AMCAS : All Questions Here

[Jason110]

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Hey Guys,

I will have a different address during the summer than I will during the school year this fall. How should I handle this on AMCAS? What will happen if I change my address during the application process? Do you generally inform the medical schools about this over AMCAS or direct email?
I don't want anything to get 'lost' in the mail. 😱


Neither one of these addresses is my permanent address.

Jason

 

[lorelei]

From where I came, we had two terms each year: fall and spring each. My first undergraduate term is 1996 fall and second term is 1997 spring. My question is:

1. what type of term should I choose?

I don't feel my undergraduate school falls into any of the term type. Right now I am using semester though semester means three terms each year with a summer semester.

2. I put 1996(first semester fall) as my first term and 1997(second sememster spring) as my second term. I found the software automatically change my second term to be 1996(second semester spring) rather than 1997(second semester spring). Does this make sense?

Thanks so much

Semester doesn't mean "three terms each year with a summer semester" unless I'm REALLY missing something - everywhere I've gone, it means there's a fall semester and a spring semester.

You're doing it right.

The reason it changes the second term to be 1996 is that it considers Academic Year, not Calendar Year. Quote from the AMCAS Help:

AMCAS will automatically convert to the appropriate AMCAS Academic Year. For example, a course taken during the Spring term of the 2000 calendar year will be reflected by the application (after translation) as having been taken in the 1999 AMCAS Academic Year (sometimes referred to as the 1999-2000 academic year).

 

[lorelei]

Serial posting to ask my question.

I did my transcript requests three weeks ago, and from what I hear AMCAS should have received most of them by now. But I haven't gotten any email confirmations. I just today found out that the email address I listed isn't working and I don't know how long it's been broken. (It's from my undergrad school and is supposed to be good "for life" but don't get me started on that.)

So basically I suspect that their emails have been bouncing. Is there anywhere I can check in the application to see if my transcripts have been received? Or do I just have to email them and ask?

 

[bigdan]

Doko- Thanks! Good luck to you too!

Lorelei- I've gotten two of three confirmations already via email. I'd MOST CERTAINLY email or call AAMC/AMCAS to see what's up. I did check in my AMCAS application to see if it was indeed "dynamic" as claimed, but I didn't see that they had indicated any receipt of my transcripts there yet.

dc

 

[btowngirl]

What happens if I send a transcript and then send another one after my spring grades come out? If I don't submit my application until after the second transcript gets there, will they look at both? Thanks.

 

[btowngirl]

can i add more schools after i submit my application? i think i read somewhere that you have to resubmit the application and get verified again. does this take a long time?

 

[microTAS]

Yes, just finish up the first section and you'll get options. I skipped the EC and PS sections to do transcripts first

Is there anyway to "skip" ahead to get to the later sections? I haven't finished my PS yet, but I would like to send the forms to my schools to have the transcripts verified. But I can't seem to get to that part without filling out the other information....

 

[Premedtomed]

Is it ok to write what I will be doing in the near future i.e. fall semester as leader/member of an organization in my POst Secondary experiences?? 🙂

 

[medic170]

Is it ok to write what I will be doing in the near future i.e. fall semester as leader/member of an organization in my POst Secondary experiences?? 🙂

Summer stuff I think I would put, but fall is a little far off I think. maybe make just a small mention that yyou plan it, or better yet mention it at the interview. My 2 cents.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

can i add more schools after i submit my application? i think i read somewhere that you have to resubmit the application and get verified again. does this take a long time?

It's actually really easy to add additional schools, and your application does not need to be verified again. The schools you add may be slow in downloading your application, however. When I added a school a bit later in the cycle last year, I noticed that it took a week or so for my application to be transmitted to that school. Other schools might be faster if they are downloading apps on a regular basis.
--Grumps

 

[UCLAstudent]

Question... when I click on Application Audit (or whatever it is) to assess my progress with the application, one of the things that pops up is that I haven't filled out the GPA section. But there IS no GPA section on the toolbar on the left. Is anyone else having this problem? Thanks.

 

[venus0206]

I graduated in May 2002 and I am trying to add coursework for my Spring semester of 2002(last semester), but S2 doesn't even show up. Anyone else having a problem with this?

 

[pbehzad]

When doing the extracurricular section, are you describing the activity/award in like a paragraph form, or just brief descriptions like you would see on a resume? I am wondering if I need to write full sentences, or will fragments work to describe the ECs?

thanks

 

[redstar18]

When doing the extracurricular section, are you describing the activity/award in like a paragraph form, or just brief descriptions like you would see on a resume? I am wondering if I need to write full sentences, or will fragments work to describe the ECs?

