2004 AMCAS Help Thread

[bosco]

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One more question?

When I log into AMCAS it says that my application is being "held" for "supporting docs." I have already received notification that AMCAS has received my transcripts and this shows up when I log in as well. Is anyone else getting message? Thanks!

 

[Eraserhead]

I'm getting the same message, held for supporting docs although they are waiting for one of my three transcripts to arrrive.

It seems that you should call them, I can't imagine what other supporting docs they could be referring to.

 

[michmaki]

so, I am taking some classes next year just for the heck of it, so it would be classified as post undergrad, but since they are future classes I cannot send transcripts for them. However, that same support docs page says that I need transcripts for those classes I am taking next year,........has anyone had this problem......bc: on the transcripts request form I checked "not necessary" for the transcript indicating that I was taking these classes next year and could not submit transcripts...............

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by DoctorKevin
I'm getting the same message, held for supporting docs although they are waiting for one of my three transcripts to arrrive.

It seems that you should call them, I can't imagine what other supporting docs they could be referring to.

I just checked and the message is no longer there and my current application status is listed as "Active." I think that an AMCAS person just has to look at each submitted application and change the status. Anyone else have any ideas on this?

 

[soonerpillow]

bump for slackers who haven't submitted yet. 😀

 

[soonerpillow]

WoW! AMCAS is gettin' busy! They've already processes my application. They checked my transcript, corrected some stuff and everything. Now I just wait until they send it. Neato.

The only problem is, they re-classified the classes I had for Spring 2003 as current/future. Why would they be current/future? They have my transcript. It has those grades on it. Oh well, I guess med schools don't need to know that I passed Beginning Tennis.🙂

 

[Bostonienses]

Hey guys,
Quick question for all of you.
Apparently one of my transcripts was sent before the grades for this semester were made available.
My undergrad transcripts are all in. The transcript I am talking about is the one for my PhD program at BU.
Should I send AMCAS another transcript reflecting the work I did this semester, or it shouldn't matter? I have basically 10 research credits, which are pass/fail since I am done with the coursework for my degree. I basically just get research credits now.
What holds?
Thanks!

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by Bostonienses
Hey guys,
Quick question for all of you.
Apparently one of my transcripts was sent before the grades for this semester were made available.
My undergrad transcripts are all in. The transcript I am talking about is the one for my PhD program at BU.
Should I send AMCAS another transcript reflecting the work I did this semester, or it shouldn't matter? I have basically 10 research credits, which are pass/fail since I am done with the coursework for my degree. I basically just get research credits now.
What holds?
Thanks!

Thats pretty similar to what I did. I sent in my transcripts before Spring 2003 grades were out. I got an e-mail from AMCAS that they had received it. When grades came out, I sent another transcript. I got another confirmation e-mail. I submitted my app. Now they've processed it, but Spring 2003 grades appear as current/future.😡

So I don't know what to tell you. But I'd go ahead and send it in. Can't say what they'll do with it, though.

 

[jbernet1]

I emailed AMCAS about the problem with AP units being a total and not delineated individually, and they basically cut and pasted from the instructions manual, which says nothing about that problem. I think I am just going to divide by the courses, even though I think some are worth more than others depending on the score on the AP test.

I had another question: I was wondering if people calculated their AP units into their unit total for their standing. I came in to undergrad with 26.6 AP units, meaning I am almost automatically a sophomore. Should I use these units to calculate my standing?

Thanks a lot

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by jbernet1
I emailed AMCAS about the problem with AP units being a total and not delineated individually, and they basically cut and pasted from the instructions manual, which says nothing about that problem. I think I am just going to divide by the courses, even though I think some are worth more than others depending on the score on the AP test.

I had another question: I was wondering if people calculated their AP units into their unit total for their standing. I came in to undergrad with 26.6 AP units, meaning I am almost automatically a sophomore. Should I use these units to calculate my standing?

Thanks a lot

Yes, I think we all know how helpful AMCAS is. That's why we have this thread.😀

I don't know about your first question, but for your second one, I think you do count your AP credits for that. I did, so I hope I'm right.

 

[WendsJ]

A couple of questions...

#1) For class standing, does freshman just refer to it being the first year, or do I have to actually calculate the number of credits?

#2) For those of you who have submitted, did you submit without knowing your MCAT score?

Thanks for your help!

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by WendsJ
A couple of questions...

#1) For class standing, does freshman just refer to it being the first year, or do I have to actually calculate the number of credits?

#2) For those of you who have submitted, did you submit without knowing your MCAT score?

