Section 4 of the AMCAS® Application: Coursework

Transcripts

The AMCAS^® application requires one official transcript from each U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution at which you have attempted coursework, regardless of whether credit was earned. To determine whether or not an official transcript is required for one of your undergraduate institutions, consult the AMCAS Applicant Guide.

Problems with transcripts are the number one cause of processing delays and missed application deadlines.

Transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar’s office. A transcript will be rejected and cannot be used for processing by the AMCAS program under any of the following conditions:

• The official transcript was received directly from the student.
• The official transcript is for the wrong student, or the name on the transcript differs from that on this transcript request form.
• The official transcript is illegible.

• The official transcript was issued/printed more than 14 days before the date that your transcript was received. 

• The official transcript is incomplete e.g., missing pages/coursework. 

• The official transcript is from a foreign institution. 

• The transcript is not official e.g., missing registrar signature/seal or issued to a third party. 

Applicants must submit new transcripts each year they apply since the AMCAS program must verify to the designated medical schools that no additional courses were taken at a particular school. In addition, the AMCAS program does not keep transcripts on file from previous years' applications. 

Sending Transcripts

The AMCAS program accepts both paper and electronic transcripts. Electronic transcripts must be transmitted through our approved vendors, National Student Clearinghouse and Parchment, or sent via secure email from approved school registrars. The AMCAS program will not accept transcripts via fax.

The AMCAS program prefers electronic transcript submission. For efficient processing, please submit your transcript electronically to the AMCAS program. If you request an electronic transcript, do not send a paper transcript. When requesting e-transcripts, make sure to provide your accurate AAMC ID and Transcript ID to prevent delays.

If electronic transcripts are unavailable at your institution, paper transcripts should be mailed to the AMCAS program along with an AMCAS Pre-barcoded Transcript Request Form to help match your transcript(s) to your application. This form is found within the application. 

Electronic Transcripts:

The AMCAS program accepts official eTranscripts from: 

• Certree
• National Student Clearinghouse
• Parchment

The AMCAS program accepts emailed transcripts from:

• Approved school registrars

Contact your school’s registrar to confirm whether they are approved to send the AMCAS program emailed transcripts or use one of our approved vendors.

Requesting an electronic transcript from a school that is not approved will result in delays for your application, as you will have to submit another request to your registrar for a paper transcript. 

If a transcript is sent electronically, do not send a duplicate paper copy as this will cause delays for other applicants who are unable to send their transcripts electronically.

Paper Transcripts:

Paper transcripts should be mailed to the AMCAS program along with an AMCAS Pre-barcoded Transcript Request. The AMCAS program has difficulties matching applications to official transcripts that are not accompanied by the AMCAS Pre-barcoded Transcript Request Form. This form ensures that your transcript is matched to your application and provides more efficient processing. Print the AMCAS Pre-barcoded Transcript Request Form from within your current application from the Main Menu.

Mail paper transcripts to:

AMCAS, attn: Transcripts, AAMC Medical School Application Services,
P.O. Box 57326,
Washington, DC 20037

Transcript Processing Timelines

The table below details all delivery options available to registrars, in order from fastest delivery to slowest. Processing begins once your transcripts are delivered to the AMCAS program. Reference the transcript processing tool to find the latest date your transcript will be processed based on the mode of transmission to the AMCAS program. Please note, you will receive an email from the AMCAS program when your transcript is marked "Received."

*Mailed transcripts take longer to receive and process than other methods. If possible, AMCAS recommends utilizing the other delivery methods. If your registrar has questions, please contact etranscripts@aamc.org. 

Transcript Deadlines

The transcript deadline is the date the AMCAS program must receive all required official transcripts. Deadlines for official transcripts to be received are 14 calendar days, or the next business day after a program's deadline if the transcript deadline date falls on a weekend or holiday. Please review AMCAS Participating Medical Schools and Deadlines and Medical School Admission Requirements for school deadlines.

Transcript Issue/Print Date Requirement

The AMCAS program requires that all transcripts must be issued/printed within 14 days before the date your transcript is received. Please see the example below of an acceptable issue/print date. 

Please note that any transcript received by the AMCAS program that was not issued/printed within 14 days before receipt will not be used to process an application. The applicant will be notified via email and should request another transcript. 

Entering Your Coursework

Take your time when completing the Coursework section of the application. Omitting coursework, grades, credits, or supplying incorrect grades may affect your AMCAS GPA and could delay the processing of your application, which could result in missed deadlines.

Keep a copy of your official transcript(s) next to you while you complete this section to help ensure that your information is complete and accurate.

When entering coursework, you must include information and corresponding grades for every course in which you have ever enrolled at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution, regardless of whether you earned credit. This includes, but is not limited to, withdrawals, repeats, failures, incompletes, and future coursework. Courses removed from your transcripts or GPA as a result of academic bankruptcy, forgiveness, or similar institutional policies must also be included.

• Course Classification: Each course must be assigned a course classification based entirely on the primary content of the course. See the AMCAS Course Classification Guide for assistance in classifying your coursework.
• Foreign Coursework/Study Abroad: Applicants often have questions about entering foreign study experience into the AMCAS application. You should carefully consult the AMCAS Applicant Guide to determine how to do so. For more information on how to enter your study abroad coursework, please visit the How to Enter Study Abroad Coursework page.
• AMCAS GPA: The AMCAS program will convert most standard undergraduate transcript grades to AMCAS grades based on conversion information provided by the institutions. The AMCAS GPA provides the medical schools with a standard way to compare each applicant's background. The BCPM GPA is comprised of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses. All other coursework will be calculated in the AO (All Other) GPA.