2016 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

[wagonwheel23]

When did you submit your AMCAS?

June 3rd.

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[Eccesignum]

June 3rd.

Ahhh me too. I hope I'm somewhere near you in line!

 

[mw18]

Good luck this year everybody! I didn't know about this type of thread last year or I would have been checking in. If anybody has any questions, I'd be more than happy to reply to a message or in the forum. I'm former military/non-trad.

 

[Cawolf]

Paid for the rest of my primaries today.

Ended with 30 schools; 23 MD and 7 DO.

 

[Nontrad8]

one of my transcripts was mailed out june 1st, still haven't received an email saying it's been received. what to do?! should I mail out another in case it was lost or if amcas ends up getting 2 transcripts from the same school, would they be confused?

 

[Glycereine]

one of my transcripts was mailed out june 1st, still haven't received an email saying it's been received. what to do?! should I mail out another in case it was lost or if amcas ends up getting 2 transcripts from the same school, would they be confused?

I would mail another, but you will probably find that they will "receive" yours in the next day or two.

They have 2 transcripts from 6 of my 9 schools because I sent the requests by mail for those 6 and then found ways to fax/email or do something faster.

 

[Eccesignum]

AMCAS verified!

So...I'm wondering about the PS, though. I noticed that all the paragraph spacing was taken out, leaving the PS looking like one giant paragraph -- and it looks horrible. I'm not sure what it looks like on the PDF as I've been trying to load that for a while and it just spins and spins (I assume thousands of people are probably trying to access this right now).

Is that what admissions people see, just one giant paragraph chunk? Man, I hope not!

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

AMCAS verified!

So...I'm wondering about the PS, though. I noticed that all the paragraph spacing was taken out, leaving the PS looking like one giant paragraph -- and it looks horrible. I'm not sure what it looks like on the PDF as I've been trying to load that for a while and it just spins and spins (I assume thousands of people are probably trying to access this right now).

Is that what admissions people see, just one giant paragraph chunk? Man, I hope not!

You're good. This comes up every year

update: I just doublechecked my pdf from last summer, and the spacing is there (unlike the other option).

 

[Y = bX+a]

Hi everyone, I would like to wish you all the best of luck as you progress through this application cycle! I will be rooting for you from the sidelines and hopefully joining you on this journey in a few years time!

Y

 

[mavric1298]

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.

Two reasons I can't do this; one I need the grades from this term to be calculated, and if they are entered as future they won't. Secondly, one of the schools it is my only class, so there would be no transcript to send, which will hold up my app from verification because I would be "missing" a required transcript

 

[TravelingPanda]

AMCAS confirmed today. Starting to slog through the secondary essays in preparation for the deluge on July 1.

 

[Glycereine]

AMCAS confirmed today. Starting to slog through the secondary essays in preparation for the deluge on July 1.

Mind if I ask when you were "complete?" Trying to see if the timeline on the login page is up-to-date.

 

[DaenerysTargaryen]

Submitted today. Wishing all of my fellow non-trads a fruitful cycle!

 

[TravelingPanda]

Mind if I ask when you were "complete?" Trying to see if the timeline on the login page is up-to-date.

I submitted the AMCAS application on June 4. AMCAS received all my transcripts in May, so as soon as I hit submit it was ready for review.

 

[mavric1298]

So my grades was finally posted and corrected today for my spring quarter- now the question; should I submit and hope they receive the transcript before they get to verify - or should I wait to hit submit until it is received? I'm getting anxious to submit, but that grade is very important for several screen outs. Thoughts?

 

[gyrfalcon]

So my grades was finally posted and corrected today for my spring quarter- now the question; should I submit and hope they receive the transcript before they get to verify - or should I wait to hit submit until it is received? I'm getting anxious to submit, but that grade is very important for several screen outs. Thoughts?

I think you can go ahead and submit. AMCAS seems to be faster with the transcripts than they are with verifying the application.

 

[Glycereine]

So my grades was finally posted and corrected today for my spring quarter- now the question; should I submit and hope they receive the transcript before they get to verify - or should I wait to hit submit until it is received? I'm getting anxious to submit, but that grade is very important for several screen outs. Thoughts?

I think you can go ahead and submit. AMCAS seems to be faster with the transcripts than they are with verifying the application.

I'd second this. I think your transcript will be processed before you get to the front of the verify line. Did you have the transcript overnighted? Right now transcripts are over a week ahead of reviewing.

 

[Eccesignum]

Happy AMCAS Blast Day!

