Step II timing

I'd take it first. I know this previous post was two years ago, but I feel like things have changed a bit since then. Of the 6 people applying ortho at my school, only one didn't do it before submitting their applications. He had a step 1 score of 248, thought he didn't need to take it. He ended up getting 8 interviews while the others all got 14+. Not that this is the only factor (and n=6), but that's what happened at our school this year.

Agree... for a mid-range Step 1, I would advise taking Step 2 early. If your score is >1 SD above the ortho 245 average (i.e., 258+) and the rest of your app has no red flags, then it won't make a difference and you can take it late.

Teggie wrote: Agree... for a mid-range Step 1, I would advise taking Step 2 early. If your score is >1 SD above the ortho 245 average (i.e., 258+) and the rest of your app has no red flags, then it won't make a difference and you can take it late.

This is a great way to look at it, actually. Do you know for sure the SD was ~13?