Over the next eight days, many pre-meds will find themselves in one last push of proofreading in a dash to May 30th. Why?

May 30th is the date that the AMCAS application is finally open for submission.

This date marks the culmination of years of academic, clinical, research, and volunteer experiences for many pre-meds. Since the open date is only eight days away, it is not our aim in this post to dive into the pros and cons of these different types of experiences.

Rather, let us walk you through some last-minute tips to get your application polished, primed, and ready for submission.

Remember: the AMCAS coursework review process is rolling, so it is critical to submit your app as early as possible. If, however, you are waiting for your MCAT score or for your institution to post your final transcript, it may make sense to wait a little while longer. Try not to wait too long, though, as this may delay the approval process.

1. Is Your Information Filled In Correctly?

This is the low-hanging fruit of avoidable mistakes. For instance, Section 4 of the app—where you manually input your grades from individual courses—determines your AMCAS GPA. It is critical that students double- and triple-check that the information contained therein is accurate. Make sure that you have your official transcript from each institution in-hand when you fill this out. This will limit the errors and will ensure that the same information is sent to each school.

2. Have You Checked In With Your Letter Writers?

In the days leading up to the submission open date, take some time to check back in with each of your letter writers. While the letters of recommendation are accepted on a rolling basis, it is a good idea to let your writers know your timeline so that missing letters do not delay your application. Remind your writers that the open date is around the corner, and express your gratitude for their contribution to your application!

3. Have You Included All Of Your Official Transcripts?

Take a moment to check back in with each of your institutions (undergrad, graduate, post-bacc, community college, etc.) to ensure that they have sent along your official transcripts. This is important to do especially if you have been waiting for your grades to post from this spring semester.

4. How Do You Come Across In Your Application?

While this is a difficult question to answer at any point in the application process, we think it is important to take a final review of all of your application materials with this particular question in mind. Not only will it give you the opportunity to correct any grammar or spelling errors in your Personal Statement and Work/Activities Sections, reviewing your app with this question in mind can give you a final impression of how you come across as a candidate. What would an Admissions Officer take away as to why you want to become a doctor? What makes you qualified to pursue a career in medicine? Does your story shine through your answers to the prompts?

Over the next week, taking one or two days away from the application and returning to it with fresh eyes can give you one last perspective about how you present in your materials.

During your final read-through, also be sure to make any corrections to the formatting of your materials, as the AMCAS application does not have word processing software.

Once you are pleased with your efforts, go and hit that submit button with confidence!

Next up: secondaries.

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