*~*~*~* Official AMCAS Questions Thread 2025-2026 *~*~*~*

[account888]

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I am thinking about retaking the MCAT 6/28, but I want to submit my primary application first and decide after. Can I submit AMCAS with a planned date and then decide I don't want to retake? I saw on the AMCAS Guide that you can change MCAT date after submission, but can you remove the date? Will schools know you were planning to retake but decided not to? Does that reflect poorly? Thank you!

 

[chilly_md]

I am thinking about retaking the MCAT 6/28, but I want to submit my primary application first and decide after. Can I submit AMCAS with a planned date and then decide I don't want to retake? I saw on the AMCAS Guide that you can change MCAT date after submission, but can you remove the date? Will schools know you were planning to retake but decided not to? Does that reflect poorly? Thank you!

Can you decide this weekend? What is your current score?

 

[r45v0s]

Use the department's phone number

Okay, thank you!

 

[sjam3]

How long does it take for AMCAS to verify an application? I submitted on May 27th, and it still says Ready for Review.
Does that mean that it has not yet been looked at?
Do they only verify transcript grades (transcripts have been received) or activities as well?
Thank you in advance!

 

[chilly_md]

How long does it take for AMCAS to verify an application? I submitted on May 27th, and it still says Ready for Review.
Does that mean that it has not yet been looked at?
Do they only verify transcript grades (transcripts have been received) or activities as well?
Thank you in advance!

Their process is reviewing transcripts. Please refer to this thread for information about historic verification time:

Thread 'PSA: Do NOT rush to submit your application on May 27th!'

May 25, 2025

PSA (rehashed from last year's thread):

It's that time of the year again: If you are rushing to submit your application on May 27th, do not do it! Every year we see applicants rush to submit their applications. They subsequently notice mistakes or realize that they could have written a much better (read: error-free!) essay had they given themselves a couple extra days or week(s) to review. From the reviewer standpoint, we receive many applications that read like they were written the night before. In fact, some applicants even forget to paste entire essays into...

• Moko
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Pre-Medical (MD)

• 
• 

This is a long process as well, so be patient.

 

[hommefatale]

Might be a dumb question, but is Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine the same thing as what people refer to as "CCLCM" and "Lerner"

 

[chilly_md]

Might be a dumb question, but is Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine the same thing as what people refer to as "CCLCM" and "Lerner"

No the Cleveland Clinic program (what is referred to by CCLCM and Lerner) has the additional research year and paid tuition. The application process is different from Case, and we have 2 distinct school-specific threads for people to discuss and ask questions as the cycle progresses.

 

[premedbarista]

Since I only have 9 activities, would it be ok to include one or two that are under 100 hours? I spent a lot of time on 3 main ones so I don't have a lot of activities and I feel like the general sentiment I'm seeing is that I should have at least 10, but it's not like i can just add a 100+ hour activity to my life now lol.

 

[hommefatale]

Since I only have 9 activities, would it be ok to include one or two that are under 100 hours? I spent a lot of time on 3 main ones so I don't have a lot of activities and I feel like the general sentiment I'm seeing is that I should have at least 10, but it's not like i can just add a 100+ hour activity to my life now lol.

I wonder if this could work if you have some substantial projected hours / future plans with this activity over the next year? There's a spot for projected hours, so you can describe / reflect on what you've already learned and then what you plan to do this year (if that's something you're doing). And then it could set you up for a meaty update letter!

 

[premedbarista]

I wonder if this could work if you have some substantial projected hours / future plans with this activity over the next year? There's a spot for projected hours, so you can describe / reflect on what you've already learned and then what you plan to do this year (if that's something you're doing). And then it could set you up for a meaty update letter!

unfortunately none of them are things i could continue (activities from undergrad and i graduated) so i think im just going to have to leave them off. im worried that it looks like i didn't do much, but i think adding like 2 50 hours ones might also look bad? idk what to do! 🙁

 

[hommefatale]

unfortunately none of them are things i could continue (activities from undergrad and i graduated) so i think im just going to have to leave them off. im worried that it looks like i didn't do much, but i think adding like 2 50 hours ones might also look bad? idk what to do! 🙁

Are the two activities similar enough that you could potentially combine them into one description?

