amcas coursework guide

(888) 381-9509
[email protected]
Book a Meeting
student login
Student Login
Our Services
Our Story How it started
Our Team Meet Our Advisors & Tutors
Our Services How we can help you
Our Difference Learn why we stand out
Success Stories & Testimonials Hear the stories
For Parents Learn why you should trust us
Organizational Partners Provide value to your students
Institutional Partners Enhance your student offering
In the News Read Our Stories
Frequently Asked Questions Find answers
MCAT Tutoring One-on-One Personalized Help
MCAT Go An Audio Learning Experience
MCAT Practice Exams Boost Your Score
MCAT Prep App Videos, Flashcards & Q-Bank
MCAT CARS Mastery Top-Rated CARS Video Course
Pre-Med Coach 9th & 10th Grade Roadmap Planning
College Admissions 11th & 12th Grade Pre-Med Consulting
Direct Medical (BS/MD & BA/MD) Application Consulting
Interview Preparation BS/MD Candidates
Pre-Med Coach Pre-Application Development
Application Advising Med School Admissions Support
Personal Statement Editing Refine Your Narrative
AMCAS Editing Application Editing
Secondary Editing Secondary Application Editing
Interview preparation Realistic Practice
CASPer Preparation Simulation & Coaching
Ontario Application Support OMSAS Application
Residency Advising Complete Match Support
Residency Interview Preparation
ERAS Personal Statement Refine Your Story
USMLE STEP 1 Maximize your scores
USMLE STEP 2 Shine on your boards
USMLE STEP 3 Conquer your final hurdle
COMLEX LEVEL 1 and 2 Score higher
Travel with Us Hands-On Clinical & Research
Virtual Shadowing Explore Medical Specialties
Pre-Med A to Z Admissions Video Course
Research Roadmap Master Clinical Research
MSC Score Calculate Your Chances
Guidebooks Comprehensive Guides
Med School Explorer Find Your School
MCAT Review Videos, Questions, Notes

2024/25 AMCAS Application Guide (With Screenshots)

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

The AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) is the centralized application system used by all allopathic medical schools (MD schools) in the United States . AMCAS is managed by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) in Washington, D.C.

Important AMCAS dates and deadlines:

May 2, 2024 — AMCAS opens for the 2024/25 application cycle
May 24, 2024 — Last recommended date to take the MCAT for this cycle
June 21, 2024 — Last recommended date to take the Casper or AAMC PREview exam, if required by your institution (see the latest Casper schedule here and the PREview schedule here )
August 15, 2024 — Latest recommended date for secondary submissions
September 14, 2024 — Latest date to take the MCAT in 2024 (we recommend a test date in May or earlier, if possible)
January-March 1, 2025 — Application deadlines for most MD schools fall here (but we recommend applying much, much sooner)

Are you also applying to DO schools or any medical programs in Texas? Check out our guides to AACOMAS (osteopathic schools) or TMDSAS (Texas medical programs).

I’ll walk you through what to expect when submitting your primary application through AMCAS, including a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Need help preparing your med school application? Get 1-on-1 support from a former admissions committee member.

Amcas application timeline.

The AMCAS application window opens the first week of May each year. However, there are actions you should take in preparation for the AMCAS application even before it officially opens.

Medical schools typically use a rolling admissions process , which means applications are reviewed as admissions officers receive them. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible (the first week of June is ideal) to avoid delays in being verified.

Here’s the AMCAS timeline to follow:

September-December 2023:

Plan a comprehensive MCAT study schedule and prepare for the exam.
Check in with your pre-med advisor to ensure you’re on track to meet all the prerequisites you’ll need.
Begin contacting evaluators you hope will provide you with letters of recommendation.
Research the specific MD programs you want to apply to. Use our free MedSchoolExplorer to discover which programs are perfect for you!
Consider any extracurriculars (including clinical work) you plan to complete before graduation to strengthen your application.
Request your official transcripts from all undergraduate schools you’ve attended.

January-May 2024:

Start drafting your personal statement and essay.
Create an account on the AMCAS website. Log in or create your account here .
Complete the Identifying Information , Schools Attended, and Biographic Information sections of the application.
Fill out the Coursework & Official Transcript (s) section.
In the Letters of Evaluation section, list your letter writers who will send in confidential letters about your character and competency. Check in with your evaluators to ensure they received the request via email. Schedule times to follow up with them after a period of time has passed if their evaluation hasn’t been submitted.
Take the MCAT early enough to get your scores back by the end of June or earlier. Your MCAT scores are automatically released to AMCAS, so you don’t have to do anything extra to have the scores included with your application. (Keep in mind that this means you also cannot prevent previous MCAT scores from being included.)
Schedule your Casper or AAMC PREview exam if required by your chosen school(s).
Request your schools send your official transcripts directly to AMCAS. Resolve any holds due to financial or other issues as quickly as possible.

June-August 2024:

Submit your application after filling out the remaining AMCAS sections.
Keep an eye on your application’s verification status. Verification should take around 10 days to complete. If your application has a significant number of errors, it may be “undelivered” and sent back to you to correct.
Download a completed copy of your primary application.
When requested, submit secondary applications no later than the end of July or beginning of August.

From September 2024 through February 2025, you may receive requests to interview at one or more programs. Most schools operate on a rolling admissions process, meaning they accept students right away who successfully complete interviews. Others may wait until all interviews are complete before sending acceptance letters as late as March 2025.

A visual look at when important events happen in the medical school admissions timeline.

Read Next: 2024/25 AACOMAS Application Timeline

How to Fill Out the AMCAS Application

Although you can spread your time across several months, filling out the AMCAS will take many hours. Pre-draft your personal statement and work/activities months in advance, and print out all your transcripts. That way, filling everything out will only take 2-6 hours.

There are 9 AMCAS application sections:

Identifying Information
Schools Attended
Biographic Information
Course Work
Work and Activities
Letters of Evaluation
Medical Schools
Standardized Tests

You must fill out the Identifying Information and Schools Attended sections before you can proceed to other sections. The Medical Schools section can only be opened after you’ve completed the Biographic Information section.

Note: Some of these sections are simply informational, while others are used to assess you as a candidate on a personal, academic, and professional level.

The AAMC defines core competencies that pre-medical candidates should demonstrate on their primary application. It’s a good idea to understand these competencies so you have the best shot at crafting an application that stands out from the rest.

Keep reading to learn more details about completing each section.

Setting Up Your Account

Set up your account with AMCAS so you can fill out their online med school application:

Visit the Applying to Medical School with AMCAS® page on AAMC’s website.
Click the blue “AMCAS Sign In” button in the upper right corner.
On the sign in page, click “Create Account” on the right.
Enter your personal information, initial questions, and account information as indicated.
Check your email for a verification link.
Once you’ve clicked the link in your email, you’ll receive a notification that your account has been verified, and you will be directed to sign in.

Select from available application cycles.

The Ultimate Guide to Completing Your AMCAS Medical School Application

Pro Tip: Start early and go slowly, carefully checking every field of the application as you go. You can save and edit the application as many times as you want before hitting submit. Even the tiniest errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, etc. will reflect poorly on you with admissions committees.

Craft your AMCAS application with 1-on-1 help from a physician and former admissions committee member.

Follow the prompts to enter your identifying information, including:

Birth country, state, and county
Citizenship

Read Next: Supreme Court’s Ruling On Affirmative Action Impact On College Admissions

Click “Save & Continue to Application”.

You’ll be taken to an application main menu that shows your personal information, the 9 sections of the application (and whether they’re complete or not), quick links for help with your application, and your document statuses.

You won’t see an area to view your letters of evaluation/recommendation or transcripts since these are submitted directly to AMCAS.

Section 1: Identifying Information

Most of the Identifying Information data is pulled over from your profile creation. Complete any missing or inaccurate information in this section until a checkmark shows the section is completed.

Section 2: Schools Attended

In the Schools Attended section, you’ll enter the information for your high school and colleges , including any attempted postsecondary, foreign/study abroad, or military education.

You will also have to state whether you have matriculated as a medical school student previously and whether you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct.

This is also where you’ll first see the notice that official transcripts are submitted directly to AMCAS from your school’s registrar. Once you enter a college’s information, you’ll have an opportunity to create a transcript request form.

Section 3: Biographic Information

Biographic Information is a hefty section with a ton of personal information and background. Go step-by-step and fill in the blanks as indicated. These prompts include:

Preferred and permanent address
Alternate contact
CItizenship
Legal residence
Self-identification
Childhood information
Military service record
Military discharge status
Felony and misdemeanor information
Information about impactful experiences*
Parents and guardians, siblings, and dependants

*The “Other Impactful Experiences” question is a new addition to the section as of 2024. It replaces the “Disadvantaged Status” question seen in previous application cycles. You’ll be asked whether you would like to describe “challenges or obstacles in your life” in order to “provide additional information… that is not easily captured in the rest of the application”.

If you answer Yes to the “Other Impactful Experiences” question, you’ll be expected to submit a narrative essay of 1,325 characters or less describing your experience and sharing how it “directly impacted your life opportunities.”

Section 4: Course Work

In Section Four, you must enter every course you took at each school — it’s tedious, so have your printed transcripts in hand and settle in for this section.

You will have to complete multiple sections for each course:

Prior to entering your coursework , the AAMC encourages you to watch some brief tutorials that will guide you through the process:

Basic Course Work Tutorial
AP Course Work/Credit Tutorial
Current & Future Course Work Tutorial (no grade earned yet)
Study Abroad Course Work Tutorial

Pro Tip: Course classification can be tricky. All courses are classified as BCPM science courses (biology, chemistry, physics, math) and AO courses (all others). AMCAS offers a Course Classification Guide that provides examples of how courses are often categorized. Ultimately, you are responsible for selecting the correct course classification, but AMCAS reserves the right to change classifications if the assigned classification clearly does not apply. Misclassified courses may delay the verification of your application. Working with an admissions advisor can ensure you classify courses correctly the first time.

Section 5: Work and Activities

Work and Activities (sometimes shown as Work/Activities ) is another hefty section where you get to show what makes you a strong applicant beyond your school work.

There is space for up to 15 work and activity entries ( but it’s ok if you don’t have 15 ). You also have the opportunity to highlight the 3 “most meaningful” experiences to you.

There are 19 Experience Type categories you have to choose for each work/activity entry:

Artistic Endeavors
Community Service/Volunteer – Medical/Clinical
Community Service/Volunteer – Not Medical/Clinical
Conferences Attended
Extracurricular Activities
Honors/Awards/Recognitions
Intercollegiate Athletics
Leadership – Not Listed Elsewhere
Military Service
Paid Employment – Medical/Clinical
Paid Employment – Not Medical/Clinical
Physician Shadowing/Clinical Observation
Presentations/Posters
Publications
Research/Lab
Social Justice/Advocacy
Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant

For each activity or work experience, you’ll enter the following information:

Experience Type (i.e. Community Service/Volunteer)
Experience Name (i.e. Nursing Home Volunteer)
Completed Hours
Anticipated Hours
Whether it was repeated
Organization name, location, and contact information
Experience description
Whether it was one of your most meaningful experience (Yes/No)

The Experience Description box is crucial. Admissions committees are not simply looking for what you did. They want to know the depth of your responsibilities and what you accomplished.