One of my top MD schools was nice enough to send a form email informing me that my AMCAS materials had been received and all applications would be be processed in order. Let the nailbiting begin.

AACOMAS still verifying...

 

[Glycereine]

Happy AMCAS Blast Day!

One of my top MD schools was nice enough to send a form email informing me that my AMCAS materials had been received and all applications would be be processed in order. Let the nailbiting begin.

AACOMAS still verifying...

I am fairly disappointed with the AMCAS speed of verification this year. Either a lot more people submitted during the first 10 days (I was ready for review on day 10, still not verified) or they are going much more slowly. I thought I'd have everything done before they made applications available which is frustrating.

edit: Literally just received an email saying mine has been processed. Talk about timing.

 

[Eccesignum]

I am fairly disappointed with the AMCAS speed of verification this year. Either a lot more people submitted during the first 10 days (I was ready for review on day 10, still not verified) or they are going much more slowly. I thought I'd have everything done before they made applications available which is frustrating.

edit: Literally just received an email saying mine has been processed. Talk about timing.

I'm sure it had to do with sheer numbers. I noticed that the very very first people on 6/2 who submitted were verified same or next day. I submitted on 6/3, and even submitting on the second day I wasn't verified til ten days later, so that many people landslid into the queue in one day.

 

[mavric1298]

does anyone know how late you can assign a LOR, I know after you submit you can, but do they send it in addition if they have already sent your materials (my understanding is they don't look at LOR until secondaries anyway)?

 

[Eccesignum]

First secondary has arrived! Was not quite ready for that. Naturally it's one of the ones I hadn't yet gotten to in my pre-writing binge, so I know what's shooting to the top of my priorities on my two days off this week.

 

[Eccesignum]

does anyone know how late you can assign a LOR, I know after you submit you can, but do they send it in addition if they have already sent your materials (my understanding is they don't look at LOR until secondaries anyway)?

I've been trying to figure this out for some time. I'm under the impression that they're sent with secondaries but I can't find anything to confirm exactly how AMCAS does it. I've gone ahead and assigned all my letters already, just in case.

 

[VegasPreMed]

Just got my first secondary, however my Comittee has yet to write their letter. Is it a problem submitting secondaries without LOR's already in?

 

[Glycereine]

Just got my first secondary, however my Comittee has yet to write their letter. Is it a problem submitting secondaries without LOR's already in?

Depends on the school. I submitted a secondary yesterday and they are waiting on two letters. They won't process it until they are in


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[Eccesignum]

Depends on the school. I submitted a secondary yesterday and they are waiting on two letters. They won't process it until they are in


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Does AMCAS forward your letters automatically or is there some communication that has to happen before they send them on?

 

[Glycereine]

Does AMCAS forward your letters automatically or is there some communication that has to happen before they send them on?

I believe they forward them automatically as long as they are assigned. That said, I know USUHS wanted me to alert them when new letters were available so maybe it is more of a pull system and the school has to grab them from AMCAS once they are "available"

 

[member000000000]

I won't be submitting until July 4th. Do you guys think I'm screwed?

511 (87th percentile so 31 or 32 on the old scale).

DO GPA 3.5-3.6 for both science and cumulative. (3.3-3.4 for MD for both)

About 100 volunteer hours in er

Only about 10 shadowing hours

Thousands of non clinical volunteer hours

Psychology research (but health related)

4 semesters of student teaching

Leadership experience

Worked at a pharmacy for years

Disadvantaged - Come from a difficult background

URM

2 science and 1 professional LOR (no doctor)

 

[Glycereine]

I won't be submitting until July 4th. Do you guys think I'm screwed?

It sounds like you have a lot of positives, a good GPA and an above average MCAT. That said any delay sets you behind on schools that do rolling admissions. Also not having an LOR from a doctor could hurt. Make sure you look at requirements for the schools you are going to apply to, some absolutely require a clinical LOR. Others require anywhere from 3-5 total LORs.

If the schools you are applying to only require the 3 total LORs you have, then it really just depends on your timing and how well you present yourself in your essays/PS, etc.

I don't think you're necessarily screwed, but I also don't have all the information.

 

[remzremz]

I'm not applying this year, but how many letters of recommendation are required?

I hear two professor recommendations as a minimum plus one clinical from a doctor. Is this correct? I've been out of college for five years and will be taking post-bacc classes because I did not take any science classes in college. The science classes will have about 300 students, so it will be difficult to get a letter of recommendation from the professor. How have other non-traditional students handled this? Does the LOR come from the TA? Any advice would be great.

