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WELCOME TO THE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY HEALTH PROFESSIONS OFFICE |
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Announcements: The Health Professions Committee will grant interviews to applicants who meet the following criteria and who have completed their file: Medical Applicants must have a minimum cumulative science/math and overall GPA of a 3.25 and a minimum MCAT test score of 27. Students requesting an interview before an MCAT score is available, require a minimum 3.4 GPA both overall and science. Dental Applicants must have a minimum cumulative science/math and overall GPA of 3.25. Minimum DAT scores are a 17 in the Academic Average section and a 17 in the Perceptual Ability Section. Students requesting an interview before DAT scores are available, require a minimum 3.4 GPA both overall and science. Optometry Applicants must have a minimum cumulative science/math and overall GPA of a 3.0 and a minimum OAT test scores of 320 in both the Academic Average and 320 in the Total Sciences sections. Students requesting an interview before an OAT score is available, require a minimum 3.25 GPA both overall and science. The Health Professions Office will continue to support those students who do not meet the above-listed academic requirements by processing and forwarding their letters of recommendation. Note, students who will not be interviewed DO NOT need to complete their file (i.e., they do not need a minimum number of letters, and they do not need to write an autobiography). Timeline: In the Spring before you apply, you should be finalizing your letters of recommendation and confirm their arrival at the HPO. Students qualifying for an interview should also be completing their file and scheduling their interview. “Timing is everything.” all students (Juniors, Seniors and Postbaccalaureate Students) who will be applying this upcoming cycle need to concern themselves with the timing of their applications. For programs with rolling admissions, it is far better to submit an early application than a late one. You want to give the impression that your application is important to you and not an afterthought. Many applications become available in May or June, so you should plan accordingly. Once your application has been submitted, you will need to release your committee statement and/or letters of recommendation. Release forms are now available on this website, and they are processed in the order they are submitted. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit the form at least a week before any deadlines.
Timeline for the Health Professions Office Interview Academically qualified upperclassmen (Juniors, Seniors and Postbaccalaureate Students) who will be applying this upcoming cycle need to concern themselves with the timing of their HP Interview and applications. Students who meet the academic requirements listed above may request a prequalifying review. An advisor will review the your file and will inform you of any areas of weakness. In this way, you will have time to strengthen your file before you schedule your interview. For those who qualify, HP interviews will run from March 15 through May 31st for applicants who have already taken the their admissions test (MCAT, DAT...) or who will be taking the test prior to June. There will be very few interviews granted in the month of June because the staff are already booked for that month. Students who will be taking a later test may not schedule an interview before July 1st. Whether or not you prequalify, before an interview will be granted, a student must have a completed file ( click on the tab to our handbook for details). The autobiography should be submitted by February 1st — regardless of when you would like to schedule your interview. Many students find it cumbersome (too time consuming) to write while class is in session, so you may wish to consider writing it over winter break. Before submitting your application, make sure that there are no holds on your transcript. It will delay the processing of everything. So be sure to pay any fines/tickets early. You will want to settle any grade disputes or T-grades far in advance of your application because they may take a while to change. Stay out of trouble, a disciplinary/academic dishonesty problem can be devastating to your application. Ideal HP Timeline for Applicants who have taken the MCAT before June: January — Write your autobiography. February to March —schedule a prequalifying appointment with one of the health professions advisors. April to May — schedule your Health Professions Interview June — submit your application August and on — interviews with admissions officers. (When you consider that many schools have rolling admissions, you can see from these timelines, that it truly is in an applicant’s best interest to take the MCAT before the August prior to their senior year.) Ideal HP Timeline for Applicants who will be taking the MCAT in June or later: January —Write your autobiography (you will be too busy during the term and you will be too busy while preparing for the MCAT). February to August —schedule a prequalifying appointment with one of the health professions advisors. June to August —submit your application to AMCAS. It is important to get your application in before school begins in September. July to September — schedule your Health Professions Interview. October and on—interviews with medical/dental school admissions officers.
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