VMCAS Helpdesk

HOW TO ACTIVATE A RE-APPLICANT ACCOUNT:

Once you log in, you will be taken to a “Welcome Back” screen which will walk you through the following steps:

1. Confirm you would like to begin the re-application process by clicking “Start Reapplication.”

2. Confirm or edit your profile info, including your name and current contact information. Make sure you update your contact email if this has changed.

3. Decide if you would like to carry over your application data, or start a fresh application. THIS CANNOT BE UNDONE. If you choose a fresh application, your application data from the previous cycle will be deleted.

4. If you have chosen to start fresh, you will be taken to a blank application. If you choose to carry over data, you may now select which data points to carry over, with some restrictions. Colleges attended and coursework information, as well as attached transcripts, are required to be brought over. Completed coursework which has been verified cannot be edited. Information that is not carried over will not be provided as an available option. These include letters of evaluation, personal essays, and any school specific information.

5. The system will then require that you review and confirm the information in each section prior to allowing you to submit. This will be indicated by an (!) icon.

6. You will also be instructed on where to find a PDF copy of your previous application. Although you will no longer have access to the old application itself, it is stored on your new application in PDF form.

7. You will then be notified that your re-application request has been submitted and is being processed. Confirm this by clicking OK.

IMPORTANT: The “processing” of re-applicant accounts are automated, but only so many can be processed at once by our system. How long this takes depends on how many people are requesting a re-applicant account at once. This process typically takes only a few minutes, but when there is a high volume of requests (such as on launch day and deadline day), this process can take up to 24 hours.

8. Once your re-application account is ready, you will receive an email notification. Proceed to the login page and login normally to begin your application process.

WHICH PARTS OF THE APPLICATION CAN CARRY OVER VS. WHICH PARTS CANNOT CARRY OVER:

Most application fields, including coursework, official test scores, and attached transcripts can be imported into the new application.

REGARDING OFFICIAL TEST SCORES: These will re-attach to your new account, but are not brought over automatically in the same manner as transcripts and other information. Instead, your scores continue to cycle through our database looking for your name and date of birth to match up to in the same manner they matched up originally. Your scores will NOT match until these fields are inputted in your application. In addition, if your scores were attached manually last cycle by customer service because of a difference in name or date of birth, you will need to request that they be manually attached again.

Letters of evaluation, essays, payments, and school-specific information will NOT be carried over and must be resubmitted. In addition, there are fields on the VMCAS application that have been changed or edited since last cycle which will NOT be filled in by the import.

REMEMBER: Once the import is complete, it is the applicant’s responsibility to review all imported information and ensure it is complete and accurate prior to submitting the application.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR COURSEWORK:

All imported coursework verified in the previous application cycle is locked so that our staff knows what work has already been reviewed and which new work must be examined this cycle. To add new coursework, please follow the steps below:

UPDATE YOUR COLLEGES ATTENDED

Visit this section to extend the dates of attendance at an institution, add or edit degree statuses, or add additional schools attended since last cycle. Please note that if you have completed additional coursework since last cycle, you must update your attendance dates and records here before those dates will become available in the coursework section.

UPDATE YOUR COURSEWORK

Once your college list is up to date, navigate to the coursework section to update the information. Any courses verified in the previous cycle will be locked, but you will be able to add, edit and delete unverified courses, including those listed as planned/in-progress last cycle. Ensure this section is fully updated prior to submitting your application.

REQUEST UPDATED TRANSCRIPTS BE SENT TO VMCAS

Any new completed coursework OR updated degree awarded statuses will require an updated transcript be sent to VMCAS.  Please make sure to complete all coursework updates in the application before requesting updated transcripts.  Saving your updates prompts the application system to require new transcripts.

IMPORTANT: Even if no new coursework has been added, if you have a degree which was listed as expected last cycle and now has been updated to awarded, a new transcript must be sent so the degree can be verified as awarded.

THE VERIFICATION PROCESS:

Once your application becomes complete, it is placed in the queue for verification along with all other applicants and undergoes the same process it did when you originally applied. For re-applicants who were verified last cycle, although there is less information to verify on your application since you originally applied,due to the volume of applicants in the verification queue, the turnaround time for verification of re-applicants is still up to FOUR WEEKS from your complete date. Applying as a re-applicant does NOT speed up the verification process.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

 Q: What can I do to improve my application from last cycle?

A: Since VMCAS is not involved in the actual admissions process, we cannot advise you specifically on how to strengthen your application. Generally, it is advised that you apply early, ensure you meet the minimum requirements of the programs to which you choose to apply, and emphasize how you have worked to improve your qualifications since the previous cycle in your essay. Keep in mind that if you apply to the same school again, they have access to your previous VMCAS application. Some schools will advise you on where your application was weak if asked, while others will not. It is also advisable to investigate that status of applicants who have matriculated into the programs you are interested in.

Q: Do I have to create a new username and password? Will my VMCAS ID# be the same?

A: NO. If you utilize the re-applicant process, your login information and VMCAS ID# will remain the same.

Q: I am no longer in touch with my references. Can VMCAS carry over my letters of evaluation?

A: NO. Under no circumstances is VMCAS authorized to carry over your letters of evaluation. They must be resubmitted for the new application cycle by the references themselves. The association requires that all references be resubmitted by the reference each application cycle.

Q: If I sent my official GRE scores to my schools last cycle, do I need to resend them?

A: Yes

Q: I filled out an application with VMCAS several years ago. Can I reactivate my account?

A: NO. You may only carry over application information from the 2015-2016 application cycle. Accounts created prior to this cycle were on our 2.0 platform and information from the old platform cannot be carried over to the current application platform.