When to Start Your BS/MD Applications

Read Time: 4 minutes

Good morning parents and future doctors,

In the competitive world of BS/MD admissions, starting your applications at the right time often makes a huge difference. With BS/MD program acceptance rates lower than traditional colleges, it is critical to ensure each essay and application material is as strong as possible – and that takes both time and proper guidance.

While the Common Application opens on the first of August, waiting until then to begin your BS/MD applications is one of the biggest mistakes. From writing multiple program-specific essays to securing physician recommendation letters, these applications take more time and planning than most families expect. Starting early—ideally in May of junior year—gives you time to build a strong, well-thought-out application, prepare 70-100+ essays (if you’re applying to 15+ programs), and avoid the last-minute rush that we see cycle after cycle hurts students who don’t start on time.

Our students who start on time receive twice as many BS/MD program interviews (x̄=6 interviews) on average than our students who wait until July or later to begin their applications with us (x̄=3 interviews).

The BS/MD Program Deadlines

Starting your BS/MD applications when the Common Application opens in August is often too late. Waiting leads to rushed essays, surface-level research on programs, and missed opportunities for meaningful iterations on application materials. The data speaks for itself: our students who begin working on their applications in May receive twice as many interviews on average compared to those who start in July or later.

It is important to remember that the deadlines for most BS/MD programs fall in October and November of senior year, months earlier than most general college regular decision deadlines. In addition, most programs require both a primary application and BS/MD-specific supplemental application.

By getting an early start, you will have the time and space to:

Build a well-researched list of BS/MD programs that fit your applicant profile (read more about school-applicant fit here)
Write and revise strong core essays and supplemental essays that communicate your unique motivations and strengths effectively
Request strong recommendation letters before teachers become overwhelmed, using time-tested frameworks for the strongest possible letters (read more about LORs here)
Refine your activities list and resume to impress BS/MD admissions officers

The Disadvantages of Starting Late

Students who wait until late summer or fall to begin their BS/MD applications often limit their competitiveness, largely because time and iterations are necessary for a compelling BS/MD application.

Underdeveloped Essays: Without time to reflect or revise, students often write essays that sound vague or generic. We often advise students that an essay should never look like any applicant could have written it – this is common without proper guidance and revisions. Rushed essays often lack depth and fail to demonstrate your relevant character qualities, program-aligned experiences, and motivations.
- If you are early in your high school career, start documenting your meaningful experiences now. Strong essays often come from recording clinical experiences over time, not from trying to recollect your experiences from memory right before the deadline.
Generic Recommendation Letters: Teachers are almost always overwhelmed with LOR requests in September, and frequently turn to templated letters that lack detail or fail to demonstrate your strengths. The key to receiving an excellent LOR is in choosing the right recommender as much as it is in requesting properly and early on in the summer.
Insufficient Program Research: Without time to carefully understand each individual BS/MD program, you may submit applications that are misaligned with program values. Many students apply to BS/MD programs without realizing how different they are. For example, Brown PLME emphasizes open-ended intellectual exploration, while Case Western’s PPSP expects heavy STEM involvement and clinical experience in addition to demonstrating your unique interests as a high school student. Our BS/MD coaches connect with admissions officers at these schools regularly to provide our students with the most current admissions insights, to explicitly highlight school-applicant fit.
- You can take the time to diligently research each program’s mission, selection criteria, and essay expectations – or simply work with our established documentation for each BS/MD program in the country.
Application Burnout: BS/MD applications often require multiple (70-100+) essays on top of your regular college applications, summer programs or research, fall AP courses, and leadership or volunteering commitments. As one might expect, this can result in lower-quality work overall. If you start early, you can finish BS/MD essays before senior year gets busy and approach interviews with more clarity and confidence. We work with our students to finish their applications and pre-writing supplemental essays by September, when students stay on track with our timeline.

