VMCAS Program User Guide

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This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the VMCAS Applicant Portal, Configuration Portal, and WebAdMIT. It also contains resources that may help you work more efficiently throughout your admissions process. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact a member of your account team.

Cycle Timeframes

Applicant Portal

The Applicant Portal opens in January, applicants can apply starting in May, and the cycle closes mid-September. You can view the specific cycle dates, including final processing dates (e.g., last date to submit transcripts, last date to request letters of recommendation, etc.), on the VMCAS Application Cycle Dates page.

Configuration Portal

Between early March and mid-April, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The account team and AAVMC review submitted configurations in April.

WebAdMIT

You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings in early May.

Program Participation Requirements

AAVMC requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from AAVMC and VMCAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.

Applicant Portal

The first three sections of the VMCAS application (i.e., Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information) compose the core application. They contain questions that are commonly asked of applicants across all participating programs, such as an applicant's biographic information, standardized test scores, and experiences. The fourth section of the application is Program Materials, which is customized by you through the Configuration Portal (discussed in the next section).

You can access the VMCAS application and VMCAS Applicant Help Center to review the applicant experience. You can also create a test application in the Applicant Portal; we recommend creating a new account and adding "test" to your name (e.g., TestJohn TestDoe).

For a general overview of the applicant experience, review the following documents:

Applicant Processing Reference Guide: learn how applicants move through the application and Liaison processes applicant materials, such as transcripts and official test scores.
Application Statuses Reference Guide: review what each application status means and how you can interact with applicants at different stages.
- Review the requirements for the VMCAS Complete application status.
VMCAS Quick Start Guide and FAQs: a suggested timeline for completing and submitting the application, links to important pages including cycle dates and fees, and a FAQs section.

You can direct any applicant inquiries related to the application to VMCAS Customer Service.

Configuration Portal

Once you've configured your program, you'll need to have it approved by the account team and AAVMC before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, AAVMC will approve it.

WebAdMIT

Review the WebAdMIT Help Center for any questions related to working in WebAdMIT. The Reference Guides and WebAdMIT Training and Support sections are additional resources as you configure WebAdMIT for your needs. Documents commonly requested include:

Application Coupons Reference Guide: learn how to request coupons to offset application fees and disperse them to applicants. To purchase coupons, use the Coupon Code Payment Gateway.
Application Coupon Codes FAQ: view answers to frequently asked questions about offering coupon codes.
Background checks through Certiphi.
Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists: a comprehensive list of all fields available in the Export Manager and Report Manager, including associated lookup tables.
Integration Help Center and WebAdMIT API: learn how to set up an API and schedule automatic data exports from WebAdMIT into your SIS/ERP.
Reporting Final Decision Codes: learn how to use WebAdMIT to place applicants in Decision Codes and report them back to AAVMC.
- Note that VMCAS requires you to report the following Decision Codes by September 30 for the previous cycle:
  - Denied
  - Matriculated
Requesting Official GRE CAS Codes: a guide on how to create CAS-specific codes in order to receive official GRE scores in WebAdMIT.
Transfer Settings Guide: a review of how programs and templates built in WebAdMIT are carried forward each cycle.

The Release Notes feature new enhancements in the Applicant Portal, Applicant Gateway, Configuration Portal, Liaison Letters, and WebAdMIT, in addition to upcoming training opportunities.

For any questions, contact the Client Support Specialist Team.

Cycle Enhancements

2026-2027

The table below contains enhancements for VMCAS for the cycle timeframes noted at the top of this page. Note that some sections have multiple enhancements. If an action is required by participating programs to use the enhancement, click the links under Enhancement Details to learn more. Additional enhancements may have been automatically released; review the Release Notes to learn more.

Portal	Section	Enhancement Details	Implementation	Availability
CAS Applicant Portal	User Interface	The application is updated to a new, mobile-first, and modern applicant portal that we call CAS 3+. Visit the CAS 3+ Upgrade page to learn more about its key benefits and a preview of the upgraded application.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	My Profile	The Extended Profile section was removed.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Fee Waivers	Applicants can now apply for a Bonner Program service-based fee waiver in the application. Additionally, the instructional text was updated to better assist applicants.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Release Statement	The Application Release and Certification Statements and Final Reminders question blocks were removed. New Payment and Imdemnification and Release question blocks were added.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Biographic Information	The My Name and Former Name questions were updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Other Information	The Additional Information and Organization Participation questions were updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – Essay	The essay prompt and instructional text were updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – Experiences	The Experience Type drop-down list was reordered.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Supporting Information – Achievements	A Publications achievement type is now available.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Configuration Portal	Branding	Pixel tracking can be enabled on the Add Programs and Program Materials sections to gain more insight into your program or organization's applicants. You can insert your tracking ID into the CAS Configuration Portal to establish standard tracking pixels from the major ad providers, including Google, Meta, and LinkedIn.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available now
CAS Configuration Portal	Kira Talent Assessment	Kira Talent offers on-demand, timed video and timed written assignments that can be combined with the standard admissions process. You can link your Kira assessment to your program in the application by selecting Kira Assessment.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available now
Liaison Letters	Evaluation Forms	Evaluators (and if applicable, their delegates) can reopen and edit their completed letters of evaluation.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
WebAdMIT	Applicant Details Page	You have partial (i.e., limited) viewing rights for applicants in the On Hold application status.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
WebAdMIT	Export Manager	The Hispanic field in WebAdMIT aligns with the Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? optional question from the CAS Applicant Portal. Currently, when users export this field from WebAdMIT, an applicant’s response populates as: Yes (if the applicant selected Yes) or No (if the applicant selected No or didn’t answer the question). A new Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field has been created to accurately reflect an applicant’s response to this Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? question: Yes (if the applicant selected Yes), No (if the applicant selected No), or Blank (if the applicant didn’t answer the question). The Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field is available in the: Applicant Header List Manager Export Manager Race and Ethnicity subpanel under the Personal Information panel (note that this field is labeled as Hispanic) The original Hispanic field is still available in WebAdMIT.	Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch

2025-2026

Portal	Section	Enhancement Details	Implementation	Availability
CAS Applicant Portal	Extended Profile	The European Union Data Protection question is now configured to be internal only, meaning that that question and answers will not be sent to other portals such as the CAS API and WebAdMIT. The HOSA question was renamed to Organization Participation and more organizations were added. This question is also now internal only.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Various	The instructions text was updated to better assist applicants.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Fee Waivers	The fee waiver redemption window is now 14 days.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Biographic Information	A link to the NameCoach website was added to the Phonetic Name question. NameCoach is an external website where applicants can link to a voice recording of their name.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Release Statement	The Application Release and Certification Statements, Applicant Code of Conduct, and Final Reminders text was updated.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
CAS Applicant Portal	Personal Information – Other Information	The Previous Attendance at a Professional Program question text was updated to: Please indicate the school and program you attended, regardless of the outcome, degree earned, or courses acquired. If you earned a degree, please indicate what type of degree it was. If you did not complete the program/degree, please indicate why. You must report the college(s) attended in Academic History.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
Liaison Letters	Evaluation Forms	The VMCAS Evaluation form was updated. A link to AAVMC's Guidelines for Recommendation Writers was added to the instructions text.	No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement.	Available at cycle launch
WebAdMIT	Applicant Details Page Email Templates Export Manager List Manager	The Title field is no longer collected in the application and will be removed from WebAdMIT. You will need to update any lists, exports, emails, and other integrations to account for this field removal.	Action required by all participating programs.	Available at cycle launch