I can't find the timeline on the AMCAS site...

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silverlining1

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I'm trying to find out when the AMCAS can be submitted. I see that it will be available on May 3, but I don't know when the earliest possible submission date is (is it May 3 as well, or in June, or something else?). Does anyone know? I'm concerned if the application can be submitted in May because my grades for this quarter won't come out until June 19, and I would like schools to see them.

On that note, would it be to my advantage to submit the application as soon as possible and add my spring quarter grades ASAP, or should I wait to submit until I've got the spring grades? I would very much appreciate any advice.

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My advisor told me we could submit "on or about June 6" for this cycle. Wait until you've got your spring grades. A late June submission is still pretty early in the application cycle.
 
You can't submit until June 1st (or around there as above poster said). Also, you would want to wait to submit your app until your spring semester grades come out. Remember you also have to send your transcript in to amcas and you probably want your spring grades on there.
 
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I'm trying to find out when the AMCAS can be submitted. I see that it will be available on May 3, but I don't know when the earliest possible submission date is (is it May 3 as well, or in June, or something else?). Does anyone know? I'm concerned if the application can be submitted in May because my grades for this quarter won't come out until June 19, and I would like schools to see them.

On that note, would it be to my advantage to submit the application as soon as possible and add my spring quarter grades ASAP, or should I wait to submit until I've got the spring grades? I would very much appreciate any advice.

April-MAY: Typically send in transcripts
May 3rd: AMCAS application becomes available
June 1st-5th: earliest date of AMCAS application Submission

* if AMCAS has acknowledged that they've received your transcripts and you submit your application in the first week of June--> you're application will be processed within a few days to a week

* On the other hand, if you want to wait until your grades come in (June 19th) --> you can still submit your application in early June so that it is in queue for verification, but if they reach your application and your transcripts haven't been processed yet, that'll kick your application to the back of the line

Whether it is to your advantage to wait for your latest grades depends on your current GPA.

a) if you have a 4.0 GPA and you'll be getting more As then you shouldn't wait. FYI if you have a great GPA and a great MCAT a later AMCAS submission will not hurt you.

b) if you have a lower GPA and need the extra boost from your latest grades, then you can wait and submit later, and you'll still be fine if you're processed by early July.


FINAL NOTE: all the advice you're currently getting from us is based on the previous system of two MCAT administrations per year. how relevant our advice will be for this year's applicants is another story. This is because there will be several surges in AMCAS submission throughout the year rather than just two large surges after the April & August MCAT administrations.


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April-MAY: Typically send in transcripts
May 3rd: AMCAS application becomes available
June 1st-5th: earliest date of AMCAS application Submission

* if AMCAS has acknowledged that they've received your transcripts and you submit your application in the first week of June--> you're application will be processed within a few days to a week

* On the other hand, if you want to wait until your grades come in (June 19th) --> you can still submit your application in early June so that it is in queue for verification, but if they reach your application and your transcripts haven't been processed yet, that'll kick your application to the back of the line

Whether it is to your advantage to wait for your latest grades depends on your current GPA.

a) if you have a 4.0 GPA and you'll be getting more As then you shouldn't wait. FYI if you have a great GPA and a great MCAT a later AMCAS submission will not hurt you.

b) if you have a lower GPA and need the extra boost from your latest grades, then you can wait and submit later, and you'll still be fine if you're processed by early July.


FINAL NOTE: all the advice you're currently getting from us is based on the previous system of two MCAT administrations per year. how relevant our advice will be for this year's applicants is another story. This is because there will be several surges in AMCAS submission throughout the year rather than just two large surges after the April & August MCAT administrations.


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Thank you for your very detailed and helpful reply. As for your reasoning in a) and b), I'm not quite sure what to decide. My GPA is actually decent right now, and if anything it will go down next quarter. I have pulled straight A's this year, but that is because I have only taken 2 classes a quarter while studying for the MCAT (I have also been doing research, teaching, and volunteering). So, my grades look good, but I worry that it will look fishy that I've been taking so few classes and that I should include my spring grades (I am now taking 4 classes).
 
Thank you for your very detailed and helpful reply. As for your reasoning in a) and b), I'm not quite sure what to decide. My GPA is actually decent right now, and if anything it will go down next quarter. I have pulled straight A's this year, but that is because I have only taken 2 classes a quarter while studying for the MCAT (I have also been doing research, teaching, and volunteering). So, my grades look good, but I worry that it will look fishy that I've been taking so few classes and that I should include my spring grades (I am now taking 4 classes).


