2008-2009 AMCAS Questions Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Members do not see this ad.
carlyMD said:
I have seen a lot of different places that the first batch of apps go out to schools on the 24th. I am getting worried that I might how get my transcripts verified by then because I am still finishing up the PS. Does anyone know when the second batch goes out? Is it always in groups that they are sent to schools?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Seems that most people are being verified in 1-2 days right now. Just get that PS done and you'll be good to go.
 
Hey everyone! I have a few questions and would really appreciate some help!

First, I'm not sure about how to correctly enter AP courses.
In the manual, it says to include AP credit courses only once, however, my transcript indicates that credit for the same AP course was applied to different classes at the Univesity. For example, for AP-Psychology, I received 4 credits that went towards an Intro to Psych class, and another 6 credits went towards electives. Similarly, for AP-Eng Lit/Comp, 4 credits went to one English class and another 4 credits went to a different English class. So, how should I enter this information? Split up each AP class into the different classes I received credit for or just enter each AP class once with the total number of credits received?

Should course names that are abbreviated on the transcipt be written out fully on the application or should I write them the exact way they are on the transcript?

Lastly, I'm unsure of the correct way to indicate the year in school. My school uses the quarter system and this is their classification:

Freshman = 00-44 credit hours
Sophomore = 45-80 credit hours
Junior = 90-134 credit hours
Senior = 135+ credit hours

Is this the classification that I should use when entering my course work? I had 30 credits transferred to the University, so, after two quarters of classes I was already a Sophomore by academic standing but it was still only my first year in college...what is the correct way to go about this?

Thank you very much for your help!
 
sooooo, i just submitted my app (like under 5 minutes ago) i have already noticed two errors.. unbelievable.. so pissed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

forgot to list a poster i made for my research and i mistyped AWARD.. i spelled it as "awars".. urgggggggggg...

you think they will reopen the application if i call tomorrow? :scared:
 
tourniquet1963 said:
sooooo, i just submitted my app (like under 5 minutes ago) i have already noticed two errors.. unbelievable.. so pissed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

forgot to list a poster i made for my research and i mistyped AWARD.. i spelled it as "awars".. urgggggggggg...

you think they will reopen the application if i call tomorrow? :scared:
Click to expand...


I have no idea if they will reopen it - but hopefully they will! Try not to freak out, so many people have a typo or two. You're human. 🙂
 
tourniquet1963 said:
sooooo, i just submitted my app (like under 5 minutes ago) i have already noticed two errors.. unbelievable.. so pissed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

forgot to list a poster i made for my research and i mistyped AWARD.. i spelled it as "awars".. urgggggggggg...

you think they will reopen the application if i call tomorrow? :scared:
Click to expand...

No medical school would discount your app for a typo or two, I would not even worry about it. I bet most ppls have one or two. If they do not reopen it, I suggest not looking at it anymore 🙂

Question: Does anyone know when the second batch of AMCAS gets sent out??
 
don't worry about it, one typo won't kill ya long as it's not in PS. and I don't think AMCAS will reopen for u
 
When would be a good (safe?) time for me to submit my AMCAS primary. I was told to have it in before the end of June to still be "competitive", but I am aiming to have it in by the 20th of June. Is there anything to be gained by having it in on the 20th as opposed to lets say the 28?
thanks!
 
glhf said:
Hey all,

I took an anthropology course that focused on languages and had a significant amount of english writing and reading. I was told by schools that this can be used as part of my english requirement, but after verification, AMCAS has changed the classification from ENGL to BESS for obvious reasons.

What should I do, because I only took one true semester of english and this anthro class, because of the information from some medical schools. Do I need go through an academic change request and plead with them to change this classification to english, or will it not matter?

Thanks
Click to expand...

When I was doing my initial research some schools said they would only take English classes for the english requirement. And, I don't think that AMCAS would likely change it because it is technically an Anthro class. I think I would just wait until I got in somewhere and clear it with them. I'm pretty sure lots of people are in similar situations, b/c there are a good number of undergrad institutions that have a list of writing intensive courses that you have to take at least two classes from. So my advice, although from no real position of authority, would be to not worry about it (worst case scenario you have to take a dumb English class that won't matter the summer before med school).
 
betta splendens said:
When would be a good (safe?) time for me to submit my AMCAS primary. I was told to have it in before the end of June to still be "competitive", but I am aiming to have it in by the 20th of June. Is there anything to be gained by having it in on the 20th as opposed to lets say the 28?
thanks!
Click to expand...

