AMCAS EC question

[Pinkertinkle]

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I intend to go overseas to volunteer for a bout three weeks during my next summer vacation, June 2004. I will also be applying to medical school at this time and it is my understanding that AMCAS can be filed on June 1st, 2004. Also, I have heard that it is best to complete the AMCAS as soon as humanly possible. However, I wish to put this overseas volunteer EC in my AMCAS. Should I wait until I return and complete my AMCAS at the end of June or should I complete it June 1st and update it when i return?

 

[spumoni620]

yikes, it's been a while since i filled out that darned thing...but i'd say you could wait until you come back, b/c you never know if an experience you have on the trip can enhance/influence your personal statement. waiting until the end of june is definitely still in the "early" time frame. that's about when i submitted this year. turns out that amcas pretty much processes them in some mysterious order so that even those who turned in their app right on jun 1 didn't necessarily get transmitted to schools before someone who turned it in on june 30. just get all your transcripts and other materials to amcas so that you're not going to wait forever to be processed.

 

[MeowMix]

Get everything done on your AMCAS including transcripts and a finished, beautiful essay, but do not submit before your trip. You will still be early if you submit after the trip; you cannot update if you have already submitted.

The reason to wait is that you may have new, great experiences that would make your essay way stronger, and you would regret not being able to include those.

 

[prg6315]

I would turn everything in on June 1st and if you have additional information to provide after the EC experience include it in your secondaries.

 

[DrBodacious]

The main point of consideration is how you think this experience will affect your personal statement. Do you have a strong enough personal statement as is? You can include extra information in most, but not all, secondaries. You could submit additional information even if the school does not prompt you for it.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I should have a reasonable application even without this EC. However, I would not want to miss out on any possible advantage in the primary screening.

How much of a disadvantage is it to submit the AMCAS in the third week of June?

 

[Spitting Camel]

Don't submit until you get back. You can NOT update the AMCAS application once it is submitted. Furthermore, not all secondaries will give you a chance to comment on more than just who is sending your letters of Rec.

Wait... I know what others say, but wait. AMCAS doesn't even start transmitting information until July 15th or so. By that logic, you can submit late june and begin transmission late july, barely behind anyone!! That's the truth, and you can quote me on it!!

Hope this helps!!

 

[Sonya]

third week of june isn't too bad. but, after that, it starts getting "late". the only thing you can change after you submit is which school you can apply to, and your address.

A lot of schools don't prescreen. And for those that do, at least some do it only based on numbers/state residency. So, maybe including it with teh secondary isn't a bad idea. but then, you don't always get the chance to either.

sonya

 

[sistahnik]

why dont you just wait until you get back like the other posts said!! If they aren't going to process anything until july anyway whats the big deal of waiting until you return. there may be an awesome experience that you encounter on this trip, but b/c you were in such a hurry to beat the crowd to amcas, you may not be able to include this valuable information, which may be the tilt on the scale of you getting in or not!!! ok you may have everything they are looking for, but oh my god that awesome experience is considered and there you go you are in, or not!!! point being you just dont know what can happen!!!!

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Thanks for all the advice sdn'ers. I think to avoid this situation I will go volunteer during winter vacation instead and brave SARS, snow and miss Christmas time here.

 

[sistahnik]

you're welcome. just make sure you do what's best for you. btw I haven't even taken the mcat yet nor applied, but I just want you guys to be successful! enjoy your vacation.