The AMCAS Application Process For Applicants. Overview

The AMCAS Application ProcessFor Applicants

Overview

About AMCASWhat does AMCAS do?• Provides an online medical school application

• Collects one set of official transcripts from all applicants

• Verifies academic records and calculates an AMCAS GPA

• Distributes application data to participating medical schools

• Collects & distributes letters of recommendation

• Facilitates criminal background checks for accepted applicants

Application Timeline

May 5, 2011* AMCAS application opens & AMCAS begins accepting transcripts and letters of recommendation

June 1, 2011* Applications can be submitted and AMCAS begins verifying coursework

June 10, 2011* Initial transmission of application data to medical schools

For the 2012 entering class

*subject to change

Application Deadlines• Vary by medical school, but generally fall

between October 1 and December 15

• Deadlines are posted on AMCAS website and within the online application

• Official transcripts are due within 2 weeks of the application deadlines

• AMCAS does not grant deadline extensions. Applicants seeking an extension should contact the medical schools directly.

Application Fees$160 processing fee which includes one medical

school

• $32 for each additional school (2011) Refunds are available to applicants are not in

verification or processed status. Applicants will receive refund for all deadlines that haven’t passed with the exception of the AMCAS processing fee

• Payable online via Visa/MasterCard or Telecheck

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring your Application Status

• The Verification Process

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

• Q&A

The AMCAS Applicationwww.aamc.org/amcas

AMCAS Registration• Use accurate biographical information during registration:

The AMCAS Application

The AMCAS Application9 Sections:

• Identifying Information• Schools Attended• Biographic Information• Coursework• Work/Activities• Letters of Evaluation• Medical Schools• Essays• Standardized Tests

Identifying Information: Legal/preferred names ID numbers Date of birth Sex

The AMCAS Application

The AMCAS ApplicationSchools Attended

High school Colleges

– You must list every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled for at least one course, even if credits were transferred, no credits were earned, or you withdrew

Previous Matriculation to US Med School Institutional Actions

The AMCAS ApplicationBiographic Information

Contact info Citizenship Legal residence Race & Ethnicity Languages Family info – dependents/parents/siblings Felony/misdemeanor/military discharge

The AMCAS ApplicationChanges to the Disadvantaged Section• The questions that have been buried beneath the

disadvantaged question will be brought to the top level and presented to all applicants.

• We will continue to allow applicants to self-identify as disadvantaged and write a brief essay.

The AMCAS ApplicationsChanges to Parental Information

• Applicants will be required to provide information about their parents or guardians

• Expanded occupational & educational categories

The AMCAS Application Coursework

The AMCAS ApplicationWork & Activities

• Enter any work or extracurricular activities, awards, honors or publications you would like to bring to the attention of medical schools

• A maximum of 15 experiences may be entered

New

• Contact email or phone is required

The AMCAS ApplicationWork & Activities

• Applicants will be asked to indentify up to three experiences they consider to be the most meaningful

• When considering which experiences are the most meaningful applicants will be prompted to consider the transformative nature of the experience, the impact made while engaging in the activity and the personal growth experienced as a result of participation

The AMCAS ApplicationLetters of Recommendation• Letters do not have to be entered before

submission of the application.

• Application processing is independent of letter receipt

• Be aware that medical schools have letters deadlines

• Medical schools may require letters to be on letterhead and have a signature

Letter Request Form

Applicant’s identifying

information

The author’s address

Used by AMCAS to attach the letter to the application

Methods the

author can use to send

their letter to AMCAS

Many medical schools require that recommendations are on official letterhead and bear the signature of the author

*

Letter Request Form

Letter ID and Letter

Type

The AMCAS ApplicationMedical Schools• Designate the schools & programs to which you

wish to apply

• Define how letters should be distributed to your designated medical schools

• Only schools whose deadlines have not passed will appear in the drop-down list

• You can come back to this section and add additional schools at any time

The AMCAS ApplicationEssay/personal statement

You may wish to include information such as:

• Special hardships, challenges or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.

• Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application.

The AMCAS ApplicationStandardized Tests

• MCAT scores earned in 2003 and later will be automatically released to AMCAS and will appear in this section of your application

• You may also enter scores from other tests such as GMAT, LSAT or GRE

The AMCAS ApplicationSubmission Certification:

• Revised

• Statement is now bulleted and requires acceptance to each statement rather than one paragraph. Easier for applicant to read certification statement and highlights importance of statement

• New

• Applicants must certify that all written passages have been written by them.