I hear right now it is only taking a couple of days to verify so if you got it in on the 20th you would likely get your app sent out on the first batch (the 24th), and it wouldn't be sent out then if you sent it in on the 28th. It is also likely that the later it gets the longer verification times will be, so the earlier the better is probably a safe assumption. But I don't know how much of the "apply as early as possible" SDN mantra is just a bunch of anal premeds and how much it actually reflects on admissions outcomes when the difference is a few weeks of the summer.
 
I play instruments (Tuba and Baritone). I actually own a valve trombone (mechanics just like that of baritone horn).
I want to mention that in high school, that band was where I strived.
I played in Jazz band, concert band, marching band, all-district band as a tuba player 3 times (last 2 times was 1st chair), all-district full orchestra tuba player twice. I would've enrolled in a band at NYIT, but the school doesn't have one.

I was also awarded The "Semper Fidelis" Award for Musical Excellence on June 2nd, 2005.

Can I include these in the activities section of my application even though I played in the bands during high school?
 
CardiacKid said:
I play instruments (Tuba and Baritone). I actually own a valve trombone (mechanics just like that of baritone horn).
I want to mention that in high school, that band was where I strived.
I played in Jazz band, concert band, marching band, all-district band as a tuba player 3 times (last 2 times was 1st chair), all-district full orchestra tuba player twice. I would've enrolled in a band at NYIT, but the school doesn't have one.

I was also awarded The "Semper Fidelis" Award for Musical Excellence on June 2nd, 2005.

Can I include these in the activities section of my application even though I played in the bands during high school?
Click to expand...

If you still play the instrument (even if it's just for your own enjoyment) you can include it is an "Artistic Endeavor" or "Hobbies/Avocation." Describe your level of training, what instrument(s) you play, and give a brief overview of the experiences you've had (you can include your band and the award).
 
Any idea where you'd list a Humanities course on the application?

Also, I have an Intro to Telecommunications course that was actually a broadcast journalism course, but on the AMCAS website, it says to list telecommunications under the heading "computer science/technology." Should I just follow that even if the course was offered through a different department?
 
Last edited:
Thanks chad!

Just to double check, if you have the room on your work/activities, you should write things like PBK and Dean's List b/c those are on the transcript and schools won't see your transcript unless they request it.
 
Also, if you have a pretty high GPA, is it worth putting down PBK, Dean's List, and Intermediate Honors (do other schools have Intermediate Honors besides mine?) if you already ran out of room. I could take a few activities away and substitute these but before I do I wanted to get people's take on it.

Thank you!
Best of luck to everyone!
 
polina,

If you have extra slots, go ahead and lump them all together under "Honors/Awards." If you don't have any extra space, it's not worth removing another more notable achievement to list this stuff - nearly every person applying to medical school will have qualified for these honors.
 
Took Gen and Organic Chem I & II. My transcript leaves out the numbers. Just has Gen Chem/Lab for 2 semesters and Org Chem for 2 semesters. On AMCAS, should I designate them I and II on course name, or leave it as it is on the transcript?

Also, credit for ACT testing. Like College Algebra. Put it under CLEP credit?
 
-If I dropped a class during the normal drop/add period, and received a "W" on my transcript, do I include it on the amcas?


-For International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit do you write it as high school or freshmen and what academic term do I write?


-Is course number AMH 2010, OR just the 2010 part.

Thanks!!
 
Revilla said:
Any idea where you'd list a Humanities course on the application?

Also, I have an Intro to Telecommunications course that was actually a broadcast journalism course, but on the AMCAS website, it says to list telecommunications under the heading "computer science/technology." Should I just follow that even if the course was offered through a different department?
Click to expand...

Anyone know?
 
I'm working on filling out my activities/work info on the app and have a couple questions...

1.) I'm thinking of filling it out with broad categories, like "shadowing" and "coaching," and then specifically listing what experiences I have had in order to fit in all of my ec's. My question is, my start/end times vary with each activity (ex: coaching softball vs. coaching hockey). So for the overall time of the activity, should I put how long all together I did these things (coach in general), and then in the description section write how much time I actually spent on each individual activity (coach softball)?