Admissions boards want to hear what qualities you demonstrated, how the experience reflected your values, and how you learned and grew from it — both personally and as it relates to your future career in medicine.

Pro Tip: One of the keys to the Work & Activities section is to show that you’re well-rounded. Admissions committees want to hear about your hobbies and interests outside of your science background, as well.

You have just 700 characters to wrap that up in a nice package.

New for 2024-25, the AAMC AMCAS introduced a new experience type called “Social Justice/Advocacy”. This allows you to let admissions committees know how you’ve worked to improve the rights, privileges, and opportunities of a cause, group, or person.

“One of the main functions of physicians is to educate. If you can demonstrate you're well-rounded, it shows you’ll be able to find common ground with your patients beyond healthcare, such as sports, literature, or music.” Dr. Harvey Katzen, Med School Coach Associate Director of Advising

Section 6: Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation

For schools using the AMCAS Letter Service program , your letters of recommendation (LORs) are another item submitted directly to AMCAS and the medical schools you are applying to.

Since AMCAS doesn’t require a student’s LoRs to verify their application, students may submit their application even if their letters have not yet arrived at AMCAS. The medical schools will receive the application and letters after the application has been fully verified.

Pro Tip: Your letters of evaluation are another way to really set your application apart. Generic LORs will not add value to your application. Get letters from professors, supervisors, and mentors that you had genuine relationships with — people who can speak to your character and accomplishments. Start asking letter writers for LORs 3-4 months beforehand. Check out this article on etiquette for approaching letter writers.

When adding a letter of evaluation or recommendation, you must include a letter title. Make this a meaningful title that you can remember, as you will later need to match letters and assign them to the medical schools you’re applying to.

For each entry, you must choose 1 of 3 types. Each letter type is considered 1 letter entry, regardless of the actual number of letters it contains.

Here are the definitions of the 3 letter types:

Committee Letter: A letter authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor intended to represent your institution’s evaluation of you. A Committee Letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application. The Committee Letter is sometimes called a Composite Letter.
Letter Packet: A set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution’s career center. A Letter Packet may include a cover sheet from your prehealth committee or advisor; however, in contrast to a Committee Letter, a Letter Packet does not include an evaluative letter from your prehealth committee or advisor.
Individual Letter: A letter written by, and representing, a single letter author. If you have already included an Individual Letter within either a Committee Letter or Letter Packet, you do not need to add a separate entry for that letter.

Each medical school has a different requirement for letters of recommendation. For example, schools may require a committee letter or letter packet — or 2 letters from science professors plus 1 non-science professor plus 1 to 2 others, including physicians. Check each medical school’s website for their specific requirements.

Before completing this section, you will need confirmation from your letter writers. You will add an entry for each letter you’re expecting with the author’s contact information and letter title. AMCAS will then assign an ID number for each letter that the letter writer must include.

After you add each entry, you will be prompted to create a PDF AMCAS Letter Request Form that you will provide to the author.

Dossier services like Interfolio or VirtualEvals can be a great way to store and release confidential letters like these — just be sure to submit only evaluations for the current application cycle.

“Great letters are an absolute must. I was really surprised to find out how seriously committee members take these letters. The fact is, there are so many worthy applicants with great credentials, academics, and activities. They're looking for distinguishing factors, and the quality of your letter is important for a really competitive application.” Dr. Ed Lipsit, MedSchoolCoach Associate Director of Advising

Section 7: Medical Schools

In the Medical Schools section, you’ll select all the medical schools you’re applying to.

How many medical schools should you apply to? Admissions advisors from MedSchoolCoach recommend you apply to 25-40 schools, including both in-state and out-of-state schools that you feel are a good match.

You don’t need a full school list at this point; you only need to apply to one school to “submit” your application, which gets most of the heavy lifting out of the way. You can come back and add more schools later, but this first submission of your application is what gets the verification process started.

For each school you add, select a program and declare whether you’ve previously applied to that school. You will be able to see whether or not the school participates in the AMCAS Letter Service and the AMCAS-facilitated Criminal Background Check.

If you have entered letters of recommendation, you will also have the opportunity to assign a letter to each school at this point.

As you add schools, you will have a helpful dashboard where you can see each med school, the program you’re applying to, and the transcript and application deadlines. Here, you’ll also see your application fees start to add up.

How many schools can I apply to with AMCAS? You can apply to as many schools as you want with the AMCAS, as long as they accept the application service.

The fee is $175 to send your application to the first school and $45 for each additional school.

While it’s wise to apply to multiple schools, a lot of thought should go into cultivating your school list. In-state tuition is almost always going to be cheaper than out-of-state, but you also need to consider factors like the mission of the school (is it focused on primary care or research?), proximity to family, and preference for culture and climate.

Schools should also be an academic match and best suited to your professional experience.

"Definitely cast a wide net. However, also try to be smart about the list you create. There are a lot of factors that go into creating a solid school list – how competitive an applicant you are, what aspects of medicine you’re interested in, the financial impact of applying to many schools. I would encourage you to work one-on-one with an advisor to create a smart, practical school list that maximizes you chance of success.” Dr. Ed Lipsit, MedSchoolCoach Associate Director of Advising

Section 8: Essays

Your personal statement , which is within the Essays section, is arguably the most important part of the application.

A strong medical school personal statement speaks volumes about your potential to succeed in medical school. It can demonstrate to admissions committees your potential as a future physician and how you’ll contribute to their school. Additionally, it helps to distinguish you from other applicants with similar GPAs and MCAT scores.

Likewise, an un impressive personal statement can ruin your chance of getting an interview . A poorly-written personal statement with typos that lacks content is pretty much a deal breaker when admissions committees have hundreds of applications to review.

The challenge with this section is how deceptively simple it looks on the AMCAS application: “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.” And you have 5,300 characters — or around 500 words to do it. No pressure!

If you click the link provided in this section, AMCAS does give you a bit more guidance for what to write about.

Advice for writing a standout personal statement:

Start writing the first draft 3-6 months early.
Be authentic.
Demonstrate your passion for medicine.
Stick to a central theme.
Include personal stories — show, don’t tell.
Share your vision for the future.
Give it some personality.
Carefully navigate emotional topics.
Don’t rely on ChatGPT to write for you.

That last point about using AI to write is really important. One of the few changes between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 AMCAS applications is the addition of the instruction here: “This essay should reflect your personal perspectives and experiences accurately and must be your own work and not the work of another author or the product of artificial intelligence .”

Seriously, just don’t do it.

Things NOT to include in your personal statement:

Your MCAT & GPA — they are included in another section of your application
Typos, grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes
Name-dropping
Made-up stories
A duplicate of your CV
Third-person writing
Irrelevant stories
Explanations for one bad grade

It may help you write your personal statement if you break it into smaller, manageable chunks. In general, think about your essay containing 4-5 components:

Introduction (1 paragraph) — Introduce your narrative/theme by tying it to a personal story or anecdote.
Body (2-3 paragraphs) — Highlight pivotal experiences and how they drove you to pursue medicine.
Conclusion (1 paragraph) — Tie everything together and share how you envision yourself impacting the field of medicine in the future.

Begin as early as December/January if you plan to apply in May/June.

Get opinions from others. Have others read your essay, but be selective about who you ask. A professor, work colleague, or a medical student are likely better options than a family member.

Some personal essay ideas to think about:

Significant/formative life experiences: Include events that have greatly influenced your life, how you conduct yourself, your outlook on the world, or your impactful decisions.
Significant people: People that impacted you (positively or negatively) and how that affected your journey to medical school.
Characteristics and skills: Use stories to demonstrate the positive traits you have that will help you succeed as a physician.

Check out outstanding personal statement examples here .

Section 9: Standardized Tests

Standardized Tests is the final section. Congratulations on making it this far!

If you have already taken the MCAT, your scores are automatically released to AMCAS and will be visible here. If you haven’t taken the MCAT yet, or if you plan to retake it and have a test date scheduled, you can indicate that here and your latest test score will be updated when released.

This is also where you have the opportunity to enter any additional standardized test scores, such as GRE, LSAT, or GMAT.

other tests section amcas 2024 screenshot

Boost your MCAT score with expert coaching from our 99th-percentile tutors.

Final submission and payment.

From your main application menu, you have the opportunity to go back into every section and make changes. Check and double-check everything.

CAUTION: If you have completed the AMCAS sections in order, and each section on the left has a green check mark circle next to it, then as soon as you save your standardized tests sections — you will be asked if you want to submit your application.

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU SAY NO. It’s always a good idea to go back and carefully review each section to check for errors, accuracy, and completion.

When you’re ready, click “Submit Application.”

Follow the prompts on the next few pages.

AMCAS does a great job of telling you what you still need to do in the Pre-Submission Checks, such as assigning letters of recommendation to medical schools. Remember, letters can be added and assigned at a later date as you get confirmations from letter writers.

From here, you will complete the following to officially submit your application:

Certification
Criminal Background Check

Certification: This acts as your legal signature to certify everything on your application is accurate. There are 13 statements to read, check, and agree to on this page.

Password: Under this section, you’ll have the opportunity to print your application. Even if you don’t physically print it, the file will open as a PDF and you can read through it.

The PDF form is exactly what medical school admissions committees will receive. We highly recommend you save or print this PDF form. If you find any errors, you can still go back and edit your application before continuing the submission process.

When you’re satisfied with your application, you will enter your AMCAS password to certify that you understand that you may not change, correct, or update selected parts of the application as outlined in the AMCAS Applicant Guide once it has been submitted to AMCAS.

CBC (Criminal Background Check): This page informs you that AMCAS partners with Certiphi Screening, Inc. to perform criminal background checks. Upon your initial, conditional acceptance by a participating medical school, Certiphi Screening, Inc. will send an email with additional information to your preferred email address to start your background check.

Payment: The final section is where you’ll pay your application fees.

For students who need financial aid for fees, AAMC offers a fee assistance program .

Once your payment is confirmed, your application is officially submitted.

To submit an Academic Change Request, select one of the following reasons and include an explanation:

Re-compute the following GPA/hours
Re-verify the following courses
Add the following courses
Delete courses that were added by AMCAS Verifications team (based on errors or omissions compared to applicant official college transcripts)
Update the following school information

Verification

The verification process can range from a few days to a few weeks. This process can be delayed if there are errors on your application, such as misclassified coursework.

In order for your application to be placed in the queue for verification, the following are required:

Work/Activities section
Personal Statement section
Official transcripts and grades received by AMCAS

These items are not required for verification and they will not delay the verification of your application:

Letters of recommendation
Medical schools (except the first one required to submit)

Once you submit your application, you’ll want to closely monitor its verification status. On the top right corner of your main menu, you will see a blue status. You can also click “View Application Status History” at any time to see a record of updates.