Review the Value of Early Preparation

Starting your BS/MD application process in May of junior year gives you time to make intentional choices, produce stronger materials, and stay organized throughout the process. Here are the critical tasks you need this time for:

Improve Essay Quality: Starting early gives you time to identify key moments from your clinical or volunteer experiences that demonstrate maturity and commitment to medicine. You can build a narrative across your essays instead of treating each one like a task. At Outperform BS/MD Coaching, we use a specific framework for maximizing essay quality in a time-efficient manner.
Secure Strong Recommendations: Recommenders who are approached early are more likely to write detailed, thoughtful letters. They also appreciate students who take initiative. For example, provide a refined resume and a summarized anecdotes reflecting your strengths to help them write a personalized letter that significantly improves your overall application.
Strategically Select Programs: Deep research helps you target programs that align with your goals and strengths. During the summer you’ll have time to compare program structures, MCAT requirements, and (most importantly) admissions data and preferred applicant profiles. This also avoids wasting time on programs that aren’t a good fit for you.
Prepare for Interviews: Early completion of applications frees up time to focus on interview preparation sooner as well. We advise starting interview strategy sessions by December of your senior year, and that’s not possible if you’re still submitting general college applications for regular decision – a problem that is easily avoidable if you start and submit your BS/MD applications early.

Application Components That Need Early Attention

Selecting the Right Programs

Not all BS/MD programs are the same. Some heavily value research (RPI, REMS), others prioritize community service more significantly (VCU) or a liberal arts approach to medicine. Early planning allows you to be strategic in finding the BS/MD programs most aligned with your applicant profile. For example, Stony Brook values early research experience, while Drexel’s BA/BS+MD values a commitment to serving underserved communities.

Some programs require specific high school courses (e.g., AP Chemistry) or specific recommendation letters (e.g., physicians or research mentors), and many require additional writing supplements not found in the Common App.

Compelling Essays

Unlike general college essays, BS/MD essays must convince a medical school admissions committee that you’re ready to commit to a career in medicine at 17 or 18 years old. That takes maturity, reflection, and time – in addition to the proper guidance.

Tell Your Story: Share personal experiences that sparked your interest in medicine. You should be able to make connections between your experiences and show how you have built your motivation for medicine.
Seek Feedback: Revise your essays based on input from mentors and advisors who are experienced with BS/MD admissions. Students who start early can get feedback from multiple sources and go through real revision, not just quick last-minute edits.
Write with Specificity: Admissions readers can spot vague, cliche answers immediately. Specificity adds credibility. Instead of saying “I love helping people,” describe the moment you realized the emotional demands of patient care.

Letters of Recommendation

Recommendation letters aren’t just about what you did—they’re about how others experienced you as a student and future physician. Strong letters come from meaningful relationships and early requests. Read all the details about selecting strong LORs in our prior blog article.

Proactive Planning Makes the Difference

Quality applications require reflection, revision, and attention to detail. Starting early gives you the space to:

Reflect Deeply: Early prep allows you to move beyond surface-level responses. Instead of rushing, you can think critically about why you’re choosing medicine and tell your story with clarity and honesty.
Revise Thoroughly: Your essays and materials can only improve through multiple revisions. With more time, you can revisit your essays after stepping away for a few days. This can help you spot what is missing from your essays. You can also incorporate thoughtful feedback from mentors and advisors.
Eliminate Errors: When students feel rushed, they’re more likely to overlook small errors like misspelling a program’s name, submitting the wrong essay version, or misunderstanding a program’s requirements. Finalize your main BS/MD applications at least 2-4 weeks before the deadline so you have time for a full proofreading pass and submission checklist. Our BS/MD coaches are here to review every word of your application prior to submission, so you can be confident when clicking submit.

How Outperform BS/MD Coaching Can Help

At Outperform BS/MD Coaching, we specialize in guiding students through the BS/MD application process with personalized support and proven strategies. To keep you on the ideal application timeline, our approach includes a specialized dynamic dashboard and time-bound advising sessions, in addition to countless resources for unique, compelling BS/MD applications.

Specialized Dynamic Dashboard: Track your progress, access resources, and communicate with advisors effectively. Built for the exclusive objective of covering every base for BS/MD applications.
Time-Bound Advising Sessions: Stay accountable and reduce stress with structured guidance. Our BS/MD experts meet with our students every single week to maintain continuity and ensure nothing falls through the cracks – a common mistake in such a complex application process.

We are here to support you every step of the way and invest in your path to multiple BS/MD acceptances.

Yours in Success,

Rishi Ray

Outperform BS/MD Coaching

Our team at Outperform BS/MD Coaching is dedicated to guiding you through the BS/MD application process. Read the full blog here or schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss strategies specific to your student’s unique situation.