*~*~Official AACOMAS Questions Thread 2020-2021~*~*

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jmed25 said:
Hello all! I was supposed to take an elective lab course in person in the summer, but it has been officially cancelled. I had to switch one of the in-progress courses on my application, but I have already uploaded the official transcript from the school into AACOMAS, do I need upload a new transcript now because I changed the course?
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I don’t think it would be an issue since there is no grade for it either way, but you could email AACOMAS about it.
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Thank you, PapaGuava, for answering my previous question! I have a question about transcript entry. I got 6 English credit from IB test in high school and I only have 3 credit of undergrad ENGL. However, on my official transcript, it doesn't specify those 6 credits as English. Right now I have "N/A N/A English 6 CR" as the entry. Can I keep it like this? I have an unofficial transcript that does say English idk why the official doesnt. Thank you in advance!
 
What is everyone doing about the COVID essay? Are we only supposed to complete that essay if we feel the pandemic significantly impacted our application? Or is it meant to be used to illustrate how you dealt with/how you helped during the pandemic?
 
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How do we send e-transcripts to aacomas? I followed their instructions with the National Student Clearinghouse but through that, it doesn't give me a specific place to enter my transcript ID even though in the aacomas isntructions it says it should have a spot to list my ID. I used the live chat with AACOMAS staff to ask about this and they didn't know what was wrong.
 
1. For transcript entry, if the courses on our transcript are listed in caps, do we also list them in caps on AACOMAS?
2. If a course is abbreviated on my transcript itself, should I write it exactly as it is on the transcript OR make it unabbreviated when I enter it on AACOMAS?
 
uri-qua said:
Thank you, PapaGuava, for answering my previous question! I have a question about transcript entry. I got 6 English credit from IB test in high school and I only have 3 credit of undergrad ENGL. However, on my official transcript, it doesn't specify those 6 credits as English. Right now I have "N/A N/A English 6 CR" as the entry. Can I keep it like this? I have an unofficial transcript that does say English idk why the official doesnt. Thank you in advance!
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If it’s on your official transcript it should suffice but you would want to ask AACOMAS just in case.

um609 said:
1. For transcript entry, if the courses on our transcript are listed in caps, do we also list them in caps on AACOMAS?
2. If a course is abbreviated on my transcript itself, should I write it exactly as it is on the transcript OR make it unabbreviated when I enter it on AACOMAS?
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Type it in exactly how it is labeled on your transcript to avoid any delays in verification.
 
Hello Again, I have another questions. At the moment I have enough money to pay for 2 applications for 2 schools for aacomas. If I submit these 2 applications will I be able to add all the other schools I want to add?
Will I have to wait for the verification period to be over to add these schools?
Will The schools still receive their applications at the same time as my 2 early applications?
I want to submit already and want to get verified.
Thank you for all your help! Means alot, I have no one else to ask.

Edit: I just want to clarify that they wont be throwaway schools, I truly wish to attend these schools. Thank everyone!
 
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kittymeg said:
Hello Again, I have another questions. At the moment I have enough money to pay for 2 applications for 2 schools for aacomas. If I submit these 2 applications will I be able to add all the other schools I want to add?
Will I have to wait for the verification period to be over to add these schools?
Will The schools still receive their applications at the same time as my 2 early applications?
I want to submit already and want to get verified.
Thank you for all your help! Means alot, I have no one else to ask.

Edit: I just want to clarify that they wont be throwaway schools, I truly wish to attend these schools. Thank everyone!
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Yes you can continue to add schools all the way until the end of the cycle. No, once you are verified, you are set for any other primary applications you would send out. If you are ready, submit now so you are verified and ready to go once the schools begin receiving primary applications.
 
Thanks again for answering my question! and sorry for asking multiple questions but I've tried searching but found nothing. Under program materials "prerequisites" tab, you need to select which course fits under each subject.

1. Are we supposed to select MORE than the minimum credits and include all the courses that fit the requirement?
2. For some schools, Behavior Sciences have "minimum grades 2". What exactly does this mean? I took Sociology (got a letter grade) but only received CR for Psychology, not a letter grade. Does this meet the requirement?
3. If not, AACOMAS has Development Biology listed under Behavioral Sciences. Does this apply to each individual school and can I select that as my pre-req for those schools?

P.S. I'm very thankful for this community and all the time spent answering our questions.
 
uri-qua said:
Thanks again for answering my question! and sorry for asking multiple questions but I've tried searching but found nothing. Under program materials "prerequisites" tab, you need to select which course fits under each subject.