It’s important to understand the meaning of each status so that you can track your application and know if you need to take some action:

Not Submitted to AMCAS: AMCAS has not received your application.
Submitted to AMCAS: Waiting for Transcripts: AMCAS has received your application. Required transcripts have not been received for review.
Submitted to AMCAS: Ready for Review: AMCAS has received a copy of all required transcripts and has placed the application in line to be reviewed by an AMCAS verifier.
Submitted to AMCAS: Under Review: A verifier is reviewing your application. You will be notified if there are any additional transcripts needed for processing.
Submitted to AMCAS: Financial Hold: You have certified and submitted your AMCAS application. However, AMCAS cannot process your application until you resolve the financial hold associated with your application.
Submitted to AMCAS: Incorrect Coursework : You have certified and submitted your AMCAS application. However, your application is on hold due to incorrect coursework in your application.
Submitted to AMCAS: Incorrect Documents: You have certified and submitted your AMCAS application. However, your application is on hold due to incorrect documents associated with your application.
Returned to Applicant: The application has been returned to you for missing coursework or failing to enter an original grade for a repeated course.
AMCAS Processing is Complete: The application has been made available to your medical school designations.
Withdrawn from AMCAS: You have withdrawn your AMCAS application. This step is final, so you are no longer eligible to apply for the current application year.

What Information Can I Add After Submitting?

You can edit the following types of information after submitting your AMCAS:

Name and contact information
Your date of birth
Your gender
Your next MCAT and PREview exam date
The release of application details to your prehealth advisor
Additional medical schools

Costs & Financial Assistance

The AMCAS application costs $175 to send your application to the first school and $45 for each additional school.

To be eligible for AAMC’s financial assistance, you must have a US-based address, and your total family income for 2023 must be under 400% of the national poverty line for your family size.

Below are the benefits of AAMC’s 2024 fee assistance program:

A waiver for one cycle of AMCAS application fees
A reduced MCAT registration fee — $140 instead of $335
Online MCAT preparation and study products
A waiver for the AAMC PREview exam fees
2-year subscription to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) database

The AACOMAS (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service) is the application for osteopathic medical schools outside of Texas. You’ll fill this out if you’re pursuing DO schools as part of your medical school application process.

The AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) is the application for allopathic medical schools outside of Texas. All prospective students interested in MD schools will use this application.

The TMDSAS (Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service) is used for all medical programs in Texas. The Texas legislature has a strict 10% cap on non-resident medical students, which means 90% or more of the matriculants to Texas medical programs are in-state residents.

We Can Help You Craft a Standout AMCAS Application

Looking to craft a stand-out application and ultimately achieve your dream of becoming a physician? MedSchoolCoach can help. Our admissions experts work with hundreds of students each year, providing step-by-step guidance throughout the admissions process.

This 1-on-1 mentorship is why 92% of MedSchoolCoach clients get accepted into medical school – double the acceptance rate for the average applicant.

Ready to 2x your odds of med school acceptance?

Learn more about our Application Advising Services or schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you.

Renee Marinelli, MD

Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.

See How We Can Help

Search for:, recent posts, medschoolcoach, recent blog posts.

The Med School Journey – Definitions to Become a Doctor

Becoming a doctor is a rewarding, but long process. We're here to help you learn the steps to becoming a[...]

May 29, 2020

Medical stethoscope on a Canada flag. Canadian health care system, insurance.

The OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch: A Beginner’s Guide to Approaching the ABS

The Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) is one of the few aspects of your medical school[...]

January 9, 2023

Is Research Necessary to Get into Medical School?

During our recent MedSchoolCoach webinar, "Establishing Your Brand: How to be Unique When Applying to Medical School", Dr. Mehta, CEO[...]

December 20, 2017

The Pre-Med Journey: What it Takes to Get into Medical School

Thinking about applying to medical school? Discover what high school students need to know about obtaining a career in medicine.

Successfully Planning for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 CK

Get ready for the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 with this free guide to study planning and resource utilization.

100 MCAT Study Tips

Taking the MCAT? These 100 tips and tricks will help you ace the MCAT.

Call us at (888) 381-9509

Call Us Now

Or, Schedule a Meeting Below

Happy April Fool’s Day from MedSchoolCoach!

While mastering sleep-learning is still a dream, mcat go helps you study for the mcat while you are awake. listen to mcat go for free (a $99 value) by entering your email below to receive an exclusive discount code. this ain’t no joke..

Medical School Application Articles and Resources

AMCAS Application: The Absolute Guide (2024)

Important tips to help you navigate the AMCAS application.

If you’re passionate about medicine, then you may have decided that a career as a doctor is right for you. Whether your goal is to be a family physician or pursue a more specialized field, such as orthopedics or gynecology, the first step on your journey is to attend medical school. Understanding the AMCAS application is key to your success.

If you are applying to allopathic, meaning M.D. granting medical schools in the U.S, you will want to understand the ins and outs of the American Medical College Application Service, also known as AMCAS. AMCAS is used to apply to all allopathic medical schools in the United States except medical schools in Texas.

Offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the AMCAS is a centralized application service used by almost all the medical students in the U.S. In this sense it’s like the Common Application used by undergraduate programs. Along with grades and test scores, you can expect to use the AMCAS to submit your recommendations, personal statements, and other information to your target colleges.

While the AMCAS makes applying to multiple schools easier, using this system can be a challenge. If you want to ensure medical schools receive all of your application components as early as possible in the application cycle (a goal for anyone applying to medical school), it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the application system early in the process. Keep reading for our guide to submitting your AMCAS application successfully.

Follow the steps below to ensure you know what to expect when completing your AMCAS application.

Premeds and Their Parents Facebook Group

Table of Contents

Creating Your AMCAS Account

The first step in applying to colleges through the AMCAS is to create an account on the website. Start by clicking on the blue AMCAS Sign In tab on the right side of the page.

The site will then prompt you to create an account and select an application cycle. If you plan to apply in 2024, for example, you would click on the words “Start the 2024 application.” You should expect to submit basic information at this time, including legal name, citizenship, and birthdate. At this point, you will also receive an AMCAS ID, which will function as a signature for communications with medical school admissions offices.

On the main screen, you will see a checklist for the different components of your application.

Completing your Identifying Information, Schools Attended and Biographic Information is very straightforward. You will indicate your state residence in this section. If you have an institutional action, felony, arrest or misdemeanor, you will also need to complete those sections very thoughtfully. In the biographical section you will also select your race/ethnicity and if you consider yourself to be of disadvantaged status.

Entering AMCAS Course Information

After creating an account, one of the first steps in the AMCAS application process is entering your undergraduate coursework. You will be required to enter all college coursework you have ever completed which includes any dual enrollment high school courses.

The AMCAS requires students to enter each class individually and properly classify it based on the subject. Additionally, students will be asked to specify during what academic year they took the course, with summer classes counting toward the following school year.

AMCAS Course Classification

Proper classification is important because the AMCAS separates science courses from non-science courses when calculating GPA. The AMCAS will provide schools with both a BCPM (Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math courses) GPA and an AO (all other courses) GPA, along with a total GPA value.

BCPM courses are listed below but you should also refer to the AMCAS course classification guide. If you are unsure of a course classification, you can check with your registrar but AMCAS advises you choose the “best match” when deciding on course classification especially for interdisciplinary courses. For all course designations, refer to the official AMCAS course classification guide.

BCPM Course:

Biology (BIOL) Anatomy Biology Biophysics Biotechnology Botany Cell Biology Ecology Entomology Genetics Histology Immunology Microbiology Molecular Biology Neuroscience Physiology Zoology

Chemistry (CHEM) Biochemistry Chemistry Physical Chemistry Thermodynamics

Physics (PHYS) Astronomy Physics

Mathematics (MATH) Applied Mathematics Biostatistics Mathematics Statistics

When listing your course on your AMCAS 2024 application, you must list it exactly as it is printed on the transcript itself. This is very important for verification purposes.

2024 AMCAS Transcripts

You will also need to send AMCAS an official transcript from every college you attended or attempted/completed coursework including college courses taken during high school. The schools should send official transcripts directly. Both paper and electronic options are permitted; however it is important to keep in mind that paper transcripts are processed more slowly.

Related: AMCAS Verification Timeline

Adding your amcas activities.

After adding your coursework to the AMCAS application, you will need to provide information detailing your extracurricular experiences and work history.

You write about up to 15 experiences and you identify three of those 15 experiences as “most meaningful.” You will select an experience type for each entry and for each you will say what hours you have completed, if the activity was repeated, and if there are any anticipated hours. See the images below for clarification.

IMAGE 5 Work / Activities AMCAS Application

You will then add an organization name and contact information.

Finally, for each experience, you are allowed 700 characters with spaces to write a description and for each most meaningful you have an additional 1325 characters with spaces for elaboration.

After you “save” your letter writer information, you will be prompted to generate a letter request form. The form allows your letter to be matched to your application and is very important. It also has instructions for how to submit your letter.

You will be able to print it out at any time. You’ll have the opportunity to submit 10 entries, which you can assign to specific medical schools as desired. Note that you can’t edit or remove letters after submitting them. The application system also allows you to choose which schools to send your letters to by scrolling through a dropdown menu.

Providing AMCAS Letters of Recommendation

It’s no secret that letters of recommendation play a key role in med school admissions decisions. While the AMCAS does not require students to enter letters before submitting their applications, it’s best to start the process of gathering these recommendations as soon as possible.

When you’re ready, be sure to create a single AMCAS entry for each letter or recommender; this includes a letter packet, committee letter, or individual letter. Letters do not roll over if you are a reapplicant.

Adding Medical Schools

On the next page you will be able to add medical schools to which you’d like to apply. Keep in mind that you can add medical schools after submitting your application. You will also designate which letters you want to send to which medical schools.

Entering Your Medical School Personal Statement

Medical school applicants also need to enter their personal statements to the American Medical College Application Service. Note that the AMCAS refers to this section as Personal Comments.

It’s important to realize that students who are applying to an MD-PhD program will need to submit two additional essays called the MD-PhD Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay. Be sure to spend plenty of time composing your essay or essays, as they represent one of the best opportunities for colleges to get a sense of your personality and passion for medicine.

Entering Standardized Test Scores

One of the last components to enter in the AMCAS is your standardized test scores. It’s important to note that the MCAT will automatically release all the tests for which you’ve earned scores to the AMCAS. Since most medical schools require MCAT scores, you should make sure you take the exam within three years of applying to programs.

If you’re filling out the AMCAS before taking the MCAT, you can simply list the date that you plan to take the test. This lets admissions committees know that scores from you are forthcoming. You can also enter scores for the GRE, LSAT, and GMAT in the standardized testing section if you desire but medical school admissions committees are unlikely to know how to evaluate these.

What Happens After You Submit Your Application

Medical school applicants should be aware that not all information submitted in AMCAS can be edited. For example, if you want to correct a school name or course, you will need to submit an Academic Change Request after the fact. You can find this form under the Quick Links section of the AMCAS main menu. You can also check your document status on this page.

Students should be aware that they will have to pay an application fee for AMCAS to process and verify their application. This cost includes just one medical school. Applicants should expect to pay a separate fee for every additional school on their list. The good news is that a Fee Assistance Program exists to help students who require financial aid. Applicants who receive assistance will earn a waiver good for up to 16 medical schools, along with reduced registration fees.

