Anyone know where I can find a timeline for applying?

[RSAgator]

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I read a similar thread but I have a few questions regarding the application timeline.

I will be traveling for 2 months this summer (May 13 - July 8).

I know that the earliest to submit AMCAS is generally early june. Does it open earlier than that (able to input everything and have it ready to just hit submit in June?). What is required to complete the AMCAS application? If I am going to be abroad during this time what things can I have done before hand (personal statement I know is one of them).

Also, once complete what is the next step. Letters of recommendation and secondaries? When should I have those letters done by and how many do I need/what categories. Thanks.

 

[Luxian]

I read a similar thread but I have a few questions regarding the application timeline.

I will be traveling for 2 months this summer (May 13 - July 8).

I know that the earliest to submit AMCAS is generally early june. Does it open earlier than that (able to input everything and have it ready to just hit submit in June?). What is required to complete the AMCAS application? If I am going to be abroad during this time what things can I have done before hand (personal statement I know is one of them).

Also, once complete what is the next step. Letters of recommendation and secondaries? When should I have those letters done by and how many do I need/what categories. Thanks.

You can submit the AMCAS in June, but it's available, so you can basically fill out the forms in advance. If you feel like it, you could even fill them all out, save your file and just click "submit" in June from an internet cafe wherever you are staying. On the AMCAS you will have to do a personal statement, type in all of your classes (yes, by hand!), and fill out some basic personal information. You'll have to pick schools you want it sent to and you need to have your school transcript submitted to them. It can take a couple of weeks for them to okay the transcript, so definitely get that in before you leave.

The secondaries will come after the AMCAS is submitted. Some schools automatically send you a link. Some make a first cut before inviting people to submit a secondary. This is when you'll also be sending in your letters of recommendation, usually three, with at least two from professors. Might as well line up your LORs before leaving school and use a service like Interfolio so your profs only submit it once and then you can submit it to as many schools as you like.

So that's it in a nutshell! Good luck!

 

[metalgearHMN]

http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/downloads/med_school_timeline.pdf

hope that helps

 

[scowdeva]

Checklist of things to do before you leave:
- get AMCAS filled out and completed (this includes your personal statement, and school selections). Then you can just pay the fee and click submit from wherever in the world you are on the first day it's open for submission in early June.
- get all letters sent in to VirtualEvals or Interfolio (people usually take some time, and need some prodding, to actually SEND the letter out for you). The standard of what is requested is two science faculty letters and one non-science (some schools want a work reference, etc, so check each school)

If you can get these two major hurdles out of the way you can get those secondaries out right after they come in. I started to get a flood of secondaries in July, so you should get back just in time to start pumping them out. I truly cannot stress enough how important it is to get things out and complete the first possible day...as a weaker candidate, I doubt I would have had any success if I would have waited as late as fall to submit. Good luck, and enjoy your trip abroad!

 

[RSAgator]

ah sdn thanks for the great responses as usual. When is the earliest that i can begin filling the AMCAS out? Would I be able to start today if I wanted to? Also is there a turnaround time for interfolio?

 

[tourniquet1963]

i don't get it.. They ask for more letters even if your premed committee in undergrad has already wrote one for you? I had to get like 8+ letters from faculty/doctors for the letter that the premed advisor writes. Are you saying i will have to get more in addition to that to send to the individual schools?

 

[BluePhoenix]

If your committee sends a packet, they usually pick the best of the bunch. Usually that's good enough for most schools, but some may ask them to fill out a form as well.

 

[PanicAttack]

Didn't see anybody mention this yet:

Go ahead and get your transcripts sent to AMCAS in early May. AMCAS will hold on to them, so you don't have to wait until you click "Submit" for them to have the official transcript in hand.

 

[PanicAttack]

ah sdn thanks for the great responses as usual. When is the earliest that i can begin filling the AMCAS out? Would I be able to start today if I wanted to? Also is there a turnaround time for interfolio?

AMCAS 2009 isn't open yet. If I remember correctly, it opened about a month before you could submit...early May-ish. I could be wrong about that.

 

[BigRedder]

i don't get it.. They ask for more letters even if your premed committee in undergrad has already wrote one for you? I had to get like 8+ letters from faculty/doctors for the letter that the premed advisor writes. Are you saying i will have to get more in addition to that to send to the individual schools?

No. Some schools will let you add more letters later, but it really isn't necessary with that many already...

 

[silverlining1]

AMCAS 2009 isn't open yet. If I remember correctly, it opened about a month before you could submit...early May-ish. I could be wrong about that.

That's correct. It opened the first week of May (can't recall the exact date) and could be submitted on June 5.