1. Are we supposed to select MORE than the minimum credits and include all the courses that fit the requirement?
2. For some schools, Behavior Sciences have "minimum grades 2". What exactly does this mean? I took Sociology (got a letter grade) but only received CR for Psychology, not a letter grade. Does this meet the requirement?
3. If not, AACOMAS has Development Biology listed under Behavioral Sciences. Does this apply to each individual school and can I select that as my pre-req for those schools?

P.S. I'm very thankful for this community and all the time spent answering our questions.
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1. Yeah you can select more courses beyond the the minimum requirements if it is not specifically asking for certain things. Some program materials will just ask for specific courses. For example, some schools just ask you list out Organic 1/2 courses in one tab.

2. As long as you received credits for the course, then that should be perfectly fine.

3. That’s weird they changed it to Behavioral sciences but yeah if it’s listed as non-science on AACOMAS, it won’t count towards your science GPA.

No problem! I’m glad it has been helpful!
 
When entering hours should I enter future hours? If I select the end date as a future date? Or is it better not to.
 
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Is it okay that my transcript is set to mail out tomorrow (ie. would it be considered late in the timeline)? I couldn't make the date earlier since I asked for my transcript to be sent over as soon as my Spring grades were in and they said they are only in the office at certain times due to COVID-19 so tomorrow is the earliest they're able to send it.
 
um609 said:
When entering hours should I enter future hours? If I select the end date as a future date? Or is it better not to.
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If you have a specific end date and will accumulate the hours, that should be fine.

um609 said:
Is it okay that my transcript is set to mail out tomorrow (ie. would it be considered late in the timeline)? I couldn't make the date earlier since I asked for my transcript to be sent over as soon as my Spring grades were in and they said they are only in the office at certain times due to COVID-19 so tomorrow is the earliest they're able to send it.
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I imagine it will get there in less than a week so you should be good to go!
 
If some schools require biochem and I haven't taken it yet but will take it prior to matriculation, do i have to list that anywhere (ie. in some of the college tabs they provide space to talk about any deficiencies on the app)?
 
PapaGuava said:
If you have a specific end date and will accumulate the hours, that should be fine.
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Wait, what? I thought the whole purpose of the [current experience] option was so you shouldn't list future hours? IE not put an end date.
 

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um609 said:
If some schools require biochem and I haven't taken it yet but will take it prior to matriculation, do i have to list that anywhere (ie. in some of the college tabs they provide space to talk about any deficiencies on the app)?
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I would email the schools requiring it and ask them about it just in case. On some of the the secondary applications later in the cycle there will probably be a spot where you can mention the missing requirement as well.

JFwoman96 said:
Wait, what? I thought the whole purpose of the [current experience] option was so you shouldn't list future hours? IE not put an end date.
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If the current experience tab allows you to select an end date then there should be no issue. There were plenty of activities people were still doing while applying to schools. I would probably list your current hours and in the notes section mention you would accumulate ‘x hours.’ They have the contact information of the organization you are with for each activity so if the validity of your hours were in question come three months later, then they would find out. However I imagine if you are continuing the activity, you would finish the hours.
 
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When will AACOMAS release the applications to the medical schools? Mine has been verified, however some of the medical schools I have contacted have not received them.
 
BlueScar said:
When will AACOMAS release the applications to the medical schools? Mine has been verified, however some of the medical schools I have contacted have not received them.
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I believe they will release it on June 15th.
 
PapaGuava said:
If the current experience tab allows you to select an end date then there should be no issue. There were plenty of activities people were still doing while applying to schools. I would probably list your current hours and in the notes section mention you would accumulate ‘x hours.’ They have the contact information of the organization you are with for each activity so if the validity of your hours were in question come three months later, then they would find out. However I imagine if you are continuing the activity, you would finish the hours.
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I was reading online and found that you actually should not list projected hours on AACOMAS. I don't know if this is correct but people said on reddit that they have called AACOMAS and have been told this.

I'm going to put the start date of the activity and then check the continuing box so it doesn't come off as not following the rules. You can however put the future hours in the description but I think it is pointless considering that if you check the continuing box, it's implied.

