*~*~*~* Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2022-2023 *~*~*~*

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Follow all the 2032-2023 TMDSAS school threads and you will see the fresh prompts as they become known.
So far this year we know 5 of them.
Ah! The individual school threads! I appreciate this. Not sure why I haven't joined those yet, haha. Here I come! Thanks a ton.

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So my application was processed and transmitted to the schools today and while checking my PCR and GPAs, I noticed I made an error when listing courses. I duplicated Orgo I so it appears twice and there is no Orgo II. I emailed TMDSAS to change it but I was wondering how this works now that the schools have already received my app. I'm worried about getting screened out for not having a year of organic chem listed (what a stupid mistake). The TMDSAS website refers to requesting corrections causing delays in processing, but I think I'm already out of processing if it was shipped to schools. Don't know if anyone's familiar with this kind of situation and can elucidate what the schools see and when concerning updates.

Thanks in advance
 
So my application was processed and transmitted to the schools today and while checking my PCR and GPAs, I noticed I made an error when listing courses. I duplicated Orgo I so it appears twice and there is no Orgo II. I emailed TMDSAS to change it but I was wondering how this works now that the schools have already received my app. I'm worried about getting screened out for not having a year of organic chem listed (what a stupid mistake). The TMDSAS website refers to requesting corrections causing delays in processing, but I think I'm already out of processing if it was shipped to schools. Don't know if anyone's familiar with this kind of situation and can elucidate what the schools see and when concerning updates.

Thanks in advance
It will become clear later when you send your transcripts in (not until you get your first acceptance)
Don't lose sleep over it.

The rest of y'all, proofread that thing one line at a time before you hit submit!
 
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Do I need to include contact info anywhere in the activity descriptions? I've been trying to add some identifying information but the 300 character limit is killing me so I'm wondering if it's necessary at all.
 
Do I need to include contact info anywhere in the activity descriptions? I've been trying to add some identifying information but the 300 character limit is killing me so I'm wondering if it's necessary at all.
The contact info goes into some drop-down slots as you fill out your TMDSAS app, so that doesn't use up any of your 300 characters. You do have to be concise.
 
The contact info goes into some drop-down slots as you fill out your TMDSAS app, so that doesn't use up any of your 300 characters. You do have to be concise.
Actually for many of the sections (I think all actually) it won't even ask for contact info (weird I think). So you have to be very specific about who you worked with in the activity description itself. This is a very good video on how to approach the activity description that I found which includes a talk from the deans of Texas Tech and Texas A&M .
 
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Actually for many of the sections (I think all actually) it won't even ask for contact info (weird I think). So you have to be very specific about who you worked with in the activity description itself. This is a very good video on how to approach the activity description that I found which includes a talk from the deans of Texas Tech and Texas A&M .

After listening to this podcast it sounds like, @flynnic, that you should name doctors you shadowed, for example, to lend credibility to your activity.
But make it short, like "Observing pediatrician Dr. Cool in his clinic showed me....." (55 characters)
rather than
"I shadowed Dr. Cool, who is a general pediatrician, in his outpatient clinic. From this experience I was able to learn..." (118 characters)
The AMCAS app definitely asks for contact info such as an email or phone number, but the TMDSAS app does not

The drop-down info before your description will include title of activity, city & state, start & end date, and number of hours.
In the Employment category you can also enter your employer, so if you are scribing in person, for example, you could get the name of the doctor in that way without using up characters in the description.
 
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After listening to this podcast it sounds like, @flynnic, that you should name doctors you shadowed, for example, to lend credibility to your activity.
But make it short, like "Observing pediatrician Dr. Cool in his clinic showed me....." (55 characters)
rather than
"I shadowed Dr. Cool, who is a general pediatrician, in his outpatient clinic. From this experience I was able to learn..." (118 characters)
The AMCAS app definitely asks for contact info such as an email or phone number, but the TMDSAS app does not

The drop-down info before your description will include title of activity, city & state, start & end date, and number of hours.
In the Employment category you can also enter your employer, so if you are scribing in person, for example, you could get the name of the doctor in that way without using up characters in the description.
That's some good advice! One thing I would add is, based on that video, they said to not only name the physician but be specific about location. The way I did it was that in the activity description I put, for example, "Primary Care Shadowing" and then in the actual description I would put "Observing Dr. Cool at Hospital Inc. I saw ....) so this way you don't have to waste characters to put his specialty in the description. Just an idea!

