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Official AMCAS 2008 thread...
Started by linuxizer
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Has anyone here been able to see their AMCAS calculated BCPM GPA and cumulative? If so, can you please post instructions on how to obtain access?
Once it is verified, I think you can only see it if you print.
Hey all,
In terms of entering classes into AMCAS, say you take a 4 credit genetics course with a lab and on your transcrip it lists the actual class (genetics) as 4 credits with 4 credit hours, etc.
Then on the next line it lists genetics lab, but with no grade, hours, etc...do you think the lab has to be entered as a seperate class although it has no associated grade or will I be OK with simply noting on my first entry that the class had an associated lab?
Thanks in advance
In terms of entering classes into AMCAS, say you take a 4 credit genetics course with a lab and on your transcrip it lists the actual class (genetics) as 4 credits with 4 credit hours, etc.
Then on the next line it lists genetics lab, but with no grade, hours, etc...do you think the lab has to be entered as a seperate class although it has no associated grade or will I be OK with simply noting on my first entry that the class had an associated lab?
Thanks in advance
hey guys,
i have 2 questions. i took two pass/fail courses at my college...and i passed both of them, but the grades on my transcript for the 2 courses are R and CR. do i put these down as my grades on the amcas app or just check the pass/fail box?
also i got some AP transfer credits from high school, and on my college transcript, these have "TR" as the grades...do i put this down as the grade or just check AP in the checkbox?
i have 2 questions. i took two pass/fail courses at my college...and i passed both of them, but the grades on my transcript for the 2 courses are R and CR. do i put these down as my grades on the amcas app or just check the pass/fail box?
also i got some AP transfer credits from high school, and on my college transcript, these have "TR" as the grades...do i put this down as the grade or just check AP in the checkbox?
I was able to view it upon clicking the "Print Application" button. I saw the BCPM gpa and the "TOTAL" gpa. There was another gpa calculated under "AO." Does anyone know what this means?
Also, do you think medical schools pay attention to the "AO" category? I have found out that once AMCAS calculated my overall gpa, it was higher than my university; by 0.06 points. My BCPM was higher than the cumulative by 0.02 more points from my BCPM. Hope the information above may answer some questions for those in the future.
Best regards.
Also, do you think medical schools pay attention to the "AO" category? I have found out that once AMCAS calculated my overall gpa, it was higher than my university; by 0.06 points. My BCPM was higher than the cumulative by 0.02 more points from my BCPM. Hope the information above may answer some questions for those in the future.
Best regards.
congrats to all those who are done! i am soooooo close it hurts. AHHHH, amcas.
AO = all other gpa, it's the all the classes that werent included in bcpm. don't know if med schools care too much about it.
AO = all other gpa, it's the all the classes that werent included in bcpm. don't know if med schools care too much about it.
I'm pretty sure this is spelled out in the AMCAS Application Instruction pdf:
http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasinstructionsrevised.pdf
I recommend you read that. From my vague recollection (I filled mine out a month ago), I think you would only enter the 4 credit genetics course, but in the description of the course you'd write "Genetics & Lab" and there's a button to click to make a note that a lab was included with the lecture.
One of my philosophy essays was accepted to be published in our school's undergraduate journal. The issue comes out in the fall. For the AMCAS, under 'publication date' I put September 2007. I just had to change the date on my desktop, which amcas uses to determine which dates are past or future. Is this legit?
You're going to be in for a long year. Relax. It takes 4-6 weeks for some people. The first apps aren't even sent out until the 21st.
Hi everyone!
I have a question about studying abroad and transcripts. This past semester, I studied abroad with a program organized by an American university, but not the one I attend normally (my school doesnt have its own study abroad programs). My situation is complex because:
So my questions are:
If ANYONE could help me out a bit, that would be great. Has anyone been in a situation similar to this? Ive read the study abroad info on the site, but am still confused mostly because I studied with an American institution, not direct enrollment into a Spanish school.
Thanks!!!
I have a question about studying abroad and transcripts. This past semester, I studied abroad with a program organized by an American university, but not the one I attend normally (my school doesnt have its own study abroad programs). My situation is complex because:
- Although we were graded by the program, my school doesnt count those grades so on the transcript on my school, it just says T Now,
- ALSO, during my time abroad, I took 1 class at a Spanish university, in which we were grade 1-10 what do I do about this?
- To make matters more complicated, every junior at my school must do independent work each semester, which counts for my class. I did this abroad, and the grade from this paper WAS counted in the transcript for my school (and factored into my schools GPA).
So my questions are:
- Do I count the grades from abroad into my GPA, or not? If so, just from the program, or also from the Spanish university?
- Do I need to get original transcripts from them?
- Does the work for my junior independent work count as work abroad?
