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PRE-PROFESSIONAL HEALTH SCIENCE GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CHECKLIST

Checklist: First and Second SPU Years

Checklist: Application (Fourth or Post-Graduate) SPU Years

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Third or Fourth SPU Year

• Continue to improve or maintain a high academic performance. This is critical in the third and fourth year.

• Start to compile a sample list of graduate schools you wish to attend and lists of schools especially where you qualify for admission. Study the specific prerequisite courses at each school and make a detailed academic plan with your faculty and academic advisors to enable you to complete your major(s) and fulfill all prerequisite coursework for these schools.

• Begin to prepare for the standardized test required by your program. You may choose to enroll in a private exam-preparation course to improve your test-taking skills. Take the exam and know the results well in advance of submitting applications to properly assess your chances of acceptance. This will enable you to submit applications to the professional schools that best match your academic credentials.

Do not take any standardized exam just to see what it is about or “for practice,” especially the MCAT or DAT. The record of ALL your test-taking attempts will appear on ALL applications to professional schools. Multiple exam scores that do not significantly improve actually harm your chances of acceptance, since the admissions committee will see all these scores.

• Discuss your relative chances of gaining entrance to professional schools with the PPHS coordinator and other faculty members who are familiar with the process. Have an honest advising session with faculty whom you hold in high regard. Be realistic and be honest!

• Take PPHS 2400 (Application Workshop) in the Winter Quarter prior to summer application submission. Completion of this course is required before participation in the SPU PPHS Committee interview and review process.

• Carefully assess your chances for entrance into professional schools. Research particular schools that interest you and where you think you might have a better chance of admission. If your chances appear to be excellent, visit and talk to representatives of the schools. Attend all presentations by admissions staff who come to Seattle or the SPU campus from these schools. Speak to their students to learn about the curriculum design and general attitudes. Speak to alumni of those professional school and assess their experiences.

• The MCAT must be taken prior to May 15 of the same year you plan to submit your summer application because scores are released one month later. This is approximately 15 months prior to anticipated matriculation.

Later test dates will make for delayed application submission and thus noncompetitive. Applications are expected to be made in June or July, approximately 14 months prior to your anticipated matriculation in graduate health school. If your MCAT scores are poor or only average, retaking the test in summer is essential. Consider postponing applications until MCAT scores are competitive. MCAT scores are released approximately one month after the test day.

• The DAT or GRE can be taken any day of the year. Scores are immediately available at the end of the exam. The DAT should be taken in the early summer in the year applications are submitted. The GRE should be taken no later than early fall of the year you are submitting applications. The PCAT and OCAT have selected test dates and should also be taken by late summer of the application year. It is becoming more and more necessary to take these exams prior to submitting applications to ensure a competitive application.

• The standardized test for your profession should be taken only after undergraduate coursework is complete and not before. Almost all these scores are "good" for three years from test date to matriculation so "time off" from testing to application and matriculation is common.

Checklist: First and Second SPU Years

Checklist: Application (Fourth or Post-Graduate) SPU Years

Back to Pre-Professional Health Programs

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