2009-2010 AMCAS Questions Thread

This thread is for those of us who want to ask and answer questions regarding AMCAS 2010.

The moderator staff would like to remind users that each thread has a "Search this Thread" function at the top right of the thread. Rather than poring over the tons of pages in this thread, you might have some luck looking for your question if you just do a quick search in this thread. If that doesn't work, check out the FAQ's below. Still no luck? Feel free to post a new question.

Why is the link being so stupid?????

ksmi117 said:

Why is the link being so stupid?????

Click to expand...

What do you mean?

AMCAS 2010 is now open!!!

DocDrakeRamoray said:

What do you mean?

Click to expand...

It had the link up but it wasn't working. Now, it's working yay!

good luck to all applicants for 2010!

Just fyi:

AMCAS Maintenance said:

Throughout the 2010 admissions cycle, the AMCAS application will be unavailable during the following hours:
• Each Monday through Saturday from 5-7 a.m. ET
• Each Sunday from 5-9 a.m. ET

Click to expand...

Edit: If you're (extremely) partial to a particular browser AMCAS will not let you use, you can fake it!

For Safari:

Enable the "developer" menu.
Select "user agent."
Pick one of the ones AMCAS likes.
You're done!

This is no longer an issue with firefox this year, so I'll not bother.

Would saying "No" to the following question affect my application?

"Do you authorize AMCAS to release information about your application, including MCAT scores, to school-designated advisors, provided this institution is eligible to receive such information based on the criteria set forth by AMCAS?"

Here we go.

DocDrakeRamoray said:

Would saying "No" to the following question affect my application?

"Do you authorize AMCAS to release information about your application, including MCAT scores, to school-designated advisors, provided this institution is eligible to receive such information based on the criteria set forth by AMCAS?"

Click to expand...

I believe that locks your pre-med adviser out of the process. Not sure what else it does.

How optional are the optional information sections? I am most curious about the section on my race/ethnicity as well as my parents occupations.

Myuu said:

I believe that locks your pre-med adviser out of the process. Not sure what else it does.

Click to expand...

yup, true!

that's what I did, and it did not affect my application (other than having him stay out of the process).

TooMuchResearch said:

How optional are the optional information sections? I am most curious about the section on my race/ethnicity as well as my parents occupations.

Click to expand...

Completely optional. But it could help depending on your individual circumstances. (More race/ethnicity than parental occupations.)


Edit: The time when optional becomes not all that optional is secondary season.

Yeah, I don't really want to reveal my ethnicity. That should be okay, right?

Myuu said:

Completely optional. But it could help depending on your individual circumstances. (More race/ethnicity than parental occupations.)


Edit: The time when optional becomes not all that optional is secondary season.

Click to expand...

The race/ethnicity section will not help, but I figured I should fill it out anyway. The section on parent occupation though...that one seems like a bit too much.

BlueElmo said:

Yeah, I don't really want to reveal my ethnicity. That should be okay, right?

Click to expand...

It's fine. Unless you're particularly interested in helping their statistical analyses or think it might help you, feel free to leave it out.

Myuu said:

It's fine. Unless you're particularly interested in helping their statistical analyses or think it might help you, feel free to leave it out.

Click to expand...

Myuu, you are the best.

BlueElmo said:

Myuu, you are the best.

Click to expand...

Glad to be of service.

You guys are seriously working on this already? Give it a few hours, at least.

JimmerJammerMrK said:

You guys are seriously working on this already? Give it a few hours, at least.

Click to expand...

It's stress release. The sooner you get it over with, the less you have to worry about it.

JimmerJammerMrK said:

You guys are seriously working on this already? Give it a few hours, at least.

Click to expand...

It's a productive way to take a break from studying for finals.

If I have to reapply do I need to send in my transcripts again for AMCAS to verify, even if I have not taken one more course?

Birdsbeak said:

If I have to reapply do I need to send in my transcripts again for AMCAS to verify, even if I have not taken one more course?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, yes.

Oh man. That is such a rip-off. It costs money when I do that!

Birdsbeak said:

Oh man. That is such a rip-off. It costs money when I do that!

Click to expand...

