AACOMAS Application: The Complete Guide (2027-2028 Cycle)

If you are applying to osteopathic medical schools, you will apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service, known as AACOMAS. Like AMCAS for MD programs, AACOMAS is a centralized application: you complete one application, submit one set of transcripts and letters, and send it to every DO school you designate.

I have practiced alongside DO physicians in academic, community, urban, and suburban hospitals, and in every one of those settings DOs and MDs practiced side by side with no difference. Osteopathic admissions, however, have their own system, their own rules, and a few important differences from AMCAS that applicants should be aware of. In this guide, I walk you through every section of the AACOMAS application, explain how it differs from AMCAS, and share what I have learned from years on an admissions committee and from advising applicants to both MD and DO programs. If you are still deciding between the two paths, start with my DO vs MD guide.

Most osteopathic medical schools participate in AACOMAS. The public osteopathic schools in Texas are the exception; they use TMDSAS, the Texas application service.

A note on cycle years: AACOMAS labels each cycle with both years. The 2027-2028 AACOMAS cycle opens in May 2027 for applicants who will start medical school in the summer or fall of 2028. The AAMC labels the same cycle by entry year alone, so the matching AMCAS cycle is the 2028 AMCAS application. If you apply to both MD and DO programs, you are applying in the same cycle under two different names.

AACOMAS vs AMCAS at a Glance

Most of my clients apply to both osteopathic and allopathic schools in the same cycle. The two applications cover similar ground, but the details differ in ways that matter for planning.

Read my complete AMCAS application guide if you are applying to MD programs too.

AACOMAS Application Timeline (2027-2028 Cycle)

AACOM publishes official dates each spring. In the 2026-2027 cycle, AACOMAS opened for submissions on May 4, 2026, and the cycle closed on April 30, 2027. I will update this table when AACOM releases the official 2027-2028 dates.

Creating Your AACOMAS Account

When you create your account, select the cycle that matches the year you plan to start medical school. If you are applying in May 2027 to begin in 2028, choose the 2027-2028 cycle. The application is organized into four quadrants: personal information, academic history, supporting information, and program materials. Complete your personal information and academic history first, since your transcripts take the longest to process.

Be thoughtful and complete when answering the background questions, including any institutional actions or criminal history. An honest, clearly written explanation is always better than an omission discovered later.

Entering Coursework and Your AACOMAS GPA

You must enter every college course you have taken, including dual enrollment courses from high school, exactly as each appears on your official transcript. You must also have official transcripts sent to AACOMAS from every institution you attended. AACOMAS then verifies your coursework and calculates its own GPAs, which often differ from the GPA on your college transcript.

There are two items about transcripts and grades that students should be aware of. First, AACOMAS includes every attempt of a repeated course in your GPA, regardless of your college's grade forgiveness or academic renewal policies. AACOMAS once replaced earlier attempts with the most recent grade, and many applicants still believe it does, but it has counted all attempts since 2017. Second, the AACOMAS science GPA is built from biology, chemistry, and physics, and it is calculated differently from the AMCAS BCPM GPA, so your science GPA may not match between the two applications.

For how your numbers compare with matriculants at specific DO schools, see my ranking of the best osteopathic medical schools.

AACOMAS Experiences and Achievements

AACOMAS separates your activities into two sections. Experiences include clinical work, shadowing, research, volunteering, employment, and leadership. Achievements include awards, honors, presentations, publications, and scholarships. Unlike AMCAS, AACOMAS does not cap the number of experiences you can list, and each experience description is limited to 600 characters.

There is also no "most meaningful" designation on AACOMAS. On AMCAS, you get three chances to write at length about the experiences that shaped you most. On AACOMAS, every entry has the same 600 characters, which means each one has to carry its own weight.

As a former admissions committee member, I can tell you that how you write about your experiences matters as much as the experiences themselves. Every medical school screens applicants on metrics, whether or not it publishes a cutoff. Once your GPA and MCAT meet that screen, reflection and insight are what move the needle. Rather than listing your duties, use your 600 characters to show what you observed, what you learned, and how the experience shaped the physician you hope to become. A long list of experience descriptions that only explains your roles does not help you. Rather,. a focused set of reflective entries does. Many of the strategies in my AMCAS Work and Activities guide apply directly to AACOMAS.

Pay special attention to your shadowing entries. Osteopathic schools want evidence that you understand osteopathic medicine, and shadowing a DO is the clearest way to show it. Record your DO shadowing separately from any MD shadowing so that reviewers can see it at a glance.