"In the experience sections, you may only document (in hours/weeks, etc) the time already completed. Once you submit your application, you may not update your hours. However, in the text box labeled “Description/Key Responsibilities” you may clarify your expected time commitment. You should subsequently send any updates directly to the schools to which you are applying."
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Source: http://help.unicas.com:8888/aacomas...supporting-information/experiences/index.html
 
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My application has been verified, but I ran into issues. The live chat on AACOMAS says that the medical school will be able to access the application 24 hours after it has been verified. Its been over two weeks, and the medical schools I have contacted have not yet received them. One of the medical school ad. told me that AACOMAS will not be sending the applications until July 15. I also heard from somewhere else that AACOMAS will send them on June 15.

I don't know what to believe. Can someone help me out?
 
BlueScar said:
My application has been verified, but I ran into issues. The live chat on AACOMAS says that the medical school will be able to access the application 24 hours after it has been verified. Its been over two weeks, and the medical schools I have contacted have not yet received them. One of the medical school ad. told me that AACOMAS will not be sending the applications until July 15. I also heard from somewhere else that AACOMAS will send them on June 15.

I don't know what to believe. Can someone help me out?
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June 15th is when the colleges can begin receiving primary applications. You can see the key dates via their website here - How to Apply to Osteopathic Medical School - AACOM
 
Do we send primaries to VCOM for all the campuses or just send it to one of them?
 
Does anybody know a particular thread/blog on sdn here that I can post on in regards to needing feedback on the AACOMAS COVID-19 essay that is now a part of the application? I tried using the search function, but didn't have any luck. I would like to submit my application today, so I would really appreciate the help. Thank you.
 
t4fam said:
Do we send primaries to VCOM for all the campuses or just send it to one of them?
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You would see it when you go to submit your primary applications, and they would be separate payments if their is separate payments for each campus.

AquaticSunrise13 said:
Does anybody know a particular thread/blog on sdn here that I can post on in regards to needing feedback on the AACOMAS COVID-19 essay that is now a part of the application? I tried using the search function, but didn't have any luck. I would like to submit my application today, so I would really appreciate the help. Thank you.
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There are a few threads but here is a recent one if it helps - COVID 19 essay??!!! In the ACOMAS primary?
 
When does DO schools typically send secondaries? I submitted my primary early May and have just been waiting for what seems like forever...Verified Early May also
 
nontrad1997 said:
When does DO schools typically send secondaries? I submitted my primary early May and have just been waiting for what seems like forever...Verified Early May also
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DO schools begin receiving all the submitted primary applications on June 15th. So you won’t receive anything until after that date. Certain schools are quick about it while others may wait until July and August to send out secondaries to applicants.
 
PapaGuava said:
DO schools begin receiving all the submitted primary applications on June 15th. So you won’t receive anything until after that date. Certain schools are quick about it while others may wait until July and August to send out secondaries to applicants.
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Thanks!! Wow, might be a while before some schools send out secondaries haha
 
Do you think it's essential that we fill out the COVID-19 essay? If we don't fill it out, will it look negative/bad on our part in any way?
 
Hello everyone,

I submitted my first application today. As a FAP applicant, the first application cost of $195 was automatically covered; however, I realized each additional school requires a "Coupon Code" to waive the $46 fee.

If I am not mistaken, the FAP program only covers the first application. Has anyone emailed additional schools to ask for this code and been successful? AACOMAS Support didn't have an answer unfortunately.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Hello, when assigning courses to meet the prereqs of each program, do you choose all the courses that qualify or only the lower division courses. If I had higher grades for an upper division class, would I choose that instead as the prereq? Would it matter? Also, if I retook organic chemistry for a higher grade, when I choose courses for organic chemistry do I have to choose the courses for the initial attempt and the retake, or only the retake. I had a C- in one of my organic chemistry classes which is why I retook it. I don't want to choose inaccurately and get auto rejected because I didnt fulfill the prereqs (Cs and higher only) when in fact I retook it. Thank you so much for any insight!
 
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Hi all,

How long did it take for Interfolio to send letters of recommendation to AACOMAS?
 
doapp110 said:
For a pre-req planned winter semester is it fine if I don't put this on transcript entry? I only listed fall planned courses because I haven't registered for winter term yet but I do not want schools to think I have neglected a pre-req.
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If it’s not on your transcript that was uploaded to AACOMAS then don’t worry about entering it on transcript entry, but you could let the schools know what you plan to take on your secondary applications.

everydaypursuits29 said:
Hello, when assigning courses to meet the prereqs of each program, do you choose all the courses that qualify or only the lower division courses. If I had higher grades for an upper division class, would I choose that instead as the prereq? Would it matter? Also, if I retook organic chemistry for a higher grade, when I choose courses for organic chemistry do I have to choose the courses for the initial attempt and the retake, or only the retake. I had a C- in one of my organic chemistry classes which is why I retook it. I don't want to choose inaccurately and get auto rejected because I didnt fulfill the prereqs (Cs and higher only) when in fact I retook it. Thank you so much for any insight!
Click to expand...

