At this time the DICAS website states that the "application for the fall 2010 match is no longer available. The application for the spring 2011 match will open on Dec. 8th, 2010". This means that if you started entering information in to the program when it was open for the fall 2010 match you cannot currently access this information. A spring applicant comments:
"I don't like that as a spring applicant I have to wait until December to be able to submit any part of my application. I would at least like to be able to log in to my account so I can see what I have left to complete and read the instructions to work on rough drafts."Tip #1: Even if you are not applying to the spring 2011 match, log on to the DICAS website and check it out. Print out any forms you might find helpful. Start compiling important information now.
Unlike the standard paper application with DICAS everything (with the exception of transcripts) is submitted online. An applicant who has previously applied had this to say:
"I personally did not like having to do everything online, as I felt it was more tedious than filling out the standard application used last spring... my biggest issue is that I did not like how the letters of reference or the verification statement were handled. For the verification statement, you input your DPD director's email address and it is her responsibility to forward the information to DICAS. The same with the letters of reference - you simply input the email addresses of those writing your letters, and they have to submit them online once DICAS sends them an email. Though you can check their progress online and whether or not they have submitted your letter yet, I still would rather have had those letters and my transcripts and my essay and my verification statement all in one package to send off, rather than in this much disjointed way."
"I did not get very good feedback concerning an issue that was nerve-wrecking to me, and I still am not sure whether it has been resolved as the support team never got back to me. This issue was regarding the transcripts that I sent to DICAS. That is another issue - that you have to send your transcripts to DICAS and apparently they calculate your GPA for you. The online application only shows record of one of my school's transcripts being received, and I am not sure whether they received the other two, though all were sent at the same time."Tip #2: Enter your DPD director's email address for the verification statement, and the email addresses of those writing your letters of reference as soon as possible. Make sure you have permission from your references before DICAS is available online. Check their progress and follow up with your contacts. Send friendly and professional reminder emails if necessary.
Tip #3: Send your transcripts in the mail to DICAS as soon as possible.
Besides differences in the way the application is submitted, there are some important differences in the application itself. It is not the same form as the standard form that is mailed to internships.
"Last year's application had the option to include your hours on a weekly basis for a length of time or as a total number. For example, I volunteered at one place for 85 hours total, which was easy to input on last year's application. This year on DICAS, you only have the option to include how many weeks you worked as well as how many hours you worked. This isn't convenient if you didn't work the same amount each week or if you worked/volunteered sporadically over the summer or a course of months."
"In the section where you input your work and volunteer experience, it is crucial to have all the contact information for the places you worked or volunteered. It would not let you submit an experience unelss you had the email and phone number of the contact person. This information is helpful to get up front so you are not scrambling in the weeks before the application is due to find contact information of places you volunteered at last year."
"One of my applications required a supplemental form to include when submitting the application. I didn't realize until the very end that there is a spot to attach a supplemental file."
"My advice would be to write out each personal question separately [for the personal statement]. I wrote mine as an essay and when I went to put it on DICAS I had to rework everything."Tip #4: Gather as much information ahead of time as possible. Print out the standard form and fill in all the information by hand, adding any additional details that may be helpful.
A final thought:
I understand that this process is electronic, streamlined, and saves everyone time, paper, and mailing costs. If I hadn't applied in the spring the old-fashioned way, I might not have much to complain about. But for some reason, I like the older method better. The only good thing is that you can input as many work and volunteer experiences as you want, whereas on the other application you ran out of room after 12.Thank you to those of you who submitted your thought. Good luck our thoughts will be with you on match day this month. Do you have any thoughts to add to the discussion?
For more information on DICAS see our post The Dish on DICAS: Part One.
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