2021 Cycle Application
Orientation
Health Professional Schools
Let’s go,
Huskies!
Agenda
I. Housekeeping
II.Application services
III.Application components
IV.Composite letters & process
V. The portal
VI.What happens after?
VII.Resources
Two overall goals tonight
1. Inform you about the application process to
health professional schools and our composite
letter process
2. Use this information to gauge whether you truly
feel ready to apply to health professional schools
this cycle
I. Housekeeping
➢ListServ/Weekly newsletter
➢Email us and request to be added
➢Main place for 2021 cycle information
premed_pr[email protected]
I. Housekeeping
II. Application services
Web platforms
➢AMCAS: primary app for MD schools
➢CAS: primary apps for AACOMAS, AADSAS,
CASPA, OPTOMCAS, AACPMAS,
PHARMCAS, SOPHAS, GRADCAS…
➢TMDSAS: primary app for Texas public
med/dent/vet schools
II. Application services
MD schools (allopathic medicine)
2021 cycle dates:
➢5/4/20 primary app opens
➢5/28/20 submission button available
➢6/26/20 first day verified apps sent to
individual schools
➢ Schools begin to notify applicants of acceptances on 10/15 and continue until
their classes are full.
II. Application services
MD schools (allopathic medicine)
2020 cycle fees:
➢AMCAS application fee (one school
included): $170
➢Each additional school: $40
II. Application services
II. Application services
II. Application services
DO schools (osteopathic medicine)
2020 cycle dates:
➢5/2/19 primary app opened for
submission
➢6/14/19 first day verified apps sent to
individual schools
II. Application services
DO schools (osteopathic medicine)
2020 cycle fees:
➢AACOMAS application fee (one school
included): $195
➢Each additional school: $45
II. Application services
II. Application services
II. Application services
Dental schools
2021 cycle dates:
➢5/12/20 primary app opens
➢6/2/20 submission button available
➢Schools begin to notify applicants of acceptances on
12/1 and continue until their classes are full.
II. Application services
Dental schools
2020 cycle fees:
➢AADSAS application fee (one school
included): $251
➢Each additional school: $108
II. Application services
II. Application services
II. Application services
II. Application services
Texas Medical & Dental Schools
➢2020 cycle dates: 5/1/19 primary app
opened for submission
II. Application services
Texas Medical & Dental Schools
➢2020 cycle fees: $185 TMDSAS
application fee (flat fee for all schools)
II. Application services
II. Application services
PA schools
2020 cycle dates:
➢4/25/19 primary app opened for
submission
II. Application services
PA schools
2020 cycle fees:
➢CASPA application fee (one school
included): $179
➢Each additional school: $55
II. Application services
Optometry schools
2020 cycle dates:
➢6/27/19 primary app opened for
submission
II. Application services
Optometry schools
2020 cycle fees:
➢OPTOMCAS application fee (one school
included): $180
➢Each additional school: $70
II. Application services
Podiatry schools
2020 cycle dates:
➢8/7/19 primary app opened for
submission
II. Application services
Podiatry schools
2020 cycle fees:
➢OPTOMCAS application fee (one school
included): $185
➢Each additional school: $50
III. Application components
1. Primary application
2. Secondary application
3. Test scores
4. Composite [committee] letter
III. Application components
➢A school does not typically touch any part
of your application until all 4 components
are received.
➢Our submission of the composite letter is
completely independent of your
submission of the primary and secondary
applications as well as test scores.
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
3. Test scores: MCAT
➢We strongly recommend that you take the
MCAT no later than mid/late July.
➢You can submit your primary application
before you’ve even sat for the MCAT!
III. Application components
3. Test scores: MCAT
➢You can take the MCAT...
