Application Timeline

Begin prepping for required entrance exams and strengthening your profile. For med school, this means studying for the MCAT (or LSAT for law, DAT for dental, GRE for some programs) and taking it ideally by spring of the application year. It’s also a good time to cultivate relationships with potential references for your letters of recommendation and to ensure you’ve completed (or registered for) any prerequisite courses as these courses will need to be completed prior to matriculation.. By the winter before you apply, you should also start brainstorming personal statement ideas and compiling your list of experiences and achievements. For reapplicants who have already taken the MCAT, it is important to note that your MCAT score will only be accepted up to 3 years prior to matriculation before you would need to retake the exam.

This period is critical for final preparations. Complete your admissions tests if you haven’t already (for instance, it’s recommended to take the MCAT no later than April of the year you apply so that you have your score back in time). Having your score back will also provide you with an idea of which schools to target for applications based on the statistics of students they accept. Begin requesting official transcripts from all post-secondary, undergraduate, post-bacc, or master’s institutions you attended – they’ll need to be sent to the application services. If your program uses a centralized application service (e.g., AMCAS/AACOMAS for U.S. med schools, OMSAS for Ontario med schools, LSAC for law), create your account and start entering information as soon as the system allows. This is also the time to ask for letters of recommendation: give your referees plenty of notice and provide them with your CV/resumeto help them write strong letters. By April, have a draft personal statement underway so that you can refine it before applications open.

U.S. medical school applications typically open in May (e.g., the AMCAS application opens around May 1 each year, and the first day to submit is usually late May). If you’re applying in the U.S., aim to submit your primary application as early as possible in June, without sacrificing quality – early submission gives you a rolling advantage for interview slots (If the student is not a good fit for the school, it will not matter when they submit the application, they will not get an interview, but for students that are borderline, having an early submission is advantageous.). Of note, your application will need to be verified by the AMCAS/AACOMAS platform before it will be sent to medical schools. This process can take between 2-6 weeks so it is recommended to submit early so that your application will be certified before the applications begin to be sent out to medical schools. Likewise, American dental school applications (ADEA AADSAS) open in May and can be submitted in early June. Canadian med school timelines differ: applications generally open over the summer with deadlines in early fall. For example, some programs have components due in August or September (Dalhousie’s first deadline is July 31, and Memorial University’s is late August), while many others (including Ontario schools via OMSAS) have final deadlines around October 1. Take note of each Canadian school’s specific deadline – they can vary widely. Other professional programs: Law school applications in both the U.S. and Canada usually opens by early fall (some as early as September) for the following year’s intake, but you should be preparing in the spring (taking the LSAT, etc.) so you’re ready to apply as soon as the cycle begins. Pharmacy and veterinary programs each have their own centralized services (PharmCAS, VMCAS), with pharmacy often opening in July and vet med in January for a cycle that closes in early fall – so mark those if they apply to you. Key point: by the end of June, you should have your primary applications submitted or very nearly ready to go.

If you applied to U.S. med schools, you will start receiving secondary (supplemental) applications from individual schools typically within a few weeks of submitting your primary. Turn these around quickly – ideally within ~10-14 days (Super important for US schools!) – because delays can cost you interview opportunities (due to the nature of rolling admissions. By July, you should be juggling secondary essay writing; it’s a lot, but many prompts are predictable (essays about “Why this school?” or “Describe a challenge you overcame”), so hopefully you pre-wrote some content. Some schools will also reuse essay prompts from previous years, so if you have time between submitting your primary application and receiving your secondaries, it may be helpful to start answering some of those prompts. Simultaneously, prepare for interviews – some U.S. medical schools begin sending interview invites as early as August. Practice common questions and consider doing some mock interviews. Meanwhile in Canada, application submission is happening in this window: for instance, the Ontario med school application (OMSAS) usually has to be submitted by early October, but you’ll be working on it throughout the summer. If you’re applying to Canadian med schools, use the summer to write your autobiographical sketches and personal submissions (e.g., UBC’s essays, or Calgary’s top 10 experiences, etc.) well ahead of the deadlines. For other programs: U.S. dental schools often start interviewing in August/September and fill a good portion of their class by December, so completing dental secondaries promptly is also important. Many law schools begin accepting applications in early fall – aim to submit your law school apps by late fall if possible, since law admissions are typically rolling as well. In short, late summer is a busy period of writing and interviewing – stay organized and don’t let those secondary application deadlines or interview prep slip by. Rolling admissions is where schools will review applications as they are received which favors early applicants as schools will have more slots available for the incoming class at the beginning of the application cycle than the end. However, quality work is important, so ensure that the applications and essay responses being provided are your best effort as poor quality can affect your application as much as late submissions. 

U.S. med school interviews are in full swing during the fall; if invited, attend interviews (mostly in-person or virtual by school) from roughly September through January. Schools should not base acceptance on whether an applicant chooses to interview in person vs virtually; however, if affordable, interviewing in person can give a student an idea of the area and the medical school that they could be spending the next few years at. In fact, U.S. med interviews can start as early as late August and continue into early spring. By October 15, some U.S. MD and DO programs begin sending out acceptance offers to early applicants, even as other interviews are still happening. Canadian med schools, in contrast, do not admit on a rolling basis – instead, they typically wait until all interviews are done (early in the new year) to make offers. During the fall, Canadian med applicants may still be completing some application components (e.g., Casper tests by specific dates, or submitting fall transcripts) but mostly it’s a waiting period after the October deadlines. One exception: if you applied to McGill or other programs with later deadlines (McGill’s deadline is November 1), you might still be finishing up those applications in early fall. Other programs: Dental school applicants will mostly finish interviews and start receiving offers around December 15 (known as “Decision Day” in U.S. dentistry) – this is the first day many dental schools notify accepted students. Law schools are reviewing applications in the fall and may begin issuing decisions anytime from late fall through the spring, depending on the school (earlier for rolling admissions). If you haven’t heard back yet, don’t panic – admissions timelines vary. Continue to polish any ongoing applications (some programs like certain residency or specialty programs might have December/January deadlines). And if you’re still interviewing, keep practicing and refining your answers.

