Getting Ready to Apply

Medical School Admissions
It is never too early for students to begin to familiarize themselves with the medical school admissions process; students are likely to be less tense if they are well informed about what awaits them. Students should begin by perusing Medical School Admission Requirements, published each year by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). This publication contains important information on the admissions process and admissions requirements profiles for all U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The current edition of Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) is available for purchase.

Applicant Meeting
The Premedical Office hosts an annual meeting for those about to apply to medical school. In the spring semester, the Premedical Committee begins its interviewing each student seeking the committee's support. Until that time, students should prepare as fully as possible, volunteer, start to request letters of recommendation, become familiar with the medical school admissions process, and stay in touch with their advisor.

Applicant Forms (Forms are for current students and are password protected.)

Interview Feedback (Feedback from current students from medical school interviews. This section is password protected.)

Application Guidelines (The application guidelines are for current students and are password protected.)

American Medical College Service (AMCAS)
Most medical schools participate in AMCAS, the American Medical College Application Service. Students complete a single primary application, which is returned directly to AMCAS. A standard data summary and a copy of your personal statement are then forwarded by AMCAS to each school you designate. Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) notes which schools participate in AMCAS. The AMCAS application is available each spring.

Although AMCAS is a division of the Association of American Medical Colleges, not all members of the A.A.M.C. make use of AMCAS. To apply to a non-AMCAS school, students must request an application directly from the school’s admissions office. Non-AMCAS schools’ applications are typically available by May, so students should make requests in mid-April.

Deadline
Because medical schools select their entering classes on a rolling basis, it is a student's advantage to submit applications as early as possible. AMCAS begins accepting applications on June 1. School deadlines for submitting the AMCAS application vary, but most are in late autumn. It takes up to six weeks for AMCAS to process applications and send to designated schools.

Application Review
Once AMCAS receives a verified AMCAS application, most schools will send you their secondary applications to complete. Very few will use AMCAS to screen applicants to determine whether or not to send the secondary application. Generally, students should aim to complete and return secondary applications within two to three weeks of receiving them. The essays for the secondary applications provide another great opportunity for students to persuade medical schools he or she is someone they should interview.