school success. It is unique in that it was created specifically for use in medical school admissions. Currently, only six allopathic schools require the Preview exam, while an additional seven allopathic schools and one DO program recommend it.

  • Register: Find instructions for registering for the test here. You are able to reschedule your test up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled test time. Be sure to sit for the exam during the spring or summer of 2024.

  • Prep: Familiarize yourself with the test format and content before you take the exam. Once you have registered for the test, you will gain access to an exam tutorial. 

Review our blog post on the AAMC PREview Exam.

AMCAS Application: 

Submit no later than mid-June.

  • The AMCAS application opens and will be available here on May 1, 2024.

  • The first date to submit the AMCAS application is May 28, 2024.

  • The first date that processed applications will be released to medical schools is June 28, 2024.

We recommend that you submit your application in early to mid-June because your application will go through a verification process prior to the data being released to medical schools. This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks early in the process, to over a month during peak application submission periods. Note, in order to complete verification, your application must contain your official transcript, so request this document as well as your letters of recommendation a month or two before your planned submission date (by March 28, 2024). You also want to submit your AMCAS application early because this step triggers schools to send out secondary application materials, either automatically, or after a pre-screen of your application. 

Review our blog posts on the AMCAS application:

Secondary Applications:

Submit within two weeks of receipt. 

Secondary applications are typically sent between June and August, although they can come later depending upon the timing of your AMCAS submission. Many schools will not review your application file until you have submitted your secondary application. And, because most schools review applications on a rolling basis, and invite applicants to interview accordingly, it is important to send in your secondary application materials promptly, which we define as within two weeks of receipt. 

Additionally, because many of the schools will use at least some of the same prompts, you can start preparing responses to the most commonly asked questions as soon as you’ve submitted your AMCAS application. 

Review our blog post on common secondary application questions. 

Medical School Interviews: 

Fall through Spring 2025 (by invitation only)

Many applicants receive invitations to interview following their submission of secondary applications and/or CASPer or Preview Exam scores. Schedule yours as early as possible. And before solidifying your travel plans, you should contact nearby schools to which you’ve applied and let them know you have an interview in the area in case they have availability. This serves the dual purpose of letting the other school know that you are “in demand,” while also showcasing your strong interest in their program.

Review our blog posts on medical school interviews:

Other Related Blog Posts:

NYU Stern Marks Five Years of Its Endless Frontier Labs

Prospective MBA and entrepreneur? Science and/or tech enthusiast? NYU Stern’s Endless Frontier Labs (EFL) might be of interest to you.

EFL is a dual stream program designed to bolster entrepreneurship in the science/tech space. The program includes an MBA course and an early-seed accelerator program for science and technology startups. Enrolled MBA students, with mentoring and coaching from EFL staff, are paired with a startup to develop a commercialization strategy. Students gain hands-on experience developing and implementing a business model, defining strategy, pulling together financing, and planning for scaling. The startups in the accelerator benefit from the MBA’s consultation on bringing the scientific development(s) to the marketplace, as well as from access to the resources available through the NYU, Stern, and broader NYC communities. 

The program has grown in popularity over its five years. As an accelerator, it now selects about 75 startups each year out of 1500 applications, making it among the most selective of early-seed accelerators. Students are also eager to take part, with about 120 students vying for 75 spots. The course founder and director, Deepak Hegde, stresses that he selects students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and an ability to thrive in ambiguity, not just those with a background in science or tech. 

To date the program has yielded impressive results. EFL has led to 183 alumni startups, with 83 percent of those garnering at least one successful round of funding. This compares favorably to similar accelerators such as YCombinator and Techstars where 77 percent and 73 percent receive funding, respectively. Additionally, Hegde won the 2022 Innovation in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy Award from the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division. And a number of the MBA student participants have continued their work with their startup in a post-graduate position. 

What Medical School Applicants Need to Know About the AAMC Preview Exam

What is the AAMC Preview Exam?