Thanks for your help!

#1) Class standing refers to the total number of credits. Doesn't matter what year it is.

#2) Yes, I submitted without knowing my April 2003 score. I did know my August 2002 score, though.

 

[nbharara]

Hey guys. What if you took a certain class for Summer I, and then a different class for Summer II. When I go to the term, it only has an option for Summer. It doesn't divide them into two seperate summer sessions. Should I just put both courses under summer?

Thanks.

 

[Herpeto]

My essay says there are 5246 characters but when I try to finish the essay to 5296 characters it won't save it. All the system does is revert back to the 5246 character essay. Has anyone else had this problem? How am I supposed to fix this, it is hindering me from submitting.

Herp

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by Herpeto
My essay says there are 5246 characters but when I try to finish the essay to 5296 characters it won't save it. All the system does is revert back to the 5246 character essay. Has anyone else had this problem? How am I supposed to fix this, it is hindering me from submitting.

Herp

Are you using Netscape or Explorer. I think things can get messed up with Netscape.

 

[velouria]

this is kind of random but i could swear i read that if you attended a school for the first time in spring 2003 you don't have to submit a transcript.

does anyone know if that's right???

i didn't submit mine (it's only 1 class after all) and they're asking for it. now i can't find where i read that. anybody else seen it??

thanks!

 

[spumoni620]

Originally posted by velouria
this is kind of random but i could swear i read that if you attended a school for the first time in spring 2003 you don't have to submit a transcript.

does anyone know if that's right???

i didn't submit mine (it's only 1 class after all) and they're asking for it. now i can't find where i read that. anybody else seen it??

thanks!

if it's a new school you're attending, you have to request a transcript exception. if you go to the transcript exception section for that particular school, it should give you an option that says "current coursework, first time enrolled in institution" or something to that effect. You select that, and then you should be fine.

 

[avhart]

Originally posted by nbharara
Hey guys. What if you took a certain class for Summer I, and then a different class for Summer II. When I go to the term, it only has an option for Summer. It doesn't divide them into two seperate summer sessions. Should I just put both courses under summer?

Thanks.

Yes.

 

[Herpeto]

I am using explorer.

 

[bmischen]

How is everyone entering their experiences? Are you writing complete sentences or are you doing dashes and then a statement?

We only have to send one transcript to AMCA correct? Somewhere (probably falsely) I heard that we had to send two.

Am I kidding myself by applying for 2004 and not taking the MCAT until August? Will the schools just put my app on a shelf and not look at it until they get my score?

Thank you in advance for you input.

 

[dmitrinyr]

bmischen


To answer your questions.

1) I am wrote complete sentences for the spaces designed to explain and describe the post-secondary experience.

2)From everything that I have read on the AAMC website and the application, you only need 1 transcript to be sent to AMCAS for each school that you have attended.

3)From the knowledge that I have about the application process and the August MCAT:

Schools generally have a policy of not looking at your application until it's complete(i.e. AMCAS, secondaries, MCAT scores, transcript, etc.). Some schools might look at your GPA and make up a theoretical number that you are going to have to score in order for them to offer you an interview and then wait until the august scores come in to see if you have actually achieved that value.

Some schools just basically throw your application into a pile of "incomplete" applications that are waiting to be completed by the MCAT scores.

I hope this helps.

 

[bosco]

Does anyone who applied last year have any experience with the coursework section of AMCAS and them changing things during the verification process? Do medical schools really care if a few courses were verified with an "X" instead of the "/" mark? Thanks!

 

[bosco]

Bump!

 

[envelope]

help please!
when i try to enter "G" for AP "grades" i can't enter it into the AMCAS grade space, it only lets me write G into the OT grade space but it's not OT cuz G isn't on my official transcript....where did you guys enter it?

 

[maoeris]

I sent my transcript request weeks ago and I have yet to receive an email letting me know that they were received. how long does it take?

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by envelope
help please!
when i try to enter "G" for AP "grades" i can't enter it into the AMCAS grade space, it only lets me write G into the OT grade space but it's not OT cuz G isn't on my official transcript....where did you guys enter it?

Just put what is exactly on your transcript. That's what I did. When they processed it, they changed all my AP classes to G.

 

[envelope]

Originally posted by soonerpillow
Just put what is exactly on your transcript. That's what I did. When they processed it, they changed all my AP classes to G.

ok, so if they don't list anything on my transcript, uc berkeley simply just states the ap exam and doesn't even list the credits i got, i should just leave it blank right?