Also, I think adcoms realize the very limited space here. I don't think it's possible to say much other than who you worked with, what you saw/did, and maybe if you have enough space what you learned. But I think the first 2 parts are more important than the third part. At the TAMU reapplicant workshop they mentioned they wanted very concise descriptions of what you did and what you saw, they thought trying to write a story or something was not a good idea.
 
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When entering coursework on TMDSAS, do we write the course name exactly as it appears on the transcript (Ex: Gen&Orgn Chem Lab 2) or do we we write the entire course name as it would appear in a course catalog (Ex: General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II)? I have read conflicting information online about how to enter it. Thanks!
 
When entering coursework on TMDSAS, do we write the course name exactly as it appears on the transcript (Ex: Gen&Orgn Chem Lab 2) or do we we write the entire course name as it would appear in a course catalog (Ex: General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II)? I have read conflicting information online about how to enter it. Thanks!
just as it appears on the transcript, to make verification easier
 
just as it appears on the transcript, to make verification easier
Ok thanks! I read on the website that if our school uses heavy abbreviations (mine does for some courses), we could expand course titles so committees could have a better understanding of our courses. Do you think it would be an issue if I entered everything exactly as it appeared on my transcript even if it wasn't clear what the abbreviations meant?
 
Ok thanks! I read on the website that if our school uses heavy abbreviations (mine does for some courses), we could expand course titles so committees could have a better understanding of our courses. Do you think it would be an issue if I entered everything exactly as it appeared on my transcript even if it wasn't clear what the abbreviations meant?
They will still show up in the proper course category so I don't see it as a problem
 
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Interviews :)

Someone asked when interviews will begin.

1. First your primary app has to be verified by TMDSAS and transmitted to schools.
2. Schools invite you to complete a secondary app and you write that, return it, and give them a chance to read it. (Long has no secondary essays and Dell's secondary is not written).
Some of the schools send out those secondaries within a day or two of getting your primary! Be ready to write!
3. They need time to read your secondary essays and thoroughly read your entire app.
4. Here's a handy chart to see when schools will begin interviews: https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/7051/download

The earliest Texas schools start in July, with others starting in August.

**P.S. If you don't get one of the first interviews in July, it doesn't mean you have been "passed over". Interviews go on for months and months.
 
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I am filling out the application and it asks for academic recognitions, scholarships etc. I have a few that I want to write down, and I am having a bit of a dilemma here. I can list the scholarships and stuff, but the character limit is 300 words. I have nothing to say about these scholarships except from I got money/ recognition. So I was thinking of merging all of the awards and scholarships into one box. The problem with this is they all have different dates, and I can only put the name and date of one award, while I can write down the other awards' names in the description box. I am guessing my best bet is to just write down one award at a time. If I do that, that means I will have to write a 300 character description. How can I describe scholarships that just gave me money? Do I talk about how the money helped me stay in college (first-gen student), or how do I approach this? Please send hep, I'm panicking
 
Hello, it's me again with a different question. The application system asks for any employment I have had after high school graduation. Do I report research and other internships that only lasted a few months if I already cover those in the other sections (research activities)?
 
