2009-2010 AMCAS Questions Thread

[Zona Pellucida]

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Are you guys using the full 1325 characters for description? What's considered "too little"?

Depends. For shadowing/jobs/volunteer/hobbies I have been using 1200-1325. For things like Dean's List and Scholarships I have not. So mostly, close to the max characters for me except on things that are pretty self-explanatory.

 

[BlackDr2b]

Are you guys using the full 1325 characters for description? What's considered "too little"?

My advisor in my postbacc told us to use as much of the 1325 as you can. But without repeating yourself or lying.

 

[BlackDr2b]

Man, I can't believe AMCAS 2010 is open. Wow!!!

 

[G1SG2]

Are you guys typing directly into the box or copy and pasting from a word doc or something? Would it look different to them if you copied/pasted from a word doc?

 

[Zona Pellucida]

What about this Transcript Request Form. I just printed the two the two colleges that I have taken courses from. Every time I have done anything with a transcript there has always been a fee. Do I just mail these 2 forms in to my colleges and then they will somehow fee me?

 

[Appless]

Are you guys typing directly into the box or copy and pasting from a word doc or something? Would it look different to them if you copied/pasted from a word doc?

It shouldnt matter, if you are paranoid you can print that part of your app off amcas and if it looks fine when printed off amcas you are good to go. Personally ive been writing in the boxes, then i just copy it into word so i can spell check and make any changes i feel are needed.

What about this Transcript Request Form. I just printed the two the two colleges that I have taken courses from. Every time I have done anything with a transcript there has always been a fee. Do I just mail these 2 forms in to my colleges and then they will somehow fee me?

Schools will usually charge a fee to send transcripts to places. You need to call your colleges to see what their policy is. For me I just send them my CC info in a fax along with my trascript request form and AMCAS forms and that was that. I actually had my school send the trasncripts on the 5th and then amcas said they got it on the 6th....

 

[MDman87]

What about this Transcript Request Form. I just printed the two the two colleges that I have taken courses from. Every time I have done anything with a transcript there has always been a fee. Do I just mail these 2 forms in to my colleges and then they will somehow fee me?

Not sure is this is normal, but I just hand-delivered the request forms. My transcripts are free, but if they weren't you could pay for them then. I go to a small school, though, so this may not be possible for you

Two questions: 1. This has likely already been answered, but we can include future work/activities, right? I plan to have one of my best experiences this summer. 2. Do intramurals qualify as Extracurricular or Intercollegiate Athletics? I know it's stupid, but I'm not sure what Intercollegiate Athletics covers - probably just your school's sports teams, etc

 

[bioJUNKIE]

Hi all,
hope applications are going swell. i wasn't sure whether to post this on the "Official PS Readers Page," cause I didn't know who the heck was still open to reading them... But I'm close to finishing my application and all I need to do is just to put in my personal statement. However, it is 2000 characters too long and I don't know what to cut out. I need a heavy dose of criticism as well. Anyone not so busy willing to help? I'd be glad to return any favors?

 

[BlackDr2b]

Are you guys typing directly into the box or copy and pasting from a word doc or something? Would it look different to them if you copied/pasted from a word doc?

I hope you don't mind me answering your questions. I found it easier to type it in a word document, edit it, and then copy and paste when you are ready. No, it won't look different to them.

 

[G1SG2]

I hope you don't mind me answering your questions. I found it easier to type it in a word document, edit it, and then copy and paste when you are ready. No, it won't look different to them.

No, not at all, thank you so much, I really appreciate your help 🙂🙂🙂

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Schools will usually charge a fee to send transcripts to places. You need to call your colleges to see what their policy is. For me I just send them my CC info in a fax along with my trascript request form and AMCAS forms and that was that. I actually had my school send the trasncripts on the 5th and then amcas said they got it on the 6th....

So you sent in the request form along with your CC information? Would it be dangerous to attach my credit card number and information to the request form and then send it in and have them charge it if necessary?

 

[G1SG2]

So you sent in the request form along with your CC information? Would it be dangerous to attach my credit card number and information to the request form and then send it in and have them charge it if necessary?

I wouldn't give our my c.c number like that. I think it would be safer if you call and ask about the fees, and then send a check with the appropriate amount.

 

[Appless]

So you sent in the request form along with your CC information? Would it be dangerous to attach my credit card number and information to the request form and then send it in and have them charge it if necessary?

im not really worried about my college stealing my CC info and runing wild? Really though it was a community college that I am now a 3-4 hour drive from...so faxing was my only real option.

