Transcript Applying to a Health Professional School Victoria C. Ukachukwu, Ph.D. Director, Health Professions Program Department of Natural and Physical Sciences Caldwell College .

Applying to a Health Professional School
Victoria C. Ukachukwu, Ph.D.
Director, Health Professions Program
Department of Natural and Physical Sciences
Caldwell College . 120 Bloomfield Ave . Caldwell . NJ 07006
General Advising Session
February 22, 2012
How Do I Apply?
• Apply through the online Applicant Service of the
school you to which you wish to apply.
• The online portal collects application materials and
coordinates all parts of the application process to health
professional schools
What are Applicant Services?
Online portals for application to health professional schools:
• AMCAS – Allopathic Medical Schools (May 1)
http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm
• TMDCAS – Texas Medical and Dental Schools (May 1)
http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/
• AACPMAS – Podiatric Medical Schools
http://www.e-aacpmas.org/
• AADSAS – Dental Schools (June 1)
https://portal.aadsasweb.org/
• AACOMAS – Osteopathic Medical Schools (May 1)
https://aacomas.aacom.org/
• VMCAS – Veterinary Schools (Deadline is October 1)
http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm
Applicant Services
• PharmCAS – Pharmacy Schools (November - March)
http://www.pharmcas.org/
• OTCAS – Occupational Therapy Schools (July 1)
https://portal.otcas.org/
• PTCAS – Physical Therapy Schools (July 1)
http://www.ptcas.org/
• CASPA – Physician Assistant Schools (April 1)
http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm
• OptomCAS – Optometry Schools (July 1)
https://portal.otcas.org/
• SOPHAS – Public Health Schools (Deadline- February)
https://portal.sophas.org/
How to Use Applicant Services Portal
 1. Before You Apply: Read the Application
Instructions carefully. If you are applying to the Fee
Assistance Program, do that first.
 2. Begin the Application: Enter Identifying Information,
Schools Attended, and Biographic Information.
 3. Entering your Course Work: Use a personal copy of
your official transcript from each school you attended
after high school.
 4. Work/Activities: Enter up to 15 experiences (work,
extracurricular activities, awards, honors, publications,
etc…) including the date, hours per week, a contact, the
location, and a description of the experience.
 5. Letters of Evaluation: Enter information regarding
each letter of evaluation submitted. Up to 10 letter
entries may be created.
How to Use Applicant Services Portal
 6. Schools: Select the schools to which you will apply
and designate the schools you wish to receive specific
letters of evaluation.
 7. Essays: Compose your personal statement
 8. Standardized Tests: Enter or edit future test dates,
(MCAT/DAT/GRE) as well as review previous test scores,
and enter any additional test information, such as new or
other test scores.
 9. Submitting your Application: Before submitting your
application, it is strongly recommended that you using the
“Print Application” button on the Main Menu for
proofreading purposes – very few changes are permitted
after submission.
 10. Monitoring your Application: Check the status of
application throughout the application process.
Required Application Materials
• Items required before your application is processed:
 Completed Application
 All Official U.S. Transcripts
 Correct Application Fee
Other Application Items
• Additional items required by different schools:
 Admission Test Scores
 References (LORs)
 Foreign Transcript Evaluation
 TOEFL Scores
 Volunteer/Observation Hours
Supplemental Application Materials
Items submitted directly to schools:
 Supplemental Application
 References
 Original Foreign Transcript
 Supplemental Fee
 Volunteer/Observation Hours
Admission/Standardized Tests
Request Official Test Scores
• Use correct Test code for School
• Scores MAY also go to Applicant Service, depending
on the Test code
Enter Test Scores on Application
• Do not mix and match scores from different dates
• Enter planned test dates
Submit Official US Transcripts
• Enter ALL colleges & universities attended
• 4-Year Institutions
• Community Colleges
• Print transcript request form for each school
to which you are applying
• Registrar sends one official transcript
• Encourage registrar to include transcript request form
• Do NOT send student-issued transcripts
Enter All US Courses on Application
 Use a personal copy of transcripts
 Do NOT enter courses from memory
 Enter all courses on US transcripts
including…
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Credit earned due to AP/CLEP/IB exams
Audited
Deferred
Institutional/Departmental Exam
Incomplete
Courses in Progress
Pass/Fail
Withdrawn (WP or WF)
 Avoid errors …Review your entries
Calculation of GPAs
Overall Cumulative GPA
Undergraduate Cumulative GPA
Graduate GPA
GPA for Each College / University Attended
GPA by Academic Status
 freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, & post-BS
Combined Science and Math (BCPM)GPA
Science GPA (no math)
Upper-Division GPA
Course Subject GPAs
Core Program Prerequisite GPA
Foreign Transcripts
IF REQUIRED BY SCHOOL:
Arrange for course-by-course foreign transcript evaluation
to be sent to the Applicant Service (AS)
BEGIN EARLY! It may take 4-6 weeks for agency to
complete evaluation
School may specify a particular agency
If received, AS mails copy to your designated school(s)
Foreign evaluations are NOT
required for “Study-abroad”
Letters of Evaluation (LORs)
• Submit up to 5-10 references
• Electronic references preferred
• Reference requirements
vary by school
• Application file incomplete if missing references
• Schools may not accept late references
• Login to check reference status
Designating Letters of Evaluation (LORs)
Within each application, identify the letters to be submitted (3 to 5). You
should enter packet only once as either a:
• Committee Letter/Packet if you are receiving a committee letter OR
• Individual Letter if you are NOT using a committee letter/packet.
