AMCAS

[fishtolive]

Does anyone know when the AMCAS apps come out? I already registered for the MCAT online and was wondering if they were going to work the app the same way.
sdm

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[baylor21]

I emailed AMCAS earlier this year and they responded that the electronic AMCAS application will be available starting on April 1st.

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"There is nothing more powerful on this Earth as a man who has nothing to lose. It does not take ten such men to change the world--one will do." Elijah Mohammed

 

[jimi]

Remember, you can give yourself a timing advantage by sending in all your transcripts way before they start accepting the actual AMCAS in June. I think last year they started accepting transcripts in March. But just check.

 

[Mossjoh]

AMCAS will release the applications on April 1 online, that is true. There will be no paper applications this year, it must be done on a computer.
As for sending in transcripts in March, when they begin to accept them. I would hesitate doing that, you may want to include your Spring semester grades on your transcript, and that can't be done until school ends. I plan to send transcripts when grades are turned in.

 

[rxfudd]

Originally posted by Mossjoh:

As for sending in transcripts in March, when they begin to accept them. I would hesitate doing that, you may want to include your Spring semester grades on your transcript, and that can't be done until school ends.

Do you recommend sending in Spring transcripts to be a completist or to raise your GPA? I have taken all necessary prereq's and am at a point where my GPA can only go down unless I pull straight A's this semester. How do you think med schools will view sending in transcripts without this semester included (and can they request this semesters grades after the initial AMCAS application is submitted or will they make a decision stictly based on everything up to Fall 2000)?

 

[mpp]

Beyond your grades, the schools usually want to know that you have completed a degree (I know that some schools don't require a degree but most want one). Without the degree on your transcript, the admissions committee may place your application on "Hold" until they receive confirmation that a degree was granted.

 

[rxfudd]

mpp, I understand that, but in the initial decision on whether to accept or deny, will sending in Spring transcripts have any effect on the adcom's decision? Can they ask for them even if there is really no need for them? Again, keep in mind that all of my prereqs have been met and my GPA can only go DOWN unless I get straight A's for spring.

 

[Annihilator]

Originally posted by rxfudd:
mpp, I understand that, but in the initial decision on whether to accept or deny, will sending in Spring transcripts have any effect on the adcom's decision? Can they ask for them even if there is really no need for them? Again, keep in mind that all of my prereqs have been met and my GPA can only go DOWN unless I get straight A's for spring.

I don't think schools will look at your last semester grades except to make sure you passed all your classes and you graduated. Some schools ask you to bring updates when you interview, but none actually asked for them at the interview. This isn't a free pass to screw around completely in your last semester, but rather think of it as an opportunity to take classes and do things you normally wouldn't have done. It's a chance to experiment and try things that maybe you'll never get the opportunity to do again. For example, my last semester I took a oil painting class, finished up a completely non-related double major (economics/biology). So have some fun (as long as you've been accepted, otherwise you may want to play it safe)...

 

[jimi]

I sent in my transcripts before school got out so I had one quarter's worth that was not included (they were mostly electives). Since AMCAS only accepts one set of transcripts I did not have to worry about sending in updates. What I did do was enter the name of the classes I was enrolled in and wrote that the grades were not available yet (AMCAS gives you this option.)

The schools went ahead and made their decisions on my file regardless. And it doesn't seem like any of them looked down on it. But before you matriculate you need to send them ALL of your transcripts anyway because AMCAS doesn't give them to the schools.

The only school that I applied to that requires actual transcripts in addition to the AMCAS version before making a decision is UCLA. When you get invited to interview, they also ask for updated transcripts so their decision is pending receipt of your grades.