*~*~*~*Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2019-2020*~*~*~*

[Fourier_997523]

I have already submitted my application, but noticed a pretty bad mistake looking at it today. For one of my activities it was discontinuous, as in I did part of it in the summer and winter, but during in the school year I didnt participate in it. I didnt enter this activity as 2 separate activities and I put 10 hours per week which is how much I volunteered during my summer and winter breaks. I put the correct cumulative hours though which was 100. Im worried that this activity wont add up to anyone reviewing my application now, as this activity was done in my home city and I go to college in a different city. I didnt provide contact information for the activity either. Should I contact the medical schools I am applying to directly to explain this mistake? Is there anything else I should/can do short of withdrawing my entire application?

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[wysdoc]

I have already submitted my application, but noticed a pretty bad mistake looking at it today. For one of my activities it was discontinuous, as in I did part of it in the summer and winter, but during in the school year I didnt participate in it. I didnt enter this activity as 2 separate activities and I put 10 hours per week which is how much I volunteered during my summer and winter breaks. I put the correct cumulative hours though which was 100. Im worried that this activity wont add up to anyone reviewing my application now, as this activity was done in my home city and I go to college in a different city. I didnt provide contact information for the activity either. Should I contact the medical schools I am applying to directly to explain this mistake? Is there anything else I should/can do short of withdrawing my entire application?

@Fourier_997523 that is one of the sections of the app that can't be updated or changed after submitting, unfortunately. I suggest you message TMDSAS via the internal messaging system on the app and ask what they say you should do. It seems an honest error and you weren't trying to inflate your hours or anything. If you don't mind, report back here after you hear their response so others may benefit from the info.
Don't withdraw your app! Check over the rest for any errors while you are waiting to hear back from TMDSAS

 

[Fourier_997523]

Thank you for your advice! I have messaged TMDSAS we'll see what they say.

 

[DracoDormiens]

I have the same question! Were you able to figure out what to do on the part?

I called TMDSAS and they said it's best to estimate your activities hours until Oct 2019 and then list any other planned hours after Oct 2019 in the planned activities section

 

[wysdoc]

I called TMDSAS and they said it's best to estimate your activities hours until Oct 2019 and then list any other planned hours after Oct 2019 in the planned activities section

Thanks @DracoDormiens . I have also heard of a couple of people having problems trying to start "planned future" activities with an Oct 2019 start date, try a start date of Nov 2019 if you get problems.

 

[givesumacceptpls]

I have lots of teaching and research, would it be okay to separate my research into: paid, unpaid, leadership; and, teaching into: teaching, leadership?

Thanks

 

[deleted928969]

Are acronyms/abbreviations appropriate for essays? Thinking of EMT, ED, GI, IV, CPR, etc...

 

[Fourier_997523]

@Fourier_997523 that is one of the sections of the app that can't be updated or changed after submitting, unfortunately. I suggest you message TMDSAS via the internal messaging system on the app and ask what they say you should do. It seems an honest error and you weren't trying to inflate your hours or anything. If you don't mind, report back here after you hear their response so others may benefit from the info.
Don't withdraw your app! Check over the rest for any errors while you are waiting to hear back from TMDSAS

TMDSAS responded. They said: "Unfortunately, we cannot make corrections to this section since it has been submitted. We recommend that you create an addendum of changes/edits to your application that you can take with you to your interviews if you are granted them." I guess my only option is to leave it and hope admission committees realize what I meant.

 

[appropriatepeanut]

For activities that

I called TMDSAS and they said it's best to estimate your activities hours until Oct 2019 and then list any other planned hours after Oct 2019 in the planned activities section

Thank you so much for updating. Just to clarify in the current activity section, count the hours as already completed even if you haven't done them yet until Oct 2019 and then count the hours from oct 2019- aug 2020 as planned hours?

 

[appropriatepeanut]

I read that I need to provide contact information for all of my activities, however when I am filling out the application I do not see a specific place to put the contact information. Are you just supposed to include it in the description for each activity?

