Most of you who are thinking about applying to medical school via AMCAS (for MD programs) or AACOMAS (for DO programs) have probably heard about verification. This step can be confusing and nerve-racking – it’s the waiting period after you hit “submit.” In this article, I’ll break down what verification means in both systems, how long it typically takes, and why submitting early can make a huge difference. I’ll also cover the risks of applying late and share tips to avoid delays in medical school applications.
What is Verification in AMCAS and AACOMAS?
Verification is the behind-the-scenes quality-check stage for your primary application. Both AMCAS and AACOMAS use this process to verify your coursework against your official transcripts and calculate your official GPA. In AMCAS, staff members compare every class and grade you entered with the information on your transcripts to ensure accuracy. They correct any discrepancies and compute your AMCAS GPA. Similarly, AACOMAS verification ensures all your courses are correctly entered and standardized – each course is categorized, and every grade is converted to a uniform value for GPA calculation. Essentially, verification ensures you and every other applicant are compared on a level playing field.
Think of it this way: you enter all your college classes and grades into the application, and the application service’s team acts as proofreaders, checking that everything matches your transcripts. Only after verification is complete will your application be released to medical schools for review. Until then, you’re in a holding pattern, and schools will not see or consider your application at all. Importantly, NO ONE has their applications released to schools until typically July 1st, give or take a couple days. So, there is a month between roughly June 1 and July 1 during which ONLY verification occurs.
How Long Does Verification Take? (AMCAS vs. AACOMAS Timeline)
The main reason I’m writing this article is that the verification timeline can vary dramatically between AMCAS and AACOMAS, and it also depends on when you submit during the cycle. Here’s a breakdown:
- AMCAS Verification Time: On average, AMCAS verification takes 2–6 weeks. Early in the summer (May to early June), when fewer people are in line, some applications are verified in as little as 1–2 weeks. But as the flood of applications hits in mid-June and July, the wait can stretch to 3–4 weeks. During the peak of the cycle (late summer), it might even exceed a month. In fact, the AAMC (which runs AMCAS) warns that in the busiest season, verification can take up to eight weeks if volumes are high. The key takeaway: if you apply during the big wave (mid-June to mid-July), you will be waiting a long time.
- AACOMAS Verification Time: AACOMAS is generally faster. The official guidance is that once all your materials are in, verification is usually done in about 10 business days (roughly 2 weeks). Many applicants report even quicker turnarounds – often about a week, especially early in the cycle. It’s not uncommon for June submissions to be verified in under 5 days in AACOMAS (anecdotally). Overall, AACOMAS typically has a shorter verification timeline (1–2 weeks on average, up to 3–4 weeks).
Why the difference? Partly, fewer people apply to DO schools, so AACOMAS doesn’t get as backlogged as AMCAS. Regardless of platform, submitting early means a shorter wait because you’re at the front of the line before the queue builds.
Why You Should Submit Early
Applying early can feel stressful, but it’s one of the best moves you can make in this process and one of the few meaningful decisions that can increase your probability of acceptance. Here’s why early submission (Applying within a few days of the application opening, aka June 1-5) is so crucial:
Rolling Admissions Advantage: As mentioned, if you apply early in the cycle, your application gets verified faster. In May or early June, AMCAS might verify you within a week or two, versus over a month if you apply in mid-July. For AMCAS, getting verified before the July 1 opening date for schools to receive your application ensures you will be first in line to receive a secondary, which means you’ll likely be among the first to submit your secondary, among the first to be considered for an interview (when there are still maximum seats available), and in the first batch of candidates to be considered for acceptance on October 15. Hopefully, you’re starting to get the point. Adcoms are fresh and eager to build their class earlier rather than later.
Tips to Avoid Verification Delays (Speeding Up the Process)
Good news: there’s a lot you can do to prevent delays in the verification process. Here are some tips to help your application sail through that you should know about. Doing the basics right can go a long way:
- Send All Transcripts Early: AMCAS and AACOMAS won’t even start verifying until every required transcript is in. Request official transcripts from every college you attended well ahead of time – at least a month before you plan to submit. This includes community colleges, summer courses, study abroad (if required), and even that one class you took at a local college during high school. Every means every. One missing transcript will halt your verification. Use the transcript matching forms (AMCAS’s Transcript ID, AACOMAS’s Transcript Request form) so they can easily link your transcript to your application. And pro tip: check your application portal to confirm each transcript is marked as “received.”
- Enter Coursework Exactly as on Transcripts: The most common verification delays happen because what you entered doesn’t perfectly match your transcript. When filling out the coursework section, grab an official copy of each transcript and enter each course exactly as it appears – same course codes, titles, grades, and credits. List courses in the correct chronological order. If you mislabel a course or assign an incorrect grade, the verifiers will have to correct it, which slows things down. I unfortunately made the mistake of entering one of my grades as an A- rather than an A (which decreased my GPA by 0.02 points). Needless to say I was freaking out at the time, and highly recommend triple-checking everything over.
