Questions For Applying To Amcas

[workhardplayhard 0]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

 

I have a few questions with AMCAS opening up soon.

 

1. The AMCAS app opens up May 5th. Does this mean I should tell my references to start sending in their letters after this day? OR, since the app can actually get submitted June 2nd, is this the date I should be aiming for? The reason I ask is that people seem to emphasize rolling admissions for American schools.

 

2. How does it work if I get accepted to both an American and Canadian school? I know American acceptances are way earlier on, so am I able to hold my spot down with a deposit, and essentially wait until May for Ontario acceptances?

 

3. What exactly are secondaries? If you get a secondary from a school, is that one step closer to getting an interview? Or does everyone who applies get a secondary?

 

I've read the guide to applying to American schools before, but these are some of the questions that I couldn't find as definitive answers for.

 

Thanks for the help.

[thsc 62]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

 

I have a few questions with AMCAS opening up soon.

 

1. The AMCAS app opens up May 5th. Does this mean I should tell my references to start sending in their letters after this day? OR, since the app can actually get submitted June 2nd, is this the date I should be aiming for? The reason I ask is that people seem to emphasize rolling admissions for American schools.

 

2. How does it work if I get accepted to both an American and Canadian school? I know American acceptances are way earlier on, so am I able to hold my spot down with a deposit, and essentially wait until May for Ontario acceptances?

 

3. What exactly are secondaries? If you get a secondary from a school, is that one step closer to getting an interview? Or does everyone who applies get a secondary?

 

I've read the guide to applying to American schools before, but these are some of the questions that I couldn't find as definitive answers for.

 

Thanks for the help.

1. Ideally, you should aim for your references to reach them around the time that you'll be submitting the application. So this would be Jun 2nd, rather than May 5th. 

2. Not sure about this one, but I think you can just pay the deposit to maintain your spot until you hear back from Ontario

3. Only a small number of schools screen your application before sending you a secondary. Most of them will send it to you once your application is complete and verified, so it doesn't mean that you're one step closer to an interview. These are essentially just essay questions that are particular to each school e.g. why do you want to attend this school? Describe your greatest challenge, etc. 

[武田信玄 46]

1. I used Interfolio to manage my letters. Check it out. It also works for Canadian schools so you don't have to ask your referees twice.

 

2. Yes. U.S. is rolling so you may get an offer as early as mid-October. No matter. April 30th is the deadline to pick your final offer. However, you may be still on wait list for other schools, and it's common to see U.S. students to accept a new offer from waitlist right before matriculation. Basically you may accept a Canadian offer after April 30th. Deposit depends on schools.

 

3. Some school screen for secondaries, most don't. It's another way to make money for the school. Secondary is another bunch of essays you have to write. Essays don't change usually so you may start prepare them right now.

 

Good luck. AMCAS is a time battle so submit your primary on June 1st.

[武田信玄 46]

Also, submit your secondary as soon as possible after you receive it. Two weeks is the norm but try to get it done in one week.

[workhardplayhard 0]

Thanks for the answers!

[workhardplayhard 0]

1. I used Interfolio to manage my letters. Check it out. It also works for Canadian schools so you don't have to ask your referees twice.

 

2. Yes. U.S. is rolling so you may get an offer as early as mid-October. No matter. April 30th is the deadline to pick your final offer. However, you may be still on wait list for other schools, and it's common to see U.S. students to accept a new offer from waitlist right before matriculation. Basically you may accept a Canadian offer after April 30th. Deposit depends on schools.

 

3. Some school screen for secondaries, most don't. It's another way to make money for the school. Secondary is another bunch of essays you have to write. Essays don't change usually so you may start prepare them right now.

 

Good luck. AMCAS is a time battle so submit your primary on June 1st.

 

Also, I just quickly checked out interfolio. Do the referees basically confidentially upload their references to the website, and then I send them out to AMCAS/OMSAS/other schools for the specific dates?

[JohnGrisham 1,754]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

 

I have a few questions with AMCAS opening up soon.

 

1. The AMCAS app opens up May 5th. Does this mean I should tell my references to start sending in their letters after this day? OR, since the app can actually get submitted June 2nd, is this the date I should be aiming for? The reason I ask is that people seem to emphasize rolling admissions for American schools.