 

[hommefatale]

is complete by end of july (21st to 25th or so) considered early?

i am having trouble getting contact information for my activities, it's delaying my application but i also don't want to put the wrong info down. itching to submit but i really wanted to be early since i messed up my last cycle.

im anticipating at max, a 40 day verification time (based on historical data), and if i completed my secondaries by late july hoping i would still be somewhat early.

took the advice here, completely rewrote all my activities and made sure to boost my writing quality and descriptions rather than submit on opening day.

I think that's totally fine! Secondaries in by the end of july is perfect, and you'll have plenty of time to prewrite while you are waiting for verification.

 

[Rv15]

I recently submitted my primary application on June 6th. However, I realized I didn't include a research experience that made up a quarter of my research hours, and it connects to one of my letter writers for my university's committee letter.

What is the best way for me to address this?
Should I email medical schools directly and provide information about this research experience?
Even though my application hasn't been verified, I still can't make any changes to my experiences/activities.

 

[JAH_]

Just another neurotic post.

I submitted this morning, will I now be at a disadvantage? According to the chart, it may take 35 days to be verified, which would put me on Friday, July 18th.

 

[chilly_md]

Just another neurotic post.

I submitted this morning, will I now be at a disadvantage? According to the chart, it may take 35 days to be verified, which would put me on Friday, July 18th.

Please refer a few posts back to what I shared in post #55.

 

[JAH_]

Please refer a few posts back to what I shared in post #55.

I read that post. It was very helpful and is where I got that 35 days to verify number from, I would be verified july 18th. But, realistically, did I hurt my competitiveness by delaying my app 2 weeks from the first day they could be submitted?

 

[premedbarista]

I've submitted and am waiting for verification, but I haven't added or assigned my letters yet. If I go add letters now, does that delay my verification at all? Thanks 🙂

 

[chilly_md]

I read that post. It was very helpful and is where I got that 35 days to verify number from, I would be verified july 18th. But, realistically, did I hurt my competitiveness by delaying my app 2 weeks from the first day they could be submitted?

You must have missed it then. Re-read the last bullet point of Moko's post as well as further posts in that thread or past discussion on this common question that can be found with the SDN search feature.

 

[chilly_md]

I've submitted and am waiting for verification, but I haven't added or assigned my letters yet. If I go add letters now, does that delay my verification at all? Thanks 🙂

No, it should not. You can go ahead and add letters now.

 

[hommefatale]

Not sure if this is new or important at all (although I think it may be newer because when I watched someone on Youtube who applied in 2023-2024 walk through their AMCAS, this section did not show up), but my processed AMCAS pulled information on my high school during verification, including: Public/Private status, students #, location, class size, pupil/teacher ratio, title 1 status, and % free/reduced lunch. Again, feel free to disregard, but I don't believe this was done during processing of prior years for reference!

 

[deleted1220239]

I'm not sure if I am posting this in the right forum, but does anyone want to edit each other's secondaries?

Highly, highly advise against this.

You do not want unknown people stealing your ideas or giving unsolicited feedback.

Edit: Only share secondaries with people you personally know and trust - family members, grammar scholars, etc.

 

[hommefatale]

is it unprofessional if my secondary submissions are at like 1 AM lol

 

[exoplanet]

Does when you add schools affect when you get your secondaries?
For context, I submitted my primaries on June 8th and added my state schools that I knew I would be applying to. I wanted to be extra sure on the OOS schools since its so expensive, so I waited until yesterday to add the other schools. I know my state schools secondaries should come pretty soon after my app gets verified but I don't know if that's the case for my OOS schools.

 

[chilly_md]

Does when you add schools affect when you get your secondaries?
For context, I submitted my primaries on June 8th and added my state schools that I knew I would be applying to. I wanted to be extra sure on the OOS schools since its so expensive, so I waited until yesterday to add the other schools. I know my state schools secondaries should come pretty soon after my app gets verified but I don't know if that's the case for my OOS schools.