Full sentences worked for me, though I'm sure people have done it both ways.

 

[redstar18]

(1) If you received multiple research + scholarship awards, do they all go under 1 listing?

(2) Say you only tutored incoming students the first quarter of each academic year, what do you put the dates? Do you just go 9/25/2002-12/6/2003 or do you go 9/25/2002-12/11/2002 (but then what do you do about the 2nd year?)

1. The consensus seems to be to lump them together so that you will have space to include more activities. Also, it won't just look like you're just listing things for quantity. It's really up to you.

2. I would put 9/25/2002-12/6/2003, then include a line in the description that you tutored the first quarter of each year only.

 

[redstar18]

I graduated in May 2002 and I am trying to add coursework for my Spring semester of 2002(last semester), but S2 doesn't even show up. Anyone else having a problem with this?

So you're taking coursework at the same school after you graduated? I didn't have this problem, but I'm guessing that you either have to change your graduation date to this spring or add your school again (if that's possible)as if it were another institution you're attending. You should e-mail AMCAS to get the right way to do it.

 

[brats800]

if i plan on taking an EMT course at a tech school during my year off, AFTER i submit my AMCAS, should i put that course and school in my 'schools attended' section of AMCAS? and if so, that would mean i'd need to send a transcript, right?

 

[brats800]

Question... when I click on Application Audit (or whatever it is) to assess my progress with the application, one of the things that pops up is that I haven't filled out the GPA section. But there IS no GPA section on the toolbar on the left. Is anyone else having this problem? Thanks.

i'm pretty sure i heard in some post or another that you don't see your GPA until your application is confirmed by AMCAS (after they've looked through your transcripts and decided what your GPA should be)....

 

[medic170]

if i plan on taking an EMT course at a tech school during my year off, AFTER i submit my AMCAS, should i put that course and school in my 'schools attended' section of AMCAS? and if so, that would mean i'd need to send a transcript, right?

The tech school that I took my paramedic at was just an overall pass/fail, and they did not keep transcripts. Therefore, I am not sending any, so I assume it depends on the tech school as to whether you need to send them transcripts or not. I did not even list it under schools attended, I put it under extra curriculars.

 

[NeeMaBeeMa]

That sucks. Community college I took it at, awarded 8 credits of EMT108 which I transferred to my university transcript as general credits. Not sure if I should just send in 2 transcripts or just 1 since I had it transferred. I got a 4.0 in it too.

 

[lorelei]

Thanks bigdan. It turned out that my emails weren't bouncing, just not being forwarded, so I was able to download them eventually. And AMCAS did get all of my transcripts, yay!

 

[Jason110]

That sucks. Community college I took it at, awarded 8 credits of EMT108 which I transferred to my university transcript as general credits. Not sure if I should just send in 2 transcripts or just 1 since I had it transferred. I got a 4.0 in it too.

Nope. You just need to send the one from your Community College that originally gave you credit for the course. Be sure to have it sent. List it in the course work section under the community college where you took the course.


Jason

 

[bloHaZaRd]

Hi all! 🙂
First post at SDN. I started filling out my AMCAS today, and have a couple of questions already! 😛

1) First is regarding the primary language: I speak a language other than english at home. However, I am equally fluent in english, if not more. I have done all my schooling/education in english. It's just that I prefer to speak my native language with my parents.
So, what should I put as my primary language? I got confused because it asked primary or native language 😕

2) Another question is about the FAP. Will it look bad if I apply with FAP? I know I will be eligible for it, but I just have this feeling that they will discriminate against me if I don't pay them their application fee. lol

That's all for now
Thanks 😀

 

[brats800]

Hi all! 🙂
First post at SDN. I started filling out my AMCAS today, and have a couple of questions already! 😛

1) First is regarding the primary language: I speak a language other than english at home. However, I am equally fluent in english, if not more. I have done all my schooling/education in english. It's just that I prefer to speak my native language with my parents.
So, what should I put as my primary language? I got confused because it asked primary or native language 😕

2) Another question is about the FAP. Will it look bad if I apply with FAP? I know I will be eligible for it, but I just have this feeling that they will discriminate against me if I don't pay them their application fee. lol

That's all for now
Thanks 😀

1) it probably won't matter. if you want to be safe and 'fit the mold', then put english as your primary language and your other as the 2ndary language. shouldn't matter. i'd think having 2 equally stellar languages would only help you.

2) i've never heard of anyone being discriminated against because of FAP...i thought that the school still got their $, just it was from the government or whatever, not from you....maybe i'm wrong, but i'd bet the school still wants you to apply 😉

 

[indo]

1) it probably won't matter. if you want to be safe and 'fit the mold', then put english as your primary language and your other as the 2ndary language. shouldn't matter. i'd think having 2 equally stellar languages would only help you.