I am filling out the application and it asks for academic recognitions, scholarships etc. I have a few that I want to write down, and I am having a bit of a dilemma here. I can list the scholarships and stuff, but the character limit is 300 words. I have nothing to say about these scholarships except from I got money/ recognition. So I was thinking of merging all of the awards and scholarships into one box. The problem with this is they all have different dates, and I can only put the name and date of one award, while I can write down the other awards' names in the description box. I am guessing my best bet is to just write down one award at a time. If I do that, that means I will have to write a 300 character description. How can I describe scholarships that just gave me money? Do I talk about how the money helped me stay in college (first-gen student), or how do I approach this? Please send hep, I'm panicking
There is no limit to how many activities, including honors, that you can list on the TMDSAS application. You can list each major one or scholarship separately. If you got something several times, like Dean’s list, you can lump those together.
You are not expected to have a big story for getting most awards
 
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Hello, do schools need to have my Casper results before my application is considered complete?
 
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Hello, do schools need to have my Casper results before my application is considered complete?
Only UTMB, McGovern, and Texas Tech El Paso say that they want to see the CASPer results before selecting people for interviews.
The other schools use it at at some later time in the application process.

I'll put up a CASPer info post today.
(edited to update that McGovern also wants to see it before interview selection)
 
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CASPer for TMDSAS schools

images-2.jpeg


If you're applying to TMDSAS schools, there's no getting around taking CASPer.
10 schools are asking for it this year.


CASPer only :

Baylor
Long (Duet "encouraged")
McGovern
Texas Tech El Paso
Texas Tech Lubbock
UTSW


CASPer + Duet :
Texas A&M
UTMB
UT Tyler


CASPer + Duet + Snapshot :
SHSU

Read about the components of the Altus Suite here: Take Altus

Note that the only browsers they recommend are Chrome and Firefox. To avoid technical difficulties, use one of those.

Changes since last year: (just so you know, if you've taken it before)

Casper questions were previously all typed-response.
This year 9 questions are typed-response and 6 questions will be a video-taped response to the question through your webcam.
The test day instructions will clearly tell you which is which.

So...Dress up - definitely for Snapshot as that is like a whole interview, and now even for CASPer as there are taped responses.


Last of all, as I mentioned in a post above, UTMB, McGovern, and Texas Tech El Paso want to see the results before they choose people for interviews. Don't let it haunt you, set up a date sometime this summer as you are working through your secondary essays.
 
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@wysdoc Thank you for the information regarding CA$PER! I am scheduled to take it tomorrow but am very nervous regarding the speaking section. Should I delay taking the test until the June 17th date to give myself more time to prepare/finish secondaries or would that put me at a big disadvantage at most schools?
If you are feeling too pressured give yourself some time. Practice talking to the time limit to get a feel for how long that is.
 
@wysdoc Thank you for the information regarding CA$PER! I am scheduled to take it tomorrow but am very nervous regarding the speaking section. Should I delay taking the test until the June 17th date to give myself more time to prepare/finish secondaries or would that put me at a big disadvantage at most schools?

I'm registered for tomorrow as well and am about to take the practice test now to see how I fare. I think we'll be fine for 6/16 if necessary, but I sure would prefer to knock this out tomorrow haha. Good luck to you either way! You'll do well!
 
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@wysdoc Thank you for the information regarding CA$PER! I am scheduled to take it tomorrow but am very nervous regarding the speaking section. Should I delay taking the test until the June 17th date to give myself more time to prepare/finish secondaries or would that put me at a big disadvantage at most schools?

I'm on my 5-minute break after completing the first five typed responses of the CASPer test. I highly recommend taking the practice test today and seeing how you feel. Barring the video responses being a struggle, I plan on taking the actual exam tomorrow, as originally scheduled. The questions are open-ended and very cut-and-dry. I think we worry too much as pre-meds (understandably so to an extent), and this is one of the few aspects of the process that, at least so far, seems to be unworthy of said worry. Even if you just check out a few scenarios to get a quick feel for the test, I'm sure it'll help you decide.

I may change my tune after the video responses, but I'd rather do two CASPer tests for each school than the secondaries lol!
 