 

[somemom]

If you want to edit the Ecs and change their order, bunch them, group them, etc., how do you change their listed order on the AMCAS once they are entered?

 

[lrkoehle]

Are you guys using the full 1325 characters for description? What's considered "too little"?

IMO, keep it short if it is something common. I mean if you shadowed a doctor, they know what that involves so keep it simple. If it is something you think is unique, such as starting a non-profit group, then you might want to give a lot of detail so they know exactly what you did. I know if I was reading an application that went into too much detail about something really basic and common I would go into "skimming mode," and maybe even just skim the rest of the application. Now, I'm not an ADCOM, but they have (or in our case will have) hundreds of apps to read through, and 1350 characters abou shadowing may make them disinterested in your application. Again, this is just my opinion, and this will be the approach I take to my activities. Anyone with experience care to comment on this?

 

[Myuu]

If you want to edit the Ecs and change their order, bunch them, group them, etc., how do you change their listed order on the AMCAS once they are entered?

You don't. They are sorted by date.😳

IMO, keep it short if it is something common. I mean if you shadowed a doctor, they know what that involves so keep it simple. If it is something you think is unique, such as starting a non-profit group, then you might want to give a lot of detail so they know exactly what you did. I know if I was reading an application that went into too much detail about something really basic and common I would go into "skimming mode," and maybe even just skim the rest of the application. Now, I'm not an ADCOM, but they have (or in our case will have) hundreds of apps to read through, and 1350 characters abou shadowing may make them disinterested in your application. Again, this is just my opinion, and this will be the approach I take to my activities. Anyone with experience care to comment on this?

Hmm. It really depends on how important the activity was to you in terms of personal significance, acquired skills, and the like. If you find yourself trying to write for the sake of filling the box, you've probably gone on too long already.

 

[lrkoehle]

You don't. They are sorted by date.😳

Damn, I guess its good then that most of my significant stuff started early, but I wish we could organize them.

 

[G1SG2]

some of the intro bio classes that I've taken at my school require you to register for lecture and lab separately (but it's required for us to take them together). For example, the lecture is 3 credits and the lab is 1 credit. You also get a grade for the lab course. My question is-when listing the lecture and lab as separate courses under Course Work, should I check "Combined Lecture and Lab" for BOTH the lecture and the lab courses to indicate that they belonged together, or should I just check lecture for the lecture course and lab for the lab course? I feel weird checking "combined lecture and lab" for the 1 credit lab course but, I mean, the question does ask "Did the course include a lab section?" and it did...

 

[Myuu]

some of the intro bio classes that I've taken at my school require you to register for lecture and lab separately (but it's required for us to take them together). For example, the lecture is 3 credits and the lab is 1 credit. You also get a grade for the lab course. My question is-when listing the lecture and lab as separate courses under Course Work, should I check "Combined Lecture and Lab" for BOTH the lecture and the lab courses to indicate that they belonged together, or should I just check Lecture for the lecture course and lab for the lab course? I feel weird checking "combined lecture and lab" for the 1 credit lab course but, I mean, the question does ask "Did the course include a lab section?" and it did...

Suppose you took a 4-credit bio that included a lab that was not listed separately and thus did not have its own course number and was also not worth any credit as a standalone. That would be a combined lecture and lab.👍

 

[lrkoehle]

some of the intro bio classes that I've taken at my school require you to register for lecture and lab separately (but it's required for us to take them together). For example, the lecture is 3 credits and the lab is 1 credit. You also get a grade for the lab course. My question is-when listing the lecture and lab as separate courses under Course Work, should I check "Combined Lecture and Lab" for BOTH the lecture and the lab courses to indicate that they belonged together, or should I just check Lecture for the lecture course and lab for the lab course? I feel weird checking "combined lecture and lab" for the 1 credit lab course but, I mean, the question does ask "Did the course include a lab section?" and it did...

I think the important thing is how it shows up on your official transcript. At my school gen bio is a 4 credit hour class, but o chem is a 3 credit hour lecture and a 1 credit hour lab. That is how they show up on my transcript, so if it shows up as a 3 credit hour leture and 1 credit hour of lab (separate grades for each I am guessing), then list it like that.

Were the courses under different course numbers? for instance o chem at my school is chm233 and chm237 for the lecture and lab, respectively.

 

[Myuu]

I think the important thing is how it shows up on your official transcript. At my school gen bio is a 4 credit hour class, but o chem is a 3 credit hour lecture and a 1 credit hour lab. That is how they show up on my transcript, so if it shows up as a 3 credit hour leture and 1 credit hour of lab (separate grades for each I am guessing), then list it like that.