 

[JustAUser]

I read that I need to provide contact information for all of my activities, however when I am filling out the application I do not see a specific place to put the contact information. Are you just supposed to include it in the description for each activity?

AMCAS requires you to put in contact information for each activity. TMDSAS does not.

 

[wysdoc]

I have lots of teaching and research, would it be okay to separate my research into: paid, unpaid, leadership; and, teaching into: teaching, leadership?

Thanks

@givesumacceptpls that would be fine as long as you are not listing the SAME research stint in numerous categories.
Example: Paid research at Cheerios Cereal lab May 2018 to August 2018 under job category
Lab supervisor in Freshman Research Initiative lab August 2017 to April 2018 under leadership category
but you couldn't list one activity under several categories. Hope that made sense

 

[givesumacceptpls]

@givesumacceptpls that would be fine as long as you are not listing the SAME research stint in numerous categories.
Example: Paid research at Cheerios Cereal lab May 2018 to August 2018 under job category
Lab supervisor in Freshman Research Initiative lab August 2017 to April 2018 under leadership category
but you couldn't list one activity under several categories. Hope that made sense

It makes sense !

extra question: would you count something as leadership if you took some courses on teaching, and then informally spent time with your coworkers to teach them about what you learned, and also to teach new teachers the ropes of the job? (not a lot of hours)

 

[deleted985598]

After submitting, can we add an evaluator for the extra letter? Or can we only email TMDSAS to change a current one listed?

 

[wysdoc]

Are acronyms/abbreviations appropriate for essays? Thinking of EMT, ED, GI, IV, CPR, etc...

Use very sparingly.

 

[wysdoc]

After submitting, can we add an evaluator for the extra letter? Or can we only email TMDSAS to change a current one listed?

Yes you can add an evaluator later, follow the directions on pages 42-45 of the handbook. You will send the person's details to TMDSAS via the internal messaging system in the app, not as a regular email. Maximum of 4 letters, or one Health Professions Committee Letter if your college has that committee, plus one optional additional letter. It is up to you to go the the Health Professions advising office to see whether your college has that and how they operate.

 

[deleted985598]

I am having a hard time deciding between rec. letters. I know common advice is to have two science letters. However, I can't decide between sending in both science letters (intro bio&biochem prof) or just one science letter and a letter from PhD candidate that I did research with and know really well. This will be in addition to a non-sci professor and my PI. TMDSAS schools don't seem to say two science letters are a requirement but just wanted to know if this really is preferred.

The two science letters are probably of equal quality. Also - another dilemma I'm having is that one science letter won't be in until later (May 30th), so my app will be done earlier if I just submit with 1 science (intro bio) + PhD student.

I know they're really nuanced options but I figure I want to get advice about it instead of just settling!

 

[tiny turtle]

It's best to think of the graphs worded this way: (and I substituted NEWER DATA for the graphs that you linked.)

IN THE EY2018 CYCLE, THESE ARE THE MONTHS IN WHICH APPLICANTS SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS:
View attachment 262174

HOWEVER< and this is very important, because applying to med school is NOT like applying to college, when you could hit that submit button at 11:30 PM on the day of the deadline and still be just fine...

read this graph to say,
"Of all application invitations, 30% went to those who submitted their app in May, 42% to those who submitted in June" etc.
See those guys (30%) who submitted in August & September? They only got 11% of the interviews.
View attachment 262175



Sorry the graphs are so big but I wanted you to be able to see them.

Take-home lesson:
1. Submit as early as you can, while still doing a quality job on your application.
2. Realize that timeliness and organization are qualities sought for in doctors, and if your application is a hot mess AND late, you are doing yourself a disservice.
3. Why doesn't submitting even earlier get me more chance at an interview?
A. You can't submit until you have your spring semester grades, so few can submit in early May.
B. Early May submissions might have lots of errors (don't rush your work).
C. Early May submissions might include some who just came out of an unsuccessful app cycle from the year before, and essentially turned in the same app with few improvements. This is not recommended.


As far as your second questions, I don't venture into meta-analysis, but I can say that these statistics are for TMDSAS applicants and do not include Texas applications to OOS med schools.

