2016 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

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Hello fellow non-trads!

I'm also excited to be applying this year. AMCAS is in and just verified yesterday, so hopefully my LOR get there soon!

A little about me: Masters in clinical psychology, worked on a neuro unit for a while and did research in that area. Just finished a post bacc program in May, taking MCAT in 10 days :wow: I'm hoping to go into something that combines clinical and policy work/research. Top choice is Duke but the MCAT will determine how feasible that is.

Good luck to yall!
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ThinkReallyFast said:
That is just MD schools.

I heard a presentation on acceptance of those with post-bacc repair -- the presenters advice was to apply broadly (30+) to schools whose philosophies match yours. It is expensive and time consuming, but I would rather apply once if possible.
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My number of schools is um...very similar :) Coming from behind with sub-3.0 GPA (waiting on verification to see if I broke 3.0 is nerve wracking!) I know I can't afford to just apply to the "normal" amount.

Submitted AMCAS on the 3rd and still not verified. AACOMAS...well. Apparently a transcript went missing somewhere -- unfortunately it sent me seven Transcript Received notifications (yes I have seven transcripts) and I didn't look closely enough to notice they had counted one of my schools twice. So had to sprint and have one re-delivered. Week later, still not posted. I have a feeling AACOMAS will end up very delayed, which is terrifying.

Anyway, hello from Haiti! (I guess you know you're pre med when you bought an international data roaming package just to be able to stalk your verifications *cough*)
 
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ThinkReallyFast said:
That is just MD schools.

I heard a presentation on acceptance of those with post-bacc repair -- the presenters advice was to apply broadly (30+) to schools whose philosophies match yours. It is expensive and time consuming, but I would rather apply once if possible.
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I'm also applying to roughly 40 schools. I had a poor undergrad GPA, and even though that was decades ago and my recent classes have all been As and a few Bs, I don't feel that I can chance applying to fewer. My bank account is already groaning and the primaries just went out. Still, I'd rather just go through this once. I don't want to spend more than one year neurotically checking applications every day, and my spouse doesn't want to deal with that either!
 
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gyrfalcon said:
I'm also applying to roughly 40 schools. I had a poor undergrad GPA, and even though that was decades ago and my recent classes have all been As and a few Bs, I don't feel that I can chance applying to fewer. My bank account is already groaning and the primaries just went out. Still, I'd rather just go through this once. I don't want to spend more than one year neurotically checking applications every day, and my spouse doesn't want to deal with that either!
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Oh goodness you guys are scaring me.... I only have 19 schools on my list right now. The problem is so many schools accept so few out of state applicants that I didn't even want to bother.... o_O
 
I applied to 27 MD schools... Believe me, this is not by choice. I'm a California resident and the overwhelming piece of advice I received was to apply broadly since our state schools are tough places to crack.

3 secondaries down and I'm already exhausted. And my bank account is about to get even more pissed off at me.

THIS WILL BE WORTH IT.
 
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wagonwheel23 said:
I applied to 27 MD schools... Believe me, this is not by choice. I'm a California resident and the overwhelming piece of advice I received was to apply broadly since our state schools are tough places to crack.

3 secondaries down and I'm already exhausted. And my bank account is about to get even more pissed off at me.

THIS WILL BE WORTH IT.
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Hahaha already having to give yourself pep talks?? At least you are starting on secondaries... all I did was make a word document of all the prompts and I have not looked at it since. That sucks being in California.... I am in Ohio and we have an abundance of schools in-state.
 
C_Avila said:
Oh goodness you guys are scaring me.... I only have 19 schools on my list right now. The problem is so many schools accept so few out of state applicants that I didn't even want to bother.... o_O
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I wouldn't worry too much. That sounds like a reasonable number of schools to apply to if you have reasonable stats.
 
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Based on my research, about 25% of medical schools require calculus. For those of you non-traditional students who did not take calculus during college, did you take during your post-bacc years? Did you just decide to skip it and not apply to those 25% of medical schools?
 
remzremz said:
Based on my research, about 25% of medical schools require calculus. For those of you non-traditional students who did not take calculus during college, did you take during your post-bacc years? Did you just decide to skip it and not apply to those 25% of medical schools?
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I'm actually surprised it's this low of a percentage.

