Well it won't be considered late but the earlier the better especially considering you have lower GPA than the average applicant to these programs. It's like the medical school application cycle. People emphasize submitting early if you have low stats as opposed to submitting midway into the cycle with slightly higher stats, you can always update them throughout anyway.
Also SMPs won't reject you once they initially look at your application. If they feel you don't have what it takes, they'll put you on the waiting list or on hold indefinitely which they will go back and review if you update them with scores/new grades.
Alright, the thing is though, is that without the fall semester, I'm actually below the cutoff of most of the programs..I'd be around 2.9 or so...after the fall semester plus January-term 2week-long intense class, I will be at 3.1 or better (if all goes according to plan).
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but in order to apply the earliest, I should be taking the GRE, correct? I ask this because I'm looking at MCAT test dates, and there are no dates in October, November, or December, and then finally late January, meaning my scores would be coming in very late...like March or later right? That would leave my application late in the spring and would hurt me.
On the other hand, the GRE has test dates all throughout the fall, meaning I could get my scores by the time I am ready to start applying (if I chose to wait till early January for my fall classes to have their grades in)..as well as being easier to prepare for (the GRE versus the MCAT that is..)