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AACOMAS Application 2026-27: Dates, Fees, Steps and Tips
AACOMAS is the shared application for osteopathic (DO) medical schools in the US. Here is how it works this cycle, what it costs and what to do next.
AACOMAS is the centralized application for participating osteopathic medical schools. For 2026-27, AACOM says it opened for submissions on May 4, 2026. It costs $198 for your first college plus $60 for each one you add, per AACOM's fee schedule. Colleges decide on a rolling basis, so AACOM recommends applying early.
You fill out one primary application, have your transcripts and letters sent to AACOMAS, and choose which colleges receive it. Each college still sets its own deadline and requirements, so check those too. Dates here are from AACOM and Liaison as of October 2026.
When is the AACOMAS deadline?
The deadline that matters is your college's. AACOMAS has two end dates for the whole cycle. AACOM lists April 30, 2027 as the last day for submissions to be completed, and Liaison lists August 2, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET as the cycle close and the last chance to submit. Neither one is your college's deadline. Find that under Add Program in AACOMAS, in AACOM's Choose DO Explorer or on the college's admissions site, and ask the college or AACOMAS if the two cycle dates leave you unsure.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Opened for submissions | May 4, 2026 (AACOM) |
| Last day to complete a submission | April 30, 2027 (AACOM) |
| Cycle closes | August 2, 2027, 11:59 PM ET (Liaison) |
Liaison's final processing dates
Liaison lists August 3, 2027 at 5 PM ET as the last time transcripts and official test scores can be matched. Evaluations and Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) approval are due by 11:59 PM ET that day. An Undelivered application has to be resubmitted by August 4 at 11:59 PM ET, and verification and all processing end August 5 at 5 PM ET. These dates close out the cycle. They do not extend any college's deadline.
Academic Update windows
If you finish more coursework after submitting, you can add it during an Academic Update window. AACOM lists three for this cycle: September 1 to October 9, 2026 (now passed), December 14, 2026 to February 12, 2027, and March 15 to June 11, 2027. Follow the instructions for sending updated transcripts.
What is in the AACOMAS application?
Four sections, per Liaison: Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information and Program Materials. The first three go to every college. Program Materials is where each college adds its own questions.
Personal Information
Your biographic and contact details, citizenship, family background, race and ethnicity, and the release statement. Double-check your email and phone number, since that is how colleges will reach you. See the section overview.
Academic History
Every school you attended, your coursework and the tests you took or plan to take. Liaison says to list every institution, even ones that seem unrelated or whose credits transferred. Leaving one off can get your application returned as Undelivered. Keep your own transcript copies open while you enter courses so you can match them line by line.
Your MCAT scores do not arrive on their own. AACOM says you have to release them to AACOMAS through the AAMC, and your name, date of birth and eight-digit AAMC ID should match so the scores link to your application. Once released, they take about 10 to 12 days to process, so release them well before your deadline.
Supporting Information
Your evaluations, experiences, achievements and personal statement. The statement is the one place every college hears your path to medicine in your own words, so give it the most revision time. Liaison caps it at 5,300 characters, counting spaces, carriage returns and punctuation, and you cannot save an essay over the limit. Liaison's help pages do not list a number for experience descriptions or the explanation you write if you were ever disciplined, so check those fields in the application.
For experiences, Liaison lists six categories: extracurricular activities, healthcare experience, non-healthcare employment, research, teaching, and non-healthcare volunteer or community enrichment. Enter current and in-progress experiences only, not planned ones. Describe what you did and how many hours, then pick the category that best fits the work.
Program Materials
Each college can ask for extra information here. Read every college's instructions and deadline, and keep a short checklist for each one. Liaison's overview shows where to find them.
Reapplying with your old account
Liaison says reapplicants can carry information over from a previous AACOMAS account that uses the same email address. Do not create a second account. Choose carefully what to copy, because Liaison says anything you leave unselected cannot be recovered later.
How do transcripts and letters get to AACOMAS?
Your registrar sends transcripts, not you. AACOM asks you to have every institution's registrar send an official transcript straight to AACOMAS. Student copies and copies you send yourself are not accepted, and credit that transferred to another school does not replace the original school's transcript. Foreign, study abroad and overseas coursework have their own instructions. Order early and check your status until each one shows as matched.
Your letter writers submit online. Liaison allows up to 10 evaluations, and a committee letter counts as one. Check each college's letter rules before you pick writers, ask early and follow up if a letter is still pending. Once an evaluation is completed, it cannot be removed or replaced.
Letter requests and the access waiver
When you request a letter, you choose whether to waive your right to see it, and Liaison says that choice is binding. Writers get the request through Liaison Letters, and Liaison also explains how to send requests through Interfolio. People who contributed to a committee letter cannot also be listed as separate evaluators.
Entering coursework yourself or using PTE
The Academic History instructions cover entering your own coursework and the optional Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service. If you use PTE, leave time to review and approve what it enters. Liaison's cycle calendar sets a final PTE approval deadline. PTE costs $85 for 1 to 3 transcripts, $110 for 4 to 6 and $160 for 7 or more, on top of your application fee. It is non-refundable, fee waivers do not apply, work starts within 10 business days of your submitted application and transcripts, and entry can take up to another 10.
What happens after you submit AACOMAS?
