Info from the PR about today's registration chaos

[lost__in__space]

Another email the PR sent me:

 

You’re probably at your computer right now trying to register for the MCAT, and you’re probably feeling the pain!

 

 

 

It is chaos this morning. For what it’s worth, we haven’t heard from anyone who has gotten a seat.

 

 

 

The AAMC site is sometimes saying “no seats available”, sometimes “site down for maintenance”. We’ve been trying to call AAMC and, like many of our students, we’re on hold! (Their number again is 202-828-0690, and they don’t have an 800 number).

 

 

 

At this point, it is likely that there ARE seats available and the issue is technical. They haven’t been prepared in many ways so this is probably just another example.

 

 

 

This did happen once earlier in the year and several DAYS later AAMC put up a notice that seats were still available but they were having a technical glitch that often gave an incorrect “no seats available” message and that students should “just keep trying”!

 

 

 

We will let you know as soon as we can find out anything from AAMC or hear anything from any students that’s worth sharing.

 

 

 

At this time, our best advice is to keep trying!

[Tan008]

thanks for posting this...i love that PR is on hold as well!

[The Law]

Hi Lawrence,

 

 

 

Here are our latest updates, based on speaking with AAMC and many students.

 

 

 

First, AAMC is saying that they are having technical problems with their website. They have told us and several students that “they are working on it” (and in one case, that it should be “a few minutes”). We have heard from about seven people who have gotten seats, so it is possible but unfortunately there’s no pattern we can see for us to relay as an action plan. Most likely the website is “sputtering” and letting people through intermittently (or at least was earlier this morning). Two suggestions we can offer, based on student feedback and our own experience:

 

 

 

a) If you have an account, try this URL http://services.aamc.org/20/mcat/portal/logout to login. This seems to be able to at least get you in to check for seats. Don’t follow the “Register” links on the main pages: these still seem to be pulling up a “web site down for maintenance” message. Now this probably does mean that even though you can get in with your account that the technical problems are still going on and may explain the “no seats available messages”.

 

 

 

don’t let your session “time-out”. Be sure to keep clicking on items on the page to make sure your session is active in between checking for seats.

 

 

 

Second, not all test sites are displaying on the AAMC website. The official line is that “We are continuing to add sites”. There are many locations that have been posted in recent weeks that are not showing up for the August/September test dates (for example, the Vancouver area has had two test centres recently, it is currently showing only 1 for August/September, the Toronto area has had five centres recently, it is currently showing only 1 for August and September).

 

 

 

What does this mean?

 

 

 

The good news is that not getting a spot this so far morning probably doesn’t mean that you’re “out of luck”. It seems like, at the very least, there will be new sites added. We are probably entering a period of days, weeks or even months, during which AAMC’s official line will be that they are having technical issues, are still adding sites, and everyone should “just keep trying”. Registration doesn’t officially “close” for any of the test dates until about 4 weeks before any of the individual test dates. We have to face the possibility that AAMC won’t give any very specific updates.

 

 

 

The bad news stemming from this is that there isn’t a good plan of action for you to follow to be sure you get a seat. The only advice the AAMC really has is to keep trying. We could see this dragging out for days and maybe weeks, because there’s no timeline they’re willing to share about when test centres will be added or when the website will be fixed. And at some point, we’re running up against the limitation they announced this week about the number of seats (3,000 seats available across all the August/September test dates, while 6,000 students took the MCAT in Canada in August 2006). AAMC seems to be saying directly that some students will not get seats.

 

 

 

What else can you do?

 

 

 

The system is a free-for-all, and one that’s set up to inconvenience students on a more or less random basis given the lack of seats. If you tried to register this morning and didn’t get a seat, it’s probably a good idea to email AAMC at mcat@aamc.org to let them know. Mention your name and your AAMC ID. Mention that you’re in Canada, what your preferred site and date is, and mention all the other test dates and locations you tried as back-ups. Will this resolve anything? Probably not. We’re not suggesting this because we think if you do someone at AAMC will call you and make sure you get registered. But if no one says anything, there’s no chance that AAMC will change their plan. If enough students contact them, making it clear that they are registered with the AAMC (not with The Princeton Review, we’re a separate company and that won’t carry weight with them) and that they did everything right (logged on early, checked every option not just the first choice), and STILL didn’t get a seat, then at least they have the evidence that would point toward the need to chance their policy.

 

 

 

Here at The Princeton Review, we want you to know that your course is not something you need to worry about as you struggle with all the registration issues. We hope every one of our students will ultimately get a seat. If not, there are several possibilities. One possibility is that AAMC will continue to say that things will work out for the next few days, weeks or even months. That could lead to your course starting and you still don’t know if you have a seat for the 2007 MCAT. Don’t worry! You can take the course this summer and if you ultimately don’t take the test in 2007 because you can’t get a seat, you can repeat the course for free in 2008. Alternatively, you could also transfer to a 2008 course for free, if you don’t want to invest the time into studying this summer. And you’re always able to withdraw and get a 100% refund up until the end of the first week of your course. These are worst case scenarios, but we don’t you worrying about more stuff than you have to: the MCAT registration problems will NOT translate into any problems with the money you’ve chosen to invest in MCAT preparation with The Princeton Review.

 

 

 

All the best,

 

The Staff at The Princeton Review

 

Phone: 1-866-877-7737

 

Email:

 

Ontario/Quebec/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Newfoundland: infotoronto@review.com

 

British Columbia/Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba: infovancouver@review.com