Is it too late to apply to TMDSAS for an early interview spot at UTSW? I'm OOS however did undergrad in Texas and have significant ties to UTSW. I calculated I can mend my AMCAS application for TMDSAS in 48 hours and wanted to know if it's still worth a shot.
 
Is it too late to apply to TMDSAS for an early interview spot at UTSW? I'm OOS however did undergrad in Texas and have significant ties to UTSW. I calculated I can mend my AMCAS application for TMDSAS in 48 hours and wanted to know if it's still worth a shot.
It’s certainly not late. Try to get it turned in by the end of June. Your main work will be to trim the size of your activity descriptions (only 300 characters on TMDSAS). You also get 2 extra essays.
 
Hey y'all, my primary just got transmitted to schools and secondaries are coming in. A few hours after getting an email from one school to fill out the secondary and Casper, they followed up to say that, after initial review, they wanted to give me a fee waiver for the secondary. My stats are...not great (LM 67) and I’m URM, but I really don't know why they gave me this? Anyways, is this normal for schools to give fee waivers? If so, should I wait on submitting secondaries to see if I get any more waivers from other schools? I really need to save as much money as I can through this process but I don't want to delay too much and hurt my chances
 
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Hey y'all, my primary just got transmitted to schools and secondaries are coming in. A few hours after getting an email from one school to fill out the secondary and Casper, they followed up to say that, after initial review, they wanted to give me a fee waiver for the secondary. My stats are...not great (LM 67) and I’m URM, but I really don't know why they gave me this? Anyways, is this normal for schools to give fee waivers? If so, should I wait on submitting secondaries to see if I get any more waivers from other schools? I really need to save as much money as I can through this process but I don't want to delay too much and hurt my chances
Congratulations! Schools can give out fee waivers/"coupon codes" as they see fit. Not all schools give them out, but I am guessing this one is because of your UiM/demographics to encourage you to complete the application for screening. Do not wait and continue to fill out your secondaries; if other schools give you coupon waivers and you submit your secondary, you can ask for your fees to be refunded.
 
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Hey y'all, my primary just got transmitted to schools and secondaries are coming in. A few hours after getting an email from one school to fill out the secondary and Casper, they followed up to say that, after initial review, they wanted to give me a fee waiver for the secondary. My stats are...not great (LM 67) and I’m URM, but I really don't know why they gave me this? Anyways, is this normal for schools to give fee waivers? If so, should I wait on submitting secondaries to see if I get any more waivers from other schools? I really need to save as much money as I can through this process but I don't want to delay too much and hurt my chances
Welcome, @boomertexas
Being offered a fee waiver at a TMDSAS school is a little uncommon, but it can happen.
Rather than waiting to see if other schools also offer it, just continue on with your secondaries in the order you wish and submit them when you're happy with them.
Treat the fee waiver you did get as a pleasant surprise :)
 
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How's it going, everyone?
Keep working steadily on your application and essays. Proofread a bunch of times before submitting the primary.
Here's a quick video about why submitting early in the application year gives you the best chance for interviews:
 
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If I have completed the essay portion of the secondaries and I'm waiting for my LOR to be processed by TMDSAS and Casper scores to be processed by the schools (Altus is marking them as delivered), can I still submit my secondary application? Or is it better to wait until I have everything in?
 
If I have completed the essay portion of the secondaries and I'm waiting for my LOR to be processed by TMDSAS and Casper scores to be processed by the schools (Altus is marking them as delivered), can I still submit my secondary application? Or is it better to wait until I have everything in?
Yes, go ahead and submit your secondary essays. This is the part of your work that you can control :)
The supporting materials like letters have to be matched to your app by someone in the admissions department at each school.
 
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Hello!
So I was waiting for one of my science profs to submit their LOR to interfolio and after numerous reminder messages over the past month, he still has not sent anything. I was wondering if it would be okay to send a non-science prof instead, so the 4 I would be sending would be 1 science prof, 1 non-science prof, research PI, and volunteer supervisor. I don't see any LOR requirements for any of the TMDSAS schools, so would this be okay?
 