If you app still is awaiting verification by AMCAS, then the extra few weeks shouldn't really affect when the new schools get it.

 

[daddydeepfried]

I know that writing about being a parent/having a child is generally frowned upon ( in primary app or secondaries) unless it directly relates to "why medicine"?

But there are some secondaries with questions like " how do you add diversity if you entered medical school?" And writing about being a parent seems harmless enough? Thoughts?

 

[Blackjack204]

AMCAS GPA Calculation credit. Failed a class freshman year that I later repeated.

On my official transcript, first attempt for the course shows an "F" and the credit hours as 0 after being unable to drop a class. The course was repeated the next semester and assigned 3 credit hours.

Do I enter the first attempt exactly as it's listed on my transcript with the "F" and 0 credit hours... then enter the repeat as an A with 3 credit hours? Does AMCAS base the GPA calculation for the initial F as 0 credit hours?

 

[wysdoc]

AMCAS GPA Calculation credit. Failed a class freshman year that I later repeated.

On my official transcript, first attempt for the course shows an "F" and the credit hours as 0 after being unable to drop a class. The course was repeated the next semester and assigned 3 credit hours.

Do I enter the first attempt exactly as it's listed on my transcript with the "F" and 0 credit hours... then enter the repeat as an A with 3 credit hours? Does AMCAS base the GPA calculation for the initial F as 0 credit hours?

3 credit hours with an "F" gives you 0 points
3 credit hours with an "A" gives you 3 X 4.0 = 12 points
If you averaged those 2 tries 0 + 12 =12 points, divided by 6 credit hours + a 2.0 or a C average for that class
Averaged together with all your other courses it will bring down your GPA, but not by as much as you think.

 

[Aim4dabushes]

For any vets out there: My AMCAS application was returned during verification because I didn't add courses from my Joint Services Transcript (JST) into the "Coursework" section of the application. Per AMCAS:

Military experience should be listed under coursework only if a U.S. or Canadian institution has accepted the experience as transfer credit.

None of my military coursework counted towards my postbacc work, and I thought AMCAS meant military courses from the JST should be added only if they were used for college credit. Obviously this was wrong, but is the normal process to enter into AMCAS all of the courses on my JST as they appear?

 

[chilly_md]

For any vets out there: My AMCAS application was returned during verification because I didn't add courses from my Joint Services Transcript (JST) into the "Coursework" section of the application. Per AMCAS:

Military experience should be listed under coursework only if a U.S. or Canadian institution has accepted the experience as transfer credit.

None of my military coursework counted towards my postbacc work, and I thought AMCAS meant military courses from the JST should be added only if they were used for college credit. Obviously this was wrong, but is the normal process to enter into AMCAS all of the courses on my JST as they appear?

We've gotten this question very infrequently in the past, but people have had similar issues with forgetting JST. Generally enter them as they appear on the transcript is how they like it. It has been a few years, but one poster only needed a few corrections that AMCAS did for them and it was input as shown below:

S

Post in: 'Questions on how to input courses taken while in the military!'

May 7, 2021

I submitted my AMCAS without a JST and it was kicked back. When they finally received my JST, the AMCAS reviewer put in the course descriptions. For my military courses, the reviewer put "Other Term" for Term, "Other" for Course Classification, left the course number blank, and put "Military Credit" under Special Course Type. Snipped an example below:

• Sfel

• 

 

[Aim4dabushes]

We've gotten this question very infrequently in the past, but people have had similar issues with forgetting JST. Generally enter them as they appear on the transcript is how they like it. It has been a few years, but one poster only needed a few corrections that AMCAS did for them and it was input as shown below:

This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks for the response!

 

[timothy786]

In the primary app they ask for childhood info section and they say to put the place that is most influential or where you spent the majority of time. I spent the majority of time in a middle income neighborhood but lived 4 years in a underserved population and that is more influential since most activities were wit the underserved. So do I put the address where I spent majority or underserved? Why do they even ask for this information?

 

[chilly_md]

To see what circumstances an applicant grew up around. If you spent most of K-12 in a middle income neighborhood, put that.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Childhood Information | Students & Residents Childhood Information