Were the courses under different course numbers? for instance o chem at my school is chm233 and chm237 for the lecture and lab, respectively.

If the lab is worth any credit at all, it is not a combined lecture and lab.

 

[G1SG2]

Suppose you took a 4-credit bio that included a lab that was not listed separately and thus did not have its own course number and was also not worth any credit as a standalone. That would be a combined lecture and lab.👍

Ya, that's how I did it for most of my Bio electives 🙂

I think the important thing is how it shows up on your official transcript. At my school gen bio is a 4 credit hour class, but o chem is a 3 credit hour lecture and a 1 credit hour lab. That is how they show up on my transcript, so if it shows up as a 3 credit hour leture and 1 credit hour of lab (separate grades for each I am guessing), then list it like that.

Were the courses under different course numbers? for instance o chem at my school is chm233 and chm237 for the lecture and lab, respectively.

Yeah, at my school Bio is 4 credits with lab but the lab course is included in the course and doesn't show up on the transcript as an extra course, so for those courses I just checked "combined lecture and lab". However, some of my intro bio classes are like your o-chem classes. For example, the Lecture would be BIO 1000, and the lab would be BIO 1001L. The lecture is 3 credits, and the lab is 1 credits, for a total of 4 credits. Should I just check lecture for the lecture and lab for the lab?

 

[G1SG2]

If the lab is worth any credit at all, it is not a combined lecture and lab.

got it!

 

[lrkoehle]

If the lab is worth any credit at all, it is not a combined lecture and lab.

👍

This is essentially what I was trying to get at, but in a much more condensed format.

 

[not respect]

I had a class at a community college in academic year 02-03 (spring 03) when I was a freshman in high school (MTH 220 discrete mathematics). I can get the transcript but the AMCAS academic year doesn't go before 03-04, so how do I enter that?

I would think some non-traditional applicants would have the same problem in entering their grades from undergrad, I read the first 2 pages of this but I don't really have time to read it all. Thanks for any help!

 

[BlueElmo]

yeah you just feel bad if you don't fill in 1325 characters, for some reason. I have this weird urge to fill it all out. Anybody feel the same?

 

[lrkoehle]

Yeah, at my school Bio is 4 credits with lab but the lab course is included in the course and doesn't show up on the transcript as an extra course, so for those courses I just checked "combined lecture and lab". However, some of my intro bio classes are like your o-chem classes. For example, the Lecture would be BIO 1000, and the lab would be BIO 1001L. The lecture is 3 credits, and the lab is 1 credits, for a total of 4 credits. Should I just check lecture for the lecture and lab for the lab?

I'm almost positive you have already figured this out, but just to be 100% sure, yes just click lecture for the lecture and then as a separate entry click lab for the lab.

 

[G1SG2]

I'm almost positive you have already figured this out, but just to be 100% sure, yes just click lecture for the lecture and then as a separate entry click lab for the lab.

thanks, you guys are simply the best 🙂

 

[Makarov]

I took an AP History exam and I was awarded six hours for it (3 for the first semester and 3 for the second). They appear as separate classes on my transcript. Do I just list it as 6 credit hours, or do I input the information twice (one for each semester)?

 

[estoril]

Say I volunteered at a hospital during high school and I started volunteering there again in a different department, I can include the high school hours in my activities correct? And I would just put the start date as the date I started in college and just make a note of my hours in high school? Thanks

 

[debbidala]

I had a class at a community college in academic year 02-03 (spring 03) when I was a freshman in high school (MTH 220 discrete mathematics). I can get the transcript but the AMCAS academic year doesn't go before 03-04, so how do I enter that?

I would think some non-traditional applicants would have the same problem in entering their grades from undergrad, I read the first 2 pages of this but I don't really have time to read it all. Thanks for any help!

I'm a non-trad, and I was able to enter classes from as far back as 1991 - I think the years it gives you to select from are taken from the information you enter in the "colleges attended" section - make sure you have the CC listed with the start and end date that include the class you took.

Hope that made any sense - I'm hopped up on cold meds. 😴

 

[parhumn]

with all these lecture/lab posts, it's got me rethinking what i put down.

so my ochem lecture and lab were separate. they both had two separate codes: chem 238 and chem 241. so i am listing them separately as lecture and lab (not combined). BUT my ochem lab was actually a lecture and a lab combined ...i think. So on Mondays, there was a lecture where the professor would review the lab manual and go over the reactions. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we would have the lab... does this count as combined lecture and lab or just lab?