- Include All Grades (Yes, Even Repeats): If you repeated a course, make sure to include both the original and repeated grades as separate entries, and mark them as repeats. AMCAS requires all attempts to be listed. If you leave out a failed attempt or only list the higher grade, that’s a red flag and your app could be sent back for correction.
- Triple-Check Personal Info: Small discrepancies can cause big headaches. Ensure the name on your application matches the name on your transcript. If you’ve changed your name, inform the application service. Clear any “holds” at your schools (e.g. unpaid fees) that might prevent them from releasing your transcript. Even a missing Jr./Sr. or a typo in a birthdate could slow matching, so double-check personal info.
- Don’t Wait for the MCAT or Letters to Submit: Verification does NOT require your MCAT score or recommendation letters. AMCAS will verify without your MCAT or letters in hand. So if your MCAT score isn’t available until July or your professor is late with a letter, submit your primary application as soon as it’s ready. Schools will receive your scores and letters later; the key is to get that primary verified. (You can designate at least one school to get the app in process, and later add more schools once your score is in – adding schools post-verification does not re-trigger verification.)
- Monitor Your Application Status: After submitting, keep an eye on your status. Both services have portals where you can check whether transcripts have been received and whether your app is in line for review. If anything’s missing, take action (e.g., resend a transcript) rather than assuming everything’s fine. The sooner you catch an issue, the sooner you can resolve it.
Please submit as soon as AMCAS and AACOMAS open. It's one of the only things you can do to move the needle and increase your odds, and all it requires is a little bit of good planning. If you're behind and it's late May and your application is nowhere near ready, talk to us, and we can help speed you along to meet this deadline because it is absolutely the most important one.
Realistic Timeline and Strategy for Applicants
Let’s put it all together into a practical timeline. Here’s a strategic approach for a typical application cycle (we’ll use 2025–2026 cycle dates as an example):
- Spring (Jan – April): Start preparing your application components. Request official transcripts from all schools by spring so you have them ready (or have them sent directly to AMCAS/AACOMAS as soon as the application cycle opens). Begin drafting your personal statement and experiences. If you’re taking the MCAT in spring, plan it so you have your score by June if possible. Tip: Check with your registrar when spring grades post, and request transcripts immediately after grades are in.
- Application Opens (May): Both AMCAS and AACOMAS typically open in early May for you to begin entering information. You can (and should) fill out everything in May: personal info, coursework, essays, etc. For AMCAS, you can’t actually hit submit until the designated first submission date (often around late May). For AACOMAS, you may be allowed to submit as soon as the cycle opens (or very early June, depending on the year). Use this window to proofread carefully so you don’t have errors that delay verification.
- Early Submission (Late May – Early June): Aim to submit your primary application in the first week or two of June at the latest. For AMCAS, even if you submit on day one, they hold all applications until the initial release date (for example, in 2024 the first batch was released to schools on June 28). Submitting early means you’ll be in that first batch once AMCAS starts forwarding to schools. For AACOMAS, schools may receive your application as soon as it’s verified (they don’t have a universal hold date like AMCAS). An early June submission could have you verified and processed by mid-June. Bottom line: the earlier, the better.
- Mid Summer (Late June – July): If you submitted early, you should be verified within a couple of weeks (for AMCAS, possibly by late June; for AACOMAS, maybe within days or by mid-June). Once verified, your application is transmitted to the schools you selected. This means secondaries will start rolling in (some come within days of verification). You’ll want to work on those essays promptly – but that’s another topic! If you submitted later in June or July, expect to wait a bit – use that time to pre-write secondary essays so you’re ready when verification finishes.
- Late Summer (August) and Beyond: If you applied in August, you might be sitting in the verification queue for a while, and you’ll be getting completed at schools in September or later. Recognize that this is on the late side. If it’s your situation, all hope is not lost, but try to expedite everything under your control (e.g., turn around secondaries in 24-48 hours, keep updating transcripts if needed). For those applying really late (fall months), be aware that you are very late in the cycle – only do this if you have discussed with an advisor and have a specific reason (or you’re okay with the long odds and just testing the waters).
- Keep Perspective: It’s better to submit a bit later than to submit a sloppy or error-filled application that gets returned to you. Double-check everything before you hit submit – one week of extra proofreading is better than a four-week delay because you forgot to enter a class and had your application sent back for corrections. That said, the goal is to have your app ready early so you’re not choosing between speed and accuracy.
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Finally, always remember: the medical school admissions process is a marathon, not a sprint. But in this marathon, starting strong (and early) gives you a serious edge. By understanding the AMCAS and AACOMAS verification process and planning for it, you can avoid unnecessary delays and position yourself for success. Submit early, avoid delays, and give yourself the best shot in this rolling admissions game. Good luck, future doctors!
Meta Description:
Beat med school application delays with our guide to AMCAS and AACOMAS verification. Learn what verification is, how long it takes (MD vs. DO timelines), why submitting early matters (rolling admissions!), and get expert tips to avoid late application pitfalls. Stay on track and maximize your chances with an early, error-free submission.
