The monthly AAMC newsletter, Premed Navigator, arrived in our inboxes on June 6, 2021, and we dove into the content. One article in particular, “Application Tips from the AMCAS Verification Team,” included helpful info for our current medical school applicants.
Here are four tips from AMCAS:
#1. Carefully fill out the Course Work section. Use your transcript as a guide, entering each course (including those that were pass/fail or which you withdrew from) in chronological sequence. Be sure to include your current or future planned courses. Any errors will delay your application’s verification.
OUR TIP: Note that your courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics are especially important because they factor into the “science GPA,” also known as BCPM.
#2. Understand how to request transcripts. The 2022 AMCAS Applicant Guide can help! Issues with transcripts is the number one cause of processing delays.
OUR TIP: Your AMCAS application needs to go through the transcript verification stage before it can be released to medical schools, so submit as close to the opening date as possible and make sure you have requested transcripts in advance.
#3. Know what you can change on your application post-submission. After you submit, you may only make changes to the following information:
- ID Numbers.
- Name, including Full Legal Name, Preferred Name, and Alternate Names.
- Contact Information including Permanent and Preferred Mailing Addresses.
- Alternate Contact Information.
- Date of Birth, Birth Address, and Sex.
- Letters of Evaluation (only additions of up to 10 letters and notifying AMCAS of a letter no longer being sent).
- Next MCAT testing date.
- Add Medical Schools and change existing Program type (deadlines, fees, and restrictions apply).
- Release application information to your prehealth advisor.
OUR TIP: Your Personal Statement and Activity Essays can NOT be changed, so devote enough time to develop high-quality essays! We typically begin the essay process in January of the students’ application year.
#4. If you submitted an AMCAS application in a previous cycle, double-check your entire application. Since everything rolls over from the previous application, you want to make sure you have made the necessary changes. Also, you must resubmit all of your transcripts and letters of evaluation.
OUR TIP: Ask for feedback from the medical schools that did not accept you and from professional advisors. Re-evaluate your Personal Statement and Activity Essays to incorporate your new experiences, especially clinical work, and to strengthen your candidacy.
At Collegiate Gateway, we know that navigating medical school applications is a very complex process! Explore the upcoming medical school presentations on our website or set up a complimentary consultation to learn about our services. Whatever your question, Collegiate Gateway is happy to help!
