Applying and Getting In
Statistics show that overall, the percentage of applicants between the ages of 21 and 23 who gain admission to medical (approximately 45 percent) is significantly higher than that of applicants between the ages of 24 and 27 (between 20 and 30 percent). But don't let these numbers scare you. Age can be presented as a plus. What nontraditional applicants must realize, however, is that they need to be as competitive as all the other successful applicants. This means having a competitive GPA and MCAT score. Older applicants often tend to have less competitive GPAs and lower MCAT scores.

Timing
Often, one of the most difficult issues for nontraditional applicants is the timing of the application process. Not doing well on the MCAT can potentially delay entrance to medical school a full year. From start to finish, it may take a nontraditional applicant anywhere from 2 to 4 years from the time she makes her decision to go to medical school to the time she actually matriculates.

• April: The MCAT is given. If you have taken all your pre-reqs by this date, this is the test you should aim to take.

• June: AMCAS apps are accepted. These are the preliminary applications. You'll need all your transcripts (undergrad, grad, and post-bacc). Submit these as soon as possible (transcripts are accepted beginning in March, but completed applications aren't accepted until June 1.)

• August: The MCAT is given again, but you should only take this administration if you need to improve your scores from April, and then, only if you anticipate a significant improvement. Many schools won't even look at your application until your scores are available, so taking this test risks delaying your application until October.

• August: Med schools that accept AMCAS applications begin sending secondaries to their applicants. Some schools only send secondaries to a select few, while other schools send them to all their applicants. The turn-around time on these can be short (2 to 4 weeks). Keep in mind recommendations are a part of the secondary application.

• August-May: Invitations to interview are sent out. If you get invited to interview, it's a very good sign. Admissions decisions are also made during this time.

• June-August: Wait-listed or "hold" candidates may be accepted.

Thinking about applying to medical school as this set of steps will make the entire process much more manageable. People apply to, and get accepted by, medical school each year. With adequate planning and lots of hard work, there's no reason why you shouldn't be one of them.