2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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Relevant information regarding other health professional program applications are included.
Below are the most frequently asked questions regarding the medical school application. If you are unable to
find the answer to your question within the document or on the AMCAS Applicant Guide, please feel to contact
us at 603-646-3377 or Health.Professions.Program@dartmouth.edu
. If you wish to schedule an appointment
with a pre-health advisor, you can contact Rae Stokes at the above phone and email, or schedule directly
through Calendly with
Sarah Berger or Alicia Kehn.
Please also select “Release to Advisor” on your primary application and standardized exams. This will allow your
pre-health advisors to use the data from your application as part of an aggregate number to advise future
applicants.
Regarding the below table of contents, to jump to a specific section, click on the section in question and you’ll
be taken directly to there.
Contents
GENERAL INFORMATION: ...........................................................................................................................................3
Where can I obtain help with my application? ......................................................................................................3
When should I submit my application? ..................................................................................................................3
How much does it cost to apply? ...........................................................................................................................3
What is included in the application? ......................................................................................................................3
SHOULD I RELEASE TO ADVISOR? ...........................................................................................................................4
Can I change my application after I have certified and submitted it? ...................................................................4
SCHOOLS ATTENDED & TRANSCRIPTS: .......................................................................................................................4
What if I took courses at another college or institution? ......................................................................................4
How do I enter my study abroad courses? .............................................................................................................4
How do I send transcripts to AMCAS? ....................................................................................................................5
When I am creating the transcript request form in AMCAS, what Dartmouth address do I use for the “College
Address Information?” ...........................................................................................................................................5
Do I have to wait until spring grades are available to send my transcript to AMCAS? ..........................................5
COURSE WORK: ..........................................................................................................................................................6
How do I enter AP credit? ......................................................................................................................................6
What term should I list for AP credit? ....................................................................................................................6
How do I enter exemptions? ..................................................................................................................................6
What “Course Type” do I check if I have an “NR?” ................................................................................................6
What is the course number? ..................................................................................................................................6
How many credit hours should I enter for courses? ..............................................................................................6
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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Are we on trimesters or quarters? .........................................................................................................................6
What is course classification?.................................................................................................................................7
What if I am unsure of how to classify a course? ...................................................................................................7
How should I classify First-Year Seminar? ..............................................................................................................7
How do I classify Neuroscience courses? ...............................................................................................................8
How do I list Sophomore Summer? ........................................................................................................................8
How do I enter a future course? Do I need to? ......................................................................................................8
Should I use the abbreviation for courses or should I write out the entire title? ..................................................8
How do I enter an NR? ...........................................................................................................................................8
Should I include transferred credits on my application? .......................................................................................9
WORK/ACTIVITIES: ......................................................................................................................................................9
What’s in the Work/Activities section? ..................................................................................................................9
How many experiences can I enter? ......................................................................................................................9
How do I categorize my shadowing? ......................................................................................................................9
How do I enter future activities? ............................................................................................................................9
LETTERS OF EVALUATION: ....................................................................................................................................... 10
How do I categorize my letters in AMCAS? ......................................................................................................... 10
Who is my “Primary Contact/Author?” ............................................................................................................... 10
What is the “Letter Request Form?” ................................................................................................................... 10
PRIVATEFOLIO/CREDENTIALS: ................................................................................................................................. 11
Why hasn’t my file been sent to my composite writer yet? ............................................................................... 11
How do I get my letters in AMCAS? .................................................................................................................... 11
When do I need to submit my composite letter or letter packet to AMCAS? .................................................... 11
Do I need to submit my citation report separately to AMCAS? .......................................................................... 11
CHOOSING MEDICAL SCHOOLS: .............................................................................................................................. 11
How do I decide which schools to apply to? ....................................................................................................... 12
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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GENERAL INFORMATION:
Where can I obtain help with my application?
Utilize these FAQs, the “AMCAS Applicant Guide” available on the AAMC website, and the online help
available within the application. You can contact AMCAS directly at amcas@aamc.org or 202-828-0600.