The first screen is your GPA and MCAT and usually it is done by a computer and not by a person leafing through applications. Course load is not going to be the primary factor in their decision to interview you, however, it might be brought up during the interview, and you can address it then. It sounds like you have valid reasons for taking a lighter course load, i.e. being involved in research and volunteering.


Their decision to interview you will have a lot to do with your MCAT, GPA, and experiences and the quality of your essays. You'd be surprise how many imperfections schools are willing to overlook, if you're a strong overall candidate.

In my opinion, and others may disagree with me based on their own experiences, you shouldn't wait for your latest grades, because you will have an opportunity to discuss them in update letters, and/or at your interview, and possibly in secondary essays.

You sound like a solid applicant, so you can go with either choice a or b. However, don't forget that med schools get thousands of applications and they won't have time in the beginning of the application cycle to compare everyone's application in detail.

Once you get the interview and it comes to decision time, they may compare your application with someone else's that they've interviewed, and by then you would have had plenty of opportunity to state your case.
 
The first screen is your GPA and MCAT and usually it is done by a computer and not by a person leafing through applications. Course load is not going to be the primary factor in their decision to interview you, however, it might be brought up during the interview, and you can address it then. It sounds like you have valid reasons for taking a lighter course load, i.e. being involved in research and volunteering.


Their decision to interview you will have a lot to do with your MCAT, GPA, and experiences and the quality of your essays. You'd be surprise how many imperfections schools are willing to overlook, if you're a strong overall candidate.

In my opinion, and others may disagree with me based on their own experiences, you shouldn't wait for your latest grades, because you will have an opportunity to discuss them in update letters, and/or at your interview, and possibly in secondary essays.

You sound like a solid applicant, so you can go with either choice a or b. However, don't forget that med schools get thousands of applications and they won't have time in the beginning of the application cycle to compare everyone's application in detail.

Once you get the interview and it comes to decision time, they may compare your application with someone else's that they've interviewed, and by then you would have had plenty of opportunity to state your case.
Hmm. I understand your points, and they are very convincing. How exactly do you go about updating schools with new grades? I'm just concerned that this process is complicated, or that the schools won't care as much about the things I do after I submit the AMCAS. Basically, the ease of updating schools is my main concern.

Thanks again everyone for your opinions!
 
Hmm. I understand your points, and they are very convincing. How exactly do you go about updating schools with new grades? I'm just concerned that this process is complicated, or that the schools won't care as much about the things I do after I submit the AMCAS. Basically, the ease of updating schools is my main concern.

Thanks again everyone for your opinions!

you can mail them transcripts in update letters, but these may or may not actually be read. Your GPA on the AMCAS is what will be used for cutoffs and what will be read off when you are presented to the committee. If you show them a good semester afterward it will be looked at (if at all) positively, but they won't go recalculate your gpa.
 
you can mail them transcripts in update letters, but these may or may not actually be read. Your GPA on the AMCAS is what will be used for cutoffs and what will be read off when you are presented to the committee. If you show them a good semester afterward it will be looked at (if at all) positively, but they won't go recalculate your gpa.

I agree with everything CTtarheel said, you just send an update letter and include an unofficial copy of your transcript and ask for it to be added to your file. If they're that interested they'll request an official copy of your transcript. If they don't, which is the most likely scenario, then when you show up for your interview you can hand them an official copy.

I'll also share my own personal experience with you: I noticed that my interviewers hadn't read through my application in that much detail, not just at one school, but at EVERY school where I interviewed. This is totally understandable because they have limited time to go through a stack of applications.

My point being that a few extra classes won't determine whether you get an interview or not, rather, it will be determined by the strength of your WHOLE application.

Lastly, don't forget that on your AMCAS application, you'll indicate your spring classes as IP (in progress), which means that they'll know you're taking 4 classes, they just won't know your grades until you update them.


Best of luck to you :luck:

BTW silverlining1, I love your avatar :)

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I guess to more accurately answer your question i think waiting until june 19th would be fine. Just know that if you submit june 19th and send your transcripts june 19th, you won't be ready for verification for at least a week (until they receive your transcripts) and can count on probably 3 more weeks for verification. However, that still has you verified by the end of July, which is still very early. Schools won't even start releasing secondaries until the beginning of July and some won't come out until close to the end. I don't think I submitted anywhere until the end of july and I was interviewing in Sept/Oct.

final verdict . . . if it'll help you waiting until the end of june is not a big deal at all.
 
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