Do you know if this data is for applicants who hit the submit button in xyz month or for when the application is actually verified and sent to the schools?? Just wondering bc if you submit like at the end of May, your application might not be verified until June right?

 

[wysdoc]

I am having a hard time deciding between rec. letters. I know common advice is to have two science letters. However, I can't decide between sending in both science letters (intro bio&biochem prof) or just one science letter and a letter from PhD candidate that I did research with and know really well. This will be in addition to a non-sci professor and my PI. TMDSAS schools don't seem to say two science letters are a requirement but just wanted to know if this really is preferred.

The two science letters are probably of equal quality. Also - another dilemma I'm having is that one science letter won't be in until later (May 30th), so my app will be done earlier if I just submit with 1 science (intro bio) + PhD student.

I know they're really nuanced options but I figure I want to get advice about it instead of just settling!

May 30th isn't late
The PhD candidate letter could go in as your research supervisor. A letter from someone who knows you better is better.

 

[wysdoc]

Do you know if this data is for applicants who hit the submit button in xyz month or for when the application is actually verified and sent to the schools?? Just wondering bc if you submit like at the end of May, your application might not be verified until June right?

The charts indicate when the submit button was hit

 

[JustAUser]

Under the leadership and employment section, it doesn't ask for total hours. (Under employment, it only asks for hours per week.) Should we squeeze in how many total hours under the description?

Edit: Also, how would you classify mentoring incoming freshman students? Does that fall under leadership? Or does it better fit under community service or even extracurriculars? This is mentoring through an official university program.

 

[wysdoc]

Under the leadership and employment section, it doesn't ask for total hours. (Under employment, it only asks for hours per week.) Should we squeeze in how many total hours under the description?

Edit: Also, how would you classify mentoring incoming freshman students? Does that fall under leadership? Or does it better fit under community service or even extracurriculars? This is mentoring through an official university program.

Just answer the hours per week if that is what they ask for.

I think the mentoring incoming freshmen would fit best under leadership or teaching ( but not sure teaching is a category, lol)

 

[Ricer7]

I have a question about the PCR on the TMDSAS app once it's been processed. So the only courses showing up on there are ones that I took at the university I received my degree from. However, I did one semester at a different university due to personal reasons, but my physics and genetics courses from there are not listed on my PCR. Neither are my biochemistry labs from my main university. Does anyone know why this might be??

 

[wysdoc]

I have a question about the PCR on the TMDSAS app once it's been processed. So the only courses showing up on there are ones that I took at the university I received my degree from. However, I did one semester at a different university due to personal reasons, but my physics and genetics courses from there are not listed on my PCR. Neither are my biochemistry labs from my main university. Does anyone know why this might be??

Hi @Ricer7
Did you make sure to send the transcripts from both universities to TMDSAS? Did your biochemistry classes have a combined lecture/lab course number? I see that you already submitted your application, so the best way to ask for a review of these types of questions is to send a message to TMDSAS on the internal messaging function of the app. Once you have received an email back from TMDSAS about the verification of your app, you have 7 days to ask them to correct any inconsistencies in the PCR. See the instruction handbook page xiii for the PCR appeals process if needed. If you are getting close to the 7-day limit, call them Monday. Good luck!

 

[Isoval]

Hi friends!

Jumping on a little late. I’m a current M1 / almost M2 at TCOM and also interviewed at several other TMDSAS schools in the EY2018 cycle.

I probably won’t check this thread often, but if you have any questions you think I could answer, go ahead and shoot me a message, quote this post, or tag me!

I would also be willing to look over parts of your applications or send you (redacted, obviously) parts of my own!

 

[Penguin_MD]

Hi guys!

1. I have a couple of questions. I have been a TA for a bunch of different classes each semester, should I just group them all under one? And should TA be categorized as leadership or work experience?

2. For clinical research, is it better to put this under research experience or health-related experiences? I have a lot of patient contact but it is research so I am unsure. The handbook says clinical research as an example of a healthcare experience.