If you are unable to find an answer through these channels, please contact
Health.Professions.Program@dartmouth.edu.
• AMCAS Applicant Guide (right sidebar)
• AACOMAS (DO)
• TMDSAS Application Handbook (all Texas health professional programs)
• AADSAS (Dental)
When should I submit my application?
Most medical schools have rolling admissions, and it is to your advantage to be early in the process.
We suggest that you submit your AMCAS application by June or early July. If you feel you need more
time, you should aim to submit by mid-July. If you have questions about the timing of your application,
speak to a pre-health advisor.
How much does it cost to apply?
Fee Reductions through the Fee Assistance Program (FAP) are available, but you must apply for these before
submitting your application, as the reduction is not retroactive!
Qualifying for the FAP includes fee waivers for up to 20 schools and often reduces secondary application fees as
well. Don’t hesitate to ask if they don’t automatically offer! For more information, go to
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/
Fees will sometimes change from year to year. For the 2020 application year:
• AMCAS
charges an application processing fee of $170 for one medical school designation and $41 for each
designation thereafter.
• TMDSAS (Texas common application for health professional programs including MD and dental) charges a
flat fee of $185 regardless of the number of schools you apply to.
• AACOMAS (DO) starts at $196 and $46 per school after that.
• AADSAS (dental) starts at $251 and $108 per school after that.
Most schools charge fees for their secondary applications which can range from $75.00 to $150.00. (One must
also consider travel and interview expenses).
What is included in the application?
• Identifying information
• Biographical information
• Work experiences and activities with a focus is on college and post-undergraduate years.
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o Up to 15 experiences with descriptions for each up to 750 characters long.
o Up to 3 of these can be designated "most meaningful" and will have an additional 1325
characters to help you elaborate further.
o This section is unlimited in AADSAS and AACOMAS, but with different character counts.
• Schools attended
• Coursework: plan to have your official transcript(s) available to complete this section.
• Personal statement
o AMCAS: 5300 characters including spaces
o TMDSAS: 5000 characters including spaces
o AACOMAS: 5300 characters including spaces
o AADSAS: 4500 characters including spaces
o VMCAS: 3000 characters including spaces
• Letters of evaluation
• Designated medical schools (see below for more information in the Letter Section).
• Additional essays:
o AMCAS: for combined degree programs, additional essays will appear in the “Essays” section.
o See applicant guides for all other systems for more details.
SHOULD I RELEASE TO ADVISOR?
Please check yes. This will allow your pre-health advisors to use the data from your application as part of an
aggregate number to advise future applicants.
• Advisors cannot read your application unless you send it to them.
• The information released includes GPA, MCAT scores, schools applied to, final matriculation, gender,
and race/ethnicity.
• Your personal information will be kept confidential.
• The data from past applicants will help us assist you during the process, and your data will help us assist
future applicants.
Can I change my application after I have certified and submitted it?
You can only update biographical information and add (but not delete) schools. You can also add to your letters
section, but please check with HPP before doing so. You cannot edit or make corrections to course work, post-
secondary experiences, or your personal statement.
SCHOOLS ATTENDED & TRANSCRIPTS:
What if I took courses at another college or institution?
You must create an entry for each school attended, just as you did for Dartmouth. List the courses and the
grades you earned. You must request an official transcript from each school’s registrar office to be sent to
AMCAS. This applies to a college-level course taken during high school.
How do I enter my study abroad courses?
A study abroad program, as AMCAS defines it, is a program that must be sponsored by the United States or
Canadian Institution (this is different from a branch of an American school overseas i.e. Duke in Singapore).
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You will add the foreign host institution as another school, but you will check the box for “Transcript Exception”
and use the transcript from Dartmouth (for FSP and LSA programs) to enter the courses under the foreign host
institution.
If you transferred course work from a leave-term, completed exchange terms, or post-baccalaureate course
work, then you will need to add a school entry and request separate transcripts.