 

[G1SG2]

so my ochem lecture and lab were separate. they both had two separate codes: chem 238 and chem 241. so i am listing them separately as lecture and lab (not combined). BUT my ochem lab was actually a lecture and a lab combined ...i think. So on Mondays, there was a lecture where the professor would review the lab manual and go over the reactions. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we would have the lab... does this count as combined lecture and lab or just lab?

No, that is just a lab. Unless your lab is officially broken down into two parts, and you get separate grades and separate credits for both on your transcript-it's just one lab course.

 

[parhumn]

No, that is just a lab. Unless your lab is officially broken down into two parts, and you get separate grades and separate credits for both on your transcript-it's just one lab course.

that's what i thought. thanks a bunch pookiez!!! 🙂

 

[ChubbyChaser]

My advisor in my postbacc told us to use as much of the 1325 as you can. But without repeating yourself or lying.

Reallly?? I pretty much used bulleted info, unless I felt it warranted extra explaining..bc shadowing and such is pretty self-explanatory..and they already know my motives for going into medicine through the PS.

 

[MDman87]

Two questions: 1. This has likely already been answered, but we can include future work/activities, right? I plan to have one of my best experiences this summer. 2. Do intramurals qualify as Extracurricular or Intercollegiate Athletics? I know it's stupid, but I'm not sure what Intercollegiate Athletics covers - probably just your school's sports teams, etc

This

 

[Myuu]

Two questions: 1. This has likely already been answered, but we can include future work/activities, right? I plan to have one of my best experiences this summer. 2. Do intramurals qualify as Extracurricular or Intercollegiate Athletics? I know it's stupid, but I'm not sure what Intercollegiate Athletics covers - probably just your school's sports teams, etc

Yes, you can include future work and activities if you know for sure that you will do them. If something comes up and prevents you from doing them, you might have a lot of intense explaining to do.

Intramurals I would call extracurricular. Intercollegiate is more of an officially recognized school vs. school thing, like NCAA.

 

[CielloStelatto]

Not sure is this is normal, but I just hand-delivered the request forms. My transcripts are free, but if they weren't you could pay for them then. I go to a small school, though, so this may not be possible for you

Two questions: 1. This has likely already been answered, but we can include future work/activities, right? I plan to have one of my best experiences this summer. 2. Do intramurals qualify as Extracurricular or Intercollegiate Athletics? I know it's stupid, but I'm not sure what Intercollegiate Athletics covers - probably just your school's sports teams, etc

My thoughts:
1. I wouldn't create a separate tab for the future, for three reasons. A - just in case something happens and you don't end up doing it. B - there is no way to indicate future dates, and that makes me think they discourage future events. and C - (not really a reason) can you just group it in with another activity? for example, i'm presenting at a conference this year, and referred to that when i wrote about the conference last year.

If it's a new job, you won't really know how it will go yet, or what you will learn. Maybe over the summer you will have a better idea, and can explain the experience in secondaries. If it doesn't come up in those, you could always send in an update letter.

2. No, intramurals are not intercollegiate athletics. Intercollegiate, strictly speaking, means between different schools - either through a legit team, or a club sport that competes with other schools. Intramurals can be put with extracurriculars / hobbies

...whew, I feel long-winded today.

 

[CielloStelatto]

Reallly?? I pretty much used bulleted info, unless I felt it warranted extra explaining..bc shadowing and such is pretty self-explanatory..and they already know my motives for going into medicine through the PS.

I don't remember who I am referencing, but some girl who applied last year said that she wrote very minimal descriptions and got no interviews. Then she sent descriptive update letters and got some interviews. One adcom even said it's a good thing she wrote those letters, as the adcom primarily reads those, and it was her updates that got her an interview.

 

[mvenus929]

I just called my sister to ask how old all my siblings are. 😛
to be fair, they're step-siblings. but she laughed.

I had to exclude one of my sisters because I honestly don't know how old she is. I know she's older than two of my sisters and younger by at least 3 years than my other sister, but I'm not sure exactly what year she was born.

Two questions: 1. This has likely already been answered, but we can include future work/activities, right? I plan to have one of my best experiences this summer. 2. Do intramurals qualify as Extracurricular or Intercollegiate Athletics? I know it's stupid, but I'm not sure what Intercollegiate Athletics covers - probably just your school's sports teams, etc

I wouldn't include future activities. Save that as something to talk about at interviews or send in update letters, when you actually have something to say about the experience, but that's just me.