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by envelope
ok, so if they don't list anything on my transcript, uc berkeley simply just states the ap exam and doesn't even list the credits i got, i should just leave it blank right?

Hmm... I don't know about that one. Mine had an "S" on it. Maybe you should call AMCAS or see if someone else on here has had that experience. Or maybe just leave it blank, they seem like smart people, they can figure it out....🙄 🙂

 

[spumoni620]

Originally posted by envelope
ok, so if they don't list anything on my transcript, uc berkeley simply just states the ap exam and doesn't even list the credits i got, i should just leave it blank right?

I think....if you DIDN'T receive any credit hours for your AP exams, you should not list it on the application, according to AMCAS rules. So if they just listed "AP Exam Bio" or something but don't give you actual hours of credit, then don't worry about it. but If you DID receive credit then you should do what sooner says and just put the exact letter (or blank) for the grade.

 

[Amit1]

What do you all think of having "catch-all" entries in the post secondary experiences section? I have 2 catch-all entries, merit based scholarships and campus volunteer activities. Is this something that adcoms would frown upon? I already have 15 spots filled so i had to resort to these entries. Please share your thoughts.

 

[Quickread]

Originally posted by envelope
ok, so if they don't list anything on my transcript, uc berkeley simply just states the ap exam and doesn't even list the credits i got, i should just leave it blank right?

My school lists AP credits in one big block as transfer credits, so what I did is put the grade as "AP" in the OT grade section and AMCAS changed that to G without any trouble... you may want to try that.

 

[spumoni620]

Originally posted by Amit1
What do you all think of having "catch-all" entries in the post secondary experiences section? I have 2 catch-all entries, merit based scholarships and campus volunteer activities. Is this something that adcoms would frown upon? I already have 15 spots filled so i had to resort to these entries. Please share your thoughts.

I don't think it would be frowned upon. Most ppl on this thread who gave advice about this (look on the first few pages) also seem to agree with this. I did it twice for honor societies and scholarships.

 

[aleezay]

Did people with AP credits get X's next to those courses?

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by aleezay
Did people with AP credits get X's next to those courses?

Nope, AMCAS just added a "G" to the AMCAS grade. No X's even though nothing originally showed up in the AMCAS grade portion at first.

 

[aleezay]

Originally posted by bosco
Nope, AMCAS just added a "G" to the AMCAS grade. No X's even though nothing originally showed up in the AMCAS grade portion at first.

Really? huh...I had Gs for mine and then they changed nothing except to move my AP hours which were showing up in supplemental to the AP section. And i have 4 X's. Oh well, not a big deal, who knows how their minds work.

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by aleezay
Really? huh...I had Gs for mine and then they changed nothing except to move my AP hours which were showing up in supplemental to the AP section. And i have 4 X's. Oh well, not a big deal, who knows how their minds work.

Interesting... Did you originally check the AP box when filling out the coursework?

 

[princessbabe]

hey guys!

I was wondering if the ones who have submitted their amcas can see their april 2003 mcats score


thanks

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by princessbabe
hey guys!

I was wondering if the ones who have submitted their amcas can see their april 2003 mcats score


thanks

nope 🙁
And believe me, I've tried!

 

[princessbabe]

darn it!! Will we have to wait like a week or something to see them? Do we even get to see our april 2003 scores early? 🙁

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by princessbabe
darn it!! Will we have to wait like a week or something to see them? Do we even get to see our april 2003 scores early? 🙁

The consensus seems to be that we won't get to see our scores until June 24. That's according to the MCAT AAMC website. so....15 more days.

 

[aleezay]

Originally posted by bosco
Interesting... Did you originally check the AP box when filling out the coursework?

Hey bosco, yes I did... Actually I think other people were also having a problem with their AP hours somehow being counted as supplemental. I even called AMCAS when filling out the application and they told me not to worry about it🙄

 

[kgal16]

ok well i just got through reading 21 pages of this thread
and didnt see my question anywhere on this
but then again i might have missed it -- i have so much eye strain from working on my AMCAS

so here is my question

at my school, when you retake a course (like for example ORGO since i did badly) -- they erase the grade you got the first time and just write R where the grade should be
the second time you take the course, your grade gets incorporated into your GPA

now, the registrar does not keep record of the grade you got the first time around, onyl records that you took it over

so pretty much here is what my transcript looks like

FIRST TIME I TOOK ORGO -- Grade: R and Credits: 0
SECOND TIME I TOOK ORGO -- Grade: A- and Credits: 4

According to my premed advisor, i have to write down what i got the first time around... she said that is what amcas told her...