2) i've never heard of anyone being discriminated against because of FAP...i thought that the school still got their $, just it was from the government or whatever, not from you....maybe i'm wrong, but i'd bet the school still wants you to apply 😉

What is a stellar language? martian?

 

[indo]

How many essays do you all have under the "essays" section on amcas? I have one called "personal comments" but I swear that when I first logged into my amcas application about 3 weeks ago there was another essay called something like, "where you see yourself in 10 years". Was this an actual essay prompt or was it something that might have been a suggestion for what to write about in the PS text field?

 

[bloHaZaRd]

Thanks for replying brats800 🙂

I got a few more questions 😀

1) I took two independent research courses at the uni. I go to. They were not required by my major. I took them to gain research experience. Do I include them in the "Post-Secondary Experiences" or do they count just as regular courses. I did get 2 hrs of credits for each of them, but no letter grade (Just an S for satisfactory).

2) I worked at my high school the summer before I entered college. Can I include that as one of my post-secondary experience? Now this is just silly-- but, how about a tutoring job I did while I was in high school. 😛

I hope you don't get tire of my questions. hehe

 

[gaf]

1) I took two independent research courses at the uni. I go to. They were not required by my major. I took them to gain research experience. Do I include them in the "Post-Secondary Experiences" or do they count just as regular courses. I did get 2 hrs of credits for each of them, but no letter grade (Just an S for satisfactory).

On your transcript? Sounds like a class to me. If it shows up as a course on your transcript, it probably belongs on the AMCAS academic record. You did get a grade, after all. If you have something interesting to write about, then you could also call that research a "Post-Secondary Experience" as well.

 

[bloHaZaRd]

I did that mainly to fulfill the honors college activity that I have to do every semester. But I also had med schools in mind when doing that since some of them require research experience. I think I will include it as a post-secon experience, because I wan't to talk more about that. I had fun doing that research, and there's no where else I can expand on it.

Thanks!

And plus, for one of them I spend about 18-20 hrs each week in the lab. Now that's not a typical class 😉

 

[Doc Martins]

I received 3 credits in high school from a university, but transferred those credits to my undergrad institution when I started college. These credits are listed in my transcript from my undergrad, so do I still need to have the other university send a transcript to AMCAS? Thanks.

 

[medic170]

I received 3 credits in high school from a university, but transferred those credits to my undergrad institution when I started college. These credits are listed in my transcript from my undergrad, so do I still need to have the other university send a transcript to AMCAS? Thanks.

YES you do

 

[brats800]

What is a stellar language? martian?

yes, i would count martian as a good stellar language. very funny.

 

[brats800]

How many essays do you all have under the "essays" section on amcas? I have one called "personal comments" but I swear that when I first logged into my amcas application about 3 weeks ago there was another essay called something like, "where you see yourself in 10 years". Was this an actual essay prompt or was it something that might have been a suggestion for what to write about in the PS text field?

i've only seen one essay (the PS / personal comments essay) and i've been looking pretty much since it opened...

 

[kp7]

If you have been working in a lab for a year and then suddenly you were awarded a scholarship or etc.. for it. Do you list them as different things? as in
1) Reserach Scholarship (awards/honors)
2) student reserach assistant (research/lab)
3) summer reserach (presentation/posters)

???? correct? I mean all of those things happened because I work in thesame lab for a long time. DO I need to grpoup them as one seperate?

Also, I have a thousand millions things on my resume, I should just list the most important one right?

I am in the same position as you are with a thousand million stuff. So, I just groups them all. Unlike you, I did research at various labs for one year each. So, i just listed all of them under one topic. About the scholarship, list that under the awards and refer back to the research you did in the lab - hence two separate place.
I said that since I am assuming you have multiple awards and recognitions that you would like to put in your AMCAS.

 

[kp7]

Hey Guys,

I will have a different address during the summer than I will during the school year this fall. How should I handle this on AMCAS? What will happen if I change my address during the application process? Do you generally inform the medical schools about this over AMCAS or direct email?
I don't want anything to get 'lost' in the mail. 😱


Neither one of these addresses is my permanent address.

Jason

I am in the same situation. So, what I did was just include my permanent address in AMCAS. And have all the stuff sent to my house. And asked my dad to send all letters I get from any schools to sent to me by express mail to the address I will be staying at over the summer.
Its going to be expensive. But, I didn't want any problems to arise out of the whole change in addresses. Figured I should keep it simple for the AMCAS since they are receiving thousands of applications and may loose mine in the midst of juggling with different addresses.