3. Should research fellowships and such be under academic recognition or research?

I guess I am just having trouble deciding where to categorize things. There is so much overlap between extracurriculars and leadership, and work/research/healthcare related experiences. Thank you in advance for your help! This process is stressing me out to no end.

@Isoval

 

[Isoval]

Hi guys!

1. I have a couple of questions. I have been a TA for a bunch of different classes each semester, should I just group them all under one? And should TA be categorized as leadership or work experience?

2. For clinical research, is it better to put this under research experience or health-related experiences? I have a lot of patient contact but it is research so I am unsure. The handbook says clinical research as an example of a healthcare experience.

3. Should research fellowships and such be under academic recognition or research?

I guess I am just having trouble deciding where to categorize things. There is so much overlap between extracurriculars and leadership, and work/research/healthcare related experiences. Thank you in advance for your help! This process is stressing me out to no end.

@Isoval

1. In my opinion, that depends on the timecourse of your TA appointments. If you TAed one class every semester continuously, I would list it all as one and make sure you note the distinction in your description. If it ever overlapped (e.g. two TA appointments in one semester) or you skipped a semester, I would make separate entries. I listed my TA position under leadership.

2. Go with the handbook. I would actually consider writing it in both places: in healthcare, focus your description about how you interacted with patients. In research, focus your description about any posters/presentations/papers and the methods/activities of your research.

3. I listed my academic fellowship twice - once as the lab I worked in under research, and once as an award/scholarship. As with #2, focus on the award aspects (e.g. was one of thirty students selected to...) in awards and the research aspects (e.g. worked in the X lab doing x) in research.

 

[Penguin_MD]

1. In my opinion, that depends on the timecourse of your TA appointments. If you TAed one class every semester continuously, I would list it all as one and make sure you note the distinction in your description. If it ever overlapped (e.g. two TA appointments in one semester) or you skipped a semester, I would make separate entries. I listed my TA position under leadership.

2. Go with the handbook. I would actually consider writing it in both places: in healthcare, focus your description about how you interacted with patients. In research, focus your description about any posters/presentations/papers and the methods/activities of your research.

3. I listed my academic fellowship twice - once as the lab I worked in under research, and once as an award/scholarship. As with #2, focus on the award aspects (e.g. was one of thirty students selected to...) in awards and the research aspects (e.g. worked in the X lab doing x) in research.

Thank you so much! I think this year we aren't supposed to repeat activities, but I do think like you said with the research fellowships that those can be worded entirely differently. My TA positions were every semester consecutively, but this fall I am TA-ing for 3 courses so I listed that separately (future activities can't start until November).

One more question! For a healthcare related activity like shadowing, I have shadowed at the same place for 5 years, but it has been sporadic - like I'll shadow for a couple of weeks over the summer or winter break or spring break, but not consistently throughout the year because it's a hospital at home. What do I enter for weekly hours in that case?

 

[Isoval]

Thank you so much! I think this year we aren't supposed to repeat activities, but I do think like you said with the research fellowships that those can be worded entirely differently. My TA positions were every semester consecutively, but this fall I am TA-ing for 3 courses so I listed that separately (future activities can't start until November).

One more question! For a healthcare related activity like shadowing, I have shadowed at the same place for 5 years, but it has been sporadic - like I'll shadow for a couple of weeks over the summer or winter break or spring break, but not consistently throughout the year because it's a hospital at home. What do I enter for weekly hours in that case?

That’s one or the spaces that allows you to write total hours, right?

If so, put the weekly hours as whatever you would complete on a week that you went. People will quickly figure out that this is the case when your total hours are, say, 200, but you write that it was 4 hours weekly for five years. Make sure your total hours are accurate because those are what matter the most.

I realize I’m slowly becoming a dinosaur in terms of TMDSAS ._.

 

[Penguin_MD]

That’s one or the spaces that allows you to write total hours, right?

If so, put the weekly hours as whatever you would complete on a week that you went. People will quickly figure out that this is the case when your total hours are, say, 200, but you write that it was 4 hours weekly for five years. Make sure your total hours are accurate because those are what matter the most.

