Tip 1: Carefully fill out the Coursework section.
On average, applicants enter 52 different courses from two to three different schools. When filling out this section, we strongly recommend using a personal copy of your official transcript(s) as a reference as you enter your coursework. Any omissions or incorrectly entered information can delay your application’s verification. Keep these things in mind as you fill out this section:
- Include ALL coursework taken at post-secondary institutions, regardless of whether you received credit, it was pass/fail, or you withdrew. This includes college-level courses taken during high school.
- If you repeated a course, enter all your attempts and corresponding grades even if your school has a grade forgiveness policy.
- Enter your coursework in the sequence it appears on your official transcript(s). This helps to avoid omissions.
- Do not list coursework twice. If coursework was transferred to another school, you must list the respective schools in the Schools Attended section (be sure to list coursework only once under the corresponding school where it was taken).
- Ten or more omissions, including missing grades and/or credit hours, requires the AMCAS Verification Team to send your application back to you. This will delay processing time.
- If you have taken courses while serving in the military, you will need to provide a Joint Services Transcript.
- For courses you are currently enrolled in or plan on taking, select “Current/Future” as the special course type.
- All coursework must be entered in English. If available, request your official transcript(s) in English.
- If your school uses a numerical grading scale or one with special symbols, enter it exactly as it appears on your transcript. The AMCAS Verification Team will review and convert it accordingly.
Tip 2: Understand how to request transcripts.
The number one cause of processing delays and missed application deadlines is transcripts. You will need to send transcripts from each U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution at which you were enrolled. Here are things to keep in mind when requesting transcripts:
- Review the 2024 AMCAS® Applicant Guide to know how to request transcripts using the AMCAS Transcript Request Form, which schools you will need to request transcripts from, and what to do if no transcripts are available.
- See if your school provides AMCAS-approved e-transcript(s). Check with your school registrar's office or website.
- When requesting your official transcripts, make sure the correct transcript ID number is assigned to your request, as a mix-up for e-transcripts can cause processing delays.
Tip 3: Know what you can change on your application post-submission.
Make sure you proofread your application before you submit it. Once you certify that the information you entered on your application is correct and you hit the submit button, you’re limited in what you can edit in your application post-submission. While you can always add MCAT® scores, letters of evaluation, and additional medical school designations post-submission, there are limited changes you can make. For a list of information you can change, review the Certifying and Submitting Your Application page. Should you find discrepancies on your verified application, you can submit an Academic Change Request.
Tip 4: If you submitted an AMCAS application in a previous cycle, double-check your entire application.
Most of the information you entered in the previous year’s application will roll over if you previously applied with the AMCAS system. If you are reapplying, you must resubmit all your official transcripts and your letters of evaluation (even if nothing has changed). In addition to any updates you wish to make to your application, you should check everything thoroughly before submitting. If your previous application was verified, please keep any changes the Verification Team made to any part of your application
For more information on how to complete the AMCAS application, take a look at the 2024 AMCAS® Applicant Guide and the AMCAS tools and tutorials that are available to help you complete the application. Follow us on Twitter at @AMCASInfo for additional tips and resources.