All credit earned at US colleges or universities must be reported.
How do I send transcripts to AMCAS?
Applicants can request an official eTranscript or paper transcript to be sent to AMCAS through the Dartmouth
Registrar’s Office. eTranscripts are quicker than paper. Dartmouth utilizes a third party called Parchment.
You do not need the AMCAS transcript request form but can upload it to verify identity when you electronically
request transcripts from Dartmouth’s Registrar Office. When you make the transcript request, you can also
request “hold for grades,” if you want your spring term grades in AMCAS.
• Go to https://www.dartmouth.edu/~reg/
and click on Transcript Tab.
o Current undergraduates: select “Official Transcript” from the “Undergraduate Student Main
Menu.”
o Alumni and students without Banner access: log into the “Transcript Request” page. For
additional guidance with login information, see “Instructions for Dartmouth Login.”
• Read the instructions on how to order an official transcript.
• Request an eTranscript and depending on your status (undergrad or alum), follow the instructions to
request an official transcript.
• Enter your AAMC ID and AAMC Transcript ID in the eTranscript request process.
A separate AMCAS transcript request must be created for each college/institution you have attended. For other
institutions, please locate the transcript request page for those colleges on their registrar website for
instructions on how to request transcripts.
When I am creating the transcript request form in AMCAS, what Dartmouth address do I use for
the “College Address Information?”
6014 McNutt Hall, Hanover, NH 03755
Do I have to wait until spring grades are available to send my transcript to AMCAS?
The transcript that you send to AMCAS should include your spring grades if you are taking courses and want
those grades included. Not everyone will need to wait. Consult with HPP.
The transcript for your PrivateFolio account does not need to include spring grades if you are releasing your file
to your composite writer before spring grades would be available.
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COURSE WORK:
Please consult with an advisor when entering course work for other application systems. This mostly applies to
AMCAS.
How do I enter AP credit?
If you received credit, note the course number and name exactly as shown on your transcript. The grade should
be noted as “CR” on your transcript and your application. Choose “Advanced Placement” in the “Special Course
Types” section. If there is no indication of your AP course on your Dartmouth transcript, you should not enter it
on your AMCAS application.
What term should I list for AP credit?
Choose “freshman” and include this course work with your first-year fall courses. You will not have a grade.
How do I enter exemptions?
Enter the course exactly as it appears on your transcript (“EX” for transcript grade). Choose “exempt” from the
“Special Course Types” section.
What “Course Type” do I check if I have an “NR?”
Choose “Pass/Fail” for course type. “NR” should be noted as the grade, exactly as it appears in the transcript.
What is the course number?
A course number includes both the department abbreviation and the course number, such as BIOL013 or
ENGL007.
How many credit hours should I enter for courses?
All Dartmouth courses are worth 1 credit hour, so all courses at Dartmouth should be entered as 1. For each
course, you will check the box to indicate whether the class was “lecture only,” “combined lecture + lab,” or “lab
only.” Make sure to do this accurately so that when AMCAS calculates credit hours you will get an accurate
credit/GPA count.
AMCAS will convert your Dartmouth credits into semester credit hours, according to the conversion that is listed
on the back of your transcript. Do not enter the conversions in AMCAS. Lab courses will convert automatically
when your application is being processed (after submission) to 4.5 semester credit hours, and non-labs will
convert to 3.5 semester credit hours.
If you have earned credit at other colleges or universities, you will need to check those official transcript(s) for
information on how to record their credit hours. Applications for other health professional schools might
require you to make those conversions, but not AMCAS.
Are we on trimesters or quarters?
Our registrar has reported to AMCAS that Dartmouth is a quarter term school.
• Fall = First Quarter
• Winter = Second Quarter
• Spring = Third Quarter
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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• Summer = Fourth Quarter
AMCAS will convert your Dartmouth credits into semester credit hours, according to the conversion that is listed
on the back of your transcript. Do not enter the conversions in AMCAS. Lab courses will convert automatically
to 4.5 semester credit hours, and non-labs will convert to 3.5 semester credit hours when your application is
being processed (after submission). See the question above for more information.
