I finally got my AACOMAS and AMCAS verified (still waiting on my 5/31 MCAT scores) and already secondaries are coming in.
So far I’ve received and completed Medical College of Wisconsin - basically a couple questions, your picture, and forking over $70. But hey, it gets me that much closer.
Anyone else starting in on secondaries?
Girl get those secondaries out ASAP! (and it seems that you are doing a fine job of that) and you will drinking maitais and celebrating come October 15th! wooohooo! see you in medical school.
So far so good! 2 secondaries in, 2 secondaries out!
Since I’m not in the same application cycle as you I can say with all sincerity that is some great news. Get those apps out. I heard that message loud & clear at the conference. Seems you did as well. 
Message?! Oh… you mean the one about getting all your secondaries back to the adcoms ASAP, right?
Was that before, or after the message about the sign-up sheet for dinner at Benihana’s?
Yes… the message is SEARED into my brain now. 
Thanks, Judy & fingers crossed for you, Meg!
T
Thanks T 
So far it’s 3 in, 3 out.
I’ve had to write a few short essays but my key is to keep it to what they want to hear, not wax poetical. Then it’s not hard at all for me to write!
I’m going to link my mdapps in my signature just in case anyone’s interested in a view of this year’s process.
Also, many of those secondary question essays can be recycled woohooo! just make sure you do not put down the name of the wrong school he he…
Looks like my MCAT score is keeping me from getting more secondaries. It comes out this Friday 
so more should come next week or so…
At this point it’s 4 in, 4 out…
Awesome, you go!!! I have only received 1 secondary from George washington so far but I am hopeful more will roll in. I am running into problems with letters of evaluation. Do you just get the same 3-5 people to send the letters to 18 different schools or is there an easier way? I feel bad asking them to send sooo many letters. I don’t have access to a health advisory committee.
Second question: I want to apply to DO schools too but I am noticing they want letters from DOs and I don’t know a single DO. What to do?
Thanks and good luck!
Snowgirl,
I suggest you use a letter service such as Interfolio www.interfolio.com. It allows you to print off forms for each of your recommenders with instructions on how to submit the letters and also a form waiving your right to see the letters. Letters can be submitted via snail mail, fax, electronically. Then, when you need letters sent, you log into Interfolio, decide which letters (if you have more letters than you need to send. For example, say you have five LORs, but a school only allows three, you can choose only three of the letters to be sent), enter the address they need to be sent, and pay a fee. I don’t know what they are charging now, but they charge a flat fee to set up your account and so much per address you want the letters sent to. They also have the option to have your letters overnighted (for more money, of course).
Interfolio is a great service. If professors have never used it before, most of them love only having to send a LOR out once. I used it without any difficulty when I was applying. It also gives you more control over your letters. Once your letters are submitted to Intefolio, it is relatively quick and easy to have all of your letters sent at once, considerably speeding up the process of getting your applications complete. Even schools that stated that the letter had to be an original and not a copy accepted the Interfolio letters for me.
Some universities have actually discontinued their letter service and now recommend that their students use Interfolio.
Hope that helps.
Good luck!
thanks! Now that you mention it, I did sign up with interfolio last december when I was applying to univ of colorado but all the letters say University of Colorado in the form letter and in the title of the file. Does interfolio make sure the letter is generic, or do I need to have all of my evaluators re-send to interfolio in a generic format so they can be used anywhere?
I have so much to learn about this process!
I would explain to your writers how Interfolio works and explain to them that this way they will only need to send a letter once and that they should just keep it generic.
Snowgirl,
You can look up local DO’s on the AOA page. You may have to put some time into this. Some DOs are very friendly and approachable and others are like reclusive monks–you just have to be persistent and establish a relationship and eventually someone will let you shadow them and provide you with a nice LOR. It’s not easy–but then, it’s one of the hoops the DO schools expect you to jump through to demonstrate a real interest in the field. Best of luck,
I’ll join in… 12 secondaries received, and I think 8 back out. Unfortunately, my MCAT score was not quite where I wanted it to be, so I’m retaking it in August. However, I am adamant about getting these &*^% secondaries in so that when my second scores come in, my application is ready to roll!
thanks so much to ttraub and emergency for the information, it has been very helpful!! does anyone have ideas on what best to do with my time while I wait a year for school to start (provided I get in)? I have finished all pre-reqs and took the MCAT twice (did a point lower the second time :() It is too late to apply to grad school or an offical degree program but perhaps I should take some additional courses at the local community college in genetics or take physiology again as it has been 13 years. I have about 20 hours PB coursework last year. I am afraid if I dont get in this round I will need to have done something in the meantime to sharpen my brain and improve PB work, thoughts? The other part of me says just work alot and save $$ because it is going to be expensive!!
I finished Texas secondaries, and 2 AMCAS secondaries…many more to go and still AACOM to finish…phew!
for all those out there doing secondaries, good luck and keep us posted!
I am running into problems with letters of recommendation (non-science). Penn State requires 2 science letters and one non-science letter and I don’t remember any of my non-science professors from 14 years ago. I emailed penn state and they replied with the following: “If you are not able to secure a subjective recommendation, some official documentation, signed by a university official (Registrar, Dean, etc.) on university letterhead, indicating that you were a student there during your indicated period of enrollment, that you were a student in good standing, and that you completed the program of study you indicated on your AMCAS application, would suffice.”
Sufficing isn’t exactly what I want but they seem pretty dead set on this requirement. Is anyone else facing the challenge of meeting this letter of recommendation requirements?
I know there are other schools that require this so I guess I just do what they request and try to wow them with the other letters. I try to plow on through these secondaries but I keep hitting these obstacles - I will not give up though!
here is a corny joke to lighten things up:
Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar.
One says, ‘I think I’ve lost an electron.’
The other says ‘Are you sure?’
The first says, ‘Yes, I’m positive.’
I like the joke…lol.
thanks Heather! Here is another one to make you giggle
A neutron walks into a bar and orders a beer.
The bartender sets the beer down and says,
“For you, no charge!”
LOL, hadn’t heard the second one before, snowgirl.
Hey everyone! Best wishes to all of you working on applications.
I submitted my AMCAS earlier this month and it’s now in the “Ready for Review” status. So far I have received 3 secondaries and 2 others are available online (I applied to 14 schools). None of them are complete yet but I am trying my hardest to have the 3 I got in out by the end of the week.
Writing the personal statement wore me out. Now I am really struggling with what to say on these secondaries. “Why do you want to attend XYZ school?”. Please, I just want to attend ANY school. BS-ing is so painful hahaha!