Also,
I am working on submitting TMDSAS secondaries at the moment, but I am still not prompted to submit any of my official transcripts. Should I still hold off on doing this?
 
Also,
I am working on submitting TMDSAS secondaries at the moment, but I am still not prompted to submit any of my official transcripts. Should I still hold off on doing this?
TMDSAS says you will only send transcripts if you receive an acceptance. There are a few exceptions to this rule, which are mentioned near the very top of this web page: Transcripts
 
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Hello!
So I was waiting for one of my science profs to submit their LOR to interfolio and after numerous reminder messages over the past month, he still has not sent anything. I was wondering if it would be okay to send a non-science prof instead, so the 4 I would be sending would be 1 science prof, 1 non-science prof, research PI, and volunteer supervisor. I don't see any LOR requirements for any of the TMDSAS schools, so would this be okay?
If you have another letter writer you can ask him. Otherwise, the minimum is 3 letters and a 4th is optional.
If you have listed the first person's name on TMDSAS, tell them that letter is no longer expected.
 
Wow, after starting to submit my secondaries I just received notice that 2 out of 4 of my letter of recommenders made mistakes and have to resubmit. How badly will this delay my application??
 
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Wow, after starting to submit my secondaries I just received notice that 2 out of 4 of my letter of recommenders made mistakes and have to resubmit. How badly will this delay my application??
No big deal, hope for them to resubmit within the next 6-8 weeks
 
Does anyone who took the 5/19 Casper have their score marked as received in their secondary portals?

For the five schools that I already submitted to, the only thing preventing my application from being fully complete is my Casper score is not marked as received in each school's secondary portal. Around June 1st, I saw that Altus had graded and distributed my scores to the schools on this list. I know that scores usually take 3 weeks to be graded/sent to schools and I am lucky that my scores were distributed within 2 weeks. Would it be appropriate to contact the schools around Monday next week if my Casper scores are still not marked as received?
 
Does anyone who took the 5/19 Casper have their score marked as received in their secondary portals?

For the five schools that I already submitted to, the only thing preventing my application from being fully complete is my Casper score is not marked as received in each school's secondary portal. Around June 1st, I saw that Altus had graded and distributed my scores to the schools on this list. I know that scores usually take 3 weeks to be graded/sent to schools and I am lucky that my scores were distributed within 2 weeks. Would it be appropriate to contact the schools around Monday next week if my Casper scores are still not marked as received?
You already had a faster than normal scoring, please stop worrying
 
I am retaking my MCAT with a score release date of July 19. Should I submit it right after I take it so my secondaries will be done by my new MCAT score date or should I submit it when I get it back? I am applying regardless of the score.
 
Letters of Evaluation:

We've had a lot of questions about these and guess what? TMDSAS focused two presentations on Letters recently.

Here is the link describing the steps in matching your letters to your TMDSAS App: Your Letters of Evaluation Under the (Processing) Lens

Here is the link to the Q&A Letters Podcast from June 13, 2022 - very helpful: Test Your Knowledge of Letters of Evaluation!


I think the second one has a lot more useful information.

Some take-home lessons:
1. You have to enter the names of ALL 3 of your required recommenders in the TMDSAS app and save that page. TMDSAS will send out an email to your recommenders when that is done. If you only enter 2 names, NOBODY gets an email!

2. The email you list for your recommender MUST match the email they are going to upload their letter from, or the system won't easily match their letter to your file. If you have doubts, ASK your recommender what email they would like you to use.

3. You CAN add a 4th recommender at the time of submission, or later. Try to gauge if they will come through for you. (I know, I know, hard.) Schools may see your application as incomplete if there is a letter pending. 4 is the maximum number of letters.

4. If somehow it looks like someone is not going to get your letter done, you can tell TMDSAS to "No longer expect a letter" from them.
If it's one of your 3 required people, you will have to come up with another. If it's your optional 4th letter, just delete them.

