Becoming a Strong Applicant to Professional School

As you work with your advisor to design your personal pre-health preparation plan, yourÌıapproach will be guided by the following criteria used by professional schools when considering applicants to their programs:

  1. Academic Preparation: Is this person academically ready for a rigorous, graduate-level science curriculum?
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  2. Clinical Experience:ÌıIs this person making an educated career choice?
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  3. Interpersonal Skills and Commitment to Service: Does this person's activity history demonstrate a long-term commitment to serving others, including those of diverse backgrounds? Furthermore, have they developed excellent interpersonal skills?
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  4. Intellectual Curiosity and Problem-Solving Skills (often expressed through scholarly research): How has this person gone above-and-beyond academic requirements to demonstrate their love of learning and intellectual problem-solving?Ìı

Read on for advice in each of these categories of preparation. For a deeper dive into these topics, return to ourÌıonboarding video series for new adviseesÌı(step 3).Ìı

This Self-Assessment Rubric outlines the objectives in each of these categories to become a competitive applicant to professional school.