When to submit AACOMAS? (Summer Classes + Late MCAT)

[chicago5950]

Hey all,

Short stats: Middle School Ed Major, 3.52 cGPA, 3.28sGPA

I am taking Organic Chem and Biochemistry this summer to finish my pre-reqs AND taking the MCAT July 6th.

Things I don't have:

LOR from Commitee --------------- Committee won't write until MCAT scores come in.
Summer Grades -------------------- Grades Post Aug 3rd
MCAT ----------------------------------- Scores Post Aug 7th

Right now I am planning on submitting AACOMAS after summer grades and MCAT comes in.
Which means I probably wont be verified until September.

But... should I submit earlier without MCAT, LOR, or summer grades?

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[DanGee777]

Because your summer grades aren't coming in until August 3rd, you have a couple options for when to submit AACOMAS. I assume you're taking O-chem 1 and Biochem this summer, and not O-chem 1 and 2 AND biochem (that's a heavy schedule)? Do check the AACOMAS school requirement PDF, but I believe that most DO schools require two semester of o-chem and will require you to take o-chem 1 and 2 with lab before you matriculate at their school.

Anyway, AACOMAS can take 2-5 weeks to verify, if I remember correctly, and you want at least one o-chem grade in there when you apply, so it's my opinion that you should wait to submit it until your o-chem 1 grade is in. If your science GPA was higher I'd say you could get away with submitting it in June, and list the o-chem 1 as a future course, but because it's low, I think you should probably wait and submit it when the grade comes in, and that way the ad-coms can see your o-chem grade. I wasn't complete until late November last year and I still got an interview with an average MCAT, so I think you should be in decent shape if your MCAT is 27/28 or above.

It's been a year since I did AACOMAS, so check this out for yourself, but I'm pretty sureyou can submit it without LORs, and send them to schools yourself later using Interfolio or another service. In that case, I'd submit AACOMAS as soon as your MCAT comes in, and then submit the LORs as soon as that comes in.

For what it's worth, if your MCAT is very decent (like 34+), you might have a shot at some MD schools, even if you aren't complete until September. Do you have any interest in MD schools or are you a big fan of the DO philosophy? Because your name is Chicago I'm assuming you're from Illinois? If you are, Southern Illinois is almost exclusively in-state, so that's probably your best shot if you want an MD school, along with the University of Illinois.

 

[dntke1518]

OP it might be advisable to take a gap year... Do you have any shadowing, volunteering, clinical experience? This summer is going to be rough if you are taking Orgo 1 & 2 + biochem + studying/learning for the MCAT. To answer your questions you can submit with out everything that you listed... LORs have nothing to do with the primary (they usually are sent in with the secondary) so don't worry about those as much. But like I said, I really think a gap year is in your best intrest, I feel like your are trying to rush into it.

Best of luck

 

[Iliketoytles]

Hey all,

Short stats: Middle School Ed Major, 3.52 cGPA, 3.28sGPA

I am taking Organic Chem and Biochemistry this summer to finish my pre-reqs AND taking the MCAT July 6th.

Things I don't have:

LOR from Commitee --------------- Committee won't write until MCAT scores come in.
Summer Grades -------------------- Grades Post Aug 3rd
MCAT ----------------------------------- Scores Post Aug 7th

Right now I am planning on submitting AACOMAS after summer grades and MCAT comes in.
Which means I probably wont be verified until September.

But... should I submit earlier without MCAT, LOR, or summer grades?

If I were you... I'd submit my AACOMAS once your Spring grades are on your transcript. So get crackin' on that primary. The reason is because your AACOMAS will take 3-6 weeks to verify, so you'll have that piece of mind going into your MCAT and through summer school that you're already done with the primary and it'll be verified by the time your MCAT scores come in. Once your MCAT scores come in, electronically send the scores to AACOMAS, and tell your premed committee to start writing the letter.

This isn't going to slow down anything... since your LORs are supposed to be sent with the secondaries, not the primary. So after the schools receive your MCAT score, they would already have your verified primary... so they'll put the two together and review it... then send you your secondary app via email. Hopefully by that time, your premed committee will have sent their letter to Interfolio, so once you submit your secondaries... you can submit your letters right after. Make sense?

Oh, and for your summer grades... you can always send AACOMAS an updated transcript once your summer grades are posted. Don't delay your application waiting for it.... update letters are an important part of this process.