5. In TMDSAS, ALL your letters will be sent to ALL your schools. There is no picking and selecting as you can do in AMCAS.
The corollary to this is : Be sure your letter writers know their letter should be generally suitable, and don't write their letter with a certain school name in mind!

Carry on!
 
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Any one take Casper 5-5 and still have the Casper requirement unmet on some of the school secondary apps???
 
I had a quick question about TX residency. I have been a TX resident all of my life, graduated from a TX high school, attended undergrad in TX, and worked/filed taxes for the past 4 years with the same permanent TX address I have had since I was 11. I recently took a research fellowship award for my gap year, and the institution needs me to file my taxes under my temporary address in a different state so that the proper taxes can be taken out of my weekly check/stipend.

Even though I am filing taxes here, I should still be considered a Texas resident when I go to apply in the spring of 2023 since my permanent residence/"where I live" (aka the address I have used for everything for the past 12 years of my life and will still use if I am lucky enough to get into a TX medical school) is still in Texas, and I am still considered a resident, correct?

Thanks so much for the help!
 
I had a quick question about TX residency. I have been a TX resident all of my life, graduated from a TX high school, attended undergrad in TX, and worked/filed taxes for the past 4 years with the same permanent TX address I have had since I was 11. I recently took a research fellowship award for my gap year, and the institution needs me to file my taxes under my temporary address in a different state so that the proper taxes can be taken out of my weekly check/stipend.

Even though I am filing taxes here, I should still be considered a Texas resident when I go to apply in the spring of 2023 since my permanent residence/"where I live" (aka the address I have used for everything for the past 12 years of my life and will still use if I am lucky enough to get into a TX medical school) is still in Texas, and I am still considered a resident, correct?

Thanks so much for the help!
Hi @lno1999 I will invite you to read over a thread I created a few years back discussing this issue, here: #1

and especially the YouTube video created by THES here: Office Hours: Gaining Texas Residency

The definitive ruling always comes from TMDSAS and will depend on how long you work in the other state and whether you fully intend to return to Texas at the end of the fellowship. You can also run your plans by TMDSAS by asking them in an email at [email protected]
 
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Hi @lno1999 I will invite you to read over a thread I created a few years back discussing this issue, here: #1

and especially the YouTube video created by TMDSAS here: #33

The definitive ruling always comes from TMDSAS and will depend on how long you work in the other state and whether you fully intend to return to Texas at the end of the fellowship. You can also run your plans by TMDSAS by asking them in an email at [email protected]
Hey wysdoc! Thank you so much for your reply. I had seen most of these posts while searching frantically through SDN to try and find a more concrete answer! I guess my main hope was for someone to be searching through the TMDSAS thread who had gone through a similar experience to give me a more definitive answer based on what occurred with them :rofl: I think I am just going to email TMDSAS and ask them, though, since it is probably the best course of action anyways! I appreciate the prompt response as well as the information that was given!

EDIT - For anyone that comes across this and is in a similar position, Nichole Castillo (TMDSAS Service Delivery Coordinator) said this -

"Thanks for your inquiry. A temporary absence will not cause a Texas resident to lose their residency, and research opportunities are typically temporary in nature. Since you may be out of state for 12 months or longer, we recommend that you keep a record of any documentation that supports that this is a temporary assignment. This could be a contract or a letter from your employer/supervisor. You can then provide this documentation, once requested, after your application has been submitted."

I hope this more explicit answer helps someone in the future! (@wysdoc)
 
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Hi,

So I submitted my primary on June 7th but my committee letter likely won’t be submitted by my schools Health Professions Office until June 20th. How long does TMDSAS usually take to process letters of recommendation?

I’m worried that even if I pre-write all my secondaries and submit them the first day I receive them my letters will delay my application further. Also it’s a little late but was a June 7th submission date for my primary fine? I’ve heard that as long as I’m complete by early July (I’m guessing that’s before the 10th of July) I’m fine but wanted to double check.
 
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