*~*~*~*Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2011-2012*~*~*~*

Started by CougarMD
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saltyload said:
Am I allowed to submit my application before they receive my transcripts or letters of recommendation? My school is currently writing a committee letter that should be done in late June/early July. Also, what if I am expecting a letter of recommendation from a physician? Will I be able to submit it to AMCAS even after the application has been submitted? Transcripts requests to my schools were sent out last week so I highly doubt AMCAS has received it yet. If I am able to submit without these complete, what happens to my application? Thanks to anyone that can clear this up.
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Yes, you can submit it. However, your application won't enter the queue for verification until after your transcripts are received. Letters of recommendation do not gate verification.

Please refer to the instruction manual for what is allowed to be changed after you submit. Notably, you can add new letters and designate new schools to receive letters.
 
Merging related threads.

windsor4216 said:
How long does amcas take to process transcripts from the day it's mailed/they received it?

Also is it bad to submit your app and have your transcript arrive at amcas about a week apart?
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mauberley said:
This will vary depending on the date at which your application goes complete. See this thread for reader-compiled statistics on processing times. Keep in mind that AMCAS does nothing with your transcript until you have submitted your application.



No.
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windsor4216 said:
Okay that was helpful thanks! But I have a really nit-picky question now. If I overnight my transcript on June 14th, will amcas "receive" it on June 15th...or can I expect some extra delay there as well?
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mauberley said:
I can't say for sure, but I would anticipate some delay to be on the safe side.
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coffeekid15 said:
The AMCAS website currently states that as of May 26th they were processing transcripts received on May 23rd.
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Two quick questions about how to input course work:

1. I am a Canadian applicant and my transcript shows (0.5/1.0) for course weight and does not show credit hours. Should I try to change my 0.5/1.0 system to 3hrs/6hrs? Or Should I just leave it to 0.5/1.0. I was talking to my pre-med friend and he said just keep everything as same as it appears on the transcript. Another problem is that both lecture and lecture + lab courses have the same rating of 0.5 - so I don't want to screw up anything by coming up with my own credit hours conversion.

2. Some of 1.0 weight courses (this means I took them from Sept of one year to Apr of next year) show up on transcript twice - once on the Fall Semester with a mark of IPR and once on the Winter Semester with the actual mark (e.g., 87). I am guessing, I need to input both on AMCAS and have no mark for the Fall Semester one? Is there a way to indicate that course mark appears on the next semester entry.

Thanks a lot for answering!!!
 
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gt3rs said:
Two quick questions about how to input course work:

1. I am a Canadian applicant and my transcript shows (0.5/1.0) for course weight and does not show credit hours. Should I try to change my 0.5/1.0 system to 3hrs/6hrs? Or Should I just leave it to 0.5/1.0. I was talking to my pre-med friend and he said just keep everything as same as it appears on the transcript. Another problem is that both lecture and lecture + lab courses have the same rating of 0.5 - so I don't want to screw up anything by coming up with my own credit hours conversion.
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Enter it exactly as it appears on your transcript. Do not convert anything. The manual (page 41) is fairly explicit on this point, even going so far as to offset it in red, bold italics.

Indicate your credit hours or units EXACTLY as they appear on your transcript even though the field does not have a red asterisk (*). Do not attempt to enter conversions based on the Grade Conversion Guide or any other conversion method.
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gt3rs said:
2. Some of 1.0 weight courses (this means I took them from Sept of one year to Apr of next year) show up on transcript twice - once on the Fall Semester with a mark of IPR and once on the Winter Semester with the actual mark (e.g., 87). I am guessing, I need to input both on AMCAS and have no mark for the Fall Semester one? Is there a way to indicate that course mark appears on the next semester entry.
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Correct, though I would think you would put IPR for the first entry and your actual mark on the second.
 
i apologize if this was asked before...

but if you only apply to one school and don't get in...for the next cycle are you considered a reapplicant to all the schools? or just that one school you applied to? thanks!
 
Hey guys, I know this was probably addressed elsewhere, but can't seem to find more recent posts on this:

How strict, really, is AMCAS about re-classifying your course designations? Most of my courses are straightforward (the department listing reflects the content of the course); but I have a couple courses called things like "Evolution and Diversity," which I took through the Bio department, but the content was more Environmental Science, so I'd consider it NPSC...
 
Also, does anyone know how "defensive" / unwavering AMCAS gets when you submit a petition if they changed one of your course designations?