○ up to 3 times in a single testing year
○ up to 4 times in 2 consecutive years
○ up to 7 times in a lifetime
➢You can reschedule 48 hours after testing
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
III. Application components
➢Holistic admissions
“Holistic review is an admissions process that
considers each applicant individually by balancing
their academic metrics with experiences and
attributes.” (AAMC)
III. Application components
➢Holistic admissions
“Holistic review—a flexible, individualized applicant
assessment tool—provides admissions committees a
balanced means of considering candidates’ personal
experiences, attributes and academic credentials,
along with qualities and characteristics that would
prove valuable in both dental school and the oral
health profession.” (ADEA)
III. Application components
➢AAMC’s 15 Core Competencies
Service orientation Capacity for improvement
Social skills Critical thinking
Cultural competence Quantitative reasoning
Teamwork Scientific inquiry
Oral communication Written communication
Ethical responsibility to self and others Living systems
Reliability and dependability Human behavior
Resilience and adaptability
IV. Composite letters & process
What is a composite [committee] letter?
“A letter authored by a pre-health committee or pre-
health advisor and 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. This is sometimes called a
Composite Letter.” (AAMC)
IV. Composite letters & process
➢ During the 2020 cycle, our office submitted...
○ 225 composites to AMCAS
○ 111 composites to AACOMAS
○ 44 composites to AADSAS
○ 8 composites to CASPA
○ 8 composites to TMDSAS
○ 2 composites to OPTOMCAS
○ 27 composites to international schools
IV. Composite letters & process
IV. Composite letters & process
➢If at any point in the application cycle you
decide to defer your application until the
2022 cycle, please contact our office as
soon as you arrive at that decision.
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 1
How is a composite letter different from a
letter packet or individual letters of
recommendation, and is it necessary?
● Most comprehensive model--at UConn, we do
include individual LOR within it.
● Yes and no...
IV. Composite letters & process
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 2
Who writes my composite letter?
● Pre-med & other composites: written jointly
by Drs. Sanford & Albert
● Pre-dent composites: written by Dr. Abbott
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 3
Who assembles and submits my composite
letter?
● Office staff
● Assembly line process with much coordination
between people
IV. Composite letters & process
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 3
1. Office receives notification that all LOR are in → office staff
insert individual LOR then pass file off to advisors for drafting
2. File passed between relevant advisors, then back to office staff
3. When office staff deems file is ready (including no issues with
individual LOR), pass back to advisors for final check
4. [All but pre-dent]
a. If waiting on test scores → hold composite until released
b. If not waiting on test scores → submit composite!
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 4
What does a composite interview entail?
● We do NOT usually conduct interviews for pre-dentals
● Part I: with Krista (logistics, gathering key information)
● Part II: with Dr. Albert OR Dr. Sanford (more interview-y
feel)
● Each part is 20 minutes long
● Part II is scheduled together at the conclusions of Part I
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 5
Do I have to dress up for my composite
interview?
● No! Regular student dress is fine.
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 6
From whom should I request my individual
letters of recommendation?
● Based on what some schools require, we recommend:
○ 2 science faculty LOR (MCB/PNB/EEB, CHEM, PHYS)
○ 1 non-science faculty LOR
○ 1 physician LOR (some DO schools require a DO LOR)
○ 1 research PI LOR
○ 1-2 character references
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 6
● Schools are very finicky about formatting these
days. We have had LOR be explicitly rejected.
● Individual LOR formatting:
○ Letterhead
○ Hand signature (electronic version of hand
signature OK)
○ Dated
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 7
I’m applying to some master’s programs
and/or international schools that don’t use
the above “common” application services.
Can you send them my composite letter?
● Absolutely--send us a cover message listing the names of ALL
programs that you’re applying to and submission instructions
for each program (email or physical address or electronic link)
● Please avoid multiple emails!
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 8
What are the two IDs you need to submit my
composite letter to AMCAS?
● AAMC ID: 8-digit number unique to each applicant
(yours for life)
● AMCAS Letter ID: 7-digit number unique to each
letter you request in the system
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 9
Whose contact information should I use
when I’m filling out my committee letter
request in the CAS application services?