Very few changes are permitted once the application has been submitted. They are: Name and Contact Information Required and Alternate IDs Indication of MCAT test date Letters of Evaluation can be added and assigned to

medical schools, but NOT deleted• Applicants may indicate that a letter will not be sent

Medical schools can be added and programs can be changed if the deadlines have not passed

Advisor Release

After making a post-submission change, the applicant must re-submit in order to save changes

AMCAS ApplicationPost Submission Changes

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring your Application Status

• The Verification Process

• AMCAS Letters of Evaluation

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

• Q&A

AMCAS Application Life Cycle

Not Submitted to AMCAS

Submitted to AMCAS – Waiting

for Transcripts

Submitted to AMCAS – Ready

for Review

Submitted to AMCAS –

Under Review

AMCAS Processing Complete

Returned to Applicant

May take up to 6 weeks*

Submitted to AMCAS – Waiting

for Transcripts

Monitoring Application Status

Monitoring application status

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring Application Status

• The Verification Process

• AMCAS Letters of Evaluation

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

• Q&A

• 20 verifiers process between 1,500 and 2,000 applications per week

• Average application has about 52 courses taken at 2 to 3 schools;

• 2 levels of verification, performed simultaneously– Line by line comparison, much like proof-reading– Normalization, involves applying judgment,

performing calculations and researching school-specific and/or applicant-specific situations

AMCAS Verification

What is verified for each course? Academic Status Academic Year & Term Grades Hours Course Classification (BCPM vs. All

Other) Course Type (Honors, Repeat, AP, etc.)

AMCAS Verification

The end result:

• Verified AMCAS GPA broken down by science & non-science courses and by academic status

• Note that medical schools do not just see your GPA. They receive all of the detailed information that you entered in the coursework section of your application.

AMCAS Verification

AMCAS Verification

• Early is good. Error-free is better.

• Before submitting your application, print it out and review it very carefully for missing courses or grades as well as for typos and errors.

• Monitor the status of transcripts & remember that transcripts must be official

• Look for emails from AMCAS@aamc.org regarding problems or delays

• Review verified coursework immediately after AMCAS processing is complete

Application Tips

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring your Application Status

• The Verification Process

• AMCAS Letters of Evaluation

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

• Q&A

Criminal Background Checks• The AAMC recommends that all US medical

schools procure a national background check on all accepted applicants

• AMCAS facilitates this process for schools that choose to participate.

• There is no additional fee to the applicant for background checks conducted through AMCAS

• Details about the types of searches conducted and the list of participating schools can be found on our website

Criminal Background Checks• After January 1, accepted/waitlisted applicants to a

school that participates in the AAMC CBC service will receive an email from Certiphi Screening asking to provide consent to conduct a Criminal Background Check If accepted to an Early Decision Program

applicants background checks are done immediately

• Results will be made available for review prior to their release to medical schools to which have accepted the applicants.

• Applicants have 10 days to review the report and contest the accuracy of the results

Criminal Background Checks• The report procured during this process will not

be released to any party other than the medical schools requesting this report.

• On the report, history including infractions and juvenile records will be displayed to the applicant but medical schools vary on the content they can and will view.  

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring your Application Status

• The Verification Process

• AMCAS Letters of Evaluation

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

• Q&A

Fee Assistance Program (FAP)• Assists applicants who, without financial

assistance would be unable to take the MCAT or apply to medical schools through AMCAS

Fee Assistance Program• Benefits

AMCAS fee waiver for up to 14 medical school designations (>$500 savings)

MCAT Fee Reduction from $235 to $85 One free copy of

– The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam– The Medical School Admissions

Requirements (MSAR)

• Most medical schools waive supplemental application fees for applicants who have been granted fee assistance by the AAMC

Fee Assistance ProgramEligibility Criteria

• Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or have refugee/asylum status

• Total family income 300% or less of the federal poverty guideline

• Example: • Poverty level for a family of 4: $22,050• FAP threshold: $66,150

Fee Assistance ProgramImportant policies

• FAP does not distinguish between dependent & independent applicant status

• FAP is not retroactive

Overview• About AMCAS

• The AMCAS Application

• Monitoring your Application Status

• The Verification Process

• Criminal Background Checks

• Fee Assistance Program

• Resources & Information

Resources & InformationSupport for Applicants and Advisors:

• 10 dedicated staff• Office hours 9 am -7 pm ET M-F

Applicant Website: www.aamc.org/amcasTelephone: 202 828 0600Email: amcas@aamc.org

Facebook.com/amcasinfo

To find out more about specific Medical Schools & programs

• Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) guide Available online through www.aamc.org/msar

• Contact Medical Schools Websites Admissions offices/brochures

Resources & Information

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