The AAMC Preview exam, formerly known as the AAMC Situational Judgement exam, assesses prospective students’ understanding of “effective professional behavior.” The test uses nine core competencies, which have been identified as critical for medical school success. As per its previous name, the exam remains a situational judgment test designed to provide medical schools with a more holistic view of an applicant’s medical school readiness. 

The competencies tested are:

  • Cultural Awareness

  • Cultural Humility

  • Empathy and Compassion

  • Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Reliability and Dependability

  • Resilience and Adaptability

  • Teamwork and Collaboration

  • Commitment to Learning and Growth 

How is the exam scored?

The exam is multiple choice. Students will receive descriptions of a “situation” and are then asked to judge possible behaviors in response to the situation as “very ineffective to very effective” on a four-point scale. The exam consists of 186 questions. 

Test-takers will receive one overall score between 1 and 9 (highest). A higher score denotes that the test-taker’s responses were more frequently in line with the consensus of medical educators. 

How is it different from CASPer?

Similar to CASPer, the test gauges situational judgment. However, the CASPer test is open-ended while the Preview exam is multiple choice. The AAMC Preview was also designed with medical students and professionals in mind and test-takers must verify a statement that they are taking the test solely with the intent of applying to an allopathic or osteopathic medical program. The CASPer test is more general in nature. 

An applicant may need to take both the AAMC Preview and the CASPer test, depending upon the application requirements of the medical schools they are applying to.  

When can I take the AAMC Preview exam?

The exam is administered from March through September 2024. Test-takers may sit for the exam twice in one year, and up to four times overall. Key registration dates are available here. 

What schools require / recommend the AAMC Preview Exam?

These lists are continually being updated. We recommend checking the AAMC website for the latest. This post is up-to-date as of February 2024.  

Schools requiring:

  • Mercer University School of Medicine

  • Saint Louis University School of Medicine

  • Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah

  • University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

  • University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

  • University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine

Schools recommending:

  • Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

  • George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

  • Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans

  • Morehouse School of Medicine

  • Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

  • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine

Schools requiring a Situational Judgment Test (the Preview will satisfy):

  • Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

DO schools recommending:

  • Des Moines University Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program (you may submit your application with or without a Preview score)

Additional schools may collect Preview Exam scores in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, not for the purposes of assessing applicants, but to collect data to determine if they will incorporate the Preview Exam into future application cycles. These research-only schools are identified within the AMCAS application. 

Where can I find out more about the AAMC Preview Exam?

The AAMC provides a number of useful materials and resources online. Consider starting with the AAMC Preview Essentials and the Professional Readiness Exam Sample. 

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Announces Free Tuition for All Students

A historic donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York will allow students to attend the medical school tuition-free. Dr. Ruth Gottesman, a former professor at the school and the current Chair of the Board of Trustees, gifted a staggering $1 billion. The NY Times described it as, “one of the largest charitable donations to an educational institution in the United States and most likely the largest to a medical school.”

Upon her husband’s death in 2022, Dr. Gottesman was surprised to receive a portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway stock, which financed the gift. He included the instructions to “Do whatever you think is right with it.” Upon consideration of the sum, she knew with certainty what she wanted to do. “I wanted to fund students at Einstein so that they would receive free tuition,” she said. “There was enough money to do that in perpetuity.” Gottesman hopes this gift will not only free students just starting out in their careers from crippling medical school debt, but that it will also broaden the student population to include those who would otherwise have not have been able to afford medical school. 

For current fourth-year students, the gift will go into effect immediately, with each student receiving a reimbursement for the spring semester. All other students will cease paying tuition starting in August.

ABA Declines to Grant JD-Next Full Approval

Last week, the ABA declined to grant the JD-Next law school admissions test full approval. This decision maintains the status quo in which schools must request a variance from standard 503—the ABA’s admissions test requirement—to use the test for admissions. Almost 25 percent of ABA-accredited schools have already received this exemption for the upcoming admissions cycle.