I had it in undergrad, but know of 3 non-trads who did not have it. They all completed it during post-bacc
 
C_Avila said:
Oh goodness you guys are scaring me.... I only have 19 schools on my list right now. The problem is so many schools accept so few out of state applicants that I didn't even want to bother.... o_O
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If it makes you feel better, for a few different reasons I won't bore everyone with, I'm only applying to 2 schools (neither in state), so my odds are significantly lower.
 
Glycereine said:
If it makes you feel better, for a few different reasons I won't bore everyone with, I'm only applying to 2 schools (neither in state), so my odds are significantly lower.
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That does make me feel better about my 19.... I am curious to know why only two though...
 
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C_Avila said:
Oh goodness you guys are scaring me.... I only have 19 schools on my list right now. The problem is so many schools accept so few out of state applicants that I didn't even want to bother.... o_O
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There are schools that have good OOS acceptance, especially the private schools. If you have the time/funds/desire to write secondaries -- I believe you can still add additional school without delaying your verification.
 
ThinkReallyFast said:
There are schools that have good OOS acceptance, especially the private schools. If you have the time/funds/desire to write secondaries -- I believe you can still add additional school without delaying your verification.
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You only need 1 school added to get your app verified. You can always add schools after that without delaying anything you have done for the schools already on there.
 
I am dancing today... if only it were yesterday... I could be dancing in the rain!

Got great news today. :) I was told by my school academic advisor over the *phone* in May that a withdrawal I thought may be a potential IA, was not a IA -- then days after submitting I noticed a discprenecy on my unofficial transcripts suggesting that the quarter was a "dismissal". I've been running from imaginary storm clouds all week thinking I was given bad advice and had made an egregious error on my application, but I just got official and *written* confirmation that I was never dismissed and that my unofficial transcripts are in error -- I want to dance under those clouds now!
 
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Thanks to all the neurotic SDN premeds, I am going to add more schools. I posted my school list in the "What are my chances?" forum to get advice - so far only one person has looked at it though.

I submitted my AMCAS application on the 5th. I realized the day before I was missing one transcript for a class I took in Salt Lake City (it is a class on body image I took while in high school... absolutely no relevance). I overnighted it and the tracking shows AMCAS got it on the 5th and still they have not marked it as received, even though they are processing transcripts received on the 8th...... ugh..... I am really stressing out over this. My entire application is done except for this!
 
remzremz said:
Based on my research, about 25% of medical schools require calculus. For those of you non-traditional students who did not take calculus during college, did you take during your post-bacc years? Did you just decide to skip it and not apply to those 25% of medical schools?
Click to expand...

I'm surprised it's that many! None of the schools I applied to require calculus, but a lot of them do require statistics (or math in general but they say they will accept statistics to fulfill the math pre-req)
 
C_Avila said:
Thanks to all the neurotic SDN premeds, I am going to add more schools. I posted my school list in the "What are my chances?" forum to get advice - so far only one person has looked at it though.

I submitted my AMCAS application on the 5th. I realized the day before I was missing one transcript for a class I took in Salt Lake City (it is a class on body image I took while in high school... absolutely no relevance). I overnighted it and the tracking shows AMCAS got it on the 5th and still they have not marked it as received, even though they are processing transcripts received on the 8th...... ugh..... I am really stressing out over this. My entire application is done except for this!
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Do you have a tracking number to know the exact day it arrived? I had an overnighted (FedEX) transcript, took 2 days to arrive. If mailed Friday then it probably will get there Monday or Tuesday. Did you use the 655 K NW ST address for the overnight?
 
I do have the tracking number. It was sent on the fourth and it arrived on the fifth supposedly.... I sent it to the PO Box on the transcript request forms. Where did you get that other address from?
 
C_Avila said:
Thanks to all the neurotic SDN premeds, I am going to add more schools. I posted my school list in the "What are my chances?" forum to get advice - so far only one person has looked at it though.

