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Amcas Messed Up All Of My Semester Hours


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I go to UVIC, and we receive 1.5 credits for classes, which is what I put down as the credits in the AMCAS application. I also indicated "and lab" at the end of courses where there was a lab component. However, when the official transcript at UVIC will say on it that there is a lab, it will be given 0.0 credits. Also, sometimes it doesn't say there is a lab at all, even though there was a lab every week! So the fate of my semester hours was in AMCAS's hands, and they messed up. ALL of my courses were given "3 semester hours", where I had 18 labs!!! Thats 18 semester hours missed, which is huge. 

 

So, what are the steps I need to take to fix this ASAP with AMCAS?

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AMCAS staffs will correct up to 10 courses without any trouble to your application, myself have some IB courses hours and 2 courses with labs in your same situation was corrected and verified by AMCAS last cycle without any trouble. But if you make more than 10 courses error, I think you're screwed, you may need to contact AMCAS immediately. 

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AMCAS staffs will correct up to 10 courses without any trouble to your application, myself have some IB courses hours and 2 courses with labs in your same situation was corrected and verified by AMCAS last cycle without any trouble. But if you make more than 10 courses error, I think you're screwed, you may need to contact AMCAS immediately. 

Screwed?! Even if the error had to do with their capabilities to convert to semester hours? Are there no circumstances where they can account for more than 10 course changes? Its pretty crushing if this is the reality of the situation, especially as an applicant that put so much effort into the application process while also investing large sums of money. 

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Since I only make 8 courses hours error last cycle and corrected and verified by AMCAS, so I know 10 errors or less is OK, more than 10 error I really don't know what's going to happen, you BETTER check Amcas application instruction and contact AMCAS to find out what you can do next. Sorry I use "screwed", I just want you to know your application maybe in trouble, you have to do something about it.

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I'm not sure how AMCAS determines the conversion rate for individual university course credits to semester hours, but there's a chance your school may provide an official conversion somewhere on your transcript. My school had a system where 1 course = 1 credit, but I believe my transcript had a section which stated that 1 credit = 4 semester hours, so that's the conversion rate that AMCAS used during verification. I don't think AMCAS really takes into account whether or not your courses included lab when verifying and converting--all they care about is the number of credits/credit hours listed on your transcript.

 

If you look on the UVic website it says:

 

 

Each course offered for credit has a unit value. A full-year course with three lecture hours per week through the full Winter Session from September to April normally has a value of 3 units. A half-year course with three lecture hours per week from September to December or from January to April normally has a value of 1.5 units. A 3-unit course (3 hours of lectures per week throughout the Winter Session) approximates a 6 semester-hour or a 9 quarter-hour course. A course of 1.5 units approximates a 3 semester-hour or a 4.5 quarter-hour course.

http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2015-05/GI/
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Your 1.5 units classes, would be converted to 3.0 semester hours.

The fact that some classes didnt indicate lab, or that it had lab but was 0 units is how YOUR school decided it, not AMCAS. 

So while it sucks that it isnt exactly reflective, it will still be listed on your application and transcripts for prospective schools to see. You can explain it to them later if the opportunity is presented, but it will not be a deal breaker either way.

Call AMCAS if you are worried or upset, no one on here is going to be able to give you a more direct answer then them.


I see this question about credits for labs all the time, it is what it is - just need to accept it and move on. Some classes at UBC with lab, would be 4 credits, while some would be plain old 3. Did I feel a bit ripped off in those extra heavy semesters with 5 classes and 5 labs still being only 15 credits? Yes. Do I think most schools would care either way about that minute detail? No. You can explain it in secondaries or such for example if you had a tough semester because of that.

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It's kind of weird that there is no system in place for this though.  At UVic, labs never add extra credits, they are always 1.5, lab or not.  

 

Although, I guess it's different here because most people take 5 classes regardless of labs, whereas in the states lots of people take less classes if they have labs? I don't know. 

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