 

[chicago5950]

I assume you're taking O-chem 1 and Biochem this summer, and not O-chem 1 and 2 AND biochem (that's a heavy schedule)?

I am taking Orgo I first 5 weeks and then Biochem the second 5 weeks.

Do you have any interest in MD schools or are you a big fan of the DO philosophy? Because your name is Chicago I'm assuming you're from Illinois? If you are, Southern Illinois is almost exclusively in-state, so that's probably your best shot if you want an MD school, along with the University of Illinois.

I am a KY resident and my #1 is Pikeville (avg MCAT: 23, avg GPA 3.3)

OP it might be advisable to take a gap year... Do you have any shadowing, volunteering, clinical experience? This summer is going to be rough if you are taking Orgo 1 & 2 + biochem + studying/learning for the MCAT. To answer your questions you can submit with out everything that you listed... LORs have nothing to do with the primary (they usually are sent in with the secondary) so don't worry about those as much. But like I said, I really think a gap year is in your best intrest, I feel like your are trying to rush into it.

Best of luck

Pikeville-KYCOM doesn't require Orgo II, just Orgo I and Biochem. I also have been studying the MCAT since late March and feel very comfortable with 60+ days to go. I am willing to take a gap year if I have to. Obviously, I would prefer not to.

If I were you... I'd submit my AACOMAS once your Spring grades are on your transcript. So get crackin' on that primary. The reason is because your AACOMAS will take 3-6 weeks to verify, so you'll have that piece of mind going into your MCAT and through summer school that you're already done with the primary and it'll be verified by the time your MCAT scores come in. Once your MCAT scores come in, electronically send the scores to AACOMAS, and tell your premed committee to start writing the letter.

This isn't going to slow down anything... since your LORs are supposed to be sent with the secondaries, not the primary. So after the schools receive your MCAT score, they would already have your verified primary... so they'll put the two together and review it... then send you your secondary app via email. Hopefully by that time, your premed committee will have sent their letter to Interfolio, so once you submit your secondaries... you can submit your letters right after. Make sense?

Oh, and for your summer grades... you can always send AACOMAS an updated transcript once your summer grades are posted. Don't delay your application waiting for it.... update letters are an important part of this process.

Yes, but I do have a W for Orgo I from a year ago (overload semester; I was being really silly) so I am afraid to submit with a W on Orgo I without grades from summer retake. I do like this idea tho-- it's just all so confusing!

 

[chicago5950]

Okay here's the plan:

1. Submit Spring Transcripts & Finish Primary to get Verified in June
2. Ask for D.O./Advisor LORs
3. Get MCAT Score in August & Submit to AACOMAS
4. Ask for Committee LOR after MCAT Scores for Secondary
5. AACOMAS Sends Complete Packet to Schools
6. Get Secondaries in August
7. Submit Summer Transcript in Aug with Orgo I + Biochem to AACOMAS for Update
8. Submit Secondary mid-August with all LORs
9. AACOMAS sends updated file to Schools
10. RELAX!

Does that sound right?

 

[Iliketoytles]

Okay here's the plan:

1. Submit Spring Transcripts & Finish Primary to get Verified in June
2. Ask for D.O./Advisor LORs
3. Get MCAT Score in August & Submit to AACOMAS
4. Ask for Committee LOR after MCAT Scores for Secondary
5. AACOMAS Sends Complete Packet to Schools
6. Get Secondaries in August
7. Submit Summer Transcript in Aug with Orgo I + Biochem to AACOMAS for Update
8. Submit Secondary mid-August with all LORs
9. AACOMAS sends updated file to Schools
10. RELAX!

Does that sound right?

When it comes to making a timeline for secondaries though, it might not follow your schedule perfectly. Some schools send secondaries a week after they get your app... some a month. The important thing is to pre-write the secondaries (most of the essays can be found somewhere on SDN, and they don't change much from year-to-year... so it should still be the same prompt).

But uh, ya I guess that sounds right. Just be flexible... so if things don't happen to go exactly like your timeline says... figure out what to do then. Just in case.

 

[wx3]

In my opinion, your strategy is a little off. Unless you're applying to only Pikesville, you need to take Ochem1 and stop right there. Then, once you figure out where you've been accepted, you decide if you'll be taking OchemII or Biochem. Some schools don't need Biochem and won't subsitute it for ochemII, etc.

So, unless you're only applying to one school (which would be a mistake), you don't need to take biochem this summer.


That being said, submit everything asap.