 

2. How does it work if I get accepted to both an American and Canadian school? I know American acceptances are way earlier on, so am I able to hold my spot down with a deposit, and essentially wait until May for Ontario acceptances?

 

3. What exactly are secondaries? If you get a secondary from a school, is that one step closer to getting an interview? Or does everyone who applies get a secondary?

 

I've read the guide to applying to American schools before, but these are some of the questions that I couldn't find as definitive answers for.

 

Thanks for the help.

1. Tell them an earlier date than June, since you never know if they will slack off or forget. With that said, you won't really need LORS until when secondaries roll around in July. But better to have it for peace of mind.

 

2. Yes, you pay your deposit and hold the seat until you perhaps get in canada. USMD schools generally will refund the first seat deposit, but check with the schools etc. 

 

3. A primary is the initial application with all your grades, PS, activities etc, that will be bulk sent by AMCAS to all the schools you list. 

 

Then once a school receives and reviews your primary(sometimes they will just screen for gpa/mcat and then auto-send secondary to anyone who meets minimums. While other times they will be more selective. It is a toss up, so don't get too ecstatic getting secondaries!) they will send you the secondary, which is the school specific application. 

 

Fill out these secondaries in advance if you can, as you will have a lot of them. Some questions don't change from year to year, look at SDN.  Send them back promptly.

 

4. Then they will take anywhere from 1 week to 5 months to look over your secondary and then perhaps send you an interview invite.

[武田信玄 46]

Also, I just quickly checked out interfolio. Do the referees basically confidentially upload their references to the website, and then I send them out to AMCAS/OMSAS/other schools for the specific dates?

Yup. You pay a fee to create an account. Then you fill out your referees' info and email, they send an invitation to your referees, your referees then upload the letters on their own. Once Interfolio receives the letters, you can just distribute the copies of the letters at your discretion. It's also directly linked with AMCAS.

 

It also worked for OMSAS and Memorial for me during the last cycle. You do have to make a few calls and let the staff know that you are using Interfolio to send the letters, but I think it's more worth it than asking the referees twice (or more).

[workhardplayhard 0]

Awesome! Just a few more things to clarify.

 

1. For AMCAS, am I just sending in reference letters at one point during the application (ideally Jun 2), or is there also some additional reference request for secondaries?

 

2. I know English is a pre-req for many American schools, but I'm able apply if I plan on taking it in 4th year right? ( I vaguely remember reading this before, but just looking for confirmation. My plan was to take it during the summer, but a pretty good opportunity for something else came up.)

 

Thanks

[武田信玄 46]

Awesome! Just a few more things to clarify.

 

1. For AMCAS, am I just sending in reference letters at one point during the application (ideally Jun 2), or is there also some additional reference request for secondaries?

 

2. I know English is a pre-req for many American schools, but I'm able apply if I plan on taking it in 4th year right? ( I vaguely remember reading this before, but just looking for confirmation. My plan was to take it during the summer, but a pretty good opportunity for something else came up.)

 

Thanks

 

Hi

 

1. You need to check out the LOR requirement for each school and get all of them beforehand (Thus Interfolio is a good tool to use). Some school needs six, other school nees only three, some needs a thesis prof...you get the idea.

 

2. Again, depends on the school. Some wants all prereqs done before applicaiton, others wants them done before december, while others wants before matriculation. However, it's just my personal belief that your chance is somewhat reduced if you don't have all prereqs done before starting your application. I did get an interview at Case Western this year without the English though.

 

P.S. Not all schools need English. UVA is a good example.

[PM333 10]

Another question please! For LOR, do the professors just upload them onto the AMCAS  or are they supposed to individually send them to different schools directly? Thanks in advance! 

[JohnGrisham 1,754]

Another question please! For LOR, do the professors just upload them onto the AMCAS  or are they supposed to individually send them to different schools directly? Thanks in advance! 

You should look into "interfolio" its an online letter management service. You would get your LOR writers to send it to interfolio, and then from there you can manage the delivery of letters to schools. Saves the writers from having to do any mailing and extra work.