Career Success Pre-Professional Advising

Applicant Resources

Professional programs value student experience in all forms--life experience, academic background, activities, socioeconomic status, social and cultural identity, etc. Choosing an academically talented class filled with people who have a variety of lived experiences makes for richer classroom experience. People do their best learning and working in these environments. In addition, abundant research shows that to provide the best care and services to patients and clients, we need to create learning and working environments that reflect our society.

This section will provide you with additional application information and resources to assist you during your application process and into your career.

Applicant Resources

One of the most informative places to look for information as a future applicant is the education association of your field. These sites have information about the field, individual programs and how to apply. Most of these sites have some admission data and offer the latest news in the field. You can also learn about any upcoming webinars they offer.

Law (JD): Law School Admission Council

Allopathic Medicine (MD): Association of American Medical Colleges

Osteopathic Medicine (DO): American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

Podiatric Medicine (DPM): American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine

Veterinary Medicine (DVM): American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges

Dentistry (DDS, DMD): American Dental Education Association

Optometry (OD): Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Pharmacy (PharmD): American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Physician Assistant (PA): Physician Assistant Education Association

Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA): American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants

Physical Therapy (DPT): American Physical Therapy Association

Occupational Therapy (OTR, OTD): American Occupational Therapy Association

Public Health (MPH): Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health

Health Administration (MHA): Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Chiropractic Medicine (DC): Association of Chiropractic Colleges

Genetic Counseling (MS): National Society of Genetic Counselors

Orthotics & Prosthetics: National Commission on Orthotic & Prosthetic Education

Athletic Training: Association for Athletic Training Education

 

 

 

Professional Programs are a Fantastic Information Resource
It is perfectly fine to contact schools directly but prepare for the conversation.

Please do not be shy about contacting schools and communicating with them about questions and concerns that you have. Pre-Professional Advising is happy to help you prepare for this conversation.

  • You should always prepare for conversations with representatives of professional programs.
  • Make sure you check their website first and that your answers can't be found there.
  • You want these conversations to be concise and professional.
  • Admissions representatives are busy people so you want to be prepared and keep the conversation as short as possible. That said, they really do want to help you!
  • We hear from a lot of school representatives about gaps in phone skills, because they know that people working in health and law fields will need to contact patients/clients. Preparing ahead for this call and being very polite is important. This added professionalism will go a long way toward impressing professional programs.
  • They track student contacts--so again--be very polite (we know that we don't need to tell you that as a Purdue student).
  • Write out all of your questions ahead of time.
  • Thank them for their time.
Attend online events to learn about schools

Watch our website, newsletter, and Instagram (sign up for our monthly e-newsletter on our homepage) for any online events that schools are hosting. This will help you learn more about how programs work and what you want in a program. Watch individual school websites for information too. The LSAC Law School Forums are an opportunity to learn about schools. Our spring Health Programs Expo is a chance to meet with schools on campus.

Essentially you want to know a number of things about programs.

  • How do they differ?
  • How are they similar?
  • What are the various ways they structure their curricula?
  • What appeals to you about the different approaches?
  • What academic support do they offer students?
  • What personal and wellness support is offered to students?
  • What student organizations do they have?
  • What additional programs do they have that you find interesting?

Even if a school isn't one you really want to attend, starting to learn about the variation within programs will help you start to learn what YOU want in a program.

Pipeline programs

Pipeline programs encourage students to learn more about the field, meet people who can mentor them along the way, and excite them about the possibilities the field has for them.

You can find additional summer options in our summer opportunities lists in the Learning Center of our website.

Highlighting Who You Are in Your Application

Every professional school wants their class to learn from each other. That means that they are looking to fill their class with students who have a variety of experiences including academic backgrounds, cultural experiences, economic backgrounds, etc. One thing that we know from research on education is that people learn better in these environments.

It can be helpful to highlight your life experiences in your application. You want them to get to know you as a person.

That said, there can be better ways to do that than others. Randomly stating in an application, for example, that you are Episcopalian if it has nothing to do with why you want to be an optometrist will probably not be helpful. Discussing growing up with intermittent homelessness and now wanting to be a lawyer who works with housing issues, could work as it goes to your reason for wanting to enter the field.

Ways to Highlight the Diversity You Bring to the Class

Applications provide a number of ways to highlight what makes you unique.

Open Questions on Applications--Some schools provide an essay question that allows you to provide any additional information you would like them to know. This provides a chance for you to comment on anything major that you feel has impacted who you are.

  • Childhood Information--The MD application (AMCAS), uses this section of the application. If you were from an area that was medically underserved, for example, you could indicate that information on your application.
  • Candidate Referral Service--Law schools use this mechanism which allows for added biographical and academic information.
Adding Depth to Your Application through Your Life Experiences

Think carefully about aspects of your life and experiences that could add depth to your application.

  • Have you worked to pay for school?
  • Did you grow up in a household with parents who came from another country so that you grew up within two cultures?
  • Do you speak more than one language?
  • Have you experienced poverty? Homelessness? Hunger?
  • Did you have multiple generations living at home?
  • Have you worked to help support your family?
  • Do you have a child/children?

These kinds of life experiences matter to schools (not that these are the only things).

Making the Most of Application Space

One of the frequent questions students ask us is how much discussion of certain activities/topics might impact their applications.

For example:

  • Will mentioning being a student organizer for a political campaign be seen as too political?
  • Will being a leader of a Bible study or part of a religious student group be seen as being too religious?
  • Will mentioning being in a sorority/fraternity be seen as wasting time?
  • Will mentioning a disability or illness create a bias in the admissions committee?

Generally speaking, an admissions committee cannot use your religious beliefs, political thinking, sexuality, gender identity, health issues or disability to evaluate you. That means that you do not want to spend a lot of space in your application on these topics as you are basically wasting space--they can't use that. Spend your space providing them information they CAN use.

Disability is a bit different in that it is actually illegal for an admissions committee to use that against an applicant. Still, you have limited space to communicate what you want them to know about you. They can't use the information about your disability. Use your space telling them things they can use as much as possible.

For most of the examples above, mention your involvement then move on to talk about what you learned or contributed. For example, "During the summer I realized I could no longer stand by while this event happened. I became active as an organizer in this area. I overcame my own shyness to speak in front of thousands of people and...."

Similarly, "My time in my sorority has taught these important skills that will help me in my career as a physician..."

Typically we encourage you to highlight YOUR core competencies throughout your application. This is an example of that. The focus isn't on the organization or situation. You want the focus to be on what you learned, how it changed you, what you contributed, why it mattered to you, etc.

In all of these situations, you want the focus to be on YOU. If you bring up one of these topics as part of why you are applying or part of your lived experience, that's ok, but then move forward quickly to the focus on the actual skills or insight gained from that experience.

Unfortunately, there is a small risk that someone on an admissions committee will hold a biased view when certain subjects are mentioned. You can't control that. If what you are writing is true to you and feels like the best expression of why you are applying to that field and who you are, then a school that does not control for the biases of individuals on an admissions committee may not be the best fit for you.