What is course classification?
Course classifications are used in the calculation of your AMCAS GPA. The BCPM GPA is comprised of courses in
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics (including Statistics).
• AMCAS includes Neuroscience as a sub-category of Biology
• Include only courses with “Neuroscience” in the title or a course you could support being heavily based
in Biology.
• Some Engineering courses could also count towards your BCPM
• Please review the AMCAS Course Classification Guide - Link
Do not be concerned if you are still completing some prerequisite courses at the time you submit your
application. It will not hinder your application. All prerequisites should be completed prior to matriculation into
medical school or earlier depending on the school.
What if I am unsure of how to classify a course?
Please review the AMCAS Course Classification Guide - Link
You will find sub-categories for each classification. Classification designation is up to you and should primarily be
determined by course content rather than the course title or department. If you classify a course in a way that is
questionable to AMCAS, you may be asked to justify your classification. This could delay the processing of your
application.
During the verification process, it is your responsibility to check regularly for emails.
• Also, check spam/junk email for notifications that AMCAS disagrees with your classification.
• The pause will hold your application for two weeks, during which you can submit an “Academic Change
Request.”
• After the two weeks, the verification process continues but you cannot retroactively make a change
request.
• They will require a course description or syllabus to justify your classification.
• You are not “in trouble” if they don’t agree with your classification.
• If you are unsure how to classify a course, please contact the Health Professions Program for guidance.
How should I classify First-Year Seminar?
If you plan to use this course as a fulfillment of an English prerequisite and this course was completed in a
department other than English, you should still classify it as English. However, if you already have your English
credits elsewhere, you can classify it however you feel is appropriate. If you need to include follow-up
information with your supplemental applications, you can use the following:
“AMCAS has long agreed with the Dartmouth Registrar that Dartmouth’s First Year Seminars meet the criteria
for an English course, even though they are sometimes found in an array of departments. In order to fulfill
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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Dartmouth’s writing requirement, I completed (CLASS) a First-Year Seminar. According to the Dartmouth
College Bulletin, Organization, Regulations, and Courses; First-Year Seminars offer every Dartmouth first-year
student an opportunity to participate in a course structured around independent research, small group
discussion, and intensive writing. By a vote by the Faculty and the Trustees, successful completion of one First-
Year Seminar is a requirement for the A.B. degree. The function of the First-Year Seminar Program is threefold.
First, by means of a uniform writing requirement, it stresses the importance of written expression in all
disciplines. Second, it provides an attractive and exciting supplement to the usual introductory survey course
in many disciplines. And finally, the program’s emphasis on independent study enables each first-year student
to have an early experience of the scholarship that fuels Dartmouth’s upper-level courses.”
If during your verification, a verifier does not get that message and disagrees with your FYS English classification,
you can send them this explanation. Get in touch with HPP if they continue to dispute this.
How do I classify Neuroscience courses?
Classification should be based on course content, rather than the course title or department. If the primary
content of your Neuroscience course was Biology, instead of Psychology, then it can be classified as Biology.
How do I list Sophomore Summer?
Sophomore Summer is the summer quarter of your junior year according to the AMCAS calendar. It will also
have the same year (20XX/20XX) as your other junior year terms. When your course work section is complete,
the terms should be listed in chronological order. The academic “year” from the application’s point of view is
Summer - Spring.
How do I enter a future course? Do I need to?
You can add current or future courses the same way you add past courses, except you will not include a grade
and you will check the current/future box at the bottom of the page. You are not required to indicate future
courses. Some applicants will choose to do so in order to show medical schools that they plan on taking a
remaining prerequisite or other course you wish them to know about. If you enter future courses, but your
schedule changes, you are not held to what you listed. Future course work or activities can also be mentioned in
your secondary applications.
Should I use the abbreviation for courses or should I write out the entire title?