2.) Is it acceptable to have one of my overall sections devoted to hobbies that are not associated with a particular organization? For example, I love photography and have been very involved with it most of my life, but I do not belong to any sort of "Photography Appreciation" club. Should I not include this?

3.) I have read that bulleting your description section is preferred to paragraph form. Should these bullets be in complete sentences, or fragments?

Thanks so much!
 
i took a college course in high school and received a grade for it, but it's not listed on my transcript for my home school...will amcas factor my grade in that class into the overall and bcpm gpa?

thanks! 🙂
 
You are supposed to list on AMCAS any college classes ever taken, including in high school. So it is your responsibility to report it and have a transcript sent to AMCAS.
 
justpremed said:
i took a college course in high school and received a grade for it, but it's not listed on my transcript for my home school...will amcas factor my grade in that class into the overall and bcpm gpa?

thanks! 🙂
Click to expand...

is the grade listed on a college or a high school transcript. if the latter, i have a similar question. that is how i got gen chem credit, and i am taking upper level courses to make up for it, but i know amcas doesn't even accept high school transcripts, so idont know what to do.
 
Amcas recieved my transcript last week. How long will it take for them to calculated my GPA? Has anyone already had their GPA calculated? Or does AMCAS just calculated everyone's on the same day before they send out their first batch of applications on teh 24th of June?
 
flip26 said:
You are supposed to list on AMCAS any college classes ever taken, including in high school. So it is your responsibility to report it and have a transcript sent to AMCAS.
Click to expand...

i did that...the course appears on the transcript i had sent from the college where i took the class, but it doesn't show up on my home college transcript...
it's not factored into the gpa at my home school, but since amcas asked for it, i'm guessing they would factor it into the one they calculate?
 
justpremed said:
it's not factored into the gpa at my home school, but since amcas asked for it, i'm guessing they would factor it into the one they calculate?
Click to expand...

Yeah--it will be in your AMCAS GPA.

DarkKnight--
AMCAS will calc. your GPA when you submit your application. After it's verified you'll get to see your GPA.

SB25--
1. I did that with some things I just used the start date for the first activity and end date for the last. I was really clear in the description about what I was doing and I often did not put hrs/wk so they wouldn't miscalculate if their were gaps in dates or what not.

2. That sounds fine if there's room

3. I think this is somewhat variable the generally refrain is just to not be too wordy. I didn't do typical premed activities so it made more sense for me to use full sentences. And then I used full sentences for normal premed activities for consistencies sake, but I didn't bullet my full sentences because that looked weird.

Revilla--
It's not a big deal I took a bunch of comm classes and listed them all as COMM, but one got changed to BESS, so I would just let them figure it out.

Iriepremed--
1. You should put everything that is on your official transcript onto your AMCAS stuff. You should make sure that is really a W on your transcript though because that seems weird (you dropped it in the first week of class and got a W?)

2. I don't know all my AP courses got changed to freshman

3. I put 2010, but it has been recommended on this thread to use AMH 2010, so I don't think it matters much.
 
I got a question about the coursework section. Should I enter course titles based on what it says on the transcript or should I attempt to write the full title. For example, the transcript says, "Prob of Phil" or should I type "Problems of Philosophy"
 
I am freaking out...I already submitted my AMCAS application and I only realized I answered no to the question if I was a legal resident of U.S.! Does anyone know if I can change that? Help!
 
👍 Good work

Call AMCAS and explain the situation. Maybe they can help you.
 
Tryonetic said:
I am freaking out...I already submitted my AMCAS application and I only realized I answered no to the question if I was a legal resident of U.S.! Does anyone know if I can change that? Help!
Click to expand...

Call them ASAP!
 
I'm trying to send an LOR request form to Interfolio to send my letters to AMCAS but I can't find where the request forms are on the application. Anyone know?
 
Yes, you go to "letters of evaluation" from the main menu, and the request form button should be on the right.
 
Help! I answered no to the question asking me my legal resident status. I thought it was asking if I was one of those green card people. Now my AMCAS is already submitted and I am going to freak out! Can I still repair this damage? Please don't move this thread as my last thread asking the same question was buried on page 28 of the AMCAS related questions and no one has read it since! This exact question has not been asked before (except by me) and I did do a search!

