1. Applying to a Health Professional School
This should be posted on a secure site
Victoria C. Ukachukwu, Ph.D.
Director, Health Professions Program
Department of Natural and Physical Sciences
Caldwell College Bloomfield Ave . Caldwell . NJ 07006

2. General Advising Session
February 22, 2012

3. 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

4. What are Applicant Services?
Online portals for application to health professional schools:
AMCAS – Allopathic Medical Schools (May 1)
TMDCAS – Texas Medical and Dental Schools (May 1)
AACPMAS – Podiatric Medical Schools
AADSAS – Dental Schools (June 1)
AACOMAS – Osteopathic Medical Schools (May 1)
VMCAS – Veterinary Schools (Deadline is October 1)

5. Applicant Services PharmCAS – Pharmacy Schools (November - March)
OTCAS – Occupational Therapy Schools (July 1)
PTCAS – Physical Therapy Schools (July 1)
CASPA – Physician Assistant Schools (April 1)
OptomCAS – Optometry Schools (July 1)
SOPHAS – Public Health Schools (Deadline- February)

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Required Application Materials
Items required before your application is processed:
Completed Application
All Official U.S. Transcripts
Correct Application Fee

9. Other Application Items
Additional items required by different schools:
Admission Test Scores
References (LORs)
Foreign Transcript Evaluation
TOEFL Scores
Volunteer/Observation Hours

10. Supplemental Application Materials
Items submitted directly to schools:
Supplemental Application
References
Original Foreign Transcript
Supplemental Fee
Volunteer/Observation Hours

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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…
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

14. 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

15. 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”

16. 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

17. 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

18. Designating Letters of Evaluation (LORs)
Primary Author / Contact:
Dr. Victoria C. Ukachukwu, Director, Health Professions Program, Caldwell College, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 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

19. 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

20. The Personal Statement
What personal qualities and experiences have motivated you to pursue this field of health professions?

21. 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)

22. 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.

23. Application Timeline: May - June Timeline
Finalize School List:
Realistically assess your candidacy.” Include” some upper, middle, and lower range schools to balance your selection:
GPA 3.6 & above = upper 20% of schools selected (MCATS 33 +)
3.3 to = middle 50% schools selected (MCATS 29 +)
3.2 or lower = lower 30% schools selected
(MCATS 28+)

24. 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.

25. 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:

26. (About $30-$50/school!!! Plan accordingly).
Application Fee
Application Fee – varies with program
(About $30-$50/school!!! Plan accordingly).
Fee Waiver/Fee Assistant Program - apply before starting your application

27. Application Timeline: August - September
Complete and send supplemental applications and materials
Complete and send correct $$ supplemental fee.
DO NOT WAIT until DEADLINE

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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)

31. 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

32. 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).

33. Finally…
Notify Program Director when accepted!!!