<p>Hi,
I know this is a dumb question…but when do people start working on their amcas application? Is it during their junior year or during the summer?? The reason i ask is that i wanted to do a research program during the summer after junior year but if that is too late then id rather forfeit the program and work on my application instead.
The program ends august 25th…so maybe id still have time to do both? ahhhh so confusing!
Any advice would help 
thank you!</p>
<p>Somewhat outdated, but the info in this old post is still useful:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/4265178-post16.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/4265178-post16.html</a></p>
<p>This is a golden standard, but for many, it is not easy to meet this standard (esp. the LORs and premed committee’s letter parts, if your school has the latter.) Many missed the deadlines by about 1 month (but should never delay by 2+ months) and could still be doing fine in the end. However, it is no denying that those who can stick to this high standard have all the advantage.</p>
<p>I think DS submitted his AMCAS application online almost 1 month late by this standard. The more challenging parts seem to be to get the secondaries in fast enough.</p>
<p>I see no reason why you shouldn’t do the summer program.</p>
<p>AMCAS applications become available May 1, but you cannot submit until June 1. Verification takes anywhere from a few days to 6-8 weeks. (Depends upon the backlog of applications.) </p>
<p>This means you can start to fill out your application before your summer program starts and possibly even submit it before the program starts.</p>
<p>Until verification is complete, you won’t be able to receive any secondaries. So you’re not doing anything during that time.</p>
<p>I would assume if you wrote your personal statement ahead of time (which is actually quite a good idea), made a comprehensive list of your activities (with hours and contact names/numbers), and had copy of your unofficial transcript at hand–that you could knock out your primary app over a weekend easily.</p>
<p>Then you’d have a [possibly long] wait until your file is verified and you start receiving secondaries. Secondaries can be quite short or rather long–depending on the school, but even the longest secondary should take you no more than 5-6 hours to complete.</p>
<p>Most interviews are in late Aug thru Dec. (And if you have an early interview date before your program ends be, you can always ask for a re-schedule.)</p>
<p>Many, many people apply while doing full time summer research, or even while working full time jobs. The process isn’t all that time-consuming.</p>
<p>I’ll add that many secondaries can be pre-written as well. Take a look at SDN and see if they’ve stayed the same for the past couple of years.</p>
<p>I think it would be expected that you are doing something other than apps during the summer after your junior year.</p>
<p>Just to reiterate, it’s not like this whole applying to med school thing is more than a full-time job. When it comes to sitting down and actually filling out the AMCAS, if you have all your stuff prepared (eg you know what you want to write for your activities, you have your transcripts in front of you so you can just copy them over), you can easily get them done in a morning, and probably quicker if you’re not too neurotic about them.</p>
<p>You can write a PS in a few weeks, spending an hour or two here or there editing and revising it. </p>
<p>It shouldn’t take you long to request LORs or attend your committee interview.</p>
<p>It takes a while to complete all the secondaries (maybe…5-6h per?), but again, something that can certainly be accomplished while you’re doing other things like a job or research or volunteering or whatever.</p>
<p>It’s really just about how motivated you are to complete stuff. There’s no one standing over you forcing you to complete your apps in June!</p>
<p>Why should the primary be sent on June 8th specifically?</p>
<p>I dont think the June 8th applies anymore. In the past, the system would crash/ be unstable. I dont think that has happened in a while</p>
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<p>That thread is old, this year you could submit AMCAS starting on June 5th.</p>
<p>OP,
Do both. Usually people apply right after they get their MCAT score and hopefully, all other things (LORs, etc.) are completed by this time.</p>