If it says list Chemistry courses or Biology courses, then you can enter all of your courses for that subject. However, if for example it was asking for your 8 credits of general biology course pre-reqs, you wouldn’t input all of them for that specific section but rather just your first year Biology courses. Even if you made a mistake they will filter it out. For the most part they will make the directions clear about what to add for the entries.

As for inputting your course for multiple attempts, I would just put the passing/highest grade.
fishberry said:
Hi all,

How long did it take for Interfolio to send letters of recommendation to AACOMAS?
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It should only take a day or two if I remember correctly.
 
Hi friends,

I am trying to finish my transcript entry, but I am unsure of how to enter the grade for an AP class that appears on my transcript. The course appears on my transcript though I did not receive credit for it and the credit hours for the course are listed as 0.00. I don’t know if I should still enter the grade as “CR” because I technically did not receive credit for the course.
 
If I submitted without doing the COVID 19 essay, would that affect my application? I didn't know it was there until other people told me about it.
 
Hi guys I was filling out my transcript entry section and became confused about "Lab only" or "Lab with Lecture."

In my case I have my classes listed such as
General Freshman Chem 1 3.0 credits
General Freshman Chem 1 Lab 1.0 credits

These classes were graded separately. Should I check/click the box "lab only" for the 1.0 credit hour lab and leave the lecture (3.0 credit hour course) unclicked since it is just the lecture and the lab is a separate course?
 
polishschnitzer said:
Hi guys I was filling out my transcript entry section and became confused about "Lab only" or "Lab with Lecture."

In my case I have my classes listed such as
General Freshman Chem 1 3.0 credits
General Freshman Chem 1 Lab 1.0 credits

These classes were graded separately. Should I check/click the box "lab only" for the 1.0 credit hour lab and leave the lecture (3.0 credit hour course) unclicked since it is just the lecture and the lab is a separate course?
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Yes, 1 credit lab is labeled as lab only. 3 credit lecture is just a lecture, thus no additional specification.
 
Does anyone know how long it takes for AACOMAS to process LORS? I sent one of my recommenders a reminder email today and he told me that he submitted it a few days ago. However, it is still marked as "requested" rather than "accepted" on my application.
 
TheDancingDoc said:
Does anyone know how long it takes for AACOMAS to process LORS? I sent one of my recommenders a reminder email today and he told me that he submitted it a few days ago. However, it is still marked as "requested" rather than "accepted" on my application.
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I had an issue with getting my letters from Interfolio. I think the issue turned out being that I had somehow put an "invalid date" in the LOR request. Once I fixed that, it took about 24 hours to get it. Maybe that's the issue?
 
Hi all,

AACOMAS verified my application. I see some of the Lab Only courses I took were changed to Lecture Only courses. I don't really mind, since they aren't pre-req courses. Is it required that I ask AACOMAS to change this?
 
how long are the paper transcripts taking to get verified? My school sent mine 2 weeks ago but it has not been marked as received in AACOMAS?
 
medstudentreapp said:
how long are the paper transcripts taking to get verified? My school sent mine 2 weeks ago but it has not been marked as received in AACOMAS?
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Mine took about 2 weeks. I recommend reaching out to them via chat. They're helpful. They will send out a search for the transcript and let you know via email when it's been found
 
Quick Q for all of you.

I have a couple of poster presentations at some conferences that I will list in the achievements section. Will it be redundant to place the conferences attended in the activities section? I was thinking it could go under EC's and I would list my position as an independent researcher. Definitely spent the bulk of my time networking and reading other people's posters the few days I was at the event.
 
fishberry said:
Hi all,

AACOMAS verified my application. I see some of the Lab Only courses I took were changed to Lecture Only courses. I don't really mind, since they aren't pre-req courses. Is it required that I ask AACOMAS to change this?
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If the transcript is verified, you’re all good to go! I wouldn’t worry about it unless there was a credit change and it affected your GPA.
 
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