Mac safari browser for applications

[mslee]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hhas anyone had any problems working on AMCAS (or other med school) applications through macintosh's safari browser? I read something about it on the AAMC website and now I'm slightly concerned as I only own a mac laptop and would rather not have to go to a library to work on the apps...

 

[copingmethods]

Hhas anyone had any problems working on AMCAS (or other med school) applications through macintosh's safari browser? I read something about it on the AAMC website and now I'm slightly concerned as I only own a mac laptop and would rather not have to go to a library to work on the apps...

Safari won't work, only Netscape as of last year I believe - just download it and you're fine.

 

[FlowLimited]

Internet Explorer works too. Just pick your favorite.

 

[aaj117]

I have a mac too. You can't fill out the amcas on safari, but you can just download netscape, use it until you submitt, and then delete it.

 

[Piyush]

try firefox

 

[aaj117]

try firefox

it doesn't work on firefox either. AMCAS only works on IE or netscape.

 

[Jacks Mannequin]

Yeah, you can either use Netscape or you can enable the debug menu in Safari to make the website think it's Netscape. Just search for "Safari debug" in Google.

 

[nick_carraway]

Yeah, you can either use Netscape or you can enable the debug menu in Safari to make the website think it's Netscape. Just search for "Safari debug" in Google.

That's what I did. Worked like a charm.

I'm surprised that Safari 3 still has issues with it.

Contemporize, AMCAS!

 

[st0w]

Opera works perfectly with AMCAS - you just have to select 'Mask as Internet Explorer' in the site preferences. Opera's also the most secure browser and arguably (since it depends which tests you look at) the fastest browser too.

</geek-soapbox>

 

[TheRealMD]

First, open up Terminal (in your Applications folder or search using Spotlight).

Type in this command without quotes while Safari is not running (i.e. copy, paste, and close Safari before pressing Enter):

"defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1"

Open Safari again and you should have a menu item called "Debug". Look for the item "User Agent" and select the latest version of Netscape. Then go to the AMCAS website and you should be good to go.

Note that every time you need to access the AMCAS website, you'll need to change the user agent to Netscape. AMCAS is 100% dumb, but meh?

 

[se2131]

Ditto on the Opera comment. For some reason, AMCAS won't let you fill out the application if it detects Linux or a non-IE/netscape browser, even though it works fine if you know how to mask the identity to IE (solves the browser problem, and I guess they assume that if you're "running IE", then you're also running Windows). I have no idea why they think that the operating system makes any sort of difference...

There's an extension for firefox called User Agent Switcher (google for it), I think it should work the same way that the Opera switcher works.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

it doesn't work on firefox either. AMCAS only works on IE or netscape.

Just like people are saying you can change the User Agent on Safari, you can do the same with Firefox and spoof that it's coming from Netscape.

These websites that *refuse* to work when they don't detect a "compatible" user agent get under my skin. I had absolutely 0 trouble using AMCAS on Firefox after spoofing the UA.

 

[sushichopstickz]

Does changing the user-agent in firefox affect AMCAS submission, in terms of messing something up along the way? I just don't want to run the risk.

 

[etf]

First, open up Terminal (in your Applications folder or search using Spotlight).

Type in this command without quotes while Safari is not running (i.e. copy, paste, and close Safari before pressing Enter):

"defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1"

Open Safari again and you should have a menu item called "Debug". Look for the item "User Agent" and select the latest version of Netscape. Then go to the AMCAS website and you should be good to go.

Note that every time you need to access the AMCAS website, you'll need to change the user agent to Netscape. AMCAS is 100% dumb, but meh?

thanks!

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

Does changing the user-agent in firefox affect AMCAS submission, in terms of messing something up along the way? I just don't want to run the risk.

No, it sure doesn't. It is exactly what I did. For peace of mind, review the whole app before submission, but everything works fine.

 

[st0w]

Does changing the user-agent in firefox affect AMCAS submission, in terms of messing something up along the way? I just don't want to run the risk.

Nope. The user-agent just indcates to their servers what browser you're using - they don't do anything differently on their side if you're using a different browser from what you say you are.

The reason they look at the user-agent is somewhat complex, but understand that it will still work - and it's somewhat archaic of AMCAS to just arbitrarily "support" only these browsers. They probably saw some bugs when testing with older versions of certain browsers and decided only to support IE and Netscape. I would hope that will change with AMCAS 2009, considering how the browser marketshare profiles have changed. They really do need to get with the times. Nothing on their site is so complex that it can't work in any browser.

As KVO said, generate the PDF preview before submitting your application. Review it closely, and you'll be fine. 👍