AMCAS® Choose Your Medical School Tool

The AAMC American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) created this tool to support medical schools’ enrollment management processes and help applicants communicate their intentions about which medical schools they plan to attend. Schools will only be able to access information about their accepted and alternate-list (waitlist) applicants. Applicants should use the tool at the direction of the schools to which they have applied.

What applicants need to know about this tool

Before taking action within the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool, applicants should review school-specific instructions, policies, deadlines, and expectations about the use of this tool during the application process. Review the Medical School Admissions Requirements^TM (MSAR^®) or medical schools’ websites to learn more about their policies. Each applicant is expected to become familiar with the procedures and requirements of each school to which they apply.

Prompt communication between applicants and schools about admissions decisions is important. Using the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool as directed by each school gives admissions offices a better idea of how many seats they need to fill in their entering classes and helps other applicants receive timely notification about the outcome of their applications.

Guiding principles for professional behavior during the application cycle are set forth in the Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants. These guidelines are not intended to supersede the policies, timelines, or discretion of individual schools or programs. The primary, official method of communication during this process takes place between an applicant and a school. This tool is intended to supplement, not replace, that communication.

Please note, only applicants with an AMCAS application will be able to use the Choose Your Medical School tool. Applicants who have applications in both the AMCAS system and TMDSAS will be able to select TMDSAS schools when using the Choose Your Medical School tool.

How Does This Tool Work?

Reference the Choose Your Medical School Tool Guide for Applicants. This guide provides you with step-by-step instructions for accessing, using, and editing selections in the Choose Your Medical School tool.

It is important to review and follow each individual school’s admission instructions, policies, deadlines, and requirements. We recommend visiting each school’s admissions website, checking the Medical School Admission Requirements website, and directly communicating with the schools to which you are applying to make sure you understand and follow their specific instructions.

Beginning Feb. 19*, applicants holding one or more acceptance offers can select “Plan to Enroll” in the AMCAS application at any school from which they have received an acceptance offer. Making this selection allows schools to view in aggregate the number of applicants who selected “Plan to Enroll” for their schools.

Until April 30, applicants can, at the time they make this selection, continue to hold other acceptances, remain on alternate lists, and continue to interview at other schools.
If applicants receive new offers, they can update their selection at any time, but they can select only one school at a time.
A school will only be able to see the aggregate number of their applicants who have selected that school or another school in the AMCAS tool to assist them with their enrollment management.
If an applicant selects “Plan to Enroll” at another school, the AMCAS program will not identify the applicant or the other school.

Beginning April 30*, accepted applicants will have two options to select: “Plan to Enroll” or “Commit to Enroll.” Selecting “Commit to Enroll” indicates that the applicant has made a final selection and withdrawn all other applications.

Starting April 30, the AMCAS tool will identify the applicants making either selection. This applicant-specific information will be visible only to schools where the applicant has a current acceptance or alternate-list position.
If an applicant selects “Commit to Enroll” to a school, all other schools where the applicant also holds an acceptance or alternate-list offer will be notified but will not know the name of the school selected.
Selecting “Commit to Enroll” does not automatically withdraw applications from other medical schools. Applicants must communicate directly with all schools about their final decision according to each school’s specific policy.

*If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day applies.

How to Access the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool

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Applicants with at least 1 current acceptance will be able to see and use the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool. The tool can be accessed via your AMCAS application where you can click on the Choose Your Medical School icon.

AMCAS Application Text: Plan to Enroll

Plan to Enroll – prior to April 30*

Plan to Enroll: I have preliminarily selected this medical school as the one I plan to attend in accordance with Protocol 9 of the Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants.

Medical schools can only see aggregate information until April 30th and will not know which applicants have selected "Plan to Enroll" at their school or at other schools.

Beginning April 30th, medical schools can see which of their accepted applicants have selected "Plan to Enroll" at their institution. I understand that I can continue to interview, hold my current acceptance offers and receive additional acceptance offers, and remain on any waitlist at any other medical schools to which I applied.

I acknowledge and understand the Choose Your Medical School option I have selected above, my responsibilities of direct communication with the medical schools, and the importance of following school-specific application policies and processes. I understand that information about my selection will be made available as noted at the top of the page.

Plan to Enroll – beginning April 30*

Plan to Enroll: I have selected this medical school as the one I plan to attend in accordance with Protocol 9 of the Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants. By selecting "Plan to Enroll," I am communicating to all schools at which I hold an acceptance that I have a made a choice about the school at which I plan to enroll, and that I have withdrawn from my other acceptances, and hold only one acceptance. I understand that it is my responsibility to communicate with the other medical schools directly and to follow their school-specific processes to withdraw my application(s). I understand that I can continue to interview, remain on any waitlist, and receive additional acceptance offers. Beginning April 30th, medical schools can see which applicants have selected “Plan to Enroll” at their institution.

AMCAS Application Text: Commit to Enroll

Commit to Enroll – beginning April 30*

Commit to Enroll: I am confirming my commitment to matriculate to the medical school selected above.

By selecting "Commit to Enroll," I am indicating that I have made my final selection and withdrawn all other applications, including waitlist positions.

I understand that it is my responsibility to communicate my withdrawal and acceptance decisions with medical schools directly and to follow their school-specific processes to withdraw my application(s) or confirm my acceptance. Selecting "Commit to Enroll" is not an appropriate method of withdrawing applications from other medical school(s), including any which have offered me an acceptance. Beginning April 30th, medical schools can see which applicants have selected “Commit to Enroll” at their institution.

*If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day applies.

What Reports will Medical Schools be Able to Run?

Medical schools will have access to the following reports:

Feb. 19**: Medical schools can run an aggregate report to find out how many applicants in their pool have selected “Plan to Enroll” at their school versus another school.*
April 30**: Medical schools can run detailed reports to identify accepted and alternate-list applicants who have selected “Plan to Enroll” or “Commit to Enroll” at their school versus another school.
Post-cycle: Medical schools can see where applicants in their pool matriculated (released in October of the matriculating year).

^{* In accordance with current protocols, applicants have until April 30 to start narrowing their accepted offers to one. Until then, the AMCAS tool cannot identify applicants to schools.}

^{**If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day applies.}