 

[kp7]

What is the difference between "SS Summer Session (Summer)" and "4S 4-1-4/4-4-1 Calendar Summer Session (Summer)"?

 

[Scubadoc]

Quick question...under the post secondary experiences-I was a teacher for 5 years but I was paid for it. Would you put it under paid employment or under teaching/tutoring? 😕

 

[kp7]

Quick question...under the post secondary experiences-I was a teacher for 5 years but I was paid for it. Would you put it under paid employment or under teaching/tutoring? 😕

I would put it under paid employment. I think that teaching/tutoring is for people who tutor while they are in school because of their excellence in a certain subject matter or what not.

 

[hakksar]

I would put teaching even if it was paid under teaching/tutoring. I put my paid tutoring under teaching/tutoring last year. The only things that I put under paid employment were things that I could not fit under anything else (such as a paid job as an EMT . . . since the only other clinical thing was clinical volunteer and I obviously was not volunteering). I also put my paid employment as a lab researcher under "research" instead of paid employment. I really don't think the med schools care, but you want to stand out and since I am sure there are less people who have taught/tutored then have had a paid job it makes more sense to classify it as teaching/tutoring.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

I am in the same situation. So, what I did was just include my permanent address in AMCAS. And have all the stuff sent to my house. And asked my dad to send all letters I get from any schools to sent to me by express mail to the address I will be staying at over the summer.
Its going to be expensive. But, I didn't want any problems to arise out of the whole change in addresses. Figured I should keep it simple for the AMCAS since they are receiving thousands of applications and may loose mine in the midst of juggling with different addresses.

A large number of schools now use E-mail almost exclusively, even for secondaries. Use a home address you KNOW will work, and make sure your E-mail is correct!!!

 

[CaMD]

the Transcript Requests and Coursework buttons on the lefthand menu are now gray and fuzzy and nothing happens when I click on them. I want to go back and add something under Coursework! Any suggestions on how to bring them back to active again?? 😕

Thanks!!

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

the Transcript Requests and Coursework buttons on the lefthand menu are now gray and fuzzy and nothing happens when I click on them. I want to go back and add something under Coursework! Any suggestions on how to bring them back to active again?? 😕

Thanks!!

You have to click the "complete" buttons on the earlier sections of the application for it to make Coursework and Transcript Request available. I would guess that your "Schools Attended" section is not marked complete.

 

[Jessiemmc]

I've been looking at the MSAR book trying to decide which schools to apply to. I was thinking about Northwestern until I saw that it said "Candidates are expected to take the Spring MCAT.." I am taking the August MCAT so does that mean I shouldn't waste money applying to Northwestern?

Thanks for help!

 

[microTAS]

How is everyone designating current work. Do you go up to the current date or the projected future date?

 

[hakksar]

Put your expected completion date (ie when you would start medical school) on activities/work that you are currently involved in. This way they know you are planning on doing these activities through the whole application process.

 

[Stupendous]

Two questions

1. Academic status. I searched through this thread and didn't find anything so forgive me if this has been answered. Academic status is determined by credits correct? I had 27 credits entering university so my status goes: FR,SO,SO,JR,JR,SR,SR,SR,SR,SR,SR. Is this correct or do I not count the entering credits?

2. Independent Study. One course was an Independent Study course. The grading scheme is S P C D E. I received a S. Do I use the S as the grade? Been reading the directions and I'm still not sure.

 

[Jason110]

Two questions

1. Academic status. I searched through this thread and didn't find anything so forgive me if this has been answered. Academic status is determined by credits correct? I had 27 credits entering university so my status goes: FR,SO,SO,JR,JR,SR,SR,SR,SR,SR,SR. Is this correct or do I not count the entering credits?

2. Independent Study. One course was an Independent Study course. The grading scheme is S P C D E. I received a S. Do I use the S as the grade? Been reading the directions and I'm still not sure.

2. Label the courses as they appear on the transcript. 5 types of grades does not explicitly mean 'Pass/Fail' grading, so don't check that. If you look at the transcript (or sometimes in an adjacent pamphlet that came with the transcript), there should be an explanation of the grading at the university. As a result, AMCAS will know what to do with the grade and how they would convert it to an AMCAS grade. Just put down what the transcript actually says.

 

[hakksar]

Academic status IS determined by credits (see AMCAS help). Therefore if you come in with 27 credits then you are only a freshman for 1 semester.

 

[Scubadoc]

for any of you who have put in your post secondary experiences, would you be willing to let me read an example of how you wrote them? I promise I am not going to copy you I am just having a lot of trouble with how to write the descriptions. Thanks a million, if so... 😍

 

[acl3623]

if you graduate cum laude do you put that in the awards/honors section? what title can you use????