When i emailed AMCAS, they said, write as exactly as it appears on transcript, which is "R"

i dont know who to listen to... i dont really see a point in writing the C or C+ that i got, since i will not even be able to give AMCAS an official report of that grade... plus, to be honest, i can't remember if it was C or C+ cuz i retook like three classes!!!

ok sorry for such long description

WHAT SHOULD I DO???

 

[envelope]

I have 30.5 semester units of AP credit. I also have 24 semester units of Community College Credit that i took during high school. That is a total of 54.5 units coming into my freshman year at Berkeley. So for ALL my AP credits, I state that that was freshman status (according to the directions given to us) and all my Community College i state it as high school status, however, my freshman year, i took 17 units, so that by the end, i was considered a junior?!

 

[envelope]

I have 30.5 semester units of AP credit. I also have 24 semester units of Community College Credit that i took during high school. That is a total of 54.5 units coming into my freshman year at Berkeley. So for ALL my AP credits, I state that that was freshman status (according to the directions given to us) and all my Community College i state it as high school status, however, my freshman year, i took 17 units, so that by the end, i was considered a junior?!

i posted this earlier, however, i just called amcas and they told me conflicting info. the two times i contacted them.

1) first they said i would be a sophomore (not junior) second semester of freshman year cuz i count ap credits but not high school community college credits.

2) then they said i would not count ap credits, and just say i'm a freshman for all courses taking during my first year regardless of incoming credits i received.

how do i believe?
they were two different people and both said the other person was wrong. this is quite annoying.

 

[koma]

Originally posted by kgal16


According to my premed advisor, i have to write down what i got the first time around... she said that is what amcas told her...

When i emailed AMCAS, they said, write as exactly as it appears on transcript, which is "R"



WHAT SHOULD I DO???

OFCOURSE you should just put R!!!! if there is no record of it anywhere, there is no reason at all you should put anything but R. Obviously amcas will tell your advisor they want you to put the original grade - that's their "official" policy, but the whole premise of amcas is to be a transcript verification service, not absolute Truth verification service. If you have any doubt, always go with what's documented because no one can argue with that.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Hi Everyone,

I am having some confusion when entering in my coursework. I apologize if this was already discussed... I read about 12 pages of this thread and did not see it and I am running out of computer time today and want to at least get my coursework section done.

Anyway, for two of my schools when I enter my "credit hours", it automatically enters an N/A for "semester hours" and then counts the credits as "supplemental hours." I read in the AMCAS Help online that if the institution hadn't submitted into you had to somehow calculate the semester hours on your own and override the automatic entry. Is this what is happening here? If so, how do I override the N/A?

Also, some of the schools seem to convert 4 credit hours to 16 semester hours while others say 4 credit hours = 4 semester hours. Should I be worried about this?

Thanks for any help you can offer... this thing is driving me insane.

 

[Wardens]

azpremed,

it depends on the school for the credit hours --> semester hours transfer. AMCAS keeps an algorithm for all listed schools. If 4 credit hours are converting to 16 semester hours, just put a 1 in for the credit hours. You only have to create your own multiplier if the school isn't known to amcas (e.g. foreign schools).

In terms of the courses being added as supplemental I'm not entirely sure. I took physics during the summer and all those credits were thrown into supplemental hours with no semester hours as well. I submitted to amcas and they corrected them and incorporated the marks into my gpa. So I'm not sure what the correct way to enter them is, but they worked it out for me.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Thanks for the help wardens. I think I will just submit them as is and hope that they work it out for mine too.

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by aleezay
Hey bosco, yes I did... Actually I think other people were also having a problem with their AP hours somehow being counted as supplemental. I even called AMCAS when filling out the application and they told me not to worry about it🙄

They told you not to worry about the X's or just that it is showing up as supplemental?

 

[koma]

If i take courses in summer 1998 - should I put it as 1997 school year?

For ex:
Actual year Academic year
Fall 1998 - 1998
Spring 1999 1998
Summer 1999 1998???


? I know my status will change from freshman to sophomore, but is the same academic year? I thought it was 1999 academic year but when i print my application, this session is not in the same order as on my transcript. thanks.

as to the person who posted about ap credits, i think you could go either way. i would do it so it "flows" the best - for ex - i think i would put it as freshman and assign freshman status to all classes you took freshman year. then sophomore status to classes you took sophomore year. - unless you finished school in less then 4 years, i would do that (and it would look very logical). i dont think it matters what your school counted you as since you can't tell it by most transcripts anyway.