Colleges attended for AMCAS

[Prospective Doctor]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of completing my AMCAS. However, I have few questions. I will appreciate if you could please help me.

I did first two years (1997-1999) from community college (CC) and then transferred into four year college for last two years (1999-2001). However, to complete my graduation requirements, I took last two classes of my senior year (in summer 01) at the same community college where I did my first two years.

Also, I took post-bacc classes in Fall 2001 at the same CC and then one post-bacc class in the same four year college in spring 2002.

In summary:
1997-1999 at CC (freshman-sophmore)
1999-2001 at Four year college (junior-senior)
Summer 2001 at CC (senior)
Fall 2001 at CC (as post-bacc)
Spring 2001 at four year college (post-bacc)

This means I have to indicate same CC three times and same four year college twice. Does this seems OK that I'm indicating same colleges so many times in the "Colleges Attended Section of AMCAS?" In total, I'll have five colleges listed when in fact I only attended two different colleges.

Your response will be appreciated?
Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Cobragirl]

AMCAS just asks for "colleges attended"...you don't have to make it blatantly obvious that you went back and forth! Just put CC down with the dates and then put the University down. No matter how many times you went back and forth, you still only attended TWO schools!!! Personally, I wouldn't even put all the exact dates...just put (1997-2002) and let them figure it out on the transcripts if they're so worried about it (because you'll only get TWO transcripts!). On the initial "screening" of your AMCAS, all the adcoms will be looking at is (predominently) you GPA & MCAT...at that point, they don't care WHERE those numbers come from. Once you get interviews you can explain the moving about, if anyone even asks! Many people, including myself, came from CC's and so the ADCOMS are pretty used to seeing random classes from them (they understand that sometimes that's the ONLY way to get your degree finished in a reasonable amount of time/money). All they usually care about is that you did WELL in those classes, not WHY you took them.

I am talking from experience. My AMCAS said that I went to my CC from 1995-2000 when in actuality, I took ONE class in early 1995, started college "for real" in 1996, finished at the CC in early 1997, but took a couple of "fun" courses during my senior year (at the 4-year university) in 2000. In addition, I had actually transferred to yet another university in Virginia for a year (my hubby is military). So if I had taken your route of doing things, my transcript would have said:

CC (1995)
CC (1996-1997)
University #1 (1997-1998)
University #2 (1998-2001)----(took a summer class before med school...)
CC (2000)

See what a mess that is? My AMCAS said:
CC (1995-2000)
University #1 (1997-1998)
University #2 (1998-2001)

Doesn't that look better? No one even questioned my "5-year" stay in CC and only one interviewer asked why I had transferred 3 times. Hope this helps!

 

[JMD]

Prospective Doctor,
You are correct (sorry to disagree with the above poster). I actually spoke w/ AMCAS aboout this. For any undergrad work you can list course work under the same college entry, but any work that you have done after obtaining the degree must be listed separately, even if it is at the same college. This is the only way that you can list it as postbac, which is what you are supposed to do for courses taken after getting your degree. In short, braking your courses into 5 categories is fine.

 

[JMD]

After rereading Cobragirl's post, she is probably right that you can just list your CC from 1997-2001, BUT I am sure that you have to list them separately for your postbac work.
Sorry Cobragirl!