Couple of Application ?s

[Elysium]

---

Members do not see this ad.

OK,

Already starting to panic about the application (which is a way of channeling my worry about that friggin MCAT).

1) DO you have to send really glossy pictures to every school you apply to (can they be color copies?) God, that's going to get expensive...

2) Can you submit your AMCAS before the MCAT scores come in? OR should you wait till the scores come in and then submit?

3) If you're taking summer courses, can you include them in your AMCAS and still get it in early?

Hmmm. I think that's all for now.

 

[mr.annoying]

1) Yes, every school requires two 8" x 11" professional headshots, kinda like the ones actors have for auditions. So go get a part-time job at Jack In The Box and take the pictures ASAP.

2) No, you can't submit your AMCAS until you have received your scores in the mail, and have sent back a verification post-card stating that you received the scores, then they will send you back a verification that they received your verification, THEN you can submit your AMCAS application. So basically, just wait by the mail.

3) If you're taking summer courses, go ahead and wait until you finish them and send in your AMCAS. That should be fine.

Well, I hope this helps!

P.S. Do the opposite of what I said.

 

[mpp]

I did not send in any pictures to any schools. At my interviews they always took a picture.

You can submit your AMCAS before the MCAT is in.

Your choice about submitting before summer grades. If you are taking August MCAT and you think you will do well in the summer session, submit the AMCAS after you get your grades.

Check out <a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010171&p=" target="_blank">Jalkbrekt's Official Guide to Applying</a> here on SDN for some other tips.

 

[none]

hahahahaha...you're worried about the cost of PICTURES?!?! There's these little things called plane tickets and a wonderful program known as AMCAS...

 

[Doctora Foxy]

1)I got pictures taken at sears, but I only purchased one sheet of wallet sized photos. Then I went to Walgreen's and copied the pics on the Kodak copying machine for $6. I don't know what other people did about that passport pic size requirement, but I remember cutting that picture to be 2x2 a million (20) times. Most schools i applied to requested a picture either on the secondary or at the interview.

2)If you are taking the April mcat, WAIT until you get your scores, and then immediately submit your application. This way you can have a better idea of where to apply based on your stats.

3)If your summer grades will not be in until late August, then your application will be late if you wait to submit amcas. One semester cannot greatly increase your gpa anyway (at this point), so summer grades won't mean that much. Adcoms may even care less about summer grades b/c they know you had all the time in the world to focus on them. So I say designate on your application that you plan to take summer courses, but send in your app ASAP w/o the grades.

Is your summer course a required pre-req for med school? If so, you better wait for the grades.

 

[oldman]

1. I had a nice picture and went to kinkos. they have those kodak things that foxy talked about. then you can print out an entire sheet of these photos. they even have a paper cutter. you can trim the photo down to the right size.

2) You can submit prior to the MCAT scores. there might be a delay in getting secondaries or interviews as they wait for those scores.

3) i'm not sure how this works. i think you can list courses for which you have not received a grade yet. or maybe that was on the secondaries i had to fill out.

 

[faerichilde]

If you have CVS in your area, their version of passport photos are a sheet of 12 or 18 pictures for the same price that everyone else sold 2 (about $7). One sheet of those was just enough for me. Don't get passport pics if you are self-conscious about what you look like in them...I don't think they are capable of making you look good, but schools really just want to be able to remember who you are after you interview, so it doesn't matter if you don't look like a supermodel.

 

[trout]

I had them professionally done (it had been like 7 years since I have had one done) It cost me $30 for 100 (which I know who the hell needs a 100--surprisingly I have been using them for many other things my scuba license and everything else) but I was stuck in one of those states that you didn't have a lot of choice. They looked great and I think just about every school asked for one (and I forgot to send one to Einstein, my application was not complete until that was in!) I look at it as I spent so much money on this application process, but the picture is the first thing the people see, I have always been told first impressions count a lot!

-send your amcas in when you are done and when your scores come in they will forward then to the schools (but if you send it in when you are done they can start verifying it immediately which this year took about 4 months!) However, the problem is you have to be pretty confident with your scores because you need to designate schools then.

 

[Jalby]

For my photos, I just took a digital picture of them and pritned them on my printer. They were either required with the secondary or the interview.

As for waiting for your MCAT's to decide where to apply, I kind of agree with Foxy about waiting to submit until you have your scores. But what I would do is if you know your going to apply to 5 schools regardless of what score you get, you can turn in your AMCAS with thos 5 and tehn add on more later in the process. That's what I would do, or Submit before you get your MCAT scores.

Also, I personally would turn in your AMCAS before the summer grades come out. Then when they do come out, and if they are good grades, you could send a one paragraph letter to the schools telling them about your new grades.
Just my recommendations.

Oh yeah, thanks for citing me mpp. I'll probably have a new guide to applying to schools with waitlist stuff later.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Jalbrekt that's an excellent idea. Amcas will process your application regardless of how many schools you designate (as long as you designate one) and then you can just add them on later. 😀