It is best to put exactly what is written on your transcript. If Dartmouth abbreviated a course and it seems
unclear what the topic is, you can make a more logical abbreviation. If the course title is too long, again, you can
make a more logical abbreviation. Keep in mind that AMCAS will try to match up your transcript with your
application. The more exact your application, the easier and less time consuming it will be for AMCAS to verify. If
you have AP courses on your transcript, you should put exactly what is on your transcript. If the transcript does
not state what the credit is for, add the topic at the end (i.e. College Board Advanced Placement: Calculus).
How do I enter an NR?
Check the box at the bottom of the screen that says “Pass/Fail.” Do not check the “No Record” box. Your
transcript grade should be noted as “NR.”
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Should I include transferred credits on my application?
Credits that are transferred from another college to Dartmouth should be listed under the original college, NOT
under Dartmouth. For example, if you took Organic Chemistry at Harvard, you would have a separate transcript
from Harvard. Even if you transferred those credits to Dartmouth and they appear on your Dartmouth
transcript, they should not be listed under Dartmouth on your AMCAS application. You should add Harvard as a
separate college attended and list those courses there. Remember to request an official transcript from Harvard
or other college/institution to be sent to AMCAS.
WORK/ACTIVITIES:
What’s in the Work/Activities section?
You can describe work experiences, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, citations, publications, and/or
personal pursuits that you would like the medical schools to know about. Be sure to elaborate upon not only
what you did but also your role and what you learned/gained.
How many experiences can I enter?
A maximum of 15 experiences can be entered into AMCAS. You will be given 750 characters to describe each
experience and then you will be asked to choose up to 3 experiences that were most meaningful to you. You will
have an additional 1325 characters to further describe these experiences.
• Use every opportunity to write about yourself thoughtfully.
• Each activity is a chance to help medical schools get to know you better.
• If you are writing about experiences, specify the skills you learned and how they aided your
development. Don’t overstate.
How do I categorize my shadowing?
Typically, shadowing is categorized under “Physician Shadowing/Clinical Observation,” though this does depend
on the role you played (i.e. active role caring for patients or merely witnessing).
You can also select “Community Service/Volunteer – Medical/Clinical” or “Other” if your experience doesn’t
quite fit.
Multiple shadowing experiences can be lumped together in one of your 15 work/activities entries. If one stands
out or was longer/more in-depth, you could distinguish it in its own activity entry.
How do I enter future activities?
Future plans (gap year activities, work experiences, publications, etc.) are typically discussed in secondary
applications but can go in your activities if you have space.
Depending on the experience, such as having received a job offer, grant, fellowship, thesis proposal acceptance,
etc., you could use a box to highlight it, but in that case, it's best to keep it simple. You can only write about
what you know or have actually done. Don’t project much into what might happen.
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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LETTERS OF EVALUATION:
How do I categorize my letters in AMCAS?
If you are using a composite letter, you should choose “Committee Letter” in this section. Dartmouth uses a
composite letter, which is a type of committee letter.
Alumni from Dartmouth that are collecting letters through Dartmouth’s Privatefolio account but are not getting
a composite letter should choose “Letter Packet.” This option is for alumni that have typically been graduates
for 3 or more years. If you have not notified HPP, please contact us for help with creating your letter packet
before you attempt to send it to AMCAS.
Alumni who choose to submit individual letters when AMCAS opens should select the option for individual
letters.
If you are considering sending an additional letter after your composite letter or letter packet has already been
sent to AMCAS, please contact HPP ASAP to discuss it.
Who is my “Primary Contact/Author?”
Rae Stokes (HPP Program Coordinator) will be the primary contact for all composite letters and/or letter packets
that are sent via PrivateFolio. If you are using another school’s letter service in addition to Dartmouth, please
contact them for this information.
For all applicants using Dartmouth’s PrivateFolio account (composite and letter packets), please use the
information below.
What schools are providing this letter? Dartmouth (if you are using PrivateFolio to transmit your letters)
Letter Title: Dartmouth Composite
Institution: Dartmouth College
Primary Contact/Author's Prefix: Ms.