The ABA requested additional data in order to confirm the test as a "valid and reliable" predictor of law student grades, on par with the LSAT or GRE. Daniel Thies, Chair of the ABA Standards Committee, provided his reasoning by referencing an ABA-commissioned third party evaluation of the test. Although the report did conclude that the JD-Next was a valid predictor of grades, it came with “multiple cautions and caveats” that pointed to a need for additional data collection and study. 

David Klieger, the Program Director for JD-Next at Aspen Publishing, provided a statement to Reuters that expressed disappointment, but highlighted that "institutions still have the option to incorporate JD-Next through the use of a variance, and potential law students continue to benefit from it."

Related JD-Next: What You Need to Know About this Alternative to the LSAT

Stanford and Yale Law Schools Announce Plans for Earlier Virtual On-Campus Interviewing

Stanford and Yale Law Schools are making waves with their recent announcements to move virtual on-campus interviews up to June, which is ahead of the formal OCI processes.

Stanford Law School’s announcement explained that they want to better align with firms’ recent hiring practices. Many firms, they noted, are now doing significantly more hiring early in the process through direct applications and interviews. The schedule change will not only provide students with access to those open positions, it will also allow them to focus on their finals and/or their summer internships. 

Yale’s announcement also focused on its desire to align with firms’ hiring patterns. Kelly Voight, Yale Law School’s Assistant Dean for the Career Development Office, said that the school is making this decision to, “best serve our students by maximizing student choice, promoting informed decision-making, and leveling the playing field for law firm recruiting,” in an email to Law.com.

Prospective law students interested in big law should keep an eye on how other elite schools respond to Stanford and Yale’s announcements, and also how they plan to support their students amidst an evolving employment market. 

Wharton Claims the Top Spot in Financial Times’ 2024 MBA Rankings

Over the weekend, the Financial Times published its 2024 MBA Rankings. The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton school took the top spot and Columbia Business School tied with Bocconi for the third rank. While just two U.S.-based schools cracked the top five, fifteen U.S. programs placed within the top 25. 

A few notable findings include:

  • Wharton’s top rank came as a result of its first-place finish in “research” and its strong performance in “weighted salary” (third, behind only Stanford GSB and Harvard). 

  • Stanford GSB came in 23rd overall, but was ranked the highest for “alumni network,” “weighted salary,” and alumni assessment of “aims achieved.” The program also ranked second for “career progress.”

  • Harvard Business School, ranked 11th overall, took the second spot for both “research” and “weighted salary,” and fifth for “career progress.”

  • University of Georgia’s Terry came in 40th overall, but ranked first for “value for money.” 

The rankings also took into account measures such as gender and international diversity, school environmental policies, and employment data. Check out the full rankings and the rankings for the underlying metrics, here.

2024 Rank / School

1 University of Pennsylvania: Wharton 

2 Insead 

3 Columbia Business School 

3 SDA Bocconi School of Management

5 IESE Business School 

6 Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

6 MIT: Sloan

8 London Business School 

9 Cornell University: Johnson

10 University of Chicago: Booth 

11 Harvard Business School

12 HEC Paris 

12 Dartmouth College: Tuck

14 Duke University's Fuqua School of Business

15 Yale School of Management

16 University of Virginia: Darden 

17 Esade Business School 

18 UCLA Anderson School of Management

19 University of California at Berkeley: Haas 

20 IE Business School 

21 New York University: Stern 

21 Ceibs

23 Stanford Graduate School of Business

24 Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business

25 ESCP Business School 

Thinking about an MBA Round Three Application? Sometimes it’s Alright.

As a rule, we do not recommend applying for your MBA in Round Three, but there are a few circumstances when it can be a sound choice for an applicant. 