Checking Your AMCAS Application Status

At any time you can go to the Main Menu of AMCAS to check the Document Status box (see above) as well as the Application box to check the status of your application, print transcript request forms, letter request forms, print your application, and view your application history.

AMCAS Application Not Submitted to AMCAS

About MedEdits

MedEdits helps students get admitted to medical school and residency programs. Our consultants have years of experience serving on medical school admissions committees, and as faculty members at the top medical schools in the country.

Need Help With Your Medical School Application?

Schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation with a MedEdits expert.

MedEdits Medical Admissions Founder and Chairwoman, Jessica Freedman, MD

JESSICA FREEDMAN, M.D. , a former medical school and residency admissions officer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , is the founder and chair of MedEdits Medical Admissions and author of three top-selling books about the medical admissions process that you can find on Amazon.

Getting Into a Top 20 Medical School (2024 – 2025)

BS/MD Programs & How to Get Accepted: The Ultimate Guide (2023-2024)

Can you get into Brown PLME? (2023-2024)

AMCAS Verification Timeline: The Absolute Guide (2023-2024)

AAMC Preview: What Medical Schools Require It? (2023-2024)

Website Disclaimer
Terms and Conditions
MedEdits Privacy Policy

Get a 515+ on the MCAT. Guaranteed.

Before getting into the nuts and bolts— gather these required things:

Transcripts from any post-high school, even if you didn’t earn credit. There is a specific AMCAS Transcript Request Form (available from the Main Menu in AMCAS)—get extra copies to help you complete the application.
List of all work and extracurricular activities. There is a maximum of 15, so pick wisely which to include. Choose which was the most memorable; you’ll have space to explain yourself.
List of people who wrote your letters of recommendations
List of Medical Schools you want to apply to
Personal Statement (5,300 character max)
MCAT Scores (typically must be within the last 3 years)
GMAT/LSAT/GRE depending on what programs you are applying to
$160 non-refundable application fee (includes 1 school submission)
$34 for each additional school designation (after the first)

Check out our Medical School Applications Cost Estimator for more on the application expenses.

How to Complete the AMCAS: The Step by Step Guide

Log-in to AMCAS application using your AAMC username and password. Now we’ll go through all the sections of the application.

Section 1: Identifying Information

Enter your name. Enter your ID numbers from your transcripts. Enter your birthdate. Enter your gender.

Section 2: Schools

High School: Enter your High School. (See AMCAS Instruction Manual if you got a GED, were home-schooled, or attended high school in a country outside the USA.)

Colleges: List every institution you attended after high school, even if you only took 1 class there. Enter all schools even if your credits were transferred, no credits were earned, or you withdrew from the class/school.

Transcripts: You need a copy of your official transcript from each U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian institution post-high school where you’ve attempted course work, regardless of whether you earned any credit.

You need to use the AMCAS Transcript Request From with each official transcript. If you don’t, AMCAS will have problems connecting your transcripts to your application. This is the number one cause of processing delays and missed deadlines! Don’t let this be you! Also, make sure that you get copies of your transcripts, which you can use to complete the AMCAS application.

Institutional Action: Hopefully this does not apply to you, but if you have had any institutional action taken against you (resulting from poor academic performance or a conduct violation), you must document this here. This is required even if there was no interruption in your enrollment, even if you were not required to withdraw, and even if this action does not appear on your official transcripts.

Section 3: Demographic Information

Enter your contact information. Enter your citizenship. Enter your legal residence. Enter your languages spoken. Enter your ethnicity and race. Enter your parent or guardian, siblings. Enter any felonies and/or misdemeanors.

Contact Information: AMCAS uses email for everything, so make sure that your email is valid, easily accessible, and up to date. If your contact information changes at any point during the application process, you must update this information on the AMCAS application website. If you have already submitted the application, you must re-certify and resubmit the application.

Felonies and Misdemeanors: If this section applies to you, use it to explain any felonies or misdemeanors which appear on your record. Prior to starting medical school, if you are convicted of, plead guilty to, or plead no contest to a felony or misdemeanor crime, you must inform the admissions office for each medical school to which you have applied. This communication to each medical school must be in writing, and occur within 10 business days of the time of the criminal charge or conviction. Don’t be stupid .

Section 4: Entering your Course Work

Take your time completing this section. The AMCAS website actually suggests that you “proceed with caution” when completing it. Make sure that you input your grades directly from your transcript—don’t wing it and try to remember. This must be accurate to a T. If you leave anything out (grades, credits, etc.) or if you input incorrect data, your AMCAS GPA may be incorrect, and the processing of your entire application may be delayed.

You must include information and corresponding grades for every course in which you have ever enrolled at any school after high school. This includes withdrawals, repeats, failures, incompletes, and future coursework. If you suffered from academic bankruptcy, forgiveness, or similar institutional policies and had grades removed from your transcript because of this, you must also include these on your AMCAS application.

Course Classification: Each course must be assigned a course classification based on the course content. See the Course Classification Guide for assistance in classifying your coursework.

AMCAS GPA: AMCAS will convert most standard undergraduate transcript grades to AMCAS grades based on conversion information provided by the institutions. This conversion allows medical schools to compare all applicants on a more even playing field. The BCPM GPA includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. All other courses will be calculated in the AO (All Other) GPA.

Foreign Coursework/Study Abroad: Carefully consult the AMCAS Instruction Manual to determine how to enter courses taken in countries outside the USA and Canada.

Section 5: Work/Activities (Extracurriculars)

You can enter any work, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, or publications here with a maximum of 15 experiences. These will automatically appear chronologically on your application and cannot be rearranged. Remember, quality is more important than quantity .

Fifteen fluffy experiences which you really got nothing out of and which you only included to seem more accomplished will not impress anyone. Also, remember that you may be asked about any one of these experiences, so include important things which you can really talk about.

If you participated in a volunteer or research experience more than once, only enter it once. The same goes for making the Honor Roll/Dean’s List; just note in the explanation section that you had this same honor multiple times.

[Related episode: 5 Common Mistakes Premeds Make with Extracurriculars ]

You may select up to 3 experiences which you consider to be the most meaningful. If you have 2 or more entries, you will be required to identify at least 1 as the most meaningful. When you designate your most meaningful experience, you will have 1,325 characters to explain why. AMCAS recommends that you consider the following things when writing this response:

“the transformative nature of the experience”
“the impact you made while engaging in the activity”
“the personal growth you experienced as a result of your participation”

If you want to work on this response in a word processing program, you should use plain text only (e.g. Microsoft Notepad). If you copy formatted text into the AMCAS website application, there may be formatting issues which cannot be edited once you submit your application.

Section 6: Letters of Evaluation

This section will let you indicate who your letter writers are, what types of letters will be sent to AMCAS, and which schools should receive each letter. You do not need to enter your letters in your AMCAS application prior to submission.

Note that applications and letters will be made available to medical schools after your application has been processed, regardless of whether or not all letters have been received. This process allows your letters to be received electronically by AMCAS and to be submitted to the corresponding medical schools where you are applying. Most medical schools participate in this service (you can check this by looking for the LOE icon when looking at medical schools on the AMCAS website).

Please note that most medical schools require that your letters be on official letterhead and include the letter writer’s signature.

Letter Types (Each letter type is equivalent to 1 letter entry):

Committee Letter: Many universities and colleges have a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor, and this committee/advisor will write a letter which represents your home institution’s evaluation of you, the applicant. A committee letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application.

Letter Packet: Some schools create a packet or set of letters; this is often compiled by the career center. This packet may include a cover sheet from your pre-health committee or advisor, but unlike a committee letter, the letter packet will not include an evaluative letter from the pre-health committee or advisor.

Individual Letter: A letter authored by 1 letter writer. If an individual letter has already been included within either a committee letter or a letter packet, a separate entry should not be created for individual letters.

Assigning Letters of Evaluation to Medical Schools: Once you have added your medical schools and verified that they participate in AMCAS Letters (by checking for the LOE icon), you can designate specific letters to be received by individual medical schools.

There are several ways through which a letter writer can send a letter to AMCAS:

VirtualEvals
AMCAS Letter Writer Application.

[Related episode: How to Get the Best Letters of Recommendation as a Nontrad ]

Section 7: Choose your medical schools

Read our posts on How Many Medical Schools you Should Apply To and How to Choose a Medical School and Put Together a School List for help in determining where to apply!

Things you should consider when selecting your schools:

How competitive is the school?
Medical School program types (MD, MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MBA)

Medical School Program Types:

Regular M.D.
Combined Medical Degree/Graduate or Ph.D (Remember this likely requires another application as well—check with the school for further information).
Combined Bachelors/Medical Degree: You must have permission from the medical school to select this option.
Combined Medical Degree/Ph.D: (Remember this likely requires another application as well—check with the school for further information).
Deferred/Delayed Matriculation: You will need prior permission from the medical school if you were admitted and also allowed to defer matriculation to a medical school in a previous application year.

Other Special Program (OSPs): Refer to the MSAR and individual school’s website for information about programs offered by individual medical schools.

Early Decision Program: These programs allow applicants to secure an acceptance from one participating medical school by October 1 while allowing time to apply to other schools if not accepted. The deadline for the Early Decision Program is August 1 (application and official transcripts must be submitted by this date).

[Related episode: Should I Apply Early Decision to Medical School? ]

Section 8: Personal Statement (Essay)

As part of your application, you are required to submit a personal statement. You have 5,300 characters (includes spaces) or approximately one page. You will get an error message if you go beyond 5,300 characters.

The personal statement should tell your story and explain why you want to be a doctor. If you need help working on your personal statement, refer to these resources:

My book on the personal statement: The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement .
My Personal Statement Writing Course .
My Personal Statement Editing services .
5 episodes of The Premed Years podcast all about writing the personal statement: Session 38 , Session 88 , Session 127 , Session 161 , and Session 272 .

If you are applying to an M.D.-Ph.D. program, you must complete two additional essays: the M.D.-Ph.D. Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay.

AMCAS highly recommends that you type your essay directly into the AMCAS application rather than cutting and pasting your essay from other software. If you still want to draft your essay in a word processing program, you should use a plain text program like Microsoft Notepad and then copy/paste your essay into the AMCAS website. If your text is formatted in any way, this may make your essay unreadable and remember that you cannot edit your essay once your application has been submitted.

Remember: Proofread your essay very carefully! There is no “spellchecker” in the AMCAS application, and you will not be allowed to make any changes to this section after you have submitted your application.

Section 9: Test Scores (MCAT, etc.)

MCAT Scores: Only include MCAT exams which you have taken at the time that you submit your AMCAS application. Do not include exams that you voided . Remember that you only have to include scores which you have released to the AAMC.

Most medical schools require that your MCAT scores are no more than 3 years old. If you have any question about whether your scores are still valid, check with the individual schools to make sure your scores are valid.

(MCAT scores from 2003 and later will be automatically released to AMCAS if you do not void your scores at the time of the exam. You cannot unrelease your scores once you have released them to the AAMC, and they will show up on any subsequent AMCAS application, so be careful!)