If ANYONE could help me out a bit, that would be great. Has anyone been in a situation similar to this? Ive read the study abroad info on the site, but am still confused mostly because I studied with an American institution, not direct enrollment into a Spanish school.
Thanks!!!
I submitted same day at about 4oc and have just been verified.
They changed an A- to an A. Thanks AMCAS.
One of them took 3 days. The second which was mailed the same day from the same city took almost 2 weeks.
Help!!!!
I recently realized that I took math classes at a community college in the summer of 1998. I'm a senior in college, applying this cycle, and I received D's in the three math classes that I took at the community college in 1998.
This pulls down my BCPM gpa ALOT and also my cumulative GPA somewhat.
My GPA as far as college goes is fine. Will my middle school mishaps weigh too heavily on getting interviews/admissions?
I am freaking out.
I recently realized that I took math classes at a community college in the summer of 1998. I'm a senior in college, applying this cycle, and I received D's in the three math classes that I took at the community college in 1998.
This pulls down my BCPM gpa ALOT and also my cumulative GPA somewhat.
My GPA as far as college goes is fine. Will my middle school mishaps weigh too heavily on getting interviews/admissions?
I am freaking out.
someone please reply... i am about to die.
(my BCPM Gpa goes from a 3.73 -> 3.45)
(my BCPM Gpa goes from a 3.73 -> 3.45)
Well the classes count, but 3.45 BCPM doesn't take you out of the running.
wow... i feel like im destroyed.
Is there any weight given to the year and the age (13) I was at the time I took those classes?
p.s. cumulative gpa (3.47 -> 3.2). Actually the BCPM gpa is going to be slightly lower because i forgot they were semester credits and my college is on the quarter system.
oh yeah. i'm from california.
What are you talking about dude? You took a class when you were 13 years old and then submitted that on your AMCAS?
Bahahahahahaha!!!!!
Are you kidding me?
Anyways, let me tell you what happened to me:
My school sent my transcripts a long time ago (around 3 weeks maybe). AMCAS says they received them today, and that my application is now "in line" to be verified. Well, the email that was sent to me says they actually received them on the 4th????
Why did my application sit for 3 days without being put in line?
3 days isn't going to hurt me at all, especially right now, but does this sort of stuff happen?
I mean, they have my stuff, but don't even do anything with it for awhile?
are you suggesting i leave it off even though they ask for this?
thanks for the ethics lesson.
I put 202 and then I chose the course classification as BIOL; for the other class I put 311 and chose the course classification as GOVT.
Someone else mentioned this earlier and to double check, I just called AMCAs. You're suppose to write BIOL 202 (or whatever) as the course number if that's how it's listed on your transcript.
Ah I just had written down "full calender year" (in relation to high school). Thanks for correcting me.
Ethics?
Dude, why would you list something that you took when you were 13 years old?
That's 7th grade is it not?
Where on that application does it ask for you to put grades you earned in middle school?
Clearly you missed the portion where he said he took classes at the community college.
Hey all,
I'm filling out my AMCAS, and I'm not sure how to categorize my extracurricular as a CPR/First Aid instructor for the Red Cross. Would that count as a Medical or Non-Medical volunteer experience?
Thanks in advance for your help.
I'm filling out my AMCAS, and I'm not sure how to categorize my extracurricular as a CPR/First Aid instructor for the Red Cross. Would that count as a Medical or Non-Medical volunteer experience?
Thanks in advance for your help.
No, I saw that part. I just can't for the life of me think of what situation would allow for that.
Surely you weren't going to school, then going to a community college at night. Why would you?
What were the circumstances of your doing that?
Is that even legal? Can you take real college classes at that age? I've never heard of anything like this in my entire life.
Maybe it is just different where you live...
Similarly, I took the SAT while in 7th grade as part of the Duke TIP program. The scores that I received that day...do you think they are reported in my college transcripts...ANYWHERE?...no...But the scores that I got in 12 grade are...
That is not by my doing either...
Polynikes: I took a college credit summer class through UCLA Extension after my sophomore year in high school. Even though my undergrad ultimately didn't give me any credit for the class, they did list "UCLA Extension" at the end of my transcript. I actually would have forgotten completely that I'd even taken that class and that it was college credit if I hadn't noticed that at the end of my transcript. I contacted AMCAS, and pointed out that I was only a sophomore/junior in high school, and they said that I did still need to request that transcript, and that I should enter the class in my application but enter my status/year as HS for high school. I was just verified, and they did include that class in my gpa. But it's the only grade listed for my HS year in the cumulative gpa section.
polynikes: at uva, there was this girl who started college when she was 13...so quit acting like a tool, please 🙂
So, I'm a tool because I've never heard of anyone getting into a college level class at the age of 13?