 

[Eccesignum]

I believe they forward them automatically as long as they are assigned. That said, I know USUHS wanted me to alert them when new letters were available so maybe it is more of a pull system and the school has to grab them from AMCAS once they are "available"

Confirming this (at least for one school). I turned around a secondary and got a notice back that they were now downloading my assigned letters from AMCAS and to give them 24 hours to do so before contacting with any questions.

 

[Eccesignum]

I'm not applying this year, but how many letters of recommendation are required?

I hear two professor recommendations as a minimum plus one clinical from a doctor. Is this correct? I've been out of college for five years and will be taking post-bacc classes because I did not take any science classes in college. The science classes will have about 300 students, so it will be difficult to get a letter of recommendation from the professor. How have other non-traditional students handled this? Does the LOR come from the TA? Any advice would be great.

Schools have different requirements, so check the individual websites of the schools you're applying to. I found that overwhelmingly I needed to have at least two letters from science professors, many asked for one non-science professor, a few wanted a non-academic, and at least one MD school asked for a clinical LOR from a doctor I shadowed. DO schools almost all want a letter from a DO.

I had gathered a pool of 3 science letters, 1 non-science, 1 MD, 1 DO, 1 volunteer supervisor, and 1 work supervisor and found that's covered everything imaginable so far. But check your own school list. Some have a maximum number of letters and very specific instructions, while some let you submit all you've got.

I was told not to use a TA letter (full professors only), but other people can chime in on this. I'm sure there are varying experiences.

 

[remzremz]

Schools have different requirements, so check the individual websites of the schools you're applying to. I found that overwhelmingly I needed to have at least two letters from science professors, many asked for one non-science professor, a few wanted a non-academic, and at least one MD school asked for a clinical LOR from a doctor I shadowed. DO schools almost all want a letter from a DO.

I had gathered a pool of 3 science letters, 1 non-science, 1 MD, 1 DO, 1 volunteer supervisor, and 1 work supervisor and found that's covered everything imaginable so far. But check your own school list. Some have a maximum number of letters and very specific instructions, while some let you submit all you've got.

I was told not to use a TA letter (full professors only), but other people can chime in on this. I'm sure there are varying experiences.

Thanks!!! Where can I find each school's LOR requirements? Is their website or the MSAR guide the best bet?

 

[Eccesignum]

Thanks!!! Where can I find each school's LOR requirements? Is their website or the MSAR guide the best bet?

They should have the same information. I got it from websites, but that was personal preference. If you google 'Blah Blah School of medicine letters of recommendation' each school's admissions page pops up pretty easily.

 

[Glycereine]

I'm not applying this year, but how many letters of recommendation are required?

I hear two professor recommendations as a minimum plus one clinical from a doctor. Is this correct? I've been out of college for five years and will be taking post-bacc classes because I did not take any science classes in college. The science classes will have about 300 students, so it will be difficult to get a letter of recommendation from the professor. How have other non-traditional students handled this? Does the LOR come from the TA? Any advice would be great.

Schools have different requirements, so check the individual websites of the schools you're applying to. I found that overwhelmingly I needed to have at least two letters from science professors, many asked for one non-science professor, a few wanted a non-academic, and at least one MD school asked for a clinical LOR from a doctor I shadowed. DO schools almost all want a letter from a DO.

I had gathered a pool of 3 science letters, 1 non-science, 1 MD, 1 DO, 1 volunteer supervisor, and 1 work supervisor and found that's covered everything imaginable so far. But check your own school list. Some have a maximum number of letters and very specific instructions, while some let you submit all you've got.

I was told not to use a TA letter (full professors only), but other people can chime in on this. I'm sure there are varying experiences.

Thanks!!! Where can I find each school's LOR requirements? Is their website or the MSAR guide the best bet?

Just want to second this/chime in.

I have 3 science letters, 1 non-science letter, 1 MD letter, 1 supervisor letter, and 1 Commanding Officer letter (I'm active duty). I'm only applying MD but this has covered requirements everywhere I've seen so far as well. If I were applying DO I would certainly try to get a DO letter as well.

School websites are the best bet. Anything not from their website could be outdated.

As far as how to get letters, I am a non-trad who completed undergrad 10 years ago. One of my science letters (actually a 4th one I didn't mention in my numbers above due to some schools wanting more current professors) is from that school, 1 is from a class 5 years ago, 1 is from a class 3 years ago, and 1 is from a class a year ago (all 4 different schools). My non-science letter is from a class 5 years ago (a 5th school, but my most recent non-science course).

