Pre-Med Scholars (First-Year Program)
The Pre-Med Scholars program supports Wellesley's inclusive excellence initiative, preparing students for careers in medicine by offering connections, information and opportunities during the crucial first year of college. The goal of the cohort program is to support students from low-income and first generation backgrounds in successfully preparing for and entering medical careers.
Data: National Admissions Statistics for Some Health Professions
Review admissions data for some health profession schools, including Dental, Medical (various), Nursing, and Veterinary Schools.
Health Professions Resources for Undocumented Immigrants/DACA Status Students and Alumnae
Gaining admission to health professions schools and identifying funding sources to finance professional school education can be challenging for undocumented immigrants/DACA students and alumnae. But resources do exist to help applicants.
Preparing for a Career in the Health Professions
This resource covers courses, studying abroad, gaining clinical experience, providing service to others, research, summer opportunities, taking a gap year, resources for underrepresented students, post-baccalaureate planning, and more.
Resources for Pre-Health Students & Alumnae With Disabilities
If you have a disability and are thinking about a career in the health professions, it’s important that you educate yourself about your rights and resources.
Completing Your Application
Many health professions schools use a centralized application service to collect applicant information and transcripts, verify the information, and to forward these materials to designated schools. Some services also collect and transmit letters of recommendation. Often there is an instruction manual created by the application service each year that is available on-line. Read this and use it as you complete your applications.
Application Requirements and Timeline (2019-2020) (Scroll to End for Timeline)
Applying to health professions schools can be a long and complex process. Wellesley College Health Professions Advising (HPA) would like to provide you with the support and resources you need to make your application strong and your experience positive.
What To Do If You Are Not Accepted
If you are placed on a waitlist, do not give up hope. Students may be accepted from the waitlist at any time up until the first day of class, depending on the policy of the individual school. Many Wellesley students have successfully entered health professions schools off of waitlists. However, begin alternative planning in case you are not accepted off of the waitlist.
Managing Acceptances
Health professions schools have varying timelines for notifying applicants about acceptances.
Interviewing for Health Professions School (older version)
Participating in interviews is a critical part of the application process. Not only is a school trying to decide if an applicant is a good fit for the institution, the school is also trying to market the school and its programs to the applicant. An interview can greatly enhance or negatively impact an applicant’s chance for admission.
Sending Application Updates (Health Professions Advising resource)
The application process spans a long period of time. During that time, you have have accomplishments you would want to share with the schools to which you are applying.
Completing Secondary Applications (Health Profession Schools)
After receiving your primary application, health professions schools may ask you to complete a secondary application and pay a supplemental application fee.
GPA Calculations for Health Profession Schools
In evaluating your application, health professions schools will look at your courses, grades, and grade point averages (GPAs). They may look at your overall GPA from Wellesley, your overall undergraduate GPA (including any undergraduate courses taken away from Wellesley), and your graduate GPA. Many will also look at your science or “BCPM” GPA, which is typically calculated from Biology (including Neuroscience), Chemistry, Physics, and Math (including statistics) course grades.
Writing Personal Statements (Health Professions)
Personal statements are a vital part of applications for health professions schools. This is your opportunity to distinguish yourself as an individual. Think about the factors that have shaped both who you are and your desire to become a health professional. This is the place where you can describe the real you.
Requesting Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are required as part of most application processes. How you submit these letters as well as the numbers and types of letters required will vary by school. You are responsible for visiting individual school and centralized application services websites to understand exactly what types and how many letters of recommendation you will need to submit and how they should be sent.
Selecting Health Profession Schools
Narrowing down the list of health professions schools to which you want to apply can be a daunting task. It will take time and effort. Remember that this is a big step in your life, so be thorough and thoughtful as you research schools and programs. Here are some tips and suggestions:
Taking Admissions Tests
Health professions schools vary on the type of test they require, how they receive the results of the admission tests, the weight they give to the results of the admission tests in the admissions process, how they will consider multiple test scores, and the oldest admission test they will accept
Cost and Financial Assistance (Health Profession Schools)
It is expensive to apply to and attend health professions schools. It is important to begin learning about and planning for managing these costs.
Advising: Using Health Professions Advising and/or the Medical Professions Advising Committee
Wellesley Health Professions Advising (HPA) is interested in helping Wellesley students and alumnae learn more about the path to becoming a health professional. We welcome all students with any interests, and encourage you to meet with an HPA advisor at least once a year.
Health Profession Schools: Are You Ready to Apply?
Students and alumnae should apply to health professions schools when they believe they are at their strongest and should plan to apply only once. Students may apply as early as the spring after their junior year, or may wait and apply years after graduating. This resource will help you to evaluate your readiness.