Primary Contact/Author's First Name: Rae
Primary Contact/Author's Middle Name: L
Primary Contact/Author's Last Name: Stokes
Primary Contact/Author's Title: Health Professions Program Coordinator
Primary Contact/Author's Email: Rae.L.Stokes@Dartmouth.edu
Primary Contact/Author's Phone: 603-646-3377
Organization Name: Dartmouth College
Address: 6147 Parker House - Room 101, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
What is the “Letter Request Form?”
Do not send this form to anyone. You can print off a copy for yourself. Keep this information as you will need the
letter ID number in the form to complete the transmission of your composite letter/letter packet to AMCAS
from PrivateFolio.
2021 – 2022 FAQ’s and Instructions for Dartmouth Students/Alumni
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PRIVATEFOLIO/CREDENTIALS:
Why hasn’t my file been sent to my composite writer yet?
Once your file is complete (support letters, transcripts, autobiographical sketch, and resume) you must submit
the Release to Composite Writer form
. This form will not be accepted until your file is complete, so monitor
PrivateFolio and submit ASAP once all your letters and documents are uploaded.
How do I get my letters in AMCAS?
Once our office receives the completed letter from your composite writer, we need time to review the letter.
This can take up to 1 – 4 weeks, depending on how many letters we’ve received or whether any additional tasks
are necessary for the letter’s completion.
Once HPP has created the final composite letter document (which includes the HPP cover letter, the composite
letter, support letters, and if you have one, your citation report), it will be uploaded onto your PrivateFolio
account. You will be notified by email with instructions on how to send/mail it to AMCAS, or whichever
application system you are using. Please check your e-mail for instructions.
To complete the delivery to AMCAS, you will need to provide:
• AMCAS ID # (8-digit number)
• Letter ID # (4-digit number created by PrivateFolio and assigned to your composite letter or letter
packet)
When do I need to submit my composite letter or letter packet to AMCAS?
You submit your completed composite letter or letter packet through PrivateFolio as soon as they are ready and
HPP sends you instructions.
You do not need to wait on your letters to submit your AMCAS application.
Do not delay submitting your application because of your letters. You will usually be delivering your completed
composite letter packet to AMCAS during the time you are completing secondary applications.
You will receive instructions from HPP once we have uploaded your composite letter/letter packet to your
PrivateFolio account. You will transmit letters from your PrivateFolio account into AMCAS.
Do I need to submit my citation report separately to AMCAS?
Your citation report is meant to be reviewed by the medical schools to apply to. They will be prompted in the
“Schools” section of the AMCAS application to view your citation reports.
However, we recommend that you include your citation in your composite or letter packet when you send it to
AMCAS. To help you with this, HPP will include your citation report with the composite letter/letter packet.
CHOOSING MEDICAL SCHOOLS:
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How do I decide which schools to apply to?
This is a research project that takes some time. You will need to develop your own criteria and preferences, as
well as create a list with a balanced range of schools that meet both your criteria and consider selectivity.
You can use the documents on the Choosing Medical Schools
page on the HPP website.
• Consider subscribing to MSAR
(Medical School Admissions Requirements) online.
• We also have information from Dartmouth alums attending medical schools who have agreed to share
their experiences at their chosen schools. You can request a PDF copy be emailed to you by contacting
HPP.
• You can also use the Alumni Advice Network accessible through the Nathan Smith Society
homepage if
you are a current student.
• Contact admissions personnel at different schools and ask to speak to current students, if possible.
Eventually, you will narrow down your list to include a range of schools that interest you and at which you are
likely to be competitive. Apply to multiple schools, but do not go overboard. Dartmouth applicants have applied
to an average of 24 schools in 2020, depending on their state of domicile.
Remember that the admissions process is very expensive, as well as time and labor-intensive. You won’t be able
to do a good job on your secondary applications if you apply to too many schools.
For other information about the application process, please use the Application
Process section of our website!
