The AMCAS medical school application can seem intimidating. There are multiple sections that all have specific requirements. But, there is no need to fear! We’ve taken the time to review what you must do and break everything into digestible sections.
We will explain how to fill out the AMCAS medical school application and offer advice and tips. We will also explore the AMCAS medical school requirements and how to include your transcripts and scores from the MCAT on your AAMC application.
The first three sections expand upon the basic information you entered when creating your account. Here, you will enter more detailed information about yourself, where you are from, and similar aspects.
To begin your AMCAS med school application, you’ll enter your name, including your legal name and nicknames or preferred names you use. You can include previous names, such as your pre-marriage last name. Though marked optional, it is highly encouraged to fill this out if it applies to you.
You will also enter any useful ID numbers. These include school-assigned identification badge numbers, MCAT identifiers, AMCAS application IDs assigned before 2002, or other identifications that might appear on transcripts and documents you will be submitting.
Do not enter your Social Security Number (SSN), Social Insurance Number (SIN), or other government ID numbers.
Your birthday and sex should auto-fill with the information you entered when creating your account, but be sure to double-check. In this section, you may also choose to enter information about your gender identity and pronouns. These are offered to help gather information on diversity and inclusion.
Next, you will enter information about the schools you have attended. If you attended multiple high schools, you only need to enter information about the high school from which you graduated. Select the proper region and country from the drop-down menus to find your school, or select Other and enter it manually.
If you received a GED or another sort of equivalency, state the city and state where you earned it. Then, in the School field, select “N/A–Earned Equivalency or GED.” After doing that, you can enter the year you took the test and received the certificate.
The next part of the AMCAS application will ask you about every post-secondary institution you enrolled in for at least one course. That applies to situations where you earned no credit, transferred your credits, or withdrew.
You can choose the “Summer School Only” or AMCAS “Study Abroad Program” options for short-term programs. The latter option only applies if you were in a program through a school that was not affiliated with a foreign school.
For dual enrollments at one school, such as joint undergraduate-graduate education, create separate entries for each and use separate transcripts. Any U.S. or Canadian-sponsored study abroad program also gets a separate AMCAS study abroad entry.
You will enter the degree(s) you earned where applicable for each school and their associated major or minor subjects. Be aware that if you change the details or delete a school, AMCAS will delete all the associated information.
Like the previous section, choose the appropriate location and school from the drop-down menus, or enter them manually if they are not listed. If you went to an overseas U.S. college, select the country it’s based in or use the manual entry option if you cannot find it.
You can also choose to release the information about your application to the advisors at your institutions. This can help the schools you have attended improve their pre-health programs to aid other students in the future.
The AMCAS medical school application requires you to send official transcripts from every school or post-secondary institution you attended. This includes:
So, how do you send transcripts to AMCAS? If your program does not send transcripts, it must send an official letter stating the same at your request for the AMCAS application. Paper transcripts are accepted from all institutions, but PDF eTranscripts are only accepted from approved senders.
It is your responsibility to ensure that all your transcripts are up-to-date and accurate. An AMCAS application Pre-Barcoded Transcript Request Form matches your transcript to your application and makes the process more efficient.
Inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise incorrect transcripts are the number one cause of delays and missed deadlines. Ensure your transcripts are complete and accurate before you request to have them sent.
For institutions no longer extant, ask local education authorities and search the internet for information on where you can secure transcripts. Make sure to ask to have transcripts sent from the registrar's office of every college or university you attended around May of the year you wish to apply.
When entering the classes you took into the Coursework section, the details on the transcripts you have sent in and what you enter must match each other in chronological order.
For example, suppose your transcript says you took Calculus I in 2014, Chemistry II in 2015, Calculus II in 2016, and Calculus III in 2017. In that case, you must enter these courses following that order in the fields provided according to High School, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years.
These typically change over every two semesters, 3-4 quarters, and 2-3 trimesters. Use the following table to compute which of these years your courses fall into if you’re unsure:
| High School | Any college-level courses taken in high school |
|---|---|
| Freshman (FR) | Accumulated 0-35 credit hours |
| Sophomore (SO) | Accumulated 36-65 credit hours |
| Junior (JR) | Accumulated 66-95 credit hours |
| Senior (SR) | Accumulated more than 96 credit hours |
Each course has to be assigned an AMCAS application Course Classification from the drop-down menu options available. The application can change these if it sees fit, and if you think they got it wrong, you may send an Academic Change Request. Rest assured, applications are accepted and returned for correct classifications.
If you are in the military or armed forces, your institution’s office can usually help you obtain the information and transcripts you need. If you are no longer active-duty personnel, contact your military schools directly. They are generally faster than central offices.
As part of this section of the AAMC application, you must also state any previous medical school experience (if applicable). You’ll also need to disclose any disciplinary action from any school. If these do not apply to you, you can skip this part.
If you’ve received disciplinary action, be honest and open about what happened. If you experience any disciplinary action after hitting Submit, you have ten days to let AMCAS know about the situation.
The AMCAS transcript processing time is 15 business days for electronic copies and 25 for paper versions, so fill out everything as early and accurately as possible. Be sure your transcripts are complete and accurate. Please use the Pre-Barcoded Transcript Request Form.
Chances are, if you are filling out your AAMC medical school application, you have some experience with work and extracurricular activities. The AMCAS Work & Activities element is the place to explain what you have done and when.
There are 15 areas to enter details about these experiences, such as
You do not need to fill out every entry. Remember, quality is better than quantity.
Choose the experiences that reflect on you best and showcase your abilities to their fullest. You’ll have 700 characters to describe each entry. You can flag up to three entries as “most meaningful.” You’ll have an additional 1,325 characters to explain why these experiences are significant.
As you enter these experiences, they will organize themselves into chronological order. You will use drop-down menus to categorize your entries and include names, dates, and other such information where it is required.
All entries are plain text only. AMCAS will not save any bullets, numbering, or other formatting. Remember, and check that your entries are still readable without these formatting options.
It is best to choose experiences related to medical school or show how responsible and thoughtful you are. For example, summer jobs at fast-food stands will be less important to include than hospital volunteering or internships. Prioritize your entries, keep a list yourself, and cross off items as you enter them.