If you want to release your MCAT scores from exams taken between 1991 and 2003, you can do this at the following site: www.aamc.org/students/MCAT/sendscores. If you want to release scores from exams taken before 1991, please complete the MCAT Testing History Report Request Form available at: www.aamc.org/students/MCAT/sendscores/thxapplication.pdf

Other Tests (may be required for combined programs): GMAT, LSAT, or GRE. To report these scores, click the “Yes” button on the “Other Tests” screen. You should enter separate tests for scores which you received in the individual sections of the tests.

Submitting your application:

Before you submit, be sure to proofread and edit ! You can use the “Print Application” feature and proofread a hard copy of the application.

After you submit, you can only make changes to the following information:

Required and Alternate IDs
Name (Full Legal Name, Preferred Name, and Alternate Names)
Contact Information (Permanent and Preferred Mailing Addresses)
Alternate Contact Information
Date of Birth and Gender
Letters of Evaluation (up to ten 10 letters). You can also notify AMCAS of a letter no longer being sent.
Next MCAT testing date
You can Add Medical Schools and change the existing Program type (deadlines and restrictions apply)
Release application information to your pre-health advisor

In order to submit your application, you are required to certify several statements attesting that the information you are supplying is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

AMCAS Application Fees

When you submit your application, you must pay the $160 processing fee, which includes just 1 medical school designation. Additional medical school designations are $34 per school.

You can pay online by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or check. AMCAS does not accept payments made by non-internet means (includes personal checks, money orders) and does not accept any credit card information sent via mail, fax, e-mail, or telephone.

After you submit your application, what’s next?

Once you have certified and submitted your application, and AMCAS has received your transcripts, your application will enter the processing queue. During this period, your application will be verified by AMCAS personnel; this includes ensuring that your courses and grades have been correctly entered in the system.

Once your application is verified, AMCAS will send the verified application back to you. You must then check the entire application for any errors that may have occurred during the verification process.

After reviewing your verified application, you must re-certify and resubmit your application. You must do this every time that you make a change after your initial submission. If you do not resubmit the application, your changes will not be saved.

Monitoring your Application

Processing Times: Processing your application can take up to 6 weeks during the “busy season” according to the AMCAS website. Remember that your application cannot begin the verification process until all materials (including all official transcripts) have been received.

Checking the Status of your Application: Per AMCAS, you are responsible for regularly checking the status of your application throughout the application process.

Withdrawing your AMCAS application

To withdraw your AMCAS application, you must go online and select “Withdraw application” from the right side of the main menu. You can ONLY withdraw your application when it is in the following status:

Submitted to AMCAS-Ready for Review
Submitted to AMCAS–Waiting for Transcripts

You can not withdraw your application if it is in the following status:

Submitted to AMCAS—Under Review
AMCAS Processing Complete.

The initial $160 application fee is non-refundable, but you will receive back your payment for each school whose deadline has not passed if you withdraw your application. Please note: Once you withdraw your application, you can no longer apply for the current application year. Think carefully before you do this.

** If you need to withdraw your application from consideration after your AMCAS application has been processed, you must directly contact the medical schools to which you applied. If you withdraw at this point, you are not eligible for an AMCAS refund in this case.

Links and Other Resources:

AMCAS Application Tips
AMCAS Course Classification Guide
Related episode: How Much Does it Cost to Apply to Medical School?
Related episode: When Should I Expect an Interview or to Be Told I’m Rejected?
Need MCAT Prep? Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” at Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep) !

SEARCH SITE

This EDM Loving, Rave Going Med Student Carved Her Own Path

The Importance of Authenticity in Medical School Applications

Pioneering Medicine as a First-Generation Latina Student

Finding Balance and Peace on the Medical Journey with Dr. Wendy Lau

USMLE Step 1
USMLE Step 2CK
USMLE Step 3
Comlex Level 1
Comlex Level 2-CE
Comlex Level 3
NBME Shelf Exams
Latest Posts

Study Schedules
Residency Matching
Resource Reviews
How To…

The 2021 Ultimate Guide to the AMCAS

Benjamin Kogos

A student using a laptop to male an AMCAS application

Applying to medical school can seem like navigating a maze, and can undoubtedly intimidate a lot of students. From a primary application, to a secondary, to an interview, it is difficult to feel fully informed about the process. This guide will take you through the process of the primary application, breaking it down by components, and helping you avoid pitfalls along the way.

What is AMCAS and the Primary Application

The primary application to medical school is managed by the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). This application includes all your identifying information, college courses, MCAT scores , essays, and more. Although the entire application cycle proceeds over the course of the year, the primary application has very specific, and sometimes finicky timing. Generally, the AMCAS application opens the first week of May (the application cycle for 2021-2022, opened May 3, 2021 at 9:30 EST). Although the application is open from this time until the deadline – which varies between schools – you will only be able to submit your application beginning May 27 th 2021 at 9:30 EST. The general consensus for adhering to submission deadlines is: the earlier, the better . The reasoning is verification. AMCAS has to process and verify your application before it will send it out to participating and selected medical schools. According to the AAMC, verifying your AMCAS application can take 6-8 weeks, in addition to transcript processing. Since medical schools generally operate on a first-come, first-served basis, the later you submit, the lower your chances are of receiving interview invitations and acceptances.

Master the USMLE in 6 Weeks: Your Free Step 1 Study Plan

Everything You Need to Know About the Transitional (TY)/Preliminary (PY) Residency Programs

Starting with AMCAS

To start an AMCAS application, head over to https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school-amcas/applying-medical-school-amcas and hit the AMCAS Sign In button. If you have account, you can log in with your credentials. If not, go ahead and create one. Once you have signed in, you will see which AMCAS applications are open. Select the application cycle you wish to apply to, i.e. if you want to attend medical school in 2022, start the 2022 application. After starting the application, there will be an overview of the sections. Each of these sections has to be filled out before continuing to the next. Also displayed will be your AAMC ID number. This number is a very crucial component of your application and will be used in logging into secondary application portals for individual schools, and sending things like letters of intent or updates to medical schools. The first section of the application will ask a variety of identifying information from you, things like your birthday, residence, legal and preferred names.

In the coursework section you will input your educational background. As part of this, you will be tasked with entering every course that is in your transcript. This part is a bit tricky, and it is important to adhere to the AMCAS rules- most importantly to enter your course information exactly as it is written in your transcript. If not, when your application is being verified, it may take longer or even be returned to you for corrections. This section tends to be the biggest issue for students that are applying. Take extra care to follow all AMCAS rules regarding course input.

A few things to note: make sure to enter the course number with all letters and numbers (BIO 101), and add the phrase “and Lab” if the course included lab credit. Another important AMCAS rule to be aware of while inputting courses is the year or semester the course took place. The academic year for the AMCAS begins in the summer and ends in the spring. This means that a course that was taken in the summer of 2019, would be part of your 2019-2020 academic year, regardless of your schools designation of it in their transcript.

AMCAS also will calculate both your cumulative GPA and Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (BCPM) GPA. To do so, you will need to designate a “course classification” to each course. If you aren’t sure whether your course falls under a certain BCPM classification, check the AMCAS Course Classification Guide here: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school-amcas/amcas-course-classification-guide .

Although you have just written out every course you have ever taken at any institution you attended, AMCAS will also require a transcript from each of these institutions. This is where your AAMC ID, mentioned earlier, will be necessary – you need it to match your transcript to your application. Whether your transcript is electronic or paper, make sure do submit it as early as you can. Submitting your transcript should preferably be done before AMCAS is open for submission, as it may take some time to verify your transcript and courses. To minimize delay, doing so during the approximately one month space between the opening and submission of the AMCAS will lessen the time needed to verify your application. This means it is in your best interest to send in transcripts as early as you can, even though your college may not release grades until late May (possibly with a higher GPA). You should consider this when choosing when to send in a transcript. If you wish to send in an updated transcript with spring grades on it, possibly raising your GPA, you will not be able to do so. This is because once your transcript is received and verified, AMCAS will not consider another one for the primary application. One way around this is to send this updated transcript with your secondary applications or send update letters individually to each medical school. This is a very time and energy consuming process however and may not be worth your time.

Work and Activities

Here is where you can list up to 15 activities in which you participated or experiences you had that are relevant. Up to three of these can be designated as “most meaningful”. Each activity will have a title, category, supervisor with contact info, and a description. This description will have a 700 character limit, so you will only have space for 3-4 sentences to squeeze in a description of your experience. However, each of the three most meaningful experiences will have an extra 1350 characters for you to describe its significance. Generally, most students use this space to describe a particular scenario of importance, to discuss a patient encounter, or to talk about their passion for the experience.

Applicants often wonder about how many experiences they should have, or what counts as an experience. Listing a small amount of work/activities will not reflect to a medical school that you do not have enough experience. If anything, having more, less significant experiences (i.e. volunteering in multiple different places for short amounts of time) rather than a few of note, may even signify to an admissions committee that you are not dedicated, or willing to stay and progress with a company or group. As for what counts as work or an activity, the generally considered ones are shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, research, and employment. In addition to this there are awards or honors, like publications, presentations and posters, scholarships or Dean’s List designations. Some people even opt to put in their hobbies or achievements in non-academic/non-medical fields. For example, I read a forum post from a student who was passionate about exercising and participated in local competitions. This made him a unique applicant and he even said this experience was discussed during an interview.

When considering which of these experiences to choose as your “most meaningful”, try to chose an experience that contributed to your desire to pursue a career in medicine, or an experience that you believe shaped you as a person or your values. The most important part of designating experiences as “most meaningful”, is making sure that you accurately reflect why you did so in the 1350 character space provided within AMCAS. It has been said that certain admissions committees assess only the three most meaningful experience essays, and not the rest of the work and activities section. For this reason, this section and your careful selection and description of these activities is considered one of the more important parts of the the application. After the personal statement, these three short essays may help give your application that extra kick or advantage over someone else’s.

Letters of Recommendation

Now that you have documented your work and activities, you need to have letters that attest to this. This section, like most others, has its own tricks to know, and pitfalls to avoid. AMCAS allows you to add up to 10 “Letter of Recommendation” entries, with each entry having one of the following three designations: Committee Letter, Letter Packet, or Individual Letter. If you are planning on using a committee letter or letter packet, you need only create one entry, even if the committee letter or letter packet themselves contain multiple letters. If you are instead going to be using individual letters as opposed to a committee letter or letter packet, you will need a separate entry for each letter. In each entry, you will need to enter the contact information for the author of the letter.

Once you do this, you will be presented with a Letter Request form. This form can be sent to your letter writers, and it will contain instructions for their submission of the letter. This will be done using the AMCAS letter service. However, if you wish to have these letters in a confidential portfolio for your personal storage and use (for current or future applications), I recommend Interfolio. Interfolio is a website where you can confidentially store recommendation letters and release them to AMCAS or other applications (you can even use it with AACOMAS!). All you need to be able to send these letters to AMCAS is that AAMC ID that was mentioned earlier. An important AMCAS quirk to remember is that, once you finally submit your AMCAS application, you will be able to add or assign letters to individual schools, but you will not be able to delete or edit the letters already on your AMCAS. This means you should carefully select your recommenders and letter writers prior to submitting.