I submitted my AMCAS application on the 5th. I realized the day before I was missing one transcript for a class I took in Salt Lake City (it is a class on body image I took while in high school... absolutely no relevance). I overnighted it and the tracking shows AMCAS got it on the 5th and still they have not marked it as received, even though they are processing transcripts received on the 8th...... ugh..... I am really stressing out over this. My entire application is done except for this!
Click to expand...
I am waiting on a transcript that tracking shows arrived on the 5th as well....

What's worse is the school took 3 weeks to mail it in the first place so I should have been complete by now too.
 
C_Avila said:
I do have the tracking number. It was sent on the fourth and it arrived on the fifth supposedly.... I sent it to the PO Box on the transcript request forms. Where did you get that other address from?
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I got the address below from AMCAS support. Most transcript services overnight using FedEX which cannot deliver to a POBOX.

They had me to overnight to:
655 K Street NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC, 20001-2399

The address worked for me when I used the receiver from the normal ACMAS address.
 
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wagonwheel23 said:
I applied to 27 MD schools... Believe me, this is not by choice. I'm a California resident and the overwhelming piece of advice I received was to apply broadly since our state schools are tough places to crack.

3 secondaries down and I'm already exhausted. And my bank account is about to get even more pissed off at me.

THIS WILL BE WORTH IT.
Click to expand...

you already got secondaries?!
 
Glycereine said:
I am waiting on a transcript that tracking shows arrived on the 5th as well....

What's worse is the school took 3 weeks to mail it in the first place so I should have been complete by now too.
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That is frustrating but it makes me feel better that someone else is having this issue also. I am about to suck it up, spend another $30, and overnight another transcript... Are you going to resend or wait more?

ThinkReallyFast said:
I got the address below from AMCAS support. Most transcript services overnight using FedEX which cannot deliver to a POBOX.

They had me to overnight to:
655 K Street NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC, 20001-2399

The address worked for me when I used the receiver from the normal ACMAS address.
Click to expand...

Ahh that makes sense. This school sent through USPS thank goodness so it says it was delivered to the PO Box successfully.
 
C_Avila said:
That is frustrating but it makes me feel better that someone else is having this issue also. I am about to suck it up, spend another $30, and overnight another transcript... Are you going to resend or wait more?
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Waiting a little longer. AMCAS isn't sending out apps until July anyways. If the transcript isn't received by Monday I'm over-nighting another.
 
Glycereine said:
Waiting a little longer. AMCAS isn't sending out apps until July anyways. If the transcript isn't received by Monday I'm over-nighting another.
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same waiting game over here! transcript should have been delivered june 5th (I was stupid and didn't pay to overnight it because I didn't really think it would take 2 weeks to mail out)

just trying to occupy myself so I don't always check my email!
 
Nontrad8 said:
same waiting game over here! transcript should have been delivered june 5th (I was stupid and didn't pay to overnight it because I didn't really think it would take 2 weeks to mail out)

just trying to occupy myself so I don't always check my email!
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C_Avila said:
Maybe AMCAS lost a stack of transcripts from June 5th and it just happens to have mine, @Nontrad8, and @Glycereine 's transcripts!
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Last year there was a short period where AMCAS went backwards in days. Someone may have just hit the wrong number and they aren't really on transcripts from the 8th right now.
 
No I called and they said they were processing ones from the 8th. But they hinted that even though they are working on ones from the 8th they may still be marking ones that were received before then.
 
I like to envision all the transcripts going into a giant bin that has a release mechanism at the bottom. Although the transcripts come through in "roughly" the order they were received, there's a small chance yours gets mixed into the following day, and an even smaller chance it gets delayed two days, etc.
 
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I have read that this is a marathon not a sprint and it will be a waiting game throughout but this is so much easier said than done!
 
Nontrad8 said:
I have read that this is a marathon not a sprint and it will be a waiting game throughout but this is so much easier said than done!
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Yeah. I'm trying to not give into the same sort of anxiety I had leading up to getting my mcat scores back, but it's tough. Thankfully (?), I'm working a lot this summer and finishing up my classes too, so I've got a lot of legit distractions.
 
My application just reached "Ready for Review" status. Had a transcript that should have been there over a week before it apparently did arrive (the second one I sent). School error I believe, not AMCAS though.

