We posted this back some time ago and thought it was a good idea to revisit the ideas. You could also use some of this information as well if you are considering retaking the DAT, OAT, etc.
You want to ask/assess yourself:
In looking at your past history, how have you tended to perform on standardized tests?
How well did you prepare? Did you thoroughly review and take practice tests?
How did you score on practice tests?
How did you feel the actual test went for you? Were you sick? Were you overly anxious? Did you run out of time before answering all the questions?, etc.
Do you feel your scores accurately represent your ability?
How competitive are the other aspects of your candidacy? Grades, activities, recommendations, etc.
Are there other important contexts for interpreting your scores? Are you disadvantaged, learning disabled, a first-generation college student, or a member of an underrepresented minority with lower average scores? Was English your second language?, etc.
Where would you like to go to school? Admissions’ guides usually list average test scores for accepted candidates. Schools also have different policies for how they will use the scores from multiple tests.
What was your overall performance? Dental schools usually use the academic average, but may differ in how they use the perceptual ability score. Optometry schools usually use the academic average. And, medical schools usually use the total of the verbal, physical and biological science sections.
Are there individual scores which might be seen as significant weaknesses? Whether or not a score is seen as weakness depends on the evaluator and the context (grades in related courses, English as a 2nd language, etc.).
What happened to other people who re-took the test with similar initial scores? In general, those who scored lower than average tend to improve, while those who scored higher than average, often score lower on a re-take. Hint for medical school applicants, there is some helpful data at the AAMC site
In general, if you scored lower than average for admission, you have indications you can do significantly better, and you are motivated to thoroughly review and practice, then signs point to re-taking.
Students interested in participating in the Clinical Observation Program at the UB School of Dental Medicine can now access the application directly online. Please click on the link for additional information and the application.
Please note that for fall 2009, Michigan State Veterinary School will only accept the GRE and not the MCAT.
Please note that as per earlier instructions regarding the AMCAS Letter Pilot (for those applying to US MD schools), you only want to complete and print out the Letter of Evaluation section ONCE (Section 6). This is because a new AMCAS Letter ID will be generated each time you go in and complete that section and you only need ONE. Multiple letter IDs will result in confusion and “clean up” efforts.
The AMCAS Letter Pilot site can be accessed here.
KEY UPDATES
1) VMCAS
2) VMSAR
3) General Announcements
1) The VMCAS Web Application for 2009 Matriculation Is Now Available!
The VMCAS Web Application for 2009 matriculation is now available. Applicants can now create an account to receive their VMCAS ID. After creating an account, students can register their evaluators for the online evaluation process. Once an evaluator is registered, the evaluator will automatically receive an email with details on how to access the eLOR system.
The application deadline this year is noon eastern daylight time on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008.
The VMCAS website contains complete details about the application process to colleges of veterinary medicine:
- Application instructions
- Application Tips
- Sample application
- Details on each member college, including prerequisites
- College Comparison Chart
- Instructions for the easy-to-use online letters of evaluation system (e-LOR)
As a reminder, please be sure to direct any questions or concerns you receive regarding the application process to the VMCAS toll-free Student and Advisor Hotline at 1-877-862-2740 or to vmcas@aavmc.org.
2) VMSAR 2008
The 2008 edition of the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) is now available. This publication provides admissions information for all schools of veterinary medicine in the United States, and AVMA-accredited international schools.
Additionally, in this year’s edition, you will find a section highlighting application and enrollment statistics. Applications by Residency, Age Distribution, Gender Distribution, and Ethnicity Distribution are just a few of the tables included in this section of the VMSAR.
Please click here for for more information and purchasing instructions for the VMSAR.
3) General Announcements
Murdoch University Joins VMCAS
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges is pleased to announce that Murdoch University in Australia has become a member of VMCAS! This brings the VMCAS membership total to 32 institutions.
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)
1101 Vermont Ave NW #301
Washington, DC 20005
vmcas@aavmc.org
American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Update
As per the website you may begin submitting your AMCAS application effective yesterday, June 4 at 9:30 a.m. Early is good, but error free is better…
US Dental School Application Service (AADSAS) OPEN May 15, 2008
Please go to the AADSAS application to open. In particular, pay attention to the link for the “AADSAS Instructions” and for “Participating Dental Schools” as there can be unique information required by each school listed.
If you came through the Prehealth Committee in April 2008 in support of a 2009 application to any of the professional schools (or plan to do so in September 2008), you will want to be sure you complete and submit a Release Form to our office (109 Norton Hall) Form once you begin to receive secondary applications from individual schools. This is so our office has your permission to release your Prehealth Committee packet. If you are applying through AADSAS in support of a dental school application, you have more flexibility to release your letters at other times (earlier). The Release Form is available at our website. You can drop this off to us, mail it to us or fax to us at 716-645-3042. If we do not have a signed Release Form we CANNOT send your letters.
Remember if you are applying to MD, DO or OD (optometry) schools check to see if the school is using VirtualEvals first. If the school is NOT using VirtualEvals, you want to pre-address an envelope (available in 108 Norton) and pre-stamp with postage ($1.17) so we can send your packet via US mail. Please turn in your Release Form with your prepared envelopes to 109 Norton.
If you are applying to any of the schools listed here you will need to do the following:
- Complete Section # 6 of the AMCAS Application
- Indicate in your AMCAS application that your letters will be in the form of a “Committee Letter/Letter Packet”
- Enter “Elizabeth Morsheimer” as the “Primary Author/Contact”
- As the Committee packet contains multiple other letters (4-7), it is NOT necessary for you to list those letter writers in the “Additional Authors” section of the AMCAS letters tab.
- You will be provided with a printable form containing an AMCAS letter ID. Our office in 109 Norton Hall NEEDS this form OR simply the Letter ID sent to us via email. You can send this to Jinny Majewski at vmajewsk@buffalo.edu or drop the form off to 109 Norton Hall.
The 2009 American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) MD school application opened at 9:30 am ET today, May 14. Remember that you want to submit an error-free, complete application. If you are unsure as to whether to submit your AMCAS prior to knowing your MCAT score results, please make an appointment by calling (716) 645-6013.