A common pitfall I have seen among forums and from friends, is sending letters of recommendation that do not fulfill a medical schools particular requirements. For example, some schools have a hard requirement of having two science letter writers, in addition to a non-science letter writer. Another example is a school having a minimum and maximum amount of acceptable letters, e.g. a minimum of two is required, but if more than six letters are sent to the school, they will choose at their discretion which to read. Issues with recommendations can easily be avoided by researching each particular school’s Letter of Recommendation requirements, which are generally displayed with their admissions information. In addition, if you are applying to MD PhD programs or other relevant programs, make sure to read the MD PhD admissions sections, as they may require more letters (i.e. from research supervisors) or have other requirement changes.

Adding Medical Schools

Here is where you will be choosing to which medical schools you wish to apply. You can sort medical schools in a variety of ways, or just simply choose a school from the entire list. Upon selecting a school, you will be presented with program options (i.e. MD PhD, Early Decision etc.) and which letters of recommendation you wish to send to these schools. As was mentioned in the “Letters of Recommendation” section, make sure you send the correct letters, and acceptable number of letters to each school, as each school may have different requirements. Not fulfilling these requirements may result in application delays or rejections. You will also be asked if you applied to this school in previous years, and will be told whether the school participates in a background check. An important thing to note is that you can always apply to more medical schools after submitting your application by adding more schools to your list and resubmitting the section. This resubmission is instant, unlike the first submission; your application will not need to be reverified.

This section is where you will submit your personal statement, and other essay(s) if applicable. You should consider what you write in your personal statement carefully. The personal statement is one of the most important things about your application, following your academic performance and MCAT scores. Think and write carefully; make sure to use the space to explain why medicine or why you wish to go to medical school . A lot of applicants are not sure what to write here, but there are various lines of thinking. Some recommend recounting your journey through college and describing your experiences. Others recommend using a vignette that ties in to your decision to pursue a career as a physician. The important part is that it resonates with and stands out to medical admissions committees, and most importantly talks about you and your growth. I recommend sitting down and writing everything you feel and know about your desire to becoming a physician, and editing it down from there. This is a daunting task, but is important as a good personal statement is what can make or break your application.

In addition, if you applied at least to one MD PhD program, you will have to submit the MD PhD essay, which will ask you your reasons for wishing to pursue an MD PhD. I recommend doing your best to tie in how pursuing research, as well as a clinical career is part of your goals. An MD PhD is the intersection of the applied clinical sciences and the theoretical research ones. It is your job to explain why you wish to combine them in your career through a 3000 character essay. After this, you will be asked your significant research hours, and what your significant research experiences are. This essay has a 10,000 character limit. Here you should expound on what your research was, what you learned in the experience(s), publications and contributions to fields that you were in, and most importantly, its significance in both the scientific field and to you as a future clinical researcher.

In the standardized test section you will see your MCAT scores if you have taken and MCAT exam, and the score has been released . Most medical schools have a 3 year limit on the oldest MCAT they will accept, but be sure to research the specific schools in which you are interested if this is a concern. You will also be asked if you expect a future MCAT score to be released, i.e. if you plan on taking the MCAT again or for the first time following your application. In addition you can enter other tests that you wish to include, like the LSAT or GRE, if you believe they would support your application. Your MCAT score is considered to be one of the most critical parts of your application and good performance on this exam can open the doors to a broader selection of medical schools.

There are a few things to note before you submit your application. Following submission, you will be able to do the following: add letters of recommendation, change personal information in your account settings, add schools, or update MCAT scores. However , you will not be able to change anything else . After submission, your application will go through a verification process, which can take from 6-8 weeks or longer depending on how much time has passed since the submission opened (May 27 th ). AMCAS has a few rules for what you need in your application for it to be verified. As some sections are not needed for verification, leaving some incomplete can be advantageous.

Having an MCAT score or even taking the MCAT is not necessary for verification and you can submit your application to schools without one. Some applicants do so on purpose, because, in the 6-8 weeks that go by before the application is verified, they will receive their MCAT scores. This means that during or after verification, their application will be updated with an MCAT score, and will be complete.

Having all of your letters of recommendation in is also something that is not required for verification. As you can always submit letters of recommendation afterwards, some applicants submit their AMCAS application to be verified, and submit their letters of recommendation whenever they receive them. This may give your letter writers more time without jeopardizing the timing of your verification.

The most important thing that is not required for verification is having a school list. AMCAS only requires one school to be selected in your school list for you to be able to submit your application for verification. Therefore, it possible to select a random school and have your application be submitted and verified while you are waiting on something like MCAT scores or other things that will define which schools to which you will apply. After received something like an MCAT score, you select which schools to which you wish to apply on the AMCAS application, and they will be added without any issue.

Apart from those listed above, every other section is required to be complete.

The AMCAS application is a daunting task to start and there are a lot of things to keep track of and remember. But once you hit that submit button, you can rest assured you have officially started on your path to becoming a medical student and clinician. Once submitted and verified, AMCAS will transmit your application and information to your designated medical schools around July 2-3 of your application year, and you will soon move on to the next step in the process: secondary applications.

Need additional help with an exam?

Elite tutors are qualified, professional, and 100% online.

Never Miss an Article.

About the Author

Never Miss an Article!

Sign up to our Newsletter

Amcas medical school application: the complete guide.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 12/06/22

This AMCAS application guide will walk you through applying to med school. Read for expert AMCAS application guidance!

AMCAS Medical school application overview

Applying to medical school can be an arduous process. So many different parts and pieces go into formulating a complete application. That’s where our complete guide to the AMCAS med school application comes into play.

There are three major steps in applying to medical school: the AMCAS primary application, secondary application, and interview – let’s dive in!

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

What Is the AMCAS Application?

The American Medical College Application Service , or AMCAS, is the centralized application service for U.S. MD med school admissions. AMCAS collects and stores information, verifies it, and then delivers your application to the schools you apply to. So, how do you fill out the medical school application ?

For those unfamiliar with the application process, the first thing you fill out is the primary application. The application includes everything you need to apply to a medical school:

Transcripts
Test scores
Letters of recommendation
Personal Statement
Identifying information

Once submitted, the application is sent to all schools you applied to (except Texas schools, which use the TMDSAS application ). It can take AMCAS up to 8 weeks to process and verify the information.

AMCAS Application Deadlines & Dates

AMCAS opens up in May – usually during the first week. From late May to early June, students can begin submitting their applications. AMCAS application deadlines depend on the schools you apply to – they all set their own deadlines (usually between October and February ).

You can find a list of AMCAS-participating medical schools and their deadlines here on the AAMC’s website. While you can apply through AMCAS at any time during the application cycle, applying earlier is typically best – seats can fill up fast.

You’re more likely to stand out the closer you submit your application to the end of May or the start of June since seats are limited and most med schools have rolling admissions. This means schools review applications as they receive them. Therefore, if you submit your application later, you may be less likely to gain acceptance.

Your application must be submitted (not processed) by 11:59 p.m. ET on the school’s final AMCAS application date.

How to Start Your AMCAS Med School Application

To start your application, load up the AMCAS website and follow the “Sign-in” prompt. You’ll be asked to sign in or create an account. If you have previously registered for the AMCAS application or the MCAT, you’ll already have an AAMC username and password.

If this is your first time logging in, create an account using your name and email. Once you’re signed in, you’re ready to tackle AMCAS’ nine sections. Remember to select the correct application cycle; if you want to start in the summer of this year, click the “Start the [this year] application” option.

AMCAS Primary Application – Section by Section

The primary AMCAS application has nine sections to fill out:

Identifying Information
Schools Attended
Biographic Information
Course Work and Official Transcripts
Work/ Activities
Letters of Evaluation
Medical Schools
Personal Essay
Standardized Test

Section 1: Identifying Information

In this first section, AMCAS asks for five things:

Your legal and preferred names, alternate names on your identification, college I.D. numbers, and birth date and sex.

Section 2: Schools Attended

This section includes:

Where you went to high school, and when you graduated
Any college you’ve been enrolled in (even if you didn’t finish)
College transcripts
If you’ve ever enrolled in college previously
Institutional action – if you’ve ever run into any problems requiring disciplinary action

Section 3: Biographic Information

This section includes:

Preferred Address
Permanent Address
Alternate Contact
Citizenship
Legal Residence
Self Identification
Childhood Information
Military Service
Military Discharge
Felony/Misdemeanour
Other Impactful Experiences
Parents and Guardians

Section 4: Course Work and Official Transcripts

The AMCAS med school application asks for a transcript for every post-secondary institution you have attended, regardless of if you earned the credit. You’ll enter your courses, when you completed them, and the grades you received. AMCAS accepts electronic and paper transcripts.

Ensure you fill this section out carefully, as it’s a significant cause of processing delays and missed application deadlines. If your application information doesn’t match your transcript, AMCAS flags your application, causing delays in the process.

One of the most complex aspects of completing this section is classifying your courses based on the primary content of the course. AMCAS recommends you consult with your pre-health advisor and read course descriptions on your school website if you’re struggling to classify a course.

AMCAS has provided a handy Course Classification Guide with examples of typically categorized courses. For example, some examples of how AMCAS usually categorizes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (BCPM) courses include:

Cell Biology
Microbiology
Neuroscience
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Thermodynamics
Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Biostatistics

Again, take your time with this section, as any inconsistencies can delay your application.

Section 5: Work and Activities

In the AMCAS Work and Activities section, you’ll list 15 different extracurricular activities that define your persona outside the classroom during college. You must list the total number of hours you spent on the experience, when the experience started and ended, and contact information.

AMCAS allows you to select three experiences that are the most meaningful to you. The different experience categories are:

Artistic Endeavors
Community Service/Volunteer - Medical/Clinical
Community Service/Volunteer - Non-Medical/Clinical
Conferences Attended
Extracurricular Activities
Honors/Award/Recognition
Intercollegiate Athletics
Leadership - Not Listed Elsewhere
Military Service
Social Justice/Advocacy
Paid Employment - Medical/Clinical
Paid Employment - Non-Medical/Clinical
Physician Shadowing / Clinical Observation
Presentations/Posters
Publications
Research /Lab
Teaching/Tutoring/Teaching Assistant

When you pick an activity as most meaningful, you have 700 characters to describe it and an additional 1325 characters to elaborate on what makes the experience meaningful to you. Focus on the life-changing aspect of the activity, the significance of your work, and how it contributed to your personal growth.

Section 6: Letters of Evaluation

The critical thing to note about this section is AMCAS doesn’t need your letters of recommendation to verify your application, so you can submit it even if your letters aren’t ready.

After your application is confirmed, your letters will be made available to medical schools. If your letters arrive after your application has been processed, AMCAS will forward them to schools on a rolling basis.

There are three types of letters of recommendation:

Committee Letter : A letter written to represent your institution’s evaluation of you by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor.
Letter Packet : A package or collection of letters circulated by your institution (usually the career center) that may include a cover sheet from your pre-health committee or advisor. A Letter Packet doesn’t have an evaluative letter from your pre-health committee or advisor, unlike a committee letter.
Individual Letter : A letter written by one author.

Check school requirements to understand who you should ask for recommendations!

