Anyone else screwed by AMCAS processing?

[jff]

I have already posted a few things regarding this topic but I was hoping for some advice on how to proceed. I submitted my app and it was processed and sent recently to the list of schools I included in the AMCAS. The only problem is, they made several incorrect changes and sent them to schools already. They changed the course type of my molecular biology classes to non-science courses (this was my major and accounts for a majority of the classes I took as an undergrad) and they failed to count several courses for some unknown reason but they are clearly listed on my official transcript which they have. I double checked my printed and finalized AMCAS and sure enough, I listed everything correctly but they changed them during the verification process. At this stage, I have re-submitted a transcript verification to AMCAS and I'm waiting for a response but the schools have already received my AMCAS and have responded. Those that screen will definitely not consider an app with such a major deficiency in requirements. Should I contact each school directly and ask them to reconsider a correct version of the app that I submit myself? Will AAMC take care of this for me? Also, even if they do correct this, they have already statistically hurt my application by having to resubmit my app. I didn't drop so much change to have them donkey my chances of getting into a school. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, has your situation been resolved in an acceptable manner?

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[Lolo08]

I'm sorry I can't help you out since I haven't yet submitted my AMCAS, but wow that sucks. It's really unfortunate since you weren't responsible at all. Can you talk to your pre-med advisor about what to do? You should at least call AMCAS to tell them about the problem. All the best to you!

 

[funshine]

Wow, sounds like AMCAS really screwed up. why would they count molbio classes as non-science? You're talking about classes like biochm, genetics, cell/dvlpmnt, neuroscience, virology etc. correct? I'm a molbio major too, waiting for my app to be processed, so i have reason to worry.

 

[teedub]

1.) I've heard that alot of schools recalculate the "science" GPA's for themselves (after the supplemental).
2.) Even so, I'd ask put in a request for recertification by AMCAS and email all the school's directly to let them know that you're appealing, and to at least be heads up about it.

 

[SailCrazy]

1.) I've heard that alot of schools recalculate the "science" GPA's for themselves (after the supplemental).

Why & Which schools?

 

[hardy]

Why & Which schools?

A lot of schools apparently recalculate your science gpa to only include the prereqs. I don't know the specific schools but have heard this from several schools.

 

[t33sg1rl]

I really feel your pain, and unfortunately I don't have good news for you. I applied in 2005, and AMCAS decided to convert two withdrawals into two F's... and they were both science. I did the Academic Change thing, but they decided that my request didn't fit the parameters and couldn't consider it. I called daily for weeks, and spoke to a new person every time. Even when someone had requested that I ask for them when I called back, I could never get them to transfer me. I held onto all of my secondary applications hoping to get the AMCAS resolved (none of the schools that I applied to would look at the AMCAS without that secondary application fee).

At the end of the day, I applied to six schools, mainly right on their secondary deadlines. I got five interviews, three rejections, and two waitlists. In all of my interviews, the interviewers understood the screwup and made notes in my file, so I think what hurt me more than anything was holding my secondaries.

Anyway, mine is a happy story, because one of my waitlists became an acceptance, but I can definitely tell you that AMCAS will screw up your entire life and not care or be willing to help. Just do your best to explain it during interviews, and don't lose hope-I made it to interviews, and by AMCAS calculations, my undergrad science GPA was a 2.7.

 

[jff]

Thanks for your responses\support. I filed an appeal with AMCAS and spoke with several people over there last week but I haven't heard a peep since. In response to #3, the classes they screwed up were biochemistry, organic synthesis of natural products (grad orgo), molecular biology, etc... all of my sciences. It's a pretty wild error so I'm hoping schools will notice something was wrong and still send me secondary requests at least so I can explain what happened. It's really reassuring that someone's situation was resolved positively though, I'll keep trying though.

 

[ultimateend]

I had (may still have) a problem with AMCAS and my school. I received the UPenn secondary last week and noticed a funny hold on my application that said I did not go to an accredited US/Canadian school. I go to the UofMN and I doubt that the second largest school in the country isnt accredited so I called admissions and they said AMCAS sent them the info. I had to play phone tag for an hour between AMCAS and Penn. AMCAS said I was "coded" (their term for accredited) but Penn said no. Finally they emailed each other and straightened it out and finally on last thursday they overrode the hold. My fear is that more schools will think that I go to some home-schooled college or something and reject me right off that. Time will tell I guess.