Do they usually stick to their original designation, or tend to go with the applicant if there's a reasonable argument made?
 
dc433 said:
Hey guys, I know this was probably addressed elsewhere, but can't seem to find more recent posts on this:

How strict, really, is AMCAS about re-classifying your course designations? Most of my courses are straightforward (the department listing reflects the content of the course); but I have a couple courses called things like "Evolution and Diversity," which I took through the Bio department, but the content was more Environmental Science, so I'd consider it NPSC...
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classes taken through the bio department should be in the bcpm category.
 
i am not sure if i'll be able to apply this summer but i am trying to. i have opened up an amcas account. will amcas keep on file my transcripts and letters from professors even if i have not paid the primary application fee? or will they charge me the app fee whether or not i apply, if i send in letters of recommendations? lastly, if amcas receives letters and transcripts, does it count as me applying even if i decide i don't want to?
 
common man said:
i am not sure if i'll be able to apply this summer but i am trying to. i have opened up an amcas account. will amcas keep on file my transcripts and letters from professors even if i have not paid the primary application fee? or will they charge me the app fee whether or not i apply, if i send in letters of recommendations? lastly, if amcas receives letters and transcripts, does it count as me applying even if i decide i don't want to?
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AMCAS will keep all of that stuff for this cycle only. You don't have to pay the fee until you submit. Therefore, if you never submit, then it doesn't matter at all, but if you do submit, you will have all of the stuff ready to go.

If you don't submit, then you are not a reapplicant.
 
awesome. thank you. i'm surprised that they don't charge a fee (glad they don't). because it's paperwork they have to keep for nothing if someone does not apply. thanks again.
 
AMCAS Course Work question:

Is it ok to type in a course name a little differently than how it appears on your transcrip? For example, if the transcript is missing words from the course name or uses acronyms that medical schools won't necessarily know, could I just write the full name? Or will AMCAS get weird about that? (Change it, or return an application)
 
dc433 said:
AMCAS Course Work question:

Is it ok to type in a course name a little differently than how it appears on your transcrip? For example, if the transcript is missing words from the course name or uses acronyms that medical schools won't necessarily know, could I just write the full name? Or will AMCAS get weird about that? (Change it, or return an application)
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I typed out the full course name in AMCAS even though my transcript used abbreviations. No corrections were made to my entries.
 
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I have a quick question. I took a scientific statistics course in college that is listed as Brain and Cognitive Science. Will AMCAS realize that this is a math course and include it in my BCPM gpa?
 
Transcript, always the transcript. AMCAS data bunnies won't be looking at your school catalog, just your transcript.
 
Rolling said:
So I'm very confused on this.

Do I put the Official Name that comes up on the transcript or the name that appeared in the Course Guide? I'm not sure because for example saying I took Chem 150 "G Chem&R Princ" is the name on the transcript...but the course guide says the official name is General Chemistry: Macroscopic Investigations and Reaction Principles

Which do I do?
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This is a very common question that has been answered recently on the AMCAS questions thread. Please search that thread first for any questions you might have regarding completing the AMCAS application; if you still have questions, then please post your question in that thread.
 
rihdus said:
I have a quick question. I took a scientific statistics course in college that is listed as Brain and Cognitive Science. Will AMCAS realize that this is a math course and include it in my BCPM gpa?
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By "listed," do you mean "Brain and Cognitive Science" is the name of the course? Which department in your school offered the course?
 
How many of you have confirmation that amcas has received your transcript? Mine was sent out on the 16th. amcas should have definitely received it by the 18th, and i still don't have email confirmation yet. if any of you have already received confirmation, when did your school send it out? i'm going paranoid thinking that it must have been lost in the mail and now i will be another 2 weeks behind because i have to resend my transcript.
 
mauberley said:
By "listed," do you mean "Brain and Cognitive Science" is the name of the course? Which department in your school offered the course?
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The course is listed as BCS 200, which is required for BCS, Neuro, and Psych Majors. It is sort of an interdepartmental class, but in its essence it's a stats class.
 
wongles said:
How many of you have confirmation that amcas has received your transcript? Mine was sent out on the 16th. amcas should have definitely received it by the 18th, and i still don't have email confirmation yet. if any of you have already received confirmation, when did your school send it out? i'm going paranoid thinking that it must have been lost in the mail and now i will be another 2 weeks behind because i have to resend my transcript.
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I had two schools send my transcript and I got conformation on one of them. I think they sent it on the 19th, AAMC received it on 24th, and I got an email on the 26th. Hope that helps!
 
Hi guys,

I hope I can get this answered quickly, as it's the last part of my application left to complete.

First, my school changed to a semester system during my sophomore year. Previousley we were on quarters; however, we used semester credits. Even though we used semester credits while on the quarter system, would I still enter the courses for my freshman year as "Quarters" or would I do "Trimesters"?? It's technically quarters, but as far as how they calculate credits... it's semester credits, so there's none of that conversion stuff needed.

Also, when entering lectures with labs... on my transcript it shows my lecture grade and lab separately (with lab showing a "Z" for the grade, and "0" for credit hours). Should I input these separately, or do the "Combined Lecture and Lab"?

Thanks!!!
 
tbone1234 said:
Hi guys,

I hope I can get this answered quickly, as it's the last part of my application left to complete.

First, my school changed to a semester system during my sophomore year. Previousley we were on quarters; however, we used semester credits. Even though we used semester credits while on the quarter system, would I still enter the courses for my freshman year as "Quarters" or would I do "Trimesters"?? It's technically quarters, but as far as how they calculate credits... it's semester credits, so there's none of that conversion stuff needed.

