Clarification regarding AAMC application

[edgydoc]

So I know timing is very important when it comes to the entire med school application/cycle. Knowing this, my plan has always been to get my app in as soon as possible. However, my MCAT is not until June 4th, which is after the AAMC app can officially be submitted. From my understanding, I can and should still submit my app to 1 school in order to get it verified and once my MCAT is back, I should then send my app off to the rest of the school I'd like to apply to. With all this said, my confusion has set in because there are 2 activities I won't be able to start until June. Will I be able to add these activities once my MCAT is back and I send my primary to the rest of the schools I want to apply to or will I have to hold off submitting at all until my MCAT is back in July if I want to include these activities?

I find the activities to be pretty important to my app, especially 1 activity that is non-clinical, and without it, would make my non-clinical hours go from about 200 to 150. The other activity would add around 100 hrs of clinical research, which the only other research on my app is basic wet lab research. However, I understand if it is more important to leave these activities off for the sake of turning my app in ASAP.

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[Catalystik]

So I know timing is very important when it comes to the entire med school application/cycle. Knowing this, my plan has always been to get my app in as soon as possible. However, my MCAT is not until June 4th, which is after the AAMC app can officially be submitted. From my understanding, I can and should still submit my app to 1 school in order to get it verified and once my MCAT is back, I should then send my app off to the rest of the school I'd like to apply to. With all this said, my confusion has set in because there are 2 activities I won't be able to start until June. Will I be able to add these activities once my MCAT is back and I send my primary to the rest of the schools I want to apply to or will I have to hold off submitting at all until my MCAT is back in July if I want to include these activities?

I find the activities to be pretty important to my app, especially 1 activity that is non-clinical, and without it, would make my non-clinical hours go from about 200 to 150. The other activity would add around 100 hrs of clinical research, which the only other research on my app is basic wet lab research. However, I understand if it is more important to leave these activities off for the sake of turning my app in ASAP.

Once you submit your application to AMCAS, you may not edit or add to the Activities section.

 

[Moko]

So I know timing is very important when it comes to the entire med school application/cycle. Knowing this, my plan has always been to get my app in as soon as possible. However, my MCAT is not until June 4th, which is after the AAMC app can officially be submitted. From my understanding, I can and should still submit my app to 1 school in order to get it verified and once my MCAT is back, I should then send my app off to the rest of the school I'd like to apply to. With all this said, my confusion has set in because there are 2 activities I won't be able to start until June. Will I be able to add these activities once my MCAT is back and I send my primary to the rest of the schools I want to apply to or will I have to hold off submitting at all until my MCAT is back in July if I want to include these activities?

I find the activities to be pretty important to my app, especially 1 activity that is non-clinical, and without it, would make my non-clinical hours go from about 200 to 150. The other activity would add around 100 hrs of clinical research, which the only other research on my app is basic wet lab research. However, I understand if it is more important to leave these activities off for the sake of turning my app in ASAP.

The answer to your question can be found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide page 58:

" Post-submission Changes
Before submitting your application, you should review it thoroughly. After you submit your application, you may make changes only to the following sections:
• ID numbers.
• Name, including Legal Name, Preferred Name, and Alternate Names.
• Contact Information, including Permanent and Preferred Mailing Addresses.
• Alternate Contact.
• Birth and Sex.
• Letters of Evaluation (addition of no more than 10 letter entries and notification to AMCAS of a letter no longer to be sent).
• Next MCAT test date.
• Addition of medical schools and change(s) to existing program type (deadlines, fees, and restrictions apply).
• Release of application information to your prehealth advisor. "

In short, you cannot add or change activities once you submit your application. If you feel that your application will not accurately portray your narrative without these extra activities, then you should delay your submission. However, it is highly unlikely that 50 extra hours of non-clinical experience and 100 extra hours of clinical research will move the needle in any schools' decision to interview and/or accept an applicant.

If you have started these activities prior to your submission date, you can always put the end date in the future, and estimate the the anticipated hours that you will accumulate. Since anticipated hours are given significantly less weight on evaluation, it benefits applicants to separate out 'hours completed' vs 'hours anticipated' through two separate date ranges. Just my thoughts.

 

[edgydoc]

The answer to your question can be found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide page 58:

" Post-submission Changes
Before submitting your application, you should review it thoroughly. After you submit your application, you may make changes only to the following sections:
• ID numbers.
• Name, including Legal Name, Preferred Name, and Alternate Names.
• Contact Information, including Permanent and Preferred Mailing Addresses.
• Alternate Contact.
• Birth and Sex.
• Letters of Evaluation (addition of no more than 10 letter entries and notification to AMCAS of a letter no longer to be sent).
• Next MCAT test date.
• Addition of medical schools and change(s) to existing program type (deadlines, fees, and restrictions apply).
• Release of application information to your prehealth advisor. "

In short, you cannot add or change activities once you submit your application. If you feel that your application will not accurately portray your narrative without these extra activities, then you should delay your submission. However, it is highly unlikely that 50 extra hours of non-clinical experience and 100 extra hours of clinical research will move the needle in any schools' decision to interview and/or accept an applicant.

If you have started these activities prior to your submission date, you can always put the end date in the future, and estimate the the anticipated hours that you will accumulate. Since anticipated hours are given significantly less weight on evaluation, it benefits applicants to separate out 'hours completed' vs 'hours anticipated' through two separate date ranges. Just my thoughts.

Awesome, thanks for the reply! In that case, I’d say applying sooner is more advantageous to my app.