At 13 years old, you are in 6th grade, or you are in 7th grade...
I've never heard of that before...never...
Sophomore in High School doing college classes...I've heard of that, and those SHOULD go on your transcripts. Reason: there are tons of high school programs that allow kids to take college classes.
Hell, I've had college classes with high school kids in them.
But, like I said, I've never heard of a 6th or 7th grader taking college classes in my life.
What sort of a program were you doing? I don't get it...
Like I said, it must be different in your state than in mine...
if its any consolation, it says that you took the course in 1998 and the adcom will see that it was a college class you took in 6th grade so I don't think they will care about the D's. I'm sure they didn't anticipate a situation like yours when they were making the website and writing the code to calculate the AMCAS GPA.
You can also help to prod them in the right direction by writing (took in 6th grade) after the course number in the form, or mentioning it in your personal statement. Then you'll be sure that they won't give it any weight when evaluating you
You can also help to prod them in the right direction by writing (took in 6th grade) after the course number in the form, or mentioning it in your personal statement. Then you'll be sure that they won't give it any weight when evaluating you
My transript lists the course like this:
Dept.. Number Title.................. Hours Grade
BioSci ...101 Introduction to Biology ....5 A
Seemed reasonable that I should just enter the course number and not the department.
The information is just there to help them match the courses, so I entered the department with the course number like CHEM101. I did that because if there is some question about courses, like "Intro to Behavior" which is a Biology course, but could be confused for something else, they would be less likely to make an automatic assumption and change it. Also it makes it easier for them to match it on the transcript.
This is how I put in all my courses and I have been verified and completed without any changes. I also listed courses with the abbreviations and with out. If there were just too many words I left it abbreviated but if only half or one or two words were missing I just put them in.
ex, nurs 210
ex, soc/cul/var/hlt/nur was one class on the social and cultural variations in health in nursing or something.
my other class was like: adv prt nurs- advanced practice nursing
hope this helps someone...
at my school, you weren't allowed to take summer school unless it was a NECESSITY (ie: failed classes). My mom wanted me to go to summer school so it was off to the community college.
Absolutely. Unless you really only have room for one more activity (and not two). But even then, I'd suggest trying to combine honors into one entry, or some kind of non-medical/clinical experience together. If I were you, I'd want to separately list these activities, as they're exactly what the adcomms are looking for. If they were at the same hospital, or were the exact same type of volunteer work, then maybe it'd make more sense to combine them. Bottom line is that you *can* combine them, but why do it? It's good to highlight these activities, not lop them together (causing someone to easily overlook that you volunteered at two different hospitals if they're skimming).
yeah, i've thought about that, but the number on the actual form will still be 3.4 which is not 3.7 even if they choose to discount the classes. it's more of a psychological effect IF i get past the computers 🙁
well, there are child prodigies out there, the genius kids
i read one article a while ago (but it was from 2003 or so) about this 13 yr old boy who just graduated from a medical school..
Royalstumble: That does suck. I'm really sorry about your situation. But from what I've read, I'm hoping that you won't be screened from most schools with a 3.4 (most people talk about getting screened if you have a gpa under 3.0, unless you're talking about the handful of top med schools in the country). If I were you, I'd do a search on mdapplicants.com and enter your gpa range and see which schools send secondaries, interview invites, and acceptances to applicants with your gpa. Also, work with what you have and be sure to highlight your selling points in your personal statement. Good luck.
That's hardcore...
Were you even up to the level of the classes, or was it all new material for you?
When I was in 6th grade, all I wanted to do was play football and wrestle...
I have a hard time believing that. So, some kid entered medical school when he was 9 years old?
What did he have listed under EC's?
What about clinical shadowing? Volunteering?
Emotional stability?
Was this in the US?
This is what I was thinking. I'm not one to lie on AMCAS, but there is no way that I would send in transcripts from when I was in 6th grade...no way.
Like viciouz said, unless it was on one of my other transcripts that was getting sent in, I wouldn't do it.
How would AMCAS find out about that anyways? They couldn't...
I don't remember if he was 9 or 11 when he started med school, but I recall reading the article about him in med school (and that he started a couple of years ago - 2?), and that he's asian and is enrolled at University of Chicago. So, yeah, it does happen. I have no idea what was on his app.
I thought the kid was 13 when he started? I know there was a thread about it on SDN a while ago...
Hey guys,
I am filling out my AMCAS for the '08 cycle. I was wondering how much detail I should put. For my 15 activities I pretty much reached my word max. Is it good to talk about these activties in detail? I figured the more information is better. What do you guys think?
I am filling out my AMCAS for the '08 cycle. I was wondering how much detail I should put. For my 15 activities I pretty much reached my word max. Is it good to talk about these activties in detail? I figured the more information is better. What do you guys think?