AACOMAS verifies your application, then sends it and your materials to the colleges you chose, per AACOM. Nothing is processed until your payment goes through, as AACOM's application process page notes. How long it takes depends on when your transcripts arrive and whether anything needs fixing, so watch your status and answer any correction request quickly. A missing institution is one hold-up to avoid, since Liaison says it can send your application back as Undelivered. For anything unclear, start with the AACOMAS Help Center, or contact AACOMAS at 617-612-2889 or aacomasinfo@liaisoncas.com, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET.
How much does AACOMAS cost?
For 2026-27, AACOM lists $198 for the first college and $60 for each additional one, paid by credit or debit card. You can add colleges after you submit, at the same $60 each. Five colleges, for example, would come to $438.
AACOM offers a limited number of fee waivers, each worth $198, and an approved waiver must be used within 14 days. Check the current eligibility rules before you submit. Colleges can charge their own fees on top, so add those to your budget.
How do Early Decision and AACOMAS deposits work?
With the Early Decision Program, you apply to one college and hear early enough to apply elsewhere if it does not work out. If that college accepts you, you must attend. AACOM says a frequent standard is exceptional credentials, and it lists 14 colleges or college systems that offer it, so ask the admissions office before you commit.
After an acceptance, AACOM's Application Traffic Guidelines set how long you have to send your matriculation documents and deposit.
| If you are accepted | You have |
|---|---|
| Before November 15 | Until December 14 |
| November 15 to January 14 | 30 days |
| January 15 to April 30 | 14 days |
| On or after May 1 | You may be asked for a deposit right away |
The 14 Early Decision listings
- A.T. Still University Kirksville COM
- Alabama COM
- California Health Sciences University COM
- Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace SOM
- Duquesne University COM
- Kansas COM
- Kansas City University COM
- Rocky Vista University COM
- Rocky Vista University Montana COM
- Rowan-Virtua SOM
- Touro COM (New York and Montana)
- UNT Health Fort Worth Texas COM
- Edward Via COM (all campuses)
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Hold only one seat before May 1. AACOM says you should withdraw from colleges you do not plan to attend before that date, because a college can rescind an offer if you hold seats or deposits at more than one.
What should you do now?
It depends on where you are in the cycle. Since colleges decide on a rolling basis, AACOM recommends applying early, and a clean application matters as much as an early one.
Applying this cycle and not yet submitted
Look up each college's deadline today, then work backward. Order every transcript, release your MCAT scores to AACOMAS and send your letter requests this week, since those depend on other people. Check every course entry against your transcripts before you submit.
Already submitted
Watch your status until every transcript and letter shows as received. Turn secondaries around quickly with our secondary essay guide. If you finish more courses, use the December 14 to February 12 Academic Update window. Then start practicing out loud with our DO school interview questions and the school interview guides.
Applying next cycle
This cycle's application opened in early May, so use the months before then. Build your list with Choose DO Explorer and college websites, noting prerequisites, letter rules and deadlines. Ask your letter writers early, draft your personal statement and plan your MCAT so scores are ready to release. Our application timeline lays out the order.
Practice a DO interview question
Everything you wrote in AACOMAS becomes material for your interviews. The question below is one to expect at DO schools, and strong answers use one true story from your application.
“Why do you want to become an osteopathic physician?”
Tie it to one real moment from your own experience, then say what it taught you about the kind of doctor you want to be.
Example answer written by Confetto
Volunteering at a community clinic, I met a patient whose blood pressure kept climbing. It turned out he worked two jobs and could not get to the pharmacy before it closed. Once the team moved his pickup to a weekend location, his numbers came down.
That stuck with me. The fix was not a new drug, it was understanding his life. Osteopathic medicine trains doctors to look at the whole person like that, and that is the kind of physician I want to be.
Sources: the AACOM application page, AACOM application process page and AACOMAS Help Center from Liaison, linked throughout and checked as of October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When did AACOMAS open for 2026-27?
AACOMAS opened for submissions on May 4, 2026, according to AACOM. Colleges began receiving and processing applications that same day. See AACOM's cycle dates.
How much does AACOMAS cost?
For 2026-27, AACOM lists $198 for your first college and $60 for each one you add. See AACOM's application fees.
What is the AACOMAS deadline?
Each college sets its own, and that is the one to plan around. AACOM lists April 30, 2027 as the last day to complete a submission, and Liaison lists August 2, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET as the cycle close. If the gap between those dates matters for you, ask the college or AACOMAS. See Liaison's cycle dates.
What happens if I leave a college off AACOMAS?
Liaison says to report every institution you attended, even if the courses seem unrelated or the credits transferred. Leaving one off can get your application returned as Undelivered, which delays processing. Read Liaison's Colleges Attended instructions.
How many letters can I send through AACOMAS?
Up to 10 evaluations. A committee letter counts as one, and the people who contributed to it cannot also be listed as separate evaluators. Check what each college asks for. Read Liaison's evaluation instructions.
What is the AACOMAS personal statement character limit?
5,300 characters, counting spaces, carriage returns and punctuation. You cannot save an essay over the limit. Read Liaison's personal statement instructions.
How long do I have to pay a deposit after a DO school accepts me?
Under AACOM's traffic guidelines, it depends on when you are accepted: until December 14 if accepted before November 15, 30 days from November 15 to January 14, 14 days from January 15 to April 30, and possibly right away from May 1. Read AACOM's traffic guidelines.
Can I add colleges after submitting AACOMAS?
Yes. AACOM says you can send your application to more colleges after you submit. Each added college costs $60 in the 2026-27 cycle. Read AACOM's application process.