Section 7: Medical Schools

You’ll enter all the medical schools you want to apply to. There are six types of programs :

Combined MD/PhD
Combined Bachelor’s/M.D.
Combined MD – Graduate
Deferred/ Delayed Matriculation
Other Special Program (OSP): A special program offered by medical schools and vary from one school to another

Other programs may require additional application materials.

Section 8: Personal Essay

This is arguably the most critical application material: the personal statement . In 5300 characters or less, you must explain why you want to attend medical school. The AAMC recommends typing your letter directly into the AMCAS application rather than copying and pasting it from another word processor to avoid formatting issues.

You can use a text-only program to copy and paste your text into the application if you prefer. Formatted text can cause problems in the application, and you’ll be unable to edit it once submitted.

Section 9 – Standardized Test

In the final section of the application, the AAMC will automatically input your MCAT score if you have received it. If you haven’t received it yet, you can list any future dates you have booked so that they are aware.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding these common mistakes when completing your AMCAS medical school application boosts your chances of success!

1. Filler Activity

If there are activities you cannot discuss in-depth, it’s better to leave them out. Your interviewer can ask you about anything on your application, and if they ask you about an activity you have limited experience with, you won’t be able to give a satisfactory answer. It’s better to leave it out than use it to fill space.

2. Grammar/Spelling Mistakes

Always be sure to proofread your application. Small errors and typos can distract med school admissions committees. Have others proofread your application to ensure everything is polished.

3. Listing Accomplishments From High School In The Experience Section

You may have achievements from high school which you want to talk about. While they may be important to you, it’s better to go with more recent accomplishments and experiences.

4. Not Grouping Related Activities Together

It’s good to group similar and less important activities instead of using up space on the application. For example, if you shadowed three different doctors, there’s no need to list it as three separate activities. This will save you space in case you need it.

5. Overlapping Information In The Experience Section And Your Personal Statement

It can be easy to repeat yourself in these two sections. When you’re writing about your most meaningful activities, share how they played a role in your journey to want to become a doctor.

Your personal statement is a chance to tell detailed stories. The goal is to have these two sections complement each other without being repetitive.

What Is the Secondary Application?

Once your AMCAS primary application has been submitted, processed, and verified, the AAMC sends it to your selected med schools. Secondary applications are specific to each school, meaning you must tailor them to the schools that sent them.

While creating several school-specific secondary applications sounds like a lot of work, replying to programs with the same generic answers can harm your chances of admission.

As Alex Tan , the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program at Johns Hopkins University, notes, these essays “afford you the opportunity to send a tailored, unique ambassador to each and every school.”

While your essay responses will likely share similarities, Tan urges you to “emphasize different details about the experience or give different examples entirely.”

Tips for Making Your Application Stand Out

Getting into medical school takes more than a high GPA and MCAT score (although they certainly help). Here are our tips for ensuring you come across as a well-rounded candidate!

Tip #1: Highlight your Clinical Experience

Schools want to see that you have more than just knowledge of medicine. They want to know you know its practice, which is where your volunteer experience in hospitals , clinics, hospices, or other healthcare settings comes in.

Some students find part-time paid positions as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), medical scribes, or certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

If you haven’t, consider doing a preceptorship. A preceptorship is when you shadow a doctor as they go about their day in different healthcare environments: office, hospital, and trips to conventions.

It’s not just about the number of hours but a diversity of experiences. One hundred hours shadowing doctors from varying specialties is better than 500 hours following a single-specialty doctor.

Tip #2: Valuable Extracurriculars

Although it isn’t required, academic research is a valuable experience to have. Research involvement shows you’re intellectually curious and take the initiative in your learning.

Studying or volunteering abroad are also great experiences. These trips studying or volunteering abroad develop empathy, perspective, and an understanding of different cultures.

Tutoring or teaching are other excellent experiences to have. You reinforce what you already know and build your communication skills by explaining concepts to others when you teach.

If you’re applying to medical school or considering a career in medicine, it’s safe to assume you have a keen interest in the sciences. But to stand out in your application, include significant, varied extracurricular activities or hobbies in which you’ve participated.

It could be an instrument you’ve dedicated yourself to, a sport you play, or art you created. If you’ve pursued anything of that sort over a considerable period, then it’s worth mentioning.

Extracurriculars demonstrate various skills, like leadership and persistence. The more versatile you are in your activities, the stronger your activities section is.

Tip #3: Reflect on Your Experiences

Use the space on your experience list to reflect on what you did instead of just listing it. Many students make the mistake of simply saying, “I did this” and “I did that.” Try and write about what you learned, what you took away from it, how it made you a better person, and how it applies to your future career as a physician.

AMCAS Application FAQs

To help you ace your med school application and understand the process, we’ve included several questions and answers about AMCAS.

1. What Is the AMCAS Application Deadline?

The Early Decision Program (EDP) has a deadline of early August. If the start of August falls on a weekend, it will be the next business day. All other deadlines are set by schools and usually fall between August and December.

You must submit your application no later than 11:59 pm E.T. on the deadline.

2. What if I Don’t Have a Contact to List for My Activity/Experience?

You may use the email or phone number of someone else who can verify your experience if the original point of contact cannot be reached. If you have no one you can think of as a contact, you can list yourself as the contact person and explain in the description why there’s no valid contact person that can be reached for that experience.

3. How Many Letters of Recommendation Can Be Sent to AMCAS?

You can send up to 10 letters to AMCAS. This doesn’t mean that one school wants to receive ten letters. AMCAS gives you that many letters to write specific letters to specific schools.

4. How Much Does It Cost to Use AMCAS?

The processing fee is $170 and includes one medical school designation. It is $43 for each additional school.

5. How Does the AMCAS Verification Process Work?

Once you submit your application to AMCAS, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Once your transcripts arrive and your application is submitted, the AMCAS verification process begins.

Your application is entered into the verification queue, which can take up to eight weeks to process. AMCAS verifies the coursework you entered with your transcript to see if everything aligns. If there are discrepancies, AMCAS returns your application, causing a delay that may result in missed deadlines.

6. What if I Miss the AMCAS Deadline?

Under no circumstances does AMCAS offer deadline extensions – schools may. If you need an extension, it’s best to contact the school and request one. If approved, the school will notify AMCAS to proceed accordingly.

Once the application has been submitted, the schools you entered in the application can’t be changed or removed, even if you miss a deadline.

7. Can You Add Schools to AMCAS After You Submit Your Application?

You can add schools to your submitted AMCAS application as long as the school’s deadline hasn’t passed.

8. When Is Too Late to Submit the AMCAS Application?

While you may have a better chance of acceptance by applying earlier, you can submit your application by a school’s deadline. However, it’s often too late to submit your application past the deadline (unless you get an extension from the school).

9. When Will the AMCAS Application Open for Medical School in 2024?

AMCAS is opening on May 2nd 2024. Check the AMCAS website for the latest updates.

AMCAS Application: You Can Do This

It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the multi-step AMCAS med school application process. Remember to proofread your application, have all documents ready, and put considerable time and thought into your personal statement to improve your chances of admission.

Most of the work is already done: the hours of volunteering, the years of pursuing your interests and activities, the sleepless nights spent studying for your classes, and everything that has led you to this path. All that’s left is communicating your competence and persistence through your application!

Schedule A Free Consultation

Best PA School Scholarships (2023)

What to Bring to the MCAT | Your Guide

MD | PhD Program
Master's Programs
PhD Programs
Postdoctoral Fellows
Residency & Fellowship
Non-Degree Programs
Visiting Students
Campus Life at U-M
Health & Wellness
Building Your Community
Accessibility & Disability
Departments
Centers & Institutes
Interdisciplinary Programs
Facts & Figures
Medical School Leadership
Research at the U-M Medical School
News & Stories
Requirements
Interview Day
Admissions Chats
AAMC Michigan's 35 Answers
AAMC Michigan's 10 Financial Aid Answers
Admitted Students
Overview & Highlights
Patient Interaction
Chief Concern
Years 3 & 4
Learning Informatics
Training Sites
Leadership Program
Global Health & Disparities
Health Policy
Healthcare Innovation
Medical Humanities
Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
Scientific Discovery
Doctoring Course
Evidence-Based Medicine
Interprofessional Education
DEIAJ Curriculum
Language Opportunities
Curriculum Diagrams
Grading & Assessments
Guideline Budget
Loans & Eligibility
Financial Aid Application Timeline
Scholarships & Grants
Documents & Forms
Tips & Links
Tuition Refund Policies
Consumer Information
Disbursement & Repayment
MD Emergency Student Aid Fund
MD Travel Grant
Child Care Subsidy
Residency Interviewing Loans and Resources
Short-Term University Loan
Contact the Office of Financial Aid
Profiles & Demographics
Culinary Connections
Students with Disabilities
Arts & Humanities
Diversity & Health Equity
Dual Degrees
More Possibilities
Commencement
Available PhD Programs
Academic & Social Events
MSTP Fellows
Application Process
Application Requirements
MD | PhD Curriculum
Undergrad Summer Program
Contact the MD | PhD Program
Bioinformatics
Biological Chemistry
Cancer Biology
Cell & Developmental Biology
Cellular & Molecular Biology
Genetics and Genomics
Health Infrastructures & Learning Systems
Microbiology & Immunology
Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Recruitment Events
Interview Weekends
Certificates & Dual Degrees
Quantitative & Computational Biology Emphasis
Training Grants
Facilities & Resources
Stipend & Benefits
Professional Development
Finding a Position
Funding Your Postdoc
Hiring Process
Postdoc Preview
International Postdocs
ACGME Fellowships
Non-Accredited Fellowships
Postdoctoral Physician Scientist Training
Salary & Benefits
Prerequisites
Visiting Residents & Fellows
Application Overview & Requirements
Tuition & Fees
Timeline & Curriculum
Information Sessions
Program Details
Undergrad Summer Research
First Days Survival Guide
Health Services
Mental Health
Health, Spirituality & Religion Program
For Partners & Families
Things to Do in Ann Arbor
Getting Around
Graduate Medical Education
Office of Continuing Medical Education
Office of Faculty Affairs & Faculty Development
Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Physician Scientist Education & Training
Office of Medical Student Education
Points of Blue

Achieving Balance

Each year, we work with deliberate intention to create a balanced class, with every cohort making unique contributions to our collective mission and leadership legacy.

Our Students

The University of Michigan Medical School is part of a vast, collaborative community that supports leaners at all levels with experts who love to share and help grow the next generation of leaders. That explains why some of the most common words to describe the Michigan experience are warm, friendly and collegial. For us that goes both ways.

Welcoming new students into our large and diverse med school community each summer is a tradition we cherish. Achieving a balanced class as a whole arises out of deliberate focus and intention, with every cohort developing its own characteristics and experiences while making unique contributions to our collective mission and leadership legacy.

Below is a snapshot of key demographics on our entire medical student body, along with the most recent incoming class profile data.