Anyone have any idea how long historically it takes to get to an app that was ready for review 11 days into the submission cycle? I thought I remembered a chart from last year but can't find it.


edit: I'll leave the post but I found some historical data in a thread. Looks like submissions or "ready for review" last year at about this time took 10-12 days to get to the "under review" category. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/why-does-amcas-say-ready-for-review.536883/
 
Glycereine said:
Anyone have any idea how long historically it takes to get to an app that was ready for review 11 days into the submission cycle? I thought I remembered a chart from last year but can't find it.
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I think your application should be verified before the first wave of applications are transmitted to schools. Or so I remember reading!
 
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I am not even stressing about this process. I already submitted my AACOMAS primaries on 5/28. I will submit my AMCAS primaries by the end of this month. I'm not looking to submit my secondaries until mid August-September because I will be at National Training Center for July. There are more stressful things in life than medical school applications. LOL
 
Glycereine said:
My application just reached "Ready for Review" status. Had a transcript that should have been there over a week before it apparently did arrive (the second one I sent). School error I believe, not AMCAS though.

Anyone have any idea how long historically it takes to get to an app that was ready for review 11 days into the submission cycle? I thought I remembered a chart from last year but can't find it.


edit: I'll leave the post but I found some historical data in a thread. Looks like submissions or "ready for review" last year at about this time took 10-12 days to get to the "under review" category. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/why-does-amcas-say-ready-for-review.536883/
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so you had to send a transcript twice before amcas received it?
 
Hey fellow nontrads! Glad we have a place to commiserate. Anyone else taking the MCAT next week? If so, I hope I am not the only one oscillating between guilt from not spending every second studying and burnout.
 
anichols8 said:
Hey fellow nontrads! Glad we have a place to commiserate. Anyone else taking the MCAT next week? If so, I hope I am not the only one oscillating between guilt from not spending every second studying and burnout.
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Mainly self-loathing at this point! But yeah I take it on June 20. Have no idea how to feel, based on wildly varying practice exam scores
 
You guys are all lucky, I just finished my last final yesterday and now have to wait to grades to post before I can submit my transcript, then have to wait for them to be received before I can submit. All this time means I keep messing with my PS! I need to just leave it alone.
 
NonTrad16 said:
Same. Taking the June 20 MCAT, so turning everything in super early just didn't happen. I'm hoping this is a forgiving year in terms of timetable.
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Took the MCAT May 22nd so at least I got that out of the way. I'm hoping the time is a little forgiving too. Good Luck!
 
NonTrad16 said:
Same. Taking the June 20 MCAT, so turning everything in super early just didn't happen. I'm hoping this is a forgiving year in terms of timetable.
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I think it will be because AMCAS won't even begin sending primary applications to medical schools until early July this year.
 
Finally got my percentile ranges back from May 22 MCAT and submitted my apps. Don't worry about the MCAT for those of you yet to take it; study hard and go in smiling. Do lots of practice exams to prepare (2015 obviously)!
 
mavric1298 said:
You guys are all lucky, I just finished my last final yesterday and now have to wait to grades to post before I can submit my transcript, then have to wait for them to be received before I can submit. All this time means I keep messing with my PS! I need to just leave it alone.
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You can submit without that transcript if you input the courses for that term as "current/future" That said I don't know how that will affect other things but I believe it will make your processing faster. I did this last year but since I didn't get accepted maybe it caused issues... no way to tell but I was never given feedback about that.
 
Missing transcript finally showed up at AACOMAS, so hopefully I'll be verified by...mid-July :dead:Argh. Que sera sera.

Nothing yet from AMCAS from June 3rd submission. Going to start pre-writing some of these secondaries soon.
 
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AMCAS is now verified. Let the floodgates of secondaries open...

I also get my official April scores tomorrow. However, I already designated all my schools so I'm feeling pretty nonchalant about it. Then again, scoring on the higher end of my estimated overall score would be a nice confidence boost.
 
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wagonwheel23 said:
AMCAS is now verified. Let the floodgates of secondaries open...

I also get my official April scores tomorrow. However, I already designated all my schools so I'm feeling pretty nonchalant about it. Then again, scoring on the higher end of my estimated overall score would be a nice confidence boost.
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When did you submit your AMCAS?
 
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