AACOMAS Letters of Evaluation

AACOMAS accepts up to six letters of evaluation. A committee letter or letter packet from your college counts as one. Check each school's requirements in the Choose DO Explorer, since schools differ in how many letters they require and from whom.

Ideally, DO applicants should shadow an osteopathic physician and request a letter of reference from that physician. Not every osteopathic school requires a DO letter, but many strongly recommend one, and it is one of the most persuasive ways to demonstrate your commitment to osteopathic medicine. If you have not yet shadowed a DO, make that a priority before you apply. For guidance on choosing writers and making the request, see my medical school letter of recommendation guide.

The AACOMAS Personal Statement

The AACOMAS personal statement has the same 5,300 character limit as AMCAS, including spaces, and most applicants use the same core essay for both. The most important difference is that your AACOMAS essay should reflect deals that are, in theory, "more" important to osteopathic medical schools. When deciding what to include, prioritize experiences or moments that reflect osteopathic principles, such as caring for the whole patient and the body's capacity to heal. The reality is that these are the same principles that allopathic medical schools also value. 

Since most osteopathic medical schools also ask "Why osteopathic medicine?" in their secondary applications, you do not need to turn your personal statement into an essay about osteopathy. The same principle applies here as in your experiences: a strong personal statement does more than recount what you did. It shows insight into what your experiences taught you and why medicine is the right path for you. For full examples, including an osteopathic personal statement with my commentary, see my medical school personal statement guide.

AACOMAS Fees and Fee Waivers

For the 2026-2027 cycle, AACOMAS charged $198 for the first school and $60 for each additional school. Applying to 20 osteopathic schools at those rates costs $1,338, which is more than the same list would cost on AMCAS. AACOM publishes updated fees for each cycle.

AACOM offers a limited number of fee waivers each cycle, awarded to qualified applicants until the funds run out. A waiver covers the $198 initial application fee, but recipients are still responsible for the fee for each additional school. Because waivers are limited, apply for one as early as possible if you qualify. Note that the AACOMAS fee waiver is far less generous than the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, so budget accordingly if you are applying to both MD and DO programs.

After You Submit

After you submit, AACOMAS verifies your coursework against your official transcripts and then releases your application to the schools you selected. You can add schools after you submit, as long as each school's deadline has not passed and the cycle is still open. Most schools will then send secondary applications, and many charge their own secondary fees.

Because most osteopathic schools review applications on a rolling basis, timing matters even more than many applicants realize. Submit your primary application early, return your secondaries promptly, and prepare for interviews well before invitations arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions About the AACOMAS Application

What is AACOMAS?

AACOMAS is the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service, the centralized application used by most U.S. osteopathic medical schools. You complete one application and send it to every DO school you designate. The public osteopathic schools in Texas use TMDSAS instead.

When does AACOMAS open for the 2027-2028 cycle?

AACOMAS typically opens in early May, and you can submit as soon as it opens. In the 2026-2027 cycle, AACOMAS opened for submissions on May 4, 2026, so expect a similar date in 2027 for applicants starting medical school in 2028.

How much does AACOMAS cost?

For the 2026-2027 cycle, AACOMAS charged $198 for the first school and $60 for each additional school. Applying to 20 schools at those rates costs $1,338.

Is there an AACOMAS fee waiver?

Yes. AACOM offers a limited number of fee waivers each cycle, awarded until the funds run out. A waiver covers the $198 initial application fee, and recipients remain responsible for the fee for each additional school.

Can I use the same personal statement for AMCAS and AACOMAS?

Usually, yes. Both have a 5,300 character limit, and most applicants use the same core essay. For AACOMAS, make sure your essay reflects a genuine interest in osteopathic medicine, ideally through experiences with osteopathic physicians.

How many experiences can I list on AACOMAS?

AACOMAS does not limit the number of experiences you can list, and each description is limited to 600 characters. There is no "most meaningful" designation, so focus on a set of reflective entries rather than a long list of thin ones.

Do I need a letter from a DO?

Not every osteopathic school requires a letter from a DO, but many strongly recommend one, and it is one of the best ways to demonstrate your commitment to osteopathic medicine. AACOMAS accepts up to six letters of evaluation.

Does AACOMAS replace grades for repeated courses?

No. AACOMAS includes every attempt of a repeated course in your GPA, regardless of your college's grade forgiveness policy. AACOMAS has counted all attempts since 2017.

Need Help With Your Osteopathic Medical School Application?

Our physician advisors at MedEdits help applicants build balanced school lists across MD and DO programs and write applications that reflect who they are. Schedule a free 15 minute consultation with a MedEdits expert.