Application Mentor for AMCAS and AACOMAS

[Dullhead]

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'll be right on the edge of on-time submission for AMCAS this year. I have a July 21st MCAT date, plan to submit a mid-June AMCAS primary with a throwaway for verification, pre-write secondaries blind without an MCAT score and hope the school list matches. I plan on doing something similar for AACOMAS.

I guess I'm a whiny old baby - would someone be willing to be my application mentor? You would advise me on the process. I figure it will be 15-20 minutes of your time per week responding to my frantic PMs about what to do. Answering stupid questions such as - do I need to make sure my AMCAS ID is on my transcripts now, or can I add the AMCAS ID to my LoR later? (etc)

If you take pity on me and are willing, PM me. Thank You!

@gonnif - chime in if you want.

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[Siromas]

I have a July 21st MCAT date, plan to submit a mid-June AMCAS primary with a throwaway for verification, pre-write secondaries blind without an MCAT score and hope the school list matches. I plan on doing something similar for AACOMAS.

While not ideal, this is exactly what I did and I've found success this cycle. My school list was based off my AAMC practice test scores, and I started writing the secondaries for the schools that I planned on applying to regardless of my actual MCAT score first before moving on to writing for the reaches.

I guess I'm a whiny old baby - would someone be willing to be my application mentor? You would advise me on the process.

Unless you find someone who's truly altruistic or you're willing to pay, I highly suggest you utilize the search function to comb through the thousands of posts here. I'm sure you'll find someone who has walked a path similar enough to yours so that you can find an answer.

do I need to make sure my AMCAS ID is on my transcripts now

No. You'll print an AAMCAS cover page out to attach (or give to your registrar so that they can attach) to your transcript before having it sent in.

can I add the AMCAS ID to my LoR later?

Your letter writers don't need to include your AMCAS ID. Just make sure that they physically sign the page and that it's on official letterhead. I highly recommend using Interfolio, which will allow you to attach your AMCAS ID prior to sending them in to AMCAS.

Good luck, OP.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'll be right on the edge of on-time submission for AMCAS this year. I have a July 21st MCAT date, plan to submit a mid-June AMCAS primary with a throwaway for verification, pre-write secondaries blind without an MCAT score and hope the school list matches. I plan on doing something similar for AACOMAS.

I guess I'm a whiny old baby - would someone be willing to be my application mentor? You would advise me on the process. I figure it will be 15-20 minutes of your time per week responding to my frantic PMs about what to do. Answering stupid questions such as - do I need to make sure my AMCAS ID is on my transcripts now, or can I add the AMCAS ID to my LoR later? (etc)

If you take pity on me and are willing, PM me. Thank You!

@gonnif - chime in if you want.

 

[Dullhead]

While not ideal, this is exactly what I did and I've found success this cycle. My school list was based off my AAMC practice test scores, and I started writing the secondaries for the schools that I planned on applying to regardless of my actual MCAT score first before moving on to writing for the reaches.

Unless you find someone who's truly altruistic or you're willing to pay, I highly suggest you utilize the search function to comb through the thousands of posts here. I'm sure you'll find someone who has walked a path similar enough to yours so that you can find an answer.

No. You'll print an AAMCAS cover page out to attach (or give to your registrar so that they can attach) to your transcript before having it sent in.

Your letter writers don't need to include your AMCAS ID. Just make sure that they physically sign the page and that it's on official letterhead. I highly recommend using Interfolio, which will allow you to attach your AMCAS ID prior to sending them in to AMCAS.

Good luck, OP.

Thanks for replying.

1. Good to know. I realize it's not ideal, but having put off applying for close to 4 years now due to one thing or another, I'm at a point where I just need to throw in all my chips and hope for the best. I feel like I'll be at a disadvantage with AMCAS, but will be OK with AACOMAS due to the longer cycle.
2. True. Will use the search. I was in a whiny mode when I made the post. And actually, I would not mind paying, just not the thousands some consultants charge.
3. I already knew this but had forgotten, thanks for the reminder.
4. Thanks for the info.

Good luck to you on your journey.

 

[Dullhead]

The issue isnt primarily the lateness of the MCAT. Rather that you will be splitting your time, energy, and focus between prepping for the MCAT, which you need to do well on and creating and polishing a coherent, concise, and compelling AMCAS as well as 10-25 secondaries. This is compounded by your...hmm... self implied paranoia and lack of knowledge of the complicated AMCAS process.

So how do you mitigate this issue? You need to understand this process and develop a project plan that covers it all and you need to do this like in the next couple of days. Now let it be said that I disagree with your strategy and am now firmly in the camp of no applcant should consider filling out or submitting an AMCAS until the MCAT has been taken. It puts the cart way ahead of the horse

BTW, I have told you before to not have your year book photo as your avatar

I realize it's less than ideal. I only plan on this approach for AMCAS. Since AACOMAS has a longer cycle, I can pick a school list after the score is in if I have to do that. I have read up on the process at AAMC and elsewhere, including here, but as you say, I do feel a tiny bit paranoid that I'll miss a small detail that will add delays, that's all.

Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately this is where I am. As I have posted on OPM in the past, not being able to quit the job has been a big hurdle. Second hurdle was finding evening classes - this I have cleared with only one pre-req remaining. Last hurdle was getting "clinical" hours. My gad, it was insanely more difficult than I ever imagined, but I'm on my way to the required 150 hours by June. I am not in a position to put off applying for one more year, having already postponed nearly 4 years now for various reasons. It irks me that nearly all the folks who started out at the same time as me (Terra, Redo, Carrie, Shan, Pixie, GuitarD, Thomas, and the list goes on) are now either M4s or in residency. Heck some are even finishing up residency and here I am.

As to pre-writing, the only one that's 100% important to me is my hometown program and I feel confident that I can find time to pre-write that one in the next 3 months. If the score does not match, well, that's that... If I have to move, none of this matters, because MD or DO makes no difference to me. I don't have aspirations for derm or ortho, so DO is fine with me. And I believe a July MCAT will be OK for AACOMAS. I'm going to give it a shot and hope for a good outcome because them's the cards/chips I been dealt. If this were the year of the Vegas conference and I only had a couple pre-reqs left etc, then I'd absolutely wait one more year. But it's been, what, 7 years since then? It's time to move.

I'm going to be public on doximity in a few years anyway, so don't care about yearbook photo!

EDIT: Historically, I've always tested well. Like very, very well. I'm hoping some of that good juju is still present.

 

[Kr#36]

The search function of this website will literally answer every single question you'll ever have.

 

[Magus5454]

I retook the MCAT in September( only had a 2014 score) and was more than fine for AACOMAS apps