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Advice For Success
- Research the prerequisites for admission. Know
the courses you must take for acceptance to the program
- Learn the acceptance criteria for
schools that interest you. Know the
grade point average and entrance test scores necessary for acceptance.
- Set
your goals. Grade point average is very important. It is
difficult to achieve a 4.0 GPA and while working 30-40 hours per week at
an outside job. Be realistic about your time.
- Be flexible about your
goals. If one goal doesn't work out, be prepared
to change your goals.
- Learn about the career. Volunteer and work in the field. Talk
with professionals.
- Get to know your professors. You will need recommendations
from professors who know something about you in addition to the grade
you received in their class. Come to class on time and show interest in
the class. Consider
doing research with a professor or assist with a lab.
- State residents have
a better chance for acceptance at a state school. Higher
numbers, both GPA and entrance test scores, are necessary for admission to
out-of-state schools
- Get your application in early. Schools with rolling admissions begin
accepting the next year's class in the fall. It is wise to submit
your application in late summer.
- Students should seek a balance between science
and non science courses. When
professional schools evaluate applications, a candidate's extracurricular
activities and communications skills are evaluated. Volunteer or
work experience in the health field is also very important. As
undergraduates students should do some of the following: volunteer
at a hospital or nursing home, shadow a health care provider, and gain
some clinical experience.
- Students should be informed about current ethical
and social issues in preparation for the personal interview process.