Indeed it does.:cry:

Sort of a stupid question but...when it asks for the start date for schools im not sure what to put for one school. I took CC classes in HS in 2003, took one seemster of CC after i graduated HS in 2004, quit school for 2 years then restarted at the same CC in 2006. Stayed there until 2007 when i transferred. So is my start date 2003-2007? I just dont want them to think like wtf why did he spend over 4 years at a CC? When in reality i didnt i just sporadically took random classes until i was serious in 06.

Elijah05 said:

Sort of a stupid question but...when it asks for the start date for schools im not sure what to put for one school. I took CC classes in HS in 2003, took one seemster of CC after i graduated HS in 2004, quit school for 2 years then restarted at the same CC in 2006. Stayed there until 2007 when i transferred. So is my start date 2003-2007? I just dont want them to think like wtf why did he spend over 4 years at a CC? When in reality i didnt i just sporadically took random classes until i was serious in 06.

Click to expand...

You have the option of specifying which semesters you took those classes, so if it's sporadic, it'll show up that way.

Apparently, I had a 3-year senior year.

I took a phlebotomy class at a local commnity college last summer. The class was not graded or anything, and I did not earn any credits etc. It was purely to learn how to draw blood. Is this something I need to have transcripts sent for? I would not think so but wanted to double check.

Here is a link to the class:
http://www.wccnet.edu/lifelong-learning/licensing-certification/view/type/phlebotomy-skills-professional/

when it asks for any languages besides your primary language...can you select languages you are familiar with, but wouldn't call yourself "fluent" in?

i wish i could use google chrome

i must say, the system is quite easy-to-use and user-friendly. it was kind of tedious banging out all those courses and schools though.

Booster said:

when it asks for any languages besides your primary language...can you select languages you are familiar with, but wouldn't call yourself "fluent" in?

Click to expand...

Try the help button in the top right corner of the application.

Booster said:

when it asks for any languages besides your primary language...can you select languages you are familiar with, but wouldn't call yourself "fluent" in?

Click to expand...

and they only mean spoken languages right? not programming languages???

I love you guys. I didn't even bother checking for when AMCAS opens since I knew one of these threads would pop up when it did.

Yay for SDN!

Must our schools include those AMCAS transcript request forms? A lot of my schools only have online transcript request, so they probably won't send my transcript request form with their transcript? Any 2013ers have issues with this?

onb2014 said:

Must our schools include those AMCAS transcript request forms? A lot of my schools only have online transcript request, so they probably won't send my transcript request form with their transcript? Any 2013ers have issues with this?

Click to expand...

I didn't have an issue 2 years ago. If you need to fax a signature page, you can always include it, though.

What the hell counts as an institutional action? I know conduct wise ive had none but one semester I took CC classes and get 2D and 2C then quit school for 2 years. On my transcripts it says "Academic standing: probation 1 low GPA" Does that count as an institutional action? I mean 2 years later when i restarted at the same CC they didnt tell me anything, it didnt stop me from enrolling, and it never really did anything. I never even knew about it until this morning when the stupid amcas asked me about it.

I also called my CC and they said they dont know.....I dont know how that is possible but i guess that speaks to the quality of the cc lol. . how can a school not know what it considers an institutional action when they make the rules about that for their school...


another question.....So im graduating in dec 2009 after i graduate i have to move back in with my parents. The thing is they live far away so im not sure what to put as my permanent address. If i put my current address it will only be good until dec 09, also the school housing sucks at forwarding mail so im afraid that i wont get any correspondence with school after that. If i put my parents house, it will be hard to get any mail until dec when i move there. I dont know what i should put as my address, or can i change it later when i move? Is that a pain? would it be easier just to make my address my parents since its stable?

Hmm...whats the consensus on listing education level attained by parents? I'm not a first generation college student, but neither of my parents went to medical school. Will listing info most likely help or hurt me?

Booster said:

when it asks for any languages besides your primary language...can you select languages you are familiar with, but wouldn't call yourself "fluent" in?

Click to expand...

Depends on level ability. Conversational generally doesn't get you far enough, but it's up to you. Beware schools that will give you interviews in foreign languages, though...

chinook said:

i wish i could use google chrome

Click to expand...

Still haven't found a workaround for that. :cry:

Lukkie said:

and they only mean spoken languages right? not programming languages???