I realize I’m slowly becoming a dinosaur in terms of TMDSAS ._.

Is it bad if my total shadowing hours is astronomically big? Because I've been shadowing there for so many years on every break, I've accumulated quite an astronomical amount (960 hours). I'm scared it will look excessive/inaccurate but it has just been spread over a long time!!!

 

[wysdoc]

Is it bad if my total shadowing hours is astronomically big? Because I've been shadowing there for so many years on every break, I've accumulated quite an astronomical amount (960 hours). I'm scared it will look excessive/inaccurate but it has just been spread over a long time!!!

That number of shadowing hours is a little unusual! What is your role at the hospital during those hours?
The purpose of shadowing is to be sure you know what the daily life of a doctor is like, to be sure it's what you want. Going forward, how about spending those hours on something different, especially in the realm of something you haven't yet done? Looks like you have teaching/leadership covered.
To answer your other questions, you can choose which category to list your activities under, so if you have lots of leadership entries you could put some of those paid TA jobs under work experience. The only activities that can be cross-posted (posted in more than one category) are Health care - and - Employment.

 

[Penguin_MD]

That number of shadowing hours is a little unusual! What is your role at the hospital during those hours?
The purpose of shadowing is to be sure you know what the daily life of a doctor is like, to be sure it's what you want. Going forward, how about spending those hours on something different, especially in the realm of something you haven't yet done? Looks like you have teaching/leadership covered.
To answer your other questions, you can choose which category to list your activities under, so if you have lots of leadership entries you could put some of those paid TA jobs under work experience. The only activities that can be cross-posted (posted in more than one category) are Health care - and - Employment.

Thank you!

I am someone who really likes to know what I am getting into and to be certain, so I started shadowing in 2014 as soon as I was old enough during my breaks from school, and I continued that through college whenever I am home. I have shadowed almost every clinical specialty in pediatrics, and have shadowed a lot in the OR and ED as well. I find it really interesting to watch all of the different surgeries that get done in the OR, and shadowing so much has really helped me flesh out my own interests a bit. There's a lot of diversity in medical care so I just always felt like there was more to see. My role is essentially just to watch, and I have shadowed some phenomenal surgeons who have let me fully scrub in and be right next to the sterile field and explained everything. It seems like a huge amount of hours, but if you divide it over the 5 years that I have been shadowing for, that's ~200 hours a year, which is only ~20 full days of shadowing. Between winter break, spring break, and a random week of summer before or after a research internship, that's already done.

The biggest thing is that the Children's hospital that I shadow at doesn't allow volunteers who are under the age of 25 unless you are in an organized volunteering program. It wasn't really something I was doing to get hours or a time I could have filled with anything other than perhaps netflix - I really enjoy shadowing so I just do it whenever I have random free days instead of staying at home. I think I have quite a lot of clinical volunteering from college and non-clinical volunteering (not to the same degree, but 200+) and I do a lot of things unrelated to shadowing when I'm at school. This is kind of just what I do when I come home. I wish there was a place to explain that on apps...

 

[wysdoc]

Thank you!

I am someone who really likes to know what I am getting into and to be certain, so I started shadowing in 2014 as soon as I was old enough during my breaks from school, and I continued that through college whenever I am home. I have shadowed almost every clinical specialty in pediatrics, and have shadowed a lot in the OR and ED as well. I find it really interesting to watch all of the different surgeries that get done in the OR, and shadowing so much has really helped me flesh out my own interests a bit. There's a lot of diversity in medical care so I just always felt like there was more to see. My role is essentially just to watch, and I have shadowed some phenomenal surgeons who have let me fully scrub in and be right next to the sterile field and explained everything. It seems like a huge amount of hours, but if you divide it over the 5 years that I have been shadowing for, that's ~200 hours a year, which is only ~20 full days of shadowing. Between winter break, spring break, and a random week of summer before or after a research internship, that's already done.