Also, when entering lectures with labs... on my transcript it shows my lecture grade and lab separately (with lab showing a "Z" for the grade, and "0" for credit hours). Should I input these separately, or do the "Combined Lecture and Lab"?

Thanks!!!
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1) I would enter them as if you were on quarters.
2) I would input them separately and make sure to enter the details exactly as they are reported on the transcript. You want to keep what you enter in your application as close as possible to what is on your transcript.
 
Cool thanks for the response!!

One more question... I'm a Biochemistry major, how would I classify classes which are under biochemistry on my transcript? Would I list is as biology or chemistry??
 
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quick question: should I list current (summer session) and future (fall) classes on amcas? If I list the courses I'm currently enrolled in, will I be required to submit grades before I can be verified?
 
Quick question that I can't exactly find the answer to:

If you have AP credit that you did not accept (as in you decided to take the course in college), do you still list the AP credit in freshman year as awarded if it appears on your transcript?

Thanks!
 
FCBarca1990 said:
Quick question that I can't exactly find the answer to:

If you have AP credit that you did not accept (as in you decided to take the course in college), do you still list the AP credit in freshman year as awarded if it appears on your transcript?

Thanks!
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I listed it as the summer before my freshmen year last year and AMCAS accepted that without changes.
 
rihdus said:
The course is listed as BCS 200, which is required for BCS, Neuro, and Psych Majors. It is sort of an interdepartmental class, but in its essence it's a stats class.
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NVM. I realized that it really doesn't affect my science GPA whether they include it or not. I guess, I'll just list it as "other" then?

BTW mauberley, thanks for all the help and I LOVE zoidberg!!!
 
tbone1234 said:
Cool thanks for the response!!

One more question... I'm a Biochemistry major, how would I classify classes which are under biochemistry on my transcript? Would I list is as biology or chemistry??
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Is there a distinction made between whether it's the biology or chemistry department offering the course(s)? I would use that as a guide. In any event, the instruction manual explicitly lists biochemistry as a chemistry subject, so go with that if you like.

WhizoMD said:
quick question: should I list current (summer session) and future (fall) classes on amcas? If I list the courses I'm currently enrolled in, will I be required to submit grades before I can be verified?
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I think it's a good idea to list current and future classes in your application so that reviewers have a sense for what your course load will be like. You don't want to look like you're doing nothing, after all. 🙂

Courses marked as "current/future" on your application do not need to appear on transcripts, nor do you need to submit grades for them. They will obviously therefore not factor into your GPA.

rihdus said:
NVM. I realized that it really doesn't affect my science GPA whether they include it or not. I guess, I'll just list it as "other" then?

BTW mauberley, thanks for all the help and I LOVE zoidberg!!!
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Sure thing. 🙂
 
Hey everyone, right now, my gpa is at 3.82 overall and 3.81 bcpm. amcas already has my transcript that doesnt have my spring semester grades.

my transcript will be updated with my spring semester grades in 2 days (June 2nd). My overall gpa will go up to 3.84 and bcmp gpa will go up to 3.85. do you guys think its okay to wait a couple of more days to send an updated transcript for this increase in gpa (and also the fact that I got straight A's, A+, and honors research)

My main concern is that even if I send next-day mail june 2nd, amcas receives it the next day, but wont process for another 20 months

I just have a hard time submitting an application that is showing worse grades than what I actually have.

Suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!
 
I submitted it later than you last year, and still was certified 1.5 weeks before the information release. If it's like last year, schools won't get information from you until late June. There wouldn't be any consequence for waiting until June 2nd.
 
on AMCAS, i have AP credit for a class, but on the transcripts part of the "schools attended" section, im on the page "Is a Transcript Required"? but it wont let me hit yes and just brings me back to this page, shouldnt the transcript be required? or should i just hit continue?
 
If it were me, I would just submit now. It won't make a difference either way, and it's just nice to get that part over with so you can move on.
 
It is a legitmate increase but unless it raises the tenths or ones place of your GPA the benefit is negligable for your application. Also, the disadvantage of one day is also virtually nil.
 
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Melomare17 said:
on AMCAS, i have AP credit for a class, but on the transcripts part of the "schools attended" section, im on the page "Is a Transcript Required"? but it wont let me hit yes and just brings me back to this page, shouldnt the transcript be required? or should i just hit continue?
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What happens if you log out and then log in again? If you continue to have problems, I would think you're better off contacting AMCAS for help.
 
Additional 3.8x is high enough that with a decent MCAT score you should get past any preliminary check points fine, and depending on how many units you have and how well you've been doing previous semester i sure Adcom will probably factor in a slight +/- in GPA if they see that the most recent grades are not submitted yet.
 
Wait. There is no downside. Most schools don't start reviewing until at least late june, and many times much later. It may make a difference, or it may not. But you have nothing to lose by waiting.

Also, it's two days - it's one thing if you were talking about two months. Come on. Seriously? Just wait.
 
yea that fixed it thanks!

also for the transcript request form, for the dates of attendance of the college, is it supposed to be the date you started and the date you will graduate? or the end date is when you last finished/ended the semester of classes???
 
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