Med School Applications Kick Off: Ten Tips to Get You Through the Season
Planning to apply to medical school in the upcoming cycle? With so much to do and so many deadlines to stay ahead of, the next few months can be a hectic time. These ten tips will help you hit the ground running.
Table of Contents:
- Get cozy with AMCAS and AACOMAS (and TMDSAS, if you’re in Texas)
- Apply for fee assistance
- Register for the MCAT
- Sort out your recommendation letters
- Apply early
- Decide where to apply
- Start completing your secondary essays
- Prep for interviews
- Don’t worry until you need to
- Live your life
1. Get cozy with AMCAS and AACOMAS (and TMDSAS, if you’re in Texas).
Medical schools in the United States use centralized application services that process your transcript(s), verify your coursework, and calculate your GPA before distributing your primary application to your chosen schools.
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is the primary gateway for allopathic (MD) medical programs. If you’ve taken the MCAT or applied for fee assistance, you will already be registered with the AMCAS; if not, you should register immediately.
Osteopathic (DO) medical applicants apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS), which has its own instructions and verification process.
Texas medical schools have an independent application service: the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS).
Each service has different timelines and requirements, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with their guidelines for completing your applications:
You’ll spend lots of time on these websites this year – whether you’re inputting your primary application, adding programs for submissions, or checking the status of your applications – so take time now to explore them.
2. Apply for fee assistance.
Applying to medical school is expensive, and each program you target comes with a hefty price tag. But don’t let the costs unfairly limit your choices. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Fee Assistance Program (FAP) and the AACOMAS Application Fee Waiver can help defer the costs of applications and the MCAT.
FAP will open for the 2027-2028 season on February 2, 2026, and applicants are encouraged to apply early. Although the offered benefits vary by year, recipients of the 2026 FAP could take advantage of free MCAT preparatory materials, a reduced registration fee on the MCAT, free access to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) database (an essential application tool), and a waiver for their primary application to up to 20 schools. Benefits are available for an entire calendar year.
By contrast, the AACOMAS fee waiver is only valid for 14 days, so applicants should be ready to submit their application when they apply. Successful recipients receive a fee waiver on their primary application to one school. Because the number of AACOMAS fee waivers is limited, applicants are advised to apply early. Check the AACOMAS website often throughout the spring to apply.
TMDSAS does not offer application fee waivers.
3. Register for the MCAT.
If you haven’t already done so, claim your MCAT slot. Spring dates are in high demand, since ideally, you’ll want to have your score in hand by June so you can make smart decisions about your school list. And if you require any accommodations, be sure to submit your request early.
If you’re waiting to get your MCAT score before submitting your AMCAS application, don’t! You only need your MCAT score to identify your target schools, and you only need to choose one school to kickstart the lengthy process. Submit everything else for verification as early as possible. This will make the process go much more quickly once your scores are available.
The AACOMAS verification process takes much less time, but you should still aim to have your MCAT score back early. This will help you choose the schools where you will be most competitive – and, hopefully, successful.
4. Sort out your recommendation letters.
Recommendation letters are also collected and distributed by a centralized service, whether you’re applying through AMCAS, AACOMAS, or TMDSAS. You can then pick which letter goes to which schools.
Ideally, you’ve already contacted the people you would like to write your letters of evaluation. If not, think about who can write about your suitability for medical school. When you request their help, supply them with an up-to-date copy of your resume or CV, notes about any specific areas you’d like them to address, and the instructions to submit your application to your chosen letter service.
Don’t postpone submitting your application while you’re waiting for your recommenders to complete their letters. If a recommendation arrives after your application has been verified, it will be sent immediately to your selected medical schools.
5. Apply early.
Schools set their own deadlines, and some of those deadlines might seem far away. But don’t wait! Since many schools offer interviews and acceptances on a rolling basis, applicants who wait until later to apply are at a significant disadvantage. Also, keep in mind that your application must be verified by your application service before it’s even forwarded to the med schools. AMCAS can take up to six weeks during peak season – and longer, if any issues arise – so budget that time into your plans.
Also, remember that you do not need your MCAT score or your recommendation letters to submit your primary application. You don’t even need a full school list; the verification process can begin with a single school. With that in mind…
6. Decide where to apply.
One of your biggest decisions will be how many programs to target. With 54,699 unique applicants submitting well over a million applications to allopathic schools during the 2025 cycle, the average candidate submits applications to 19.5 programs. If your GPA and MCAT score are above average, you’re safe targeting fewer schools – but if in doubt, spread your chances out. To guide your decision, be sure to study each program’s website to understand its specific admission requirements and, in the case of allopathic schools, the Medical School Admission Requirements (usually updated and released in April of the application year).
You can find additional program information compiled in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Medical Schools list, but always take such rankings with a sizable grain of salt. Many medical schools do not participate in the rankings, and deans are quick to point out that every accredited North American medical school provides a comprehensive medical education.
7. Start completing your secondary essays.
After you have submitted your primary application, you might be tempted to take a break – but getting started on your secondaries is a better use of your time. Although some programs “screen” and invite candidates to submit secondaries only after reviewing their application, most programs automatically release their secondaries as soon as an applicant selects their school. This means that you’re likely to get a deluge of secondaries shortly after you apply. Heed the “apply early” rule here too; the general guideline is a two-week turnaround, but some programs have even shorter turnaround times. Prewriting some of your secondaries will ensure that you don’t miss a deadline or get flooded with a lot of new essays to write all at once.
8. Prep for interviews.
If you applied early in the season, you should be receiving interview invitations by late August. September through November is usually the peak of interview season.
Getting your first interview invitation is exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking. Interviews do get easier with practice, which is why we always recommend that you start preparing early. It can take some time to increase your level of comfort with talking about yourself, and it’s best to practice with someone who will give you honest feedback.
9. Don’t worry until you need to.
The medical school application process is long – it’s often compared to a marathon rather than a sprint – and your patience will be tested. In most cases, there is little you can do but wait. But what happens if January rolls around and you haven’t heard anything? Chances are you’ll need to start thinking about reapplying. However, there’s still one tactic at your disposal: submitting updates and letters of interest. This should not be done indiscriminately, though. Only submit additional materials if the program allows, and focus on providing substantive updates rather than repeating things you’ve already said.
10. Live your life!
Don’t put your life on hold while you apply for medical school. Keep doing what you love, whether that’s sports or volunteer work or community activities. Not only will you be a lot happier and a lot less anxious about the whole admissions process, but you’ll also have something to share if and when you get those coveted interviews.
If you’re applying to medical school in the 2025-2026 season, this next year could change your life forever. Get started right and stay on top of things, and your year will be both enjoyable and momentous.
Do you need help with your medical school application? Work one-on-one with an Accepted advisor who will help you create a strong, successful, admission-worthy application. Request your free consultation today!
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