The biggest thing is that the Children's hospital that I shadow at doesn't allow volunteers who are under the age of 25 unless you are in an organized volunteering program. It wasn't really something I was doing to get hours or a time I could have filled with anything other than perhaps netflix - I really enjoy shadowing so I just do it whenever I have random free days instead of staying at home. I think I have quite a lot of clinical volunteering from college and non-clinical volunteering (not to the same degree, but 200+) and I do a lot of things unrelated to shadowing when I'm at school. This is kind of just what I do when I come home. I wish there was a place to explain that on apps...

I wish there was a place to explain that on apps... There is! You can talk more about 3 of your most meaningful experiences. Do it on your app with this enthusiasm!

 

[Penguin_MD]

I wish there was a place to explain that on apps... There is! You can talk more about 3 of your most meaningful experiences. Do it on your app with this enthusiasm!

I already have my 3 most meaningful experiences outside of shadowing. While shadowing is probably the most hours I have for any one thing (unless you compile all my research hours) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it, I have some other things that I have a lot more to say about enthusiastically and that are probably more interesting! I get very very excited about my research, and I do medical illustrations and volunteer doing art therapy with kids who have Down Syndrome. Those are things I think have been a lot more meaningful to me - shadowing is just something I find it fascinating. I could get a short version in my description, but then I can't fit contacts or specific names of doctors I've shadowed. The handbook says you can make multiple entries for different specialties but I think if I divide it up that way it will just be obnoxious. What do you think is most important?? Names or a description/explanation? (I can't fit every name regardless).

I was questioning whether to artificially lower my shadowing hours number... because I realize that beyond a certain point it doesn't really matter application-wise, I just continued shadowing for me because I enjoyed it. But I don't want to lie on my application because that will stress me out, even if it is the opposite way.

(Also so sorry to everyone, I'm not intending to hog this feed and I really hope my questions are helpful to others as well!!!!)

 

[wysdoc]

I already have my 3 most meaningful experiences outside of shadowing. While shadowing is probably the most hours I have for any one thing (unless you compile all my research hours) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it, I have some other things that I have a lot more to say about enthusiastically and that are probably more interesting! I get very very excited about my research, and I do medical illustrations and volunteer doing art therapy with kids who have Down Syndrome. Those are things I think have been a lot more meaningful to me - shadowing is just something I find it fascinating. I could get a short version in my description, but then I can't fit contacts or specific names of doctors I've shadowed. The handbook says you can make multiple entries for different specialties but I think if I divide it up that way it will just be obnoxious. What do you think is most important?? Names or a description/explanation? (I can't fit every name regardless).

I was questioning whether to artificially lower my shadowing hours number... because I realize that beyond a certain point it doesn't really matter application-wise, I just continued shadowing for me because I enjoyed it. But I don't want to lie on my application because that will stress me out, even if it is the opposite way.

(Also so sorry to everyone, I'm not intending to hog this feed and I really hope my questions are helpful to others as well!!!!)

They don't need the names or contact info, more important to briefly describe the experience. Being honest on the app is the best way to go!

 

[thegrind33]

I just now submitted my tmdsas app and realized I had a typo in one of my activity descriptions. I ended the word with a d instead of an s, anyway I can get this fixed?

 

[Isoval]

I just now submitted my tmdsas app and realized I had a typo in one of my activity descriptions. I ended the word with a d instead of an s, anyway I can get this fixed?

When I did my application, this was not possible. It likely is still not possible.

I wouldn’t worry about it. I caught more typos than I care to admit after submitting my application. Just don’t reread your app and pretend it’s perfect!

 

[thegrind33]

When I did my application, this was not possible. It likely is still not possible.

I wouldn’t worry about it. I caught more typos than I care to admit after submitting my application. Just don’t reread your app and pretend it’s perfect!

I just feel like an idiot after saying "lacks resourced" instead of "lacks resources" on one of my activities :/

 

[rune2h]

Question on listing leadership activities... I am struggling to come up with anything to put in there, that wasn't a part of ANOTHER activity on my app.

for example:
I directly manage and mentor a team right now at work - but thats part of my job activity.
the volunteer coordination ive done - part of the volunteer activity
resident assistant, etc, etc

What sorts of things are people putting here? Or are you just not listing that specific thing under its other category, I.E. instead of listing it as a job, putting it as a leadership activity?

