The 2023 AMCAS® application cycle opens on May 3. While the information required for the application is straightforward, it can be easy to make simple mistakes. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you successfully complete your application:
- Do remember to enter your degree, major, and minor information. This information cannot be entered after submission.
- Don’t forget to add Advanced Placement courses. If they’re omitted, the AMCAS team will add them as a lump credit, even if they appear individually on your transcript.
- Do remember the AMCAS academic year begins with the summer term.
- Don’t enter your summer courses in the wrong year. If your course was taken in the summer of calendar year 2022, it goes in the 2022-2023 academic year (AY). This is AY 2022-2023 in the AMCAS application.
- Do use an official transcript when entering your coursework. Aligning the coursework section of your AMCAS application with your official transcript(s) makes it easier for the verification staff to process your application.
- Don’t enter special symbols or fonts ($, !, etc.) when entering course names and course numbers.
- Do send an official transcript for all U.S., U.S. Territorial, and Canadian schools, even if one school lists all the courses as transfer credit.
- Don’t forget to check for a Joint Services Transcript if you had active military service.
- Do include your physical education courses (e.g., swimming, aerobics).
- Don’t confuse course numbers with course names (e.g., for “BIOL 101 Intro to Biology,” the course name is “Intro to Biology” and the course number is “BIOL 101”).
- Do include plus or minus grades as they appear on your official transcript.
- Don’t enter numeric grades or quality points if your transcript shows letter grades.
- Do have course descriptions available when entering course classifications and review the course classification chart carefully.
- Don’t classify physics classes as Natural Physical Science (NPSC). The classification for physics courses is Physics (PHYS) and counts toward your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math GPA.
- Do include your original letter grade for all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school lists a different symbol on the official transcript. Omitting the original grade may delay the processing of your application.
- Don’t omit withdrawals or repeated courses. Failing to show withdrawals or all attempts of repeated courses may result in a processing delay.
Be sure to bookmark the 2023 AMCAS® Applicant Guide, the 2023 AMCAS® Application Workbook, and the “AMCAS® Tools and Tutorials” webpage to help you complete the application. Follow us on Twitter at @AMCASinfo for additional tips, resources, and answers to your questions.