The Match is administered on behalf of the AOA by National Matching Services Inc. (NMS). Each student must register directly with NMS in order to be eligible for participation in the Match.
To register for participation in the Match, each student must complete an Applicant Agreement and return it, together with the Match registration fee, to NMS. Click here to obtain instructions and forms from the National Matching Services web site that can be used to register for the Match. Agreements and fees should be received at NMS by October 13, 2006.
The AOA charges a fee of $65.00 U.S. to each applicant who registers for the Match. This registration fee is non-refundable, and is collected by NMS on behalf of the AOA. Payment of the applicant fee to National Matching Services Inc. must be by check or money order drawn on a U.S. or Canadian bank, or by an International postal money order (NOT a U.S. postal money order). Only signed Agreements sent with the full $65.00 U.S. applicant registration fee payable to National Matching Services Inc. will be accepted.
Following receipt of the Agreement and fee, NMS will send a confirmation of registration directly to each student registered for the Match by e-mail.
By the end of November, NMS will provide additional information on the Match to registered students and institutions. Students or institutions intending to participate in the Match who have not received an information package by the end of November should contact NMS at (416) 977-3431 or (716) 282-4013.
Following interviews, students will identify on their Rank Order Lists, in numerical order of preference (first choice, second choice, etc.), the internship programs where they would like to serve as interns. Students should include on their Rank Order Lists only those programs where they would agree to accept a contract. Likewise, institutions identify on the programs' Rank Order Lists the students to whom they are prepared to offer contracts, in numerical order of preference. The results of the Match are binding for both the students and the institutions.
Students may list as many or as few programs as they wish on their Rank Order Lists. However, listing too few programs may decrease the probability of a match taking place.
Match participants will be required to enter their Rank Order Lists for the Match via the internet. All students and programs must submit their completed Rank Order List no later than January 26, 2007.
There are rare circumstances when, at the last moment, an approved internship program is discontinued or does not participate in the Match process. If this should happen, any student's Rank Order List indicating such a program will be processed without that program. This will have the effect of moving the remaining programs up in the preference ranking.
COUPLES: Two applicants who are participating in the Match at the same time and who wish to coordinate their matches (e.g. obtain positions in the same location) may participate in the Match as a "Couple". The matching of couples to positions in proximity to each other involves special procedures which allow the members of a couple to submit "pairs" of program rankings. Instructions regarding the submission of Rank Order Lists by couples will be included in the information provided to students in November.