 

[Ricer7]

Hi @Ricer7
Did you make sure to send the transcripts from both universities to TMDSAS? Did your biochemistry classes have a combined lecture/lab course number? I see that you already submitted your application, so the best way to ask for a review of these types of questions is to send a message to TMDSAS on the internal messaging function of the app. Once you have received an email back from TMDSAS about the verification of your app, you have 7 days to ask them to correct any inconsistencies in the PCR. See the instruction handbook page xiii for the PCR appeals process if needed. If you are getting close to the 7-day limit, call them Monday. Good luck!

Thank you! Yes they have both of my transcripts which is why I am confused, and my biochemistry lab is separate from the class, with a different number as well. I guess I should submit an appeal. Thanks again!

 

[deleted928969]

Is there any fee assistance for Texas secondaries? I have FAP for AMCAS and am wondering if it might be applicable to TX or if TX has an equivalent. Thanks!

 

[wysdoc]

Is there any fee assistance for Texas secondaries? I have FAP for AMCAS and am wondering if it might be applicable to TX or if TX has an equivalent. Thanks!

TMDSAS app itself does not grant fee waivers, and to my knowledge neither do the individual schools for the secondaries.
How will you pay for trips to the schools if you get interviews? That interview expense will be much more than the app fees for secondaries.
It's important to know what you will need to do and start planning for it, even if it means taking out a small loan

 

[wysdoc]

Heads up, y'all!
Due to lots of questions, TMDSAS has made a few updates to its application handbook. The updates are now incorporated, so if you go & download it again you will get the latest version. Handbook

Go to the first post on this thread and read the bits in green print to see what they updated.
Those of you who already submitted, it's cool, don't worry.
You can pay your app fee only by credit card now, that's one of the changes.

Carry on!

 

[jsjocean]

I am working on the coursework section. If my school gave grades on a 4.0 scale, what conversion table should I be using to transfer to letter grades? I have looked through the handbook and haven't found one.

 

[wysdoc]

I am working on the coursework section. If my school gave grades on a 4.0 scale, what conversion table should I be using to transfer to letter grades? I have looked through the handbook and haven't found one.

Are all your individual grades in whole numbers, or are there some decimal points involved? Could you have gotten a 3.6 in a class for instance? Or were your grades on a scale of 1 to 100?

 

[jsjocean]

Are all your individual grades in whole numbers, or are there some decimal points involved? Could you have gotten a 3.6 in a class for instance? Or were your grades on a scale of 1 to 100?

Yes there are decimal points involved. So I have courses with say a 3.6/4.0.

 

[wysdoc]

Yes there are decimal points involved. So I have courses with say a 3.6/4.0.

I'll put in an inquiry to TMDSAS and get back to you soon-

 

[wysdoc]

Yes there are decimal points involved. So I have courses with say a 3.6/4.0.

They said to look on the back of your transcript and see if there is a conversion scale .
If you don’t see that, please message via the internal messaging of the app and ask your question and give your 3.6 example. Sorry I couldn’t get a clear answer but answers you get officially as an applicant will be more definite. Let us know what you find out

 

[captainduckworth]

Is there any way to submit an extra letter of evaluation after I have already submitted the application? I selected "No" when asked if I intend on submitting an additional letter because, at the time, my evaluator was unavailable. Thanks in advance!

 

[wysdoc]

Is there any way to submit an extra letter of evaluation after I have already submitted the application? I selected "No" when asked if I intend on submitting an additional letter because, at the time, my evaluator was unavailable. Thanks in advance!

Look at Page x in the TMDSAS handbook for steps to "change an evaluator"; I believe that adding the 4th evaluator will follow the same procedure. You can't do it just by logging in to your app since you already submitted.
Be SURE the letter is really ready though, because schools may consider your application incomplete if they are expecting that letter and it doesn't arrive.