2Q: Secondary Timeline and Sending Letters?

[Jun1023]

Hi everyone, I had two questions:

1) When do people usually start receiving their secondaries? I want to join a volunteer program that may make me really busy and even out of reach of a computer (on-and-off) during July. Would this mix really badly with the application process?

2)With the new AMCAS letter service, I'm confused because there are still some schools that don't participate in that service. Doesn't that mean we still have to use a 3rd-party system, (interfolio) send it to (interfolio) and then have it forwarded to AMCAS?

Thank you!
Justin

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[Gifted Hands]

1) It would not be a good idea to be far from a computer after you submit your AMCAS. Some secondaries have deadlines and you don't want them to pile up on you. After you submit your app, you will pretty much be a slave to your e-mail until winter. Don't do anything that might limit your accessibility for a long period of time.

2) Most people use Interfolio or something like that. Depends on your school. If your school has a committee letter, they will send it directly to the premed office and the committee will send your letter to the schools you apply to. If you have to do it yourself, use interfolio.

 

[LebLlama]

n/t

 

[fishsticks2629]

1) It would not be a good idea to be far from a computer after you submit your AMCAS. Some secondaries have deadlines and you don't want them to pile up on you. After you submit your app, you will pretty much be a slave to your e-mail until winter. Don't do anything that might limit your accessibility for a long period of time.

2) Most people use Interfolio or something like that. Depends on your school. If your school has a committee letter, they will send it directly to the premed office and the committee will send your letter to the schools you apply to. If you have to do it yourself, use interfolio.

So are all secondaries completed via e-mail?

 

[Gifted Hands]

So are all secondaries completed via e-mail?

no. you are notified via e-mail that they want you to submit a secondary. They will also give you password info to access the secondary. Most secondaries now are submitted online through their website. I think I had to mail about 2 out of 20.

Also if you are incomplete or if the office has a question they will contact you through e-mail.


PS: I love that avatar. hysterical.

 

[Jun1023]

When were you working on the secondaries? I may be volunteering at a school, so it may be possible that I do have access to computers.

If you had to mail them in, was it more like printing out your essays and sending that?

 

[Gifted Hands]

I was working on my secondaries from the time I submitted my application (early summer) until Sept/Oct. I only had two applications that had to be mailed. I printed the responses/forms and mailed them. Now a days it is very uncommon. Most schools have a computer system.

If you know you are going to be busy over the summer, try to write your essays before hand. Sometimes they change, but they usually don't. Look at the secondary threads for the schools you will be applying to and have the essays ready before hand.