When do you plan to submit app, or when did you already submit app?

[bulldog]

For current applicants, when do you hope to submit your CAF?

For past applicants, when did you submit your CAF from 2007-2008 cycle?

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[dragonfly99]

Best to submit by October, if you can. I know I didn't have one of my letters of rec in there until some time in November. There are a few places with 11/1 or 11/15 deadlines, which you may miss if you don't apply early. I can tell you that I got an interview invite from a place where I'd miss the dealine for "completed application" (though the only thing missing was 1 LOR). However, I wouldn't count on it...I would suggest NOT missing any deadlines. I don't see an advantage to delaying sending the CAF, unless you are awaiting something like your Step 3 score or a publication to be published, etc.

There are programs that will take applications in January, but most start reviewing them some time after 12/1.

 

[Larry Renal]

This is surprising. On ERAS, it looks like you can't submit until 11/15. We're talking about cardiology fellowship, correct?

 

[ProgCoordinator]

ERAS has been open for submissions since July. Programs can start accessing on December 1st.

 

[dragonfly99]

OK Larry, I misspoke about the 11/1 and 11/15 thing...the earliest deadlines are around 12/1 and 12/15. There are a couple of programs that say their deadlines are 12/1 (i.e. you should have all your stuff in the system and scanned in, etc. by the time the post office opens for the programs to download stuff on 12/1). I think the few places that have these early deadlines do enforce them, by the way. There are plenty of places that will still review your application if you get it in later, though...some will take applications even in January, or before 2/1, though I wouldn't recommend waiting that long.

 

[ProgCoordinator]

If a candidate misses the deadline s/he will have to be among the best of the best to still be considered; we're talking top ten in a thousand. Even then missing the deadline is a consideration. It says a lot about a candidate's discipline, interest, and character. To miss the deadline is a huge ding on the submission, so one would have to have an impeccable application beyond this issue in order to be able to sustain any competitiveness.

 

[dragonfly99]

My point was that there are places that have later deadlines...even up to 2/1/08...or at least there were last year.

I disagree that one always would have to be top 10/1000 to get an interview if the deadline is missed. I missed the deadline for one place due to one LOR not being scanned in by ERAS (which took about 3 weeks and had lost the letter, etc.). They still reviewed my application, and although I think I was a strong applicant I was not top 10/1000 (I wish...LOL!). I did have a connection to that particular program, though. Either way, missing the deadline is definitely BAD and you can assume your app. won't get reviewed...it might if you are lucky and have some connection to a particular program, and/or have a research project they are interested in.