How do schools correspond with you throughout the process?

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junkct

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I'm just curious as to how schools correspond with you throughout the application process. Postal mail? Email? Telephone? And do they use the address that you put on AMCAS?

I go to school away from home, and maybe it's a personal thing, but I want to be the first person to hear about my med school stuff--not my parents. Throughout the app process I'll probably be @ school for the most part, but I put down my home address in AMCAS because (a) I'm not 100% sure what my address will be next year and it could always change, and (b) I don't want to run the risk of one of my roommates checking the mail and accidentally discarding something important (my parents would prob keep hawk eyes out for med school stuff).

But I really do want to be the first person to hear about anything, whether it be acceptances/rejections, interviews, secondaries, or even updates. Do schools usually communicate via email or telephone before sending something via postal service? Or just in general, how they correspond with you? Thanks in advance!
 
I'm just curious as to how schools correspond with you throughout the application process. Postal mail? Email? Telephone? And do they use the address that you put on AMCAS?

I go to school away from home, and maybe it's a personal thing, but I want to be the first person to hear about my med school stuff--not my parents. Throughout the app process I'll probably be @ school for the most part, but I put down my home address in AMCAS because (a) I'm not 100% sure what my address will be next year and it could always change, and (b) I don't want to run the risk of one of my roommates checking the mail and accidentally discarding something important (my parents would prob keep hawk eyes out for med school stuff).

But I really do want to be the first person to hear about anything, whether it be acceptances/rejections, interviews, secondaries, or even updates. Do schools usually communicate via email or telephone before sending something via postal service? Or just in general, how they correspond with you? Thanks in advance!

Most schools use email nowadays. There are a few old style schools that use paper still (UIC comes to mind), and there are a few schools that use telephone (Loyola calls if they want to interview you).
 
Most of the time it will be by email. Sometimes they will send letters, like for interview invites or decision notices, so keep your address updated on AMCAS and if you're worried, notify the schools also. Some will also call you for certain things, but this isn't too common.
 
If you're lucky they will correspond with you. lol. If you're like most applicants they will send you a rejection at the end of the cycle.
 
to echo the above, mostly email.

but I did get a couple of letters sent to my parent's address. When it was a rejection, my mom would wait a couple of days to tell me b/c she didn't want to make me "feel bad" 😛.
 
Each school has their own communication method. From what I experienced the communicate through email everything up to your interviews, then how you find out about acceptances differed between schools. One school absolutely refuses to tell you anything about your status over the phone, while another encouraged you to call them.

My first acceptance was a letter, it was very painful waiting for it. Another one was a phone call.
 
Each school has their own communication method. From what I experienced the communicate through email everything up to your interviews, then how you find out about acceptances differed between schools. One school absolutely refuses to tell you anything about your status over the phone, while another encouraged you to call them.

My first acceptance was a letter, it was very painful waiting for it. Another one was a phone call.

boo i really would prefer email lol... maybe I'll input my cell phone # into AMCAS though. Only problem is that I work in a building where I don't get reception (no one in the building does... stupid building). I'm not in there all the time or anything, but I always happen to be there when someone tries to call me ahhahah... would med schools call back if they couldn't get a hold of you the first time? I've always wondered...
 
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