Click to expand...

That is correct. You could throw it into an EC box, though, if you have related material.

onb2014 said:

Must our schools include those AMCAS transcript request forms? A lot of my schools only have online transcript request, so they probably won't send my transcript request form with their transcript? Any 2013ers have issues with this?

Click to expand...

Some schools that do online requests are already quite familiar with AMCAS and will allow you to specify any enclosures that need to be sent along with the transcripts.

caveat87 said:

Hmm...whats the consensus on listing education level attained by parents? I'm not a first generation college student, but neither of my parents went to medical school. Will listing info most likely help or hurt me?

Click to expand...

You can if you want to, but it can't hurt. Excellent choice of avatar, btw.

This questions is probably burried in the SDN database somewhere, and sorry for too lazy to search but:

If you have a physical eduction grade on your transcript, do you enter it? If so, do you enter it under "other"

Thanks

So many questions...

vinniekan said:

This questions is probably burried in the SDN database somewhere, and sorry for too lazy to search but:

If you have a physical eduction grade on your transcript, do you enter it? If so, do you enter it under "other"

Thanks

Click to expand...

If it doesn't readily fit in one of the other categories, feel free to chuck it into the "other" bin.

Hi everyone,

Regarding Course Work-when I was taking my prerequisite Bio courses, some of the course names were undergoing change, but the changes were not reflected on my transcript for the courses I had already completed. For example, I started out by taking Fundamentals of Bio III, which is Populations Bio at my school. Now that is called Fundamentals of Bio I, but on my transcript it still says Fundamental of Bio III.

Next semester, when I took Organismic Bio (previously named Fundamentals of Bio II), it had been renamed to Fundamentals of Bio III. So basically, on my transcript, even though the course NUMBERS are different, the repeated titles make it look like I repeated some Bio Courses AND Labs.

What do I do? Should I enter the course numbers and titles as they appear on my transcript, or as they are officially titled now in the Undergraduate Bulletin for my college? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

pookiez88 said:

Hi everyone,

Regarding Course Work-when I was taking my prerequisite Bio courses, some of the course names were undergoing change, but the changes were not reflected on my transcript for the courses I had already completed. For example, I started out by taking Fundamentals of Bio III, which is Populations Bio at my school. Now that is called Fundamentals of Bio I, but on my transcript it still says Fundamental of Bio III.

Next semester, when I took Organismic Bio (previously named Fundamentals of Bio II), it had been renamed to Fundamentals of Bio III. So basically, on my transcript, even though the course NUMBERS are different, the repeated titles make it look like I repeated some Bio Courses AND Labs.

What do I do? Should I enter the course numbers and titles as they appear on my transcript, or as they are officially titled now in the Undergraduate Bulletin for my college? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what to do here, but whatever happens, AMCAS will either fix it for you when they verify or call you and ask about it. If they end up calling you, it would delay verification. You may just want to call and ask. They can be very helpful.

elijah
i'd suggest putting ur parents address
atleast that way you will know for sure the mail is there
and u can rely more on ur parents to forward the mail rather than the school people
wudn't want important stuff getting lost

2010 cycle here I come !!! @.@

Elijah05 said:

another question.....So im graduating in dec 2009 after i graduate i have to move back in with my parents. The thing is they live far away so im not sure what to put as my permanent address. If i put my current address it will only be good until dec 09, also the school housing sucks at forwarding mail so im afraid that i wont get any correspondence with school after that. If i put my parents house, it will be hard to get any mail until dec when i move there. I dont know what i should put as my address, or can i change it later when i move? Is that a pain? would it be easier just to make my address my parents since its stable?

Click to expand...

Can't answer that first part, but I had no problems changing my address with AMCAS in the middle of last cycle.

(The office of finaid seems to think I still live at my old house, but that's not an AMCAS-related issue...)

Myuu said:

Depends on level ability. Conversational generally doesn't get you far enough, but it's up to you. Beware schools that will give you interviews in foreign languages, though...

Click to expand...

Should I put "English"?

I've been convicted of a misdameanor (I do not want to disclose here what it was) and after marking yes there is a box to explain it in 1300 characters. Besides what, where, when, the sentence I received ( this will take only about two sentences) should I include any more information. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses.