Winter Before You Apply: Deadlines You Can’t Miss for Letters and Tests

The most damaging application mistakes do not happen in June. They happen in the winter before you apply.

If you miss winter deadlines for letters and tests, you are not “a little behind.” You are non-competitive before your application even opens.

(See also: January to June of Application Year for a detailed timeline.)

This is your month‑by‑month, week‑by‑week guide to the winter before you apply to medical school—what to do, and exactly when—to lock in:

• MCAT timing
• Letters of recommendation
• CASPer/DUET and AAMC PREview
• School list groundwork

We’ll assume a traditional timeline: you plan to submit AMCAS in June to start medical school the following August. Adjust the months forward/backward if you’re off-cycle, but keep the same relative order.

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December: Lock the Foundation Before the New Year

By December, you’re not “just thinking” about applying. At this point you should be turning vague plans into concrete commitments.

By December 1–10: Decide Your Application Year and MCAT Window

At this point you should:

1. Commit to your application year

   • Decide: Are you applying this upcoming cycle or the next one?
   • Look at your GPA trend, clinical hours, and MCAT prep status.
   • If your MCAT practice scores are still far from your target (e.g., 500 when you need 510+), you may need another year before applying.

2. Set a specific MCAT test month
   Typical competitive windows for a June application:

   • January–March MCAT: Ideal. Scores back before you submit.
   • April MCAT: Still workable, but tight for school list finalization.
   • May or later: Begins to delay secondaries and may weaken your timing.

   By early December, choose and register for an MCAT date. Popular dates (especially March/April) fill quickly.

   Concrete task:

   • Create a one-page MCAT plan:
     • Test date
     • Weekly hours you can realistically commit
     • How many full-lengths you will do (aim for 8–10 minimum)
     • What content resources you’ll use

3. Check MCAT registration windows and score release dates

   • Go to the AAMC MCAT site and check:
     • When registration for your chosen date opens
     • The exact score release date
   • Align this with your planned school list research in March/April.

By December 15: Identify and Pre‑Screen Letter Writers

At this point you should have a clear mental list of potential letter writers:

Aim for:

• 2 science faculty (BCPM)
• 1 non-science faculty
• 1–2 “character”/professional letters:
  • Research PI
  • Long-term clinical supervisor
  • Volunteer coordinator

Steps for December:

1. Make a letter writer spreadsheet
   Columns:

   • Name, title, department
   • Type (science/non-science/PI/other)
   • Interactions with you (courses, projects, hours)
   • Contact info
   • Status (not contacted / asked verbally / requested formally / letter received)

2. Pre‑screen your choices
   Ask yourself:

   • Have I taken ≥2 courses with this professor or did I work closely in a lab?
   • Would they remember specific examples of my work or character?
   • Did I earn strong grades and participate meaningfully?

3. Start soft outreach
   For letter writers you haven’t seen in a while:

   • Send a brief check‑in email with:
     • A reminder of who you are
     • An update on what you’ve been doing
     • A note that you plan to apply to medical school this coming cycle and would value their support
   • Do not ask formally yet; just re‑establish the connection.

December 20–31: Build Your High-Level Application Timeline

By the end of December, you should be able to write out a draft timeline:

• MCAT test date and score release date
• Target date to ask for letters
• Target date to have your personal statement first draft done
• Target date for activities section draft
• When your pre‑health committee process opens (if applicable)

Concrete checklist before New Year’s:

• MCAT test date selected
• MCAT study calendar blocked out (week-by-week through test date)
• Letter writer candidates identified and documented
• Pre‑health advising site checked for letter/committee deadlines
• One-page application timeline drafted

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January: Formalize Letters and Start Application Materials

January is your “commit or collapse” month. If you wait until March to ask for letters or write essays, you compress everything and introduce panic.

Early January (Jan 1–15): Official MCAT Registration and Score Strategy

At this point you should:

1. Register for the MCAT

   • If registration opens this month for your target date, sign up as soon as the window opens.
   • If you’re late and your ideal date is full, grab the closest earlier date you can manage.

2. Set score goals and checkpoints

   • Target score based on your schools of interest (e.g., 510 for broad MD/DO, 515+ for many research-heavy MDs).
   • Schedule:
     • First full-length by 4–6 weeks into content review
     • Full-length every 1–2 weeks afterward

3. Plan for a retake scenario now

   • If your planned test is in March:
     • Block off a possible second test in May/June on your calendar.
   • Do not register for a retake yet, but be honest about your buffer.

Mid–Late January (Jan 15–31): Formal Letter Requests Begin

At this point you should move from “maybe they’ll write for me” to clear, respectful asks.

1. Ask your top 3–4 letter writers in person or via video if possible
   For professors on campus:

   • Go to office hours or schedule a short meeting.
   • Script:
     • “I’m applying to medical school this upcoming cycle and would be honored if you’d be willing to write me a strong letter of recommendation.”
   • Pay attention: do they say “strong letter” back? That’s important.

   For remote writers:

   • Send a formal email request with:
     • Who you are and how you know them
     • Why you’re asking them specifically
     • When you are applying (June submission goal)
     • When you’d like the letter uploaded (by April 1 is a solid general target)

2. Prepare your letter packets
   Once they agree, send:

   • Updated CV/resume
   • Unofficial transcript
   • Brief bullet list of:
     • Classes taken with them / projects done
     • Specific things you hope they might highlight (e.g., “growth over time in your course,” “initiative in the lab”)
   • Draft of your personal statement, if you have it; if not, promise to send when ready.

3. Understand your letter collection system
   Options:

   • AMCAS Letter Writer system (individual upload links)
   • Interfolio (popular)
   • School-based committee (see next section)

   By January 31, you should know exactly where your letters will be stored and how writers will submit them.

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February: Committee Deadlines, Test Prep Crunch, and CASPer/DUET Planning

February is where many strong applicants quietly sabotage themselves by missing committee deadlines or ignoring situational judgment tests.

Early February (Feb 1–15): Pre‑Health Committee and School Systems

At this point you should:

1. Check your pre‑health advising office deadlines
   Many schools with a committee letter require:

   • Info meeting in January–February
   • Committee application due Feb–March
   • Mock interview in March/April
   • LORs to be in by April–May

   Do this now:

   • Go to your pre‑health office website.
   • Write down:
     • Committee application open date
     • Application due date
     • Deadline for all individual letters
     • When they send committee letters to AMCAS (often June–July)

2. Decide: committee letter vs. individual letters

   • If your school offers a committee letter and you skip it without good reason, some med schools may question why.
   • If the committee process timeline will significantly delay your letters (e.g., they send in August), you may consider:
     • Applying without a committee letter
     • Or adjusting your entire application cycle.

3. Finalize your letter writer roster

   • You should now have at least 3 confirmed writers, ideally 4–5.
   • Update your spreadsheet with:
     • Date asked
     • Their preferred upload method
     • Confirmed target deadline (e.g., “Please upload by March 31”).

Mid–Late February (Feb 15–28): Plan CASPer/DUET and AAMC PREview

Many applicants get blindsided by these late in the cycle. You won’t.

At this point you should:

1. List the schools that require CASPer/DUET or PREview

   • Check the latest information on:
     • Altus Suite (CASPer/DUET) requirements
     • AAMC PREview participating schools
   • Add a column to your school research sheet:
     • Requires CASPer? (Y/N)
     • Requires PREview? (Y/N)

2. Circle the test windows you’ll likely use

   • CASPer and PREview have specific test dates with limited seats.
   • Typical timing:
     • Sitting for these between May–July aligns well with many schools.
   • In February, you don’t need to register yet, but you should:
     • Mark the likely months on your calendar
     • Note when registration typically opens (usually spring)

3. Begin light SJT prep

   • Start reading about:
     • Common CASPer scenarios
     • Professionalism frameworks (AAMC core competencies, CanMEDS-type roles)
   • This is not heavy studying yet; you’re just familiarizing yourself.

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March: MCAT Reality Check and Hard Letter Deadlines

March is a pivot month: you move from planning to measurable performance.

Early March (Mar 1–15): MCAT Performance Checkpoint

If you’re testing in March/April, this is your “go/no‑go” check.

At this point you should:

1. Complete at least 2 full-length practice exams under realistic conditions

   • No pausing; timed sections; test-day start time accounted for.
   • Review thoroughly (this can take 6–10 hours per exam).

2. Compare practice scores to your goal
   Example:

   • Target: 512
   • Current practice: 503, 505

   Ask:

   • Are my scores trending upwards?
   • Are my mistakes mostly content (fixable) or timing/fatigue (strategy and endurance)?