I didn't have issues with getting letters even from teachers in courses where I was one in hundreds. As long as you did well in the class you are asking for a letter form, professors are usually pretty accommodating.


edit: Ironically as of writing this, the only letter I'm waiting on is the one I just took the class with less than a year ago and the class only had 10 people... So size of class is definitely not an indicator of how hard the letter will be to get

 

[Ltl Ducky]

I'm not applying this year, but how many letters of recommendation are required?

I hear two professor recommendations as a minimum plus one clinical from a doctor. Is this correct? I've been out of college for five years and will be taking post-bacc classes because I did not take any science classes in college. The science classes will have about 300 students, so it will be difficult to get a letter of recommendation from the professor. How have other non-traditional students handled this? Does the LOR come from the TA? Any advice would be great.

I am a non- trad that had been out of school for a few years as well. It was tough to get those letters. I went to every class, went to study periods, and occasionally stopped by the professor's office during office hours so that he would know who I was.

Also do research which will help you get a good letter as long as you are on the ball. Further, I would try to get a letter from someone you worked with as a volunteer. I think this made a big difference in my app. This helped me get accepted... Starting in the fall to an MD.


Edit: I used interfolio to manage my letters and submit them to amcas. I submitted them all individually, and it was super easy to mange. Additionally, all of my letter writers said it was a breeze... I don't work for interfolio juts very thankful for their service.

 

[Eccesignum]

Just got a secondary that asks for my SAT scores That was almost twenty years ago, haha.

Oh the joys of being a non-trad

 

[ThinkReallyFast]

Just got a secondary that asks for my SAT scores That was almost twenty years ago, haha.

Oh the joys of being a non-trad

Me too. Mine provides a space to explain why it is not provided. I think taking it +15 years ago and not remember/having access is a valid exception! It is also too to quantify and represent your current application.

 

[Eccesignum]

Me too. Mine provides a space to explain why it is not provided. I think taking it +15 years ago and not remember/having access is a valid exception! It is also too to quantify and represent your current application.

There's a space on mine for that too (I'm wondering if we're applying to the same school!). I'm wondering if I should wait to call on Monday and just make sure they'll take that as a reason.

Edit: Gosh I did a lot of wondering in this post.

 

[ThinkReallyFast]

There's a space on mine for that too (I wondering if we're applying to the same school!). I'm wondering if I should wait to call on Monday and just make sure they'll take that as a reason.

Report back with what you hear! ;-)

I need to call and determine whether I can use recent upper division biology courses for the prerequisites, as my lower division are mostly 10+ years ago and not representative of my current ability.

 

[MrSamrtGuy]

Congrats to all of you for getting to the application process, and best of luck. It is nice to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[mavric1298]

Super bummed it took so long to get my transcript fixed and received, but got my app in 2 days ago, and have already started getting pre-verified 2ndaries. This should really help as I can get those done and turn around the other ones once verified quicker. Being on the quarter system and having to wait for grades sucks! Also still waiting on 2 LOR to be sent to interfolio, I keep having to remind the people. LOR's can be very stressful at times!

 

[VegasPreMed]

Just got a secondary that asks for my SAT scores That was almost twenty years ago, haha.

Oh the joys of being a non-trad

Haha I had the same thought when I saw it! But only a decade old for me, so I may have to try and scrounge them up...

 

[NonTrad16]

June Prelim MCAT:
C/P - 85-100%
CARS - 85-100%
Bio - 72-87%
Psych - 81-96%
Comp - 86-96%

YES!!!!! Time to finish my personal statement and get this show on the road.

Obviously I wanted to submit earlier, but pushed my MCAT back from May to June. Life happens. Congrats to everyone further along! Here we gooooooo........

 

[charlie517]

Hello all non-trads! I just turned in my first secondary...to a far fetched dream school.....let the nerves set in!

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

Haha I had the same thought when I saw it! But only a decade old for me, so I may have to try and scrounge them up...

How would one go about finding this?! I have no idea where to start or who to ask

 

[mavric1298]

How would one go about finding this?! I have no idea where to start or who to ask

5 seconds of googling later

 

[Glycereine]

I refrained from replying but yeah it's pretty easy to find...


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[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

What is this Google you speak of?

You're right it was a dumb question

 

[Glycereine]

What is this Google you speak of?

You're right it was a dumb question

Lol. It wasn't dumb I just couldn't really think of a nice way to answer haha. If you didn't have a reply in a bit I was going to send you the link.


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