  • You have a competitive application. The third round is among the most competitive because there are fewer seats available. To gain admission, you must submit a strong application. Confirm that your GPA and test scores compare favorably to the school’s average ranges for admitted students. If you have doubts about your test scores or your work experience, or are concerned about getting strong recommendations in a quick time-frame, we recommend that you hold off until the next admissions season.

  • You bring a unique value proposition. Admissions committees are looking for applicants who will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the business school. Applicants who can showcase a unique point of view will stand out even in the competitive third round. Unsure? You might consider holding off on applying while you garner more professional and community experiences.

  • You face a professional transition. Were you recently laid off? Did you just return from a military deployment or other overseas work experience? Shutter your startup? If you have a personal or professional reason for submitting an application in Round Three, rather than earlier, we recommend that you include this information in the optional essay space. Providing the admissions committee with an understanding of your timing will help you to build a stronger case for admission. 

  • You don’t require merit-based support. If you don’t need financial support in the form of merit-based scholarships, Round Three is fine. Most programs won’t consider applicants for scholarships after the January deadlines.  

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Linkage Programs

As we’ve mentioned in this blog series, some post-bacc programs and SMPs offer linkage programs. These allow students to skip their “glide year” between their post-bacc program or SMP and medical school, and matriculate into an affiliated med school the fall after their current program ends. Linkage students’ applications to affiliated schools essentially go to the top of the pile. 

Here’s the rub, though: You can only apply to one of the affiliated schools, and if admitted, you’re expected not to apply to more schools within that year and commit to attending the school that accepted you. So, you really only want to do linkage if you are dead set on a certain medical school. 

If this still sounds good to you: Linkage programs can be sweet back door entrances into a university's medical school (or an affiliated university's medical school), provided you do well in them. Students who absolutely nail their linkage SMP or post-bacc courses might automatically be offered conditional acceptance to their medical school if they meet certain criteria. Notice the words “conditional” and “certain” here, they’re doing a lot of work. Schools don’t like to say the word “guaranteed,” even if you rocked the house. 

We know of a non-client who completed his linkage SMP with the required GPA and thus earned his interview at his school’s medical program…but he was then waitlisted. He ended up getting in, but for a minute there, there was a real possibility that he was going to have to apply the following year. That wouldn’t have been the end of the world, though. Schools like to point out that “most” SMP graduates do get into medical school if not during their program, soon afterwards.

If this has spiked your curiosity, find out if your top school has a linkage program, what affiliates it has, and what unique benefits it offers. Here is a little info on just a few linkage programs we like:

  • Bryn Mawr’s post-baccalaureate premedical program connects to one dental school and 16 medical schools, including the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Boston University’s School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. The school reports that the post-bacc program’s linkage option is quite popular—and successful. “Bryn Mawr has early acceptance arrangements with more medical schools than any other [post-bacc] program, and we have the longest-standing relationships with many of these consortial/linkage schools,” writes Glenn Cummings, Director of the Bryn Mawr Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program. As for the program overall, the school boasts that “over 98% [of students] are accepted to medical school.”

  • University of Virginia's pre-med post-bacc graduates have a 95% acceptance rate to medical schools across the country. In addition to teaching the sciences, the program requires students to take a course on the U.S. healthcare system and facilitates volunteering and shadowing experiences. Their linkage program connects to George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences and University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine.

  • Columbia’s post-bacc premed program is housed in its School of General Studies and offers linkage to New York University’s Medical School, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell’s Medical College, and eight other programs. If you want to find out more about their various linkage opportunities, Columbia regularly hosts online events.