• The Committee Letter/Letter Packet
Your committee letter packet from Caldwell College, includes your individual
letters of recommendation that were sent to the Office of Health Professions
Program and the committee letter, and is sent to the appropriate applicant
service (AMCAS, AADSAS, PTCAS, OTCAS, etc) that you request
If you select committee letter/packet on the application form letters drop-down
menu, you should have only 1 Letter Request Form which should have the
program director’s name on it. Please submit the letter request form to the
Office of Health Professions Program (Room 203 Raymond Hall) to go along
with your committee letter
Designating Letters of Evaluation (LORs)
• Primary Author / Contact:
Dr. Victoria C. Ukachukwu, Director, Health Professions Program, Caldwell
College, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07706 if your committee letter
is from Caldwell College.
• Additional Authors:
Enter the authors of the other letters in the packet. You may add up to 9
additional authors.
• Institution Information:
Enter “Caldwell College” if your committee letter is from Caldwell College or
another institution that is providing your committee letter.
• Releasing Your Letters: Print the letter request form and submit to Dr.
Ukachukwu if you request a committee letter from Caldwell. In order to get
your letters released to schools, you also have to fill out a release form
available from Caldwell College. The earliest students can submit this form is
July1. Submit form to Dr. Victoria Health Professions Program, 203
Raymond Hall, Caldwell College, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006
Caldwell College
The Committee Letter/Interview
Requirements for the Committee Letter:
• Letters of Recommendation
3-5 Letters of Recommendation in your file by March 15
• Personal Statement
Submit a DRAFT copy of your personal statement for review by Committee
by March 15
• Committee Interview:
Schedule a date for your Committee Interview to discuss issues including:
- Knowledge of medical and health issues
- Communication skills
- Personality/compatibility with healthcare
- Exposure/volunteer experience
- Motivation
The Personal Statement
• What personal qualities and experiences have
motivated you to pursue this field of health
professions?
When Should I Begin the Process?
• Begin the application process in the spring (March).
• Ensure that LORs are complete
• Prepare Personal Statement, (review & scrutinize before
submitting)
• Review Official Academic Transcripts
• Take the Standardized Test (MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT,
etc) in the spring, if prepared.
• Schedule Committee Interview (by March15)
Application Timeline: March - April - May
• Fine tune your Personal Statement. Have a colleague
review your personal statement.
• Check web site for school listings. Check MSAR &
individual school web sites.
Application Timeline: May - June Timeline
•
Finalize School List:
Realistically assess your candidacy.” Include” some
upper, middle, and lower range schools to balance your
selection:
1.
GPA 3.6 & above = upper 20% of schools selected
(MCATS 33 +)
2.
3.3 to 3.5
(MCATS 29 +)
= middle 50% schools selected
3.
3.2 or lower
(MCATS 28+)
= lower 30% schools selected
Application Timeline: Submission
• May 1: Most online application portals open
• June 1: Submission of application begins
Note: Print and submit copy of application: 1) Director
office 2) Self.
Early Decision Program
• Deadline for most schools is August 1st
• Check with individual school for LOR and Secondary
deadline.
• Binding option for applicants
• Not all programs participate in Early Decision
• If accepted, applicant cannot apply to other programs
• If denied or moved to “general” status, applicant can
apply to other programs
• DO NOT WAIT until DEADLINE:
Application Fee
• Application Fee – varies with program
(About $30-$50/school!!! Plan accordingly).
• Fee Waiver/Fee Assistant Program - apply before
starting your application
Application Timeline: August - September
•
Complete and send supplemental
applications and materials
•
Complete and send correct $$ supplemental
fee.
•
DO NOT WAIT until DEADLINE
Academic Updates to Application
 Enter updated summer & fall 2012 grade
 Send updated 2012 transcripts to Applicant Service
as soon as available
 Academic Update Dates: check Applicant Service for
dates
 Timeline to update your coursework is limited
 Applicant Service will send an updated courses &
GPAs to schools.
Secondary Application Deadlines
• Application deadlines to medical schools
range from August 1 to December 15.
• Keep deadlines & fees for each school on
your list organized.
• Remember: June 1st be prepared to
submit application
Caldwell College: LOR TIMELINE
• March 15th :
All LORs received in office including . . .
3 - 5 letters (3 Caldwell College Professors – Bio, Chem,
Organic, Physics; 2 others from your previous life
experiences - humanities professor, and/or employer,
volunteer/ research)
Caldwell College
Committee Letter Timeline: June - July
• March 15: 5 LORs in file; Submit Forms #1; #2; and
Draft Personal Statement
• March - April 5: Interviews for Committee Letter
(Note: Deadline to schedule interview is March 15)
• May 1: Submit Intent to Apply Form to Program
Director
• June 1 – June 30: Provide copy of Submitted
Application and Letter Request form , and Consent
Form
• July 1: Committee Letters Sent to Schools
Remember . . .
• Send Thank You Notes/Emails to recommenders.
• Monitor your application.
• Call schools to inquire
about interviews.
• Be familiar with the institution
you are interviewing at.
• The interview begins the minute you walk on campus
(maybe even before-train, etc).
Finally…
• Notify Program Director when accepted!!!