Looking Ahead: 2025-26 Application Cycle Prep
As the 2024-25 Application Cycle whizzes by, I am looking to apply the knowledge I've learned from this cycle to the next. I originally planned to apply this summer, but decided I wasn't completely ready yet. However, I am looking forward to applying in 2025!
I now know that I need to begin working on my AMCAS application much earlier to feel prepared and ready to submit in the first couple weeks when the portal opens in late May/early June! The Big 3 requirements for AMCAS include (1) letters of recommendation, (2) personal statement, and (3) work/activities section. There are other requirements like your transcript, background information, etc. but I like to think of these Big 3 as the requirements that I can directly influence/edit. I will ask for letters of recommendation much earlier than the deadline, so preferably around Spring Break (March) to give my letter writers plenty of time. I will also begin writing my personal statement and work/activities section earlier so that I can have time to for my peers/advisors to proofread my writing. The big idea here is to: START EARLY!
What are some other pieces of advice for applying that you all have?😀
Comments
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Hi Brooke,
This is Maria Lofftus, one of Kaplan's Medical School Admissions Consultants. In addition to my work with Kaplan students, I was the assistant dean of admissions at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the chair of the National Committee of Admissions for the AAMC.
Congratulations on your decision to apply what you have learned in the current application cycle to the 2025/2026 cycle. It's wise to start preparing early for a possible reapplication because waiting to hear a final decision from your schools may not happen until well after the 2025/2026 application opens.
Preparing to reapply includes an objective evaluation of an applicant's credentials to identify opportunities for improvement. This assessment is best done with the assistance of people familiar with the application process, such as a pre-med advisor, physician mentors, or feedback from a med school's admissions staff. Some factors, such as improving MCAT scores, may be done relatively quickly. In contrast, others, such as gaining substantive clinical, research, teaching, or social advocacy experience, may take a bit longer.
In addition to the three core application components you have identified, I think one other component most applicants fail to consider deeply enough when considering where to apply is their "fit" to a particular medical school. When most applicants think of "fit," they consider GPA, MCATs, and state residency, and those are certainly factors to consider. Many applicants will further screen schools on factors critical to the applicant. However, very few consider how their interests and professional goals (as documented by their experiences, academic courses, and life) align with the physician an individual medical school hopes to graduate. This is the issue behind the question, "Why did you apply to us?" and "Why should we accept you?" It can take significant time and research to identify medical schools for which you are a good "fit" and candidate.
Wishing you every success.
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