  • Tufts MBS program is a SMP that offers a MS in Biomedical Sciences—and linkage to Tufts School of Medicine’s MD Program. (That’s a lot of acronyms!) On average, 54 linkage applicants from the MBS program get an interview at Tufts each year. Thirty-seven of those students are typically accepted into the school of medicine. Says the school, “MBS students who apply to the School of Medicine's MD program get preferred consideration for interviews and will be carefully and holistically reviewed. This is regardless of if they meet the specific MBS Linkage criteria.” Linkage aside, according to Tufts, most of the MBS class can expect a leg up into medical school. They report an “80+% admit rate to medical school (vs. the 7% national average)” and a “60% interview rate at Tufts University’s School of Medicine for the MD program (vs. 10% from the general applicant pool).” MBS requires a thesis and “in lieu of a traditional thesis defense, MBS students must have their thesis formally approved by their mentor and identified readers,” according to the school. Students can complete the program in one year or two, if they want to extend their clinical work in the community or complete a lab-based thesis.

  • Some DO programs offer linkage too. Barry University’s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences is a non-thesis SMP meant to prepare students for medical or dental school or Biomedical Sciences PhD programs. You can earn acceptance into the program even if you don’t have all your premedical requirements yet. In the program, you might find yourself doing research work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institute of Health (NIH), or the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Successful completion guarantees an interview at Barry University’s School of Podiatric Medicine (POD) or an affiliate school, which are: the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), and the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM).

Related:

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: An Overview

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Special Master’s Programs

Wondering When to Apply to Law School? New Research Confirms the Earlier the Better

Findings from an AccessLex study on law school admissions prove the old adage: If you’re early, you’re on time and, if you’re on time, you’re late. They found: 

Submission timing matters greatly. Students who submitted applications early, prior to the end of November, gained admission to law school at a rate of 40 percent. Those who submitted applications “on time,” prior to the beginning of February, gained admission at a rate of 24 percent. Late applicants, even with similar admissions profiles, were less likely than those who submitted early or on time to receive an offer. 

Kelsey Risman, a senior evaluation methodologist at the AccessLex Institute, spoke about the study results with the ABA Journal, emphasizing the impact that rolling admissions can have on applicants. “The deadline is not really the deadline. The deadline is just when they stop looking at things in a rolling admissions context. If you submit the day before the deadline, you might be fighting many people for one remaining slot,” she said. 

LSAT timing drives an applicant’s submission. The report also showed that a key contributor to overall application timing is LSAT timing. Of the prospective law students who took the test after January 1st, almost two-thirds, 63 percent, submitted their application late. Among those who completed the LSAT before January 1st, the percentage that submitted late decreased to 26 percent.

Sound application strategy is different from law school readiness. The study found no correlation between high LSAT scores and early application submissions. Those who submitted applications early were simply more likely to have demonstrated knowledge of application tactics, while those who submitted late pointed to “an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of sound application strategy.” 

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Special Master’s Programs

Like an undergraduate post-bacc program, Special Master’s Programs (SMPs) are one or two-year programs (typically one-year) designed to help you prepare for medical school. 

SMPs are for people who completed the pre-medical curriculum...but maybe could have done better. We also know of SMP applicants who had fine grades but were bad test takers and had low MCAT scores. Attending a SMP can show commitment to studying medicine and serve as proof that you’re a capable student. 

These programs are also great for folks who simply feel underprepared for the medical school environment because SMPs offer a med school-esque experience. You might even take courses alongside medical students and be able to pick their brains. 

There’s more than just science courses to SMPs too: Morehouse has a one- and two-year Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS), which offers an MCAT prep course (not every SMP does), scribe training, and courses covering systemic racism to prepare underrepresented students for what they may encounter in med school and the medical field. The MSMS programs also provide matriculants with both a faculty and student advisor. Notes Morehouse: “As of the 2021 graduating class, the Post-Baccalaureate and MSMS degree programs have graduated 160 students with 88% of them entering health professional schools (134 to MD, three to DO, two to PA, one to DDS, and one to PhD programs).”

You might choose your SMP because it is under the same metaphorical or actual roof as your ideal medical school. You’ll have the chance to do some strong on-campus networking, always a plus when interviewing. And SMP students’ med school applications get special notice at the school they’re attending.