• For Canadian med schools, this is prime interview season – most Canadian programs conduct interviews in Jan/Feb/Mar of the entry year. For example, Ontario schools often interview in February or March, and by late March all med school interviews in Canada are usually complete. U.S. med schools, by this time, are mostly finishing up their interviews (many conclude by January, though a few may go into February). If you’re applying to other professional programs like veterinary or physiotherapy, note that their interviews (if part of the process) often occur in this window as well. What should you do now? If you have multiple acceptances (for U.S. med, dental, etc.), you might need to make decisions or put down deposits – U.S. med schools typically ask accepted students to narrow down to one school by April 30 per AAMC guidelines. Most schools will give you a deadline for deposits to secure your spot. These deadlines are as follows: 

• Those accepted prior to November 15 will have until December 14.

• Those accepted between November 15 and January 14 will have 30 days.

• Those accepted between January 15 and April 30 will have 14 days.

• Those accepted on or after May 1 may be asked for an immediate deposit.

• After May 1 of the year of matriculation, each medical college may implement college-specific procedures for accepted students who hold one or more seats at other medical colleges.

• You must place a deposit to secure your seat. If you do not give a deposit by the deadline the school will give your spot to another applicant and you forfeit your acceptance at that school.

If you’re waitlisted, now is the time to send update letters or letters of intent if appropriate (expressing continued interest to your top-choice school). Keep your grades up if you’re still in school – you may need to submit final transcripts later. And importantly, take care of yourself: this period can be stressful waiting for news. Stay focused on finishing any degree requirements or simply take some time to relax after the marathon of applications.

By March, many U.S. medical schools have sent the majority of their acceptances (some as early as December or January, others on a rolling basis through March). By the end of March or early April, U.S. MD/DO programs know their initial class, and waitlist movement begins. In the U.S., most final admissions decisions (acceptances or rejections) are out by April; however, waitlists can continue moving into May and even June. In fact, most U.S. med schools aim to finalize their classes by end of May (some offers do come off waitlists in June/July, but that’s fewer). Canadian medical schools, on the other hand, typically release first-round admission offers in May of the entry year. It’s not uncommon for Canadian schools to all notify on the same day in May. So, Canadian applicants often find themselves waiting longer than their American counterparts to know their results. If you’re a Canadian who also applied to U.S. schools, you could receive a U.S. offer earlier (say in March) but still be awaiting Canadian results – if so, you may need to secure your U.S. spot with a deposit while you wait (don’t worry, accepting a U.S. offer doesn’t automatically remove you from Canadian waitlists – the systems aren’t linked). Other programs: Similarly, by spring most law schools and dental schools have notified students of acceptance or waitlist status. Use this time to weigh options, visit schools (many have “Second Look” events or admit weekends in April), and figure out finances. Also, ensure you meet any conditions of acceptance (for example, completing your degree or certain courses, immunizations, background checks, etc., which often happen post-acceptance).

Congratulations – if you’ve been accepted, this is when you prepare to matriculate. You’ll select your school by the deadline (May 1 for many Canadian schools, April 30 for U.S. MD/DO as a final “commit” date, etc.) and handle the logistics of starting your program. This can include financial aid paperwork, housing arrangements, and possibly some pre-matriculation orientation or assignments. If you were waitlisted through spring, summer can still bring good news off a waitlist (especially in the U.S.), up until classes start. However, by July most lists are closed. For those who didn’t get the outcome they wanted, summer is also the time to reflect and decide whether to reapply next cycle or pursue an alternative path for now. But assuming you’re about to start professional school, take a moment to celebrate – you made it! Get some rest this summer if you can, because an exciting new challenge lies ahead in the fall.

While this toolkit is primarily geared toward med school, much of the timeline advice applies to other programs with adjustments:

• Dental Schools (U.S. & Canada): The dental application cycle is similar to med – applications open in May/June, interviews late summer/fall, and the first big wave of acceptances happens in mid-December. After that, decisions continue on a rolling basis. Canadian dental schools follow their own timelines, often with deadlines in early fall like med schools.
  
  

• Law Schools: Law admissions typically operate on a rolling basis opening in the fall. Many applicants aim to submit by late fall (November or December) for the best chances, though deadlines might be as late as February or March. If you’re eyeing law, plan your LSAT a year in advance and try to apply by the end of the calendar year before matriculation. Decisions can come anywhere from December to April, depending on how early you applied and the school’s process.
  
  

• Other Healthcare Professions (Vet, Pharmacy, PA, Nursing): Each has a centralized app service (VMCAS for vet, PharmCAS for pharmacy, CASPA for physician assistant, etc.) with its own cycle. Vet school applications, for instance, often open in January and close in September (for entry the next year). Many PA programs open in late April and close by late summer. The common theme: know your program’s application open and close dates well in advance, and aim to apply early in the cycle if rolling admissions applies. Always double-check the specific timeline for your schools on their official websites or through their application service.