3. Decide whether to keep or move your MCAT date

   • If you’re >8–10 points below your goal and the test is in <4 weeks:
     • Strongly consider pushing back to allow for real improvement.
   • But remember: if you push too far (June/July), your application timing suffers.

Mid–Late March (Mar 15–31): Letters: Firm Deadlines and Friendly Pressure

At this point you should stop being vague about letters.

1. Send polite reminder emails to letter writers
   Template content:

   • Thank them again for agreeing.
   • Share your target date for letters to be uploaded—ideally no later than April 15–30.
   • Attach or re-attach:
     • CV
     • Transcript
     • Draft personal statement (if ready)
     • Summary of your work with them

2. Handle new or replacement letter needs
   If someone:

   • Does not respond at all after 1–2 reminders
   • Expresses reluctance or timing issues

   Then:

   • Immediately identify a backup writer and reach out.
   • It is far better to have a solid, on-time letter from someone who knows you well than an ideal-sounding letter that never arrives.

3. Complete any pre‑health committee application tasks

   • Submit committee application if due in March.
   • Schedule mock interview if required.
   • Confirm their internal letter deadlines and add to your calendar with alarms.

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April: Finalize Tests and Ensure Letters Are In

April is the quiet killer. You feel “ahead” because applications haven’t opened yet, but this is your last realistic window to fix test and letter issues.

Early April (Apr 1–15): Letter Completion and Verification

At this point you should:

1. Check your letter system for each writer’s status

   • AMCAS Letter Writer or Interfolio:
     • Look for “received” vs “requested.”
   • If your school handles letters:
     • Email or log into the portal and confirm received dates.

2. Send targeted follow-ups

   • For any letter still missing:
     • Send a personal, appreciative reminder.
     • Reaffirm your deadline (e.g., “It would be incredibly helpful if the letter could be uploaded by April 30 so that my file is complete when applications open in May/June.”)

3. Decide if you need to cut or replace missing letters

   • If a writer has been unresponsive by mid-April, assume the letter may not arrive.
   • Activate Plan B: another professor, supervisor, or PI.
   • Ask them and set a new target upload date (still aiming to be complete by May).

Mid–Late April (Apr 15–30): Confirm All Testing Timelines

At this point you should:

1. MCAT status check

   • If you tested already:
     • Score release date should be on your calendar.
   • If you’re testing in late April/early May:
     • Finalize your last 2–3 full-length exams.
     • Lock in test-day logistics (transportation, food, sleep schedule).

2. Register for CASPer/DUET and PREview if possible

   • Once spring test dates open:
     • Choose dates that do not conflict with:
       • MCAT
       • Final exams
       • Major life events
     • Ideally schedule:
       • CASPer/DUET: May–June
       • PREview: before or shortly after AMCAS submission, depending on school requirements

3. Align SJTs with your school list draft

   • If most of your target schools require CASPer or PREview:
     • Prioritize earlier test dates.
   • If only 1–2 require it:
     • Choose a date that allows focused but not overwhelming prep.

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May and Early June: The Quiet Deadline Zone Before Submission

By late spring, you move from “prep” to “execution.” Even though the official prompt was winter, this period is tightly connected to those earlier decisions—if you handled winter correctly, this part becomes much less stressful.

May 1–15: Confirm All Letters and Test Schedules

At this point you should:

• Have all letters received in your chosen system, or know exactly which 1 is still pending and when it’s coming.
• Be registered for all required:
  • MCAT (if not yet taken)
  • CASPer/DUET
  • PREview

If you’re still missing letters in early May:

• Send one final, polite reminder.
• If you sense they won’t come, adjust to apply with the letters you have, ensuring that you still meet minimum school requirements.

May 15–June 1: Last Checks Before You Hit Submit

Your winter choices show their impact now.

At this point you should:

• Know your MCAT score or know exactly when it will arrive and how that affects your initial school list.
• Have letters already in AMCAS or ready to be attached from Interfolio the moment the system opens for submission.
• Have your CASPer/PREview tests scheduled with confirmations saved.

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Your Action Step Today

Open your calendar and create three non-negotiable deadlines right now:

1. “Ask all letter writers by: [specific date this month].”
2. “Register for MCAT by: [specific date within 2 weeks].”
3. “Confirm committee and CASPer/PREview requirements by: [specific date within 7 days].”

Those three entries will determine whether next June feels controlled—or catastrophic.