● Please use Drs. Sanford, Albert, or Abbott’s names
but [email protected] for the email.
IV. Composite letters & process
FAQ 10
Can you forward my official transcript to my
relevant application services?
● No, only the UConn Registrar can do that. Fill out
the appropriate transcript request form (found
within your primary app) and forward to them.
IV. Composite letters & process
A message from Dr. Abbott regarding:
➢Composite interviews
➢4 letters of recommendation minimum
I need ALL
individual letters of
recommendation
before I can draft
your composite
letter!
IV. Composite letters & process
➢Remember to send your individual LOR
writers a thank you message. It takes
several hours to draft an excellent letter
and some of them write dozens of LOR!
Also, keep them updated throughout the
application cycle.
IV. Composite letters & process
➢ Reapplicants & Previous Cycle Deferrals
➢ 2018 cycle and before applicants:
○ You no longer have access to the old portal (but
our staff does)
○ Don’t worry because we still have your
individual letters of recommendation.
➢ Upcoming uniform cover sheet for all reapplicants
& previous cycle deferrals--hang tight
V. The portal
1. What is the portal?
2. Old portal vs. new portal
3. Navigating the portal
V. The portal
IMPORTANT: References page
V. The portal
V. The portal
FAQ 1
What if one of my letter writers contacts me
to say that they’re having trouble submitting
their letter through the portal?
● They can email it to [email protected]
or fax it to 860-486-0222.
● Do NOT have them send it directly to any advisor.
● We CANNOT accept any LOR directly from you.
V. The portal
FAQ 2
How do I know if my individual letters of
recommendation have correct formatting?
● When the office staff are inserting your individual LOR,
we will automatically reach out to you to let you know
if we find any issues.
● This is the most time-consuming task for the office
staff!
VI. What happens after?
VI. What happens after?
VI. What happens after?
VI. What happens after?
VI. What happens after?
➢Use caution when sending updates/letters of
interest to schools: not all want them
➢We are here to counsel you on ways to improve
your application and/or enrichment year plans
“I'm a former medical school admissions committee member, and at our school, there was no intrinsic disadvantage to
being a re-applicant; a significant percentage of our entering medical school classes each year were students who applied
more than once. When our committee evaluated a second application from an applicant, the key question was: How much
and in what ways has this application changed since we saw it last? It was pretty common that applicants would submit
essentially the same application as before, on a second (or third) attempt. If there weren't any substantive changes in the
application, the applicant wouldn't be invited for an interview and would be rejected. However, when a re-applicant made
the effort to identify the weaknesses in the first application and then worked on doing what was needed to strengthen
those parts of the application, our admissions committee was positively impressed by the applicant's persistence and
willingness to work hard to improve the application. In general, I think it's a mistake for an aspiring physician to submit
the AMCAS application if the applicant knows there are areas of weakness in it (such as lower-than-competitive MCAT
score). It's a sure thing that if the applicant and the advisor can see a major weakness in an application, the medical school
admissions committees will also see that weakness. In my experience, the strategy of ‘I'll go ahead and submit my
application, because I might get lucky and they might overlook my MCAT score because I'm a really nice person and I really
want to be admitted to medical school’ rarely succeeds.”
(Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
VI. What happens after?
VII. Resources
➢ AMCAS: 202-828-0600 / amcas@aamc.org
➢ AACOMAS: 617-612-2889 / aacomasin[email protected]
➢ AADSAS: 617-612-2045 / [email protected]
➢ TMDSAS: 512-499-4785 / info@tmdsas.com
➢ CASPA: 617-612-2080 / [email protected]
➢ OPTOMCAS: 617-612-2888 / optomcasinfo@optomcas.org
➢ AACPMAS: 617-612-2900 / [email protected]
Applicants at the end of this presentation:
Any last questions?
Thank you!