Georgetown has the oldest one-year Master of Physiology program built for aspiring medical students in the country; 50% of its students are accepted to medical school while still in the program. And 85% of its graduates are accepted to medical school within two years of completing their Master's degree. SMP students at Georgetown have an advantage when applying to Georgetown School of Medicine (GUSOM). “Many SMP students apply to [GUSOM] while in the program,” notes the school. “The SMPs are pulled out of the general applicant pool and are reviewed separately. GUSOM highly values students from the program and typically interviews half of the class. Of those interviewed, typically half are offered acceptance.”

The AAMC has a detailed list of 311 post-baccalaureate and SMP programs, and if they have linkage affiliations, it notes the schools they’re affiliated with. You can search by school, state, and public or private institution.

Related:

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: An Overview

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Linkage Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Master’s Programs

A Master's program, like one of Chemistry, Physiology, or Public Health, can bolster a weaker transcript. And because some Master’s programs involve research and a thesis, a strong performance shows your ability to thrive in an in-depth program. Of note, your Master's GPA counts separately from your undergraduate GPA. 

A client of ours pursued an MS in Human Nutrition. Her goal was to learn more about public health nutrition and use that experience to apply to medical school with not only a stronger transcript but deeper knowledge of an area of great interest to her.

If, like our client, you're eager to expand your knowledge of a specific area or better prepare for a competitive and collaborative environment, earning an advanced degree might be for you. A Master's program can also hook you up with a helpful mentor. 

As mentioned in the post-bacc blog, Princeton University offers a short list of post-bacc and master’s programs that highlights elite schools. 

Related:

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: An Overview

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Special Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Post-bacc programs are one- and two-year certification programs (you don’t earn a degree, but rather a certificate) and are ideal for folks who are making a career change or need to enhance their academic record. 

If you have not satisfied the course requirements for medical school, you must earn a post-bacc. (Or at least do a self-styled post-bacc experience, in which you take the courses missing from your undergrad transcript.) Career changers typically lack multiple med school course requirements; the clients who we’ve worked with who have attended post-bacc programs were all career changers. Post-bacc programs are also an option for those who tanked some classes early on in their college career or re-applicants who have some room for academic improvement. A post-bacc counts towards your undergraduate GPA like a fifth year of college. Some post-bacc programs offer MCAT prep too.

There are post-bacc programs that are full-time or part-time and/or offer night classes, making it easy to continue to gain clinical experiences between now and when you matriculate to med school (a must no matter what else you do). 

You can get briefed on the details of many-a-post-bacc-program by using the AAMC's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs database. Some post-bacc programs (and Special Master’s Programs) offer linkage programs—we’ll explain that further in a bit—and this database will tell you what schools those programs are affiliated with, if any. Princeton University offers a shorter list of strong post-bacc and master’s programs that is tremendously helpful.

Related:

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: An Overview

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Special Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Linkage Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: An Overview

If you don’t think you’re ready to apply to medical school (or you’ve been rejected), you may be considering a post-baccalaureate certification, a Master’s program, or a Special Master’s Program (SMP). Maybe you’re even specifically looking for a post-bacc or SMP that offers a linkage program. Or you might not know why you’d pursue any of that! No matter the case, read on, because, in this blog series, we’ll explain the difference between these offerings and what you should think about before pursuing them. 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let us say this: If your undergrad GPA is strong, you have done enough science coursework, and you feel ready for medical school, you don't need to take on the added expense of another program before med school. They are cash- and time-consuming. 

Cost is just one of the reasons that these programs are known as “high risk, high reward.” They can give you an advantage in getting into medical school, especially at the one that houses the program. But not doing well in such a program is a devastating look. These programs are challenging, so if you’re not ready for med school, you might not be ready for them, either. 

The value of pursuing a post-bacc certification or an advanced degree before medical school is subjective. These programs offer a great way to mature and expand your knowledge—but they are definitely not a guarantee that you will get into a medical school.

Related:

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Special Master’s Programs

Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School: Linkage Programs

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