Help!
 
I tried that. It's not there. All I see is a summary of the LOE program and then a paragraph that asks if I want to enter a letter. No request form.
 
Call AAMC first thing tomorrow morning and ask them what you should do. No one can possibly provide you with the correct answer except for AAMC.
 
You have to enter a letter first, then you can print the request form (each request form is specifically for one LOR author).
 
When i said "enter a letter", i just meant the info (author, type of letter, etc.)....of course
 
Tryonetic said:
This exact question has not been asked before (except by me) and I did do a search!
Click to expand...

Then why don't you look at the last time you posted this for your replies?

It was moved to the AMCAS questions thread since that's where it belongs.
 
Ahhh....I can't think logically because I'm freaking out!!!! Ahhhh.......😱
 
Tryonetic said:
I'm afraid AMCAS will just say "no" and "good luck next year!"
Click to expand...

Well, you won't know until you try.

If they say no, then you might have to send a letter to each school you applied to.
 
A few things I had some questions on:

1. Did you guys answer/fill out the portion regarding parental information? Such as jobs, names, etc.

2. Will it automatically update when my MCAT scores are released?

3. I took the GRE...should I bother putting that in?

4. The letters of evaluation...is that only necessary for those schools that they mention (there aren't too many of that)? It's the form that says to add in information regarding the people who are sending letters. It's been a couple years, and I think I've forgotton a couple... (I go through a committee).

5. Under new activities, I have a question. I am doing a masters (with research), and I just finished my first year. I was working with a professor, but she left, which means I have to start anew with a new professor. Should I mention both under the same activity, or should I separate them into 2? I should mention that I didn't really progress much as far as a project is concerned with the first research.

Thanks!
 
Tryonetic said:
I guess you are right...I still won't be able to sleep tonight though!
Click to expand...

They haven't transmitted the application to the individual medical schools yet. If there is ever a time to make changes to minor problems like this, now would be the time. I would assume that this problem has happened before. I hope that the AAMC is empathetic enough to help you, especially understanding how expensive and important this primary application is.
 
Thanks! I got it. One more question. Can I assign them to schools after I get the secondaries?
 
Suaveness said:
A few things I had some questions on:

1. Did you guys answer/fill out the portion regarding parental information? Such as jobs, names, etc.

2. Will it automatically update when my MCAT scores are released?

3. I took the GRE...should I bother putting that in?

4. The letters of evaluation...is that only necessary for those schools that they mention (there aren't too many of that)? It's the form that says to add in information regarding the people who are sending letters. It's been a couple years, and I think I've forgotton a couple... (I go through a committee).

5. Under new activities, I have a question. I am doing a masters (with research), and I just finished my first year. I was working with a professor, but she left, which means I have to start anew with a new professor. Should I mention both under the same activity, or should I separate them into 2? I should mention that I didn't really progress much as far as a project is concerned with the first research.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. I did, down to every single detail!
2. I think so, but med schools won't looks at your app until they see a score
3. It won't hurt, put it in!
4. You need letters for every school! the AMCAS letter service is new hence only a few schools are doing it as a pilot program.
5. Think that goes under your education history, not activities.
 
I know that I need letters for every school, but aren't those usually sent with the secondary applications? The schools doing the "letter service", is it mandatory?

And I have the research under education, but I want to add that as a research in the activities list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

chilly_md
  • Sticky
*~*~*~* Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2025-2026 *~*~*~*
2
Replies
86
Views
12K
chilly_md
chilly_md
chilly_md
*~*~*~* Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2024-2025 *~*~*~*
Replies
24
Views
9K
diltiazemm
diltiazemm
wysdoc
  • Sticky
*~*~*~* Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2025-2026 *~*~*~*~*
2 3 4
Replies
188
Views
14K
aspiringdoctor321
A
C
Question regarding verification for AMCAS timeline
Replies
10
Views
749
chillstill
C
chilly_md
~*~*~*~*~* Official Letters of Evaluation Questions Thread 2025-2026 *~*~*~*~*~
2
Replies
70
Views
5K
chilly_md
chilly_md
Top