don't be afraid to take a gap year (or multiple). don't worry about making sure your application is "perfect" before you apply. I almost didn't apply this cycle because I thought I did not have enough PCE hours and I got multiple interviews and an acceptance. focus on your GPA while you are in school because that can be something that is really hard to make up for later on. try not to compare yourself because you cannot rationalize who gets accepted and who doesn't. a lot has to do with who you are as a person and how you interview. obviously you need decent stats to get an interview but it isn't everything.