Avg. Age at Matriculation (Range 20-41)

Underrepresented in Medicine*

Identify as Female / Male / Non-Binary

First Generation**

2+ Years Out of Undergrad

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged (AMCAS) / Pell Grant Indicator

Students identifying as: 8.8% Black / African American 7.8% Latinx 6.5% Arab American / Middle Eastern 1.3% American Indian or Alaska Native .4% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Total Number of States Represented

In-State / Out-of-State

States with the Highest Number of Students (after Michigan)

Number of Institutions Attended (Institutions in Michigan)

Double Majors

Completed Advanced Degree(s)

STEM Majors (e.g., biological and non-biological sciences, engineering, math)

Class Average GPA Sci / Total

Completed Formal Post-Bac Program

Non-STEM Majors (e.g., history, music, business, sociology)

Class Average MCAT percentile

Currently Completing a Dual Degree (MBA, MPH, MPP)

* URiM: Includes all AMCAS Underrepresented in Medicine Categories + Arab American / Middle Eastern. The UMMS definition of URiM during holistic review extends beyond race and ethnicity to include LGBTQ+ applicants and applicants with disabilities. We are currently developing methodologies to appropriately gather this data from our future class members.

**First Generation is generated from UMMS Secondary application question: “Is your generation the first in your family to earn a bachelor's degree?”

Data available as of 11/8/2022

We transform lives through bold discovery, compassionate care and innovative education.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Find a Doctor
Conditions & Treatments
Patient & Visitor Guide
Patient Portal
Clinical Trials
Research Labs
Research Centers
Cores and Resources
Programs & Admissions
Our Community
Departments, Centers & Offices
About the Medical School

Global Footer Secondary Navigation

IMAGES

AMCAS Work and Activities Section IN DEPTH GUIDE: Explained, Examples, and Tips
Amcas Course Classification Guide
2022-2023 AMCAS Work & Activities Section: The Ultimate Guide
AMCAS Instruction Manual
AMCAS Application: The Absolute Guide Guide (2022-2023)
AMCAS Application: The Ultimate Guide (2023)

VIDEO

Coursework Guide: Design Development
Coursework Guide: Research Analysis
Coursework Guide: First Concepts
AWS study guide roadmaps
Coursework Guide: Anthropometrics and Ergonomics
Coursework guide: Materials and Construction Methods

COMMENTS

2025 AMCAS® Applicant Guide
Course Classification Guide; Credit Hours; Transcript Grade; Special Course Types; CEGEP and Grade 13 Coursework; ... The 2025 AMCAS applicant guide provides you with all the necessary information to complete the application process smoothly and successfully. This comprehensive resource outlines the current AMCAS application process, policies ...
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.
AMCAS Application: The Ultimate Guide (2024)
Starting an AMCAS application. Once you've signed into your new account, you'll see the available application cycles. If you plan to start in the summer or fall of 2024, you'd simply click "Start the 2024 application…". You'll be asked some preliminary information: your legal name, citizenship, and birth info.
PDF 2022 AMCAS Applicant Guide
Applicant Guide AMCAS ... Course Classification Guide 30 Credit Hours 31 Transcript Grade 31 Special Course Types 31 Unusual Circumstances 35 CEGEP/Grade 13 Coursework 35 Clock Hours and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) 36 Courses Taken While in Middle or High School 38 Full-Year Courses 38 ...
PDF The Ultimate Guide to Completing Your AMCAS Medical School Application
AMCAS offers a Course Classification Guide that provides examples of how courses are often categorized. Ultimately, you are responsible for selecting the correct course classification, but AMCAS reserves the right to change classifications if the assigned classification clearly does not apply. Misclassified courses may delay the verification of
The Ultimate AMCAS Application Guide
Medical School Admissions: Guide to the AMCAS Application. Tuesday, June 13, 2023. If you're considering applying to medical school, you'll likely be using the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) to apply to your best-fit medical school programs. This can be a challenging process, but knowing what to expect ahead of time ...
PDF 2018 AMCAS Instruction Manual Course Classification Guide
Course Classification Guide. The following guide provides examples of how course are often categorized. Please select course classifications based on the primary content of the course. In the case of interdisciplinary courses, where two or more subject matters are combined into one course, refer to the description of the course on your school ...
PDF Course Classiﬁcation Guide
Course Classification Guide. The following guide provides examples of how courses are often categorized. Please select course classifications based on the primary content of the course. Biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics grades are used to calculate the AMCAS BCPM GPA. In the case of interdisciplinary courses in which two or more ...
2024/25 AMCAS Application Guide (With Screenshots)
MedSchoolCoach has created a comprehensive guide to completing the AMCAS application, complete with screenshots of every section and tips to help you stand out. (888) 381-9509; [email protected]; ... Submitted to AMCAS: Incorrect Coursework: You have certified and submitted your AMCAS application. However, your application is on hold due ...
AMCAS Application: The Absolute Guide
AMCAS is used to apply to all allopathic medical schools in the United States except medical schools in Texas. Offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the AMCAS is a centralized application service used by almost all the medical students in the U.S. In this sense it's like the Common Application used by undergraduate programs.
How to Complete the AMCAS Application: Step-by-Step Guide
Course Classification: Each course must be assigned a course classification based on the course content. See the Course Classification Guide for assistance in classifying your coursework. AMCAS GPA: AMCAS will convert most standard undergraduate transcript grades to AMCAS grades based on conversion information provided by the institutions. This ...
A Comprehensive Guide to the AMCAS Application Process
The AMCAS application is a crucial part of the medical school application process, as it is used by most medical schools to evaluate applicants. It provides a standardized format for medical schools to review applicants, making the process more efficient and fair. When filling out the AMCAS application, it's important to pay attention to ...
PDF AMCAS® Application Course Classification Guide
AMCAS® Application Course Classification Guide The following guide provides examples of how courses are often categorized. Please select course classifications based on the primary content of the course. In the case of interdisciplinary courses, where two or more subject matters are combined into one course, refer to the description of the ...
The 2021 Ultimate Guide to the AMCAS
Take extra care to follow all AMCAS rules regarding course input. A few things to note: make sure to enter the course number with all letters and numbers (BIO 101), and add the phrase "and Lab" if the course included lab credit. Another important AMCAS rule to be aware of while inputting courses is the year or semester the course took place.
2024 AMCAS Work and Activities Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)
The reason is that AMCAS allows you to describe up to 15 experiences with only a 700-character limit for each (including spaces). That said, three of your experiences can be designated as "most meaningful" and further expanded on in a separate section with a 1,325-character limit. We wrote this guide to cover every important aspect of the ...
AMCAS Medical School Application: The Complete Guide
AMCAS recommends you consult with your pre-health advisor and read course descriptions on your school website if you're struggling to classify a course. AMCAS has provided a handy Course Classification Guide with examples of typically categorized courses. For example, some examples of how AMCAS usually categorizes Biology, Chemistry, Physics ...
AMCAS
Any course prior to 2020/21 should be calculated on 3.75 and in 2020/21 on 4.0 (including thesis coursework) However, you need only designate a "1" in the credit hours column. AMCAS will make the conversion (and they have the new values); you should check these entries after you receive your verified AMCAS. Have a copy of your transcript (s) in ...
PDF 2024 AMCAS Application Cycle
Application Deadlines. Application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET of the deadline date. Transcript deadlines must be received by AMCAS within 14 calendar days of the application deadline date. Must be received by August 1 for early decision applicants. Visit.
PDF 2019 AMCAS Applicant Guide
2019 AMCAS ® Applicant Guide American Medical College Application Service ... Course Classification Guide 28 Credit Hours 29 Transcript Grade 29 Special Course Types 29 Unusual Circumstances 33 CEGEP/Grade 13 Coursework 33 Clock Hours and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) 34
AMCAS® Application Course Classification Guide
AMCAS® Application Course Classification Guide The following guide provides examples of how courses are often categorized. Please select course classifications based on the primary content of the course. In the case of interdisciplinary courses, where two or more subject matters are combined into one course, refer to the description of the ...
U-M Medical School Profiles & Demographics
Below is a snapshot of key demographics on our entire medical student body, along with the most recent incoming class profile data. Identify as Female / Male / Non-Binary. First Generation**. 2+ Years Out of Undergrad. Socioeconomically Disadvantaged (AMCAS) / Pell Grant Indicator. In-State / Out-of-State.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Guide
We will only be talking about recruitable characters in this guide, meaning we'll omit the characters you gain automatically through the course of the game. While there are some all-stars among ...

2024/25 AMCAS Application Guide (With Screenshots)

Table of Contents

Need help preparing your med school application? Get 1-on-1 support from a former admissions committee member.

How to Fill Out the AMCAS Application

Setting Up Your Account

Craft your AMCAS application with 1-on-1 help from a physician and former admissions committee member.

Section 1: Identifying Information

Section 2: Schools Attended

Section 3: Biographic Information

Section 4: Course Work

Section 5: Work and Activities

Section 6: Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation

Section 7: Medical Schools

Section 8: Essays

Section 9: Standardized Tests

Boost your MCAT score with expert coaching from our 99th-percentile tutors.

Verification

What Information Can I Add After Submitting?

Costs & Financial Assistance

We Can Help You Craft a Standout AMCAS Application

Learn more about our Application Advising Services or schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you.

Renee Marinelli, MD

See How We Can Help

The Med School Journey – Definitions to Become a Doctor

May 29, 2020

The OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch: A Beginner’s Guide to Approaching the ABS

January 9, 2023

Is Research Necessary to Get into Medical School?

December 20, 2017

The Pre-Med Journey: What it Takes to Get into Medical School

Successfully Planning for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 CK

100 MCAT Study Tips

Happy April Fool’s Day from MedSchoolCoach!

AMCAS Application: The Absolute Guide (2024)

Creating Your AMCAS Account

Entering AMCAS Course Information

AMCAS Course Classification

2024 AMCAS Transcripts

Related: AMCAS Verification Timeline

Providing AMCAS Letters of Recommendation

Adding Medical Schools

Entering Your Medical School Personal Statement

Entering Standardized Test Scores

What Happens After You Submit Your Application

Checking Your AMCAS Application Status

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Getting Into a Top 20 Medical School (2024 – 2025)

BS/MD Programs & How to Get Accepted: The Ultimate Guide (2023-2024)

Can you get into Brown PLME? (2023-2024)

AMCAS Verification Timeline: The Absolute Guide (2023-2024)

AAMC Preview: What Medical Schools Require It? (2023-2024)

How to Complete the AMCAS: The Step by Step Guide

Section 1: Identifying Information

Section 2: Schools

Section 3: Demographic Information

Section 4: Entering your Course Work

Section 5: Work/Activities (Extracurriculars)

Section 6: Letters of Evaluation

Letter Types (Each letter type is equivalent to 1 letter entry):

Section 7: Choose your medical schools

Section 8: Personal Statement (Essay)

Section 9: Test Scores (MCAT, etc.)

Submitting your application:

AMCAS Application Fees

After you submit your application, what’s next?

Monitoring your Application

Withdrawing your AMCAS application

Links and Other Resources:

SEARCH SITE

RECENT POSTS

This EDM Loving, Rave Going Med Student Carved Her Own Path

The Importance of Authenticity in Medical School Applications

Pioneering Medicine as a First-Generation Latina Student

Finding Balance and Peace on the Medical Journey with Dr. Wendy Lau

The 2021 Ultimate Guide to the AMCAS

What is AMCAS and the Primary Application

Starting with AMCAS

Work and Activities

Letters of Recommendation

Adding Medical Schools