Intramurals are just extracurricular... intercollegiate means between colleges, and intramurals are played within the college, not outside of it.

so my ochem lecture and lab were separate. they both had two separate codes: chem 238 and chem 241. so i am listing them separately as lecture and lab (not combined). BUT my ochem lab was actually a lecture and a lab combined ...i think. So on Mondays, there was a lecture where the professor would review the lab manual and go over the reactions. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we would have the lab... does this count as combined lecture and lab or just lab?

My ochem lab was the same, but I just listed it as lab only. You're not learning ochem in the lecture part of the lab, really, you're just going over what you're going to be doing in the lab. If you're not taking exams in your lecture portion, and have no grades from that section factored into your lab grade, then it's really just a lab course.

No, that is just a lab. Unless your lab is officially broken down into two parts, and you get separate grades and separate credits for both on your transcript-it's just one lab course.

See, this is probably why parhumn was confused. If you have a lecture and a lab together, it's a combined lecture and lab. If they're separate, then they aren't a combined lecture and lab. The lab courses for Ochem at our schools had a lecture class with everyone taking ochem lab, and then separate lab sections throughout the week. But, all that we did in the lab lecture was go over the manual; we didn't take any midterms or quizzes or anything--we did all that in our lab sections themselves. So, because we didn't do anything to really get a grade in the lecture that would be factored into our grade from lab, it's not really the same as a combined lab and lecture.

 

[UGA2010]

I took the AP Biology Exam and got course credit for Introductory Biology 1 and 2 (8 Hrs). I decided that if I was going to med school that I should go ahead and take the classes. My question is what do I do with the AP course credit classes? I know that once I took the class it went into the deleted credits for my transcript but how would I go about putting that into AMCAS? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BlueElmo]

So for my math class, I took Math 1A and 1B, which are first and second semester calculus.

On my trasncript, it's the same title "Intro Calculus" for both classes. The names are identical, no 1 and 2. Do I enter in "Intro Calculus" for both on AMCAS? Or should I enter in 1 and 2?

 

[witness23]

So for my math class, I took Math 1A and 1B, which are first and second semester calculus.

On my trasncript, it's the same title "Intro Calculus" for both classes. The names are identical, no 1 and 2. Do I enter in "Intro Calculus" for both on AMCAS? Or should I enter in 1 and 2?

I'd feel compelled to add 1 and 2 (just so it doesn't look like you took the same class). My orgo labs weren't numbered on the transcript but I numbered them anyway (just added 1 and 2). AMCAS didn't change a thing. just me though.

 

[Myuu]

So for my math class, I took Math 1A and 1B, which are first and second semester calculus.

On my trasncript, it's the same title "Intro Calculus" for both classes. The names are identical, no 1 and 2. Do I enter in "Intro Calculus" for both on AMCAS? Or should I enter in 1 and 2?

Intro Calculus is fine. I had physics courses like that.👍

 

[G1SG2]

So for my math class, I took Math 1A and 1B, which are first and second semester calculus.

On my trasncript, it's the same title "Intro Calculus" for both classes. The names are identical, no 1 and 2. Do I enter in "Intro Calculus" for both on AMCAS? Or should I enter in 1 and 2?

I have a similar problem-I called AMCAS, and was told I can write out the full name of the course if I wanted to, if it's abbreviated on my transcript. I'd enter 1 and 2. The numbers are different, and they'll figure it out 🙂

 

[G1SG2]

soo, we get 5300 characters for our personal statements, right? How long are you guys making your essays? Using up those 5300 characters?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I don't remember who I am referencing, but some girl who applied last year said that she wrote very minimal descriptions and got no interviews. Then she sent descriptive update letters and got some interviews. One adcom even said it's a good thing she wrote those letters, as the adcom primarily reads those, and it was her updates that got her an interview.

hmm..well i must have found a happy medium.

 

[witness23]

I don't remember who I am referencing, but some girl who applied last year said that she wrote very minimal descriptions and got no interviews. Then she sent descriptive update letters and got some interviews. One adcom even said it's a good thing she wrote those letters, as the adcom primarily reads those, and it was her updates that got her an interview.

that was me. but I'm a dude.

 

[CielloStelatto]

that was me. but I'm a dude.

hahaha. my bad. I had thought it was someone else.
yes, you are a dude.
it must be my lack of mental coherence today. In ten pages of editing I'll be done with college. 😱

 

[Myuu]

hahaha. my bad. I had thought it was someone else.
yes, you are a dude.
it must be my lack of mental coherence today. In ten pages of editing I'll be done with college. 😱

How awesome is that? Don't forget to turn it in!