Q: When do I begin the application process?
A: There is no “right time” to apply to health professions school. You should begin the application process whenever you feel you can best present a strong and well-rounded application. To learn more about what the various application timelines are and what may be right for you, please visit our Deciding When to Apply page.
The formal process begins one year prior to when you plan to matriculate to professional school. For example, those who wish to start medical or dental school in 2024 will apply in 2023 (the application cycle in which they apply will be referred to as the 2024 Cycle).
Q: What are rolling admissions?
A: Rolling admissions is the process that health professions schools use to review applications. Once applications start to get submitted, admissions committees will review applications in order of when they are received and offer spots to desirable applicants until their incoming class has been filled. A full application consists of four main components—each component needs to have been received before your application can be reviewed. To learn more about the importance of rolling admissions, please visit our Application Basics page.
Q: What is the cost of applying?
A: The cost of applying varies based on what health professions school you are applying to and how many programs you plan to submit an application for. To see cost breakdowns for MD, DO, Dental and other health professions schools, please visit our Primary Applications page. In addition to primary application costs, the sitting for the MCAT costs $330, while the DAT costs $525. Secondary applications also cost money to submit; fees vary from school to school.
Q: What does a health professions application look like?
A: The majority of applications are comprised of four main application components, the primary application, secondary application, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation. To explore each of these components, please explore the Apply dropdown menu on our website or visit the Application Basics page.
Q: How is the Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Advising Office involved in my application process?
A: The office is here to assist you throughout your application journey. We are happy to meet with you over the course of your academic/alumni years to discuss course requirements, clinical and service experience, research opportunities, etc.
We are also involved directly in your application process through our submission of a letter packet. This letter packet is a document that includes all of your individual letters of recommendation as well as an individualized, non-evaluative cover letter written by our office. The letter packet is one of the four main components of your application. To learn more about receiving a letter packet, please visit our Application Timelines page.
Q: How do I formally request the Letter Packet from the office?
A: To request a letter packet from our office, you will need to complete two applications through the UConn Quest Portal and participate in an Applicant Coaching Session. Each prospective applicant needs to submit a Health Professions Applicant Portfolio (HPAP) and a Health Professions Letter Packet (HPLP). The HPAP is a collection of questions that has students reflect on their motivation, meaningful experiences and strengths as an applicant. Once it is submitted to our office, you will be scheduled for an Applicant Coaching Session. This meeting with two of our advisors is used to go over your responses, provide feedback, and answer any questions you may have of the application process. The HPLP is where applicants collect their individual letters of recommendation.
To learn more about the letter packet process and the various steps for receiving a packet from our office, please visit our Application Timelines page.
Q: When should I take the MCAT?
A: Our office recommends taking the MCAT no later than July of the year that you are applying. It takes about one month from the date you sit for your exam for your scores to be processed and distributed. For more information about the MCAT, or other pre-health exams, visit our Standardized Tests page.
Q: How do I ask for letters of recommendation?
A: To formally request your letters of recommendation through our office, you will need to open the Health Professions Letter Packet (HPLP) application through the UConn Quest Portal. For more information on whom and how to ask for letters of recommendation, visit our Letters of Recommendation page.
Q: Can I add additional letters of recommendation to the portal?
A: If you have not yet submitted the HPLP through the portal, you are welcome to add additional letters of recommendation.
If you have already submitted the HPLP through the portal, you are unable to edit your application after that point. You will need to email the office directly at premed_predental@uconn.edu and request that we reopen your application.
Q: Can I reuse letters of recommendation from a previous cycle?
A: Yes; however, our office strongly recommends that you seek updated letters of recommendation, meaning that you reach out to your letter writers and ask that they–at a minimum–change the date on the letter to match the calendar year in which you are applying. If you have maintained a relationship with the letter writer and they are able to add new information to their prior draft–i.e. write about added experiences since the last time you applied–they are encouraged to do so.
If you wish for our office to upload old letters of recommendation on your behalf, you will still need to formally request them through the Health Professions Letter Packet in Quest Portal using each recommender’s name and email address. You can include a personalized message in that request that no action is required on their behalf. Once you have initiated these requests, you can email our office directly at premed_predental@uconn.edu and ask us to upload the corresponding letters from our administrative end.
Q: How do I share my applicant IDs (AAMC ID/AMCAS Letter ID/AADSAS ID, etc.) with the office?
A: Please use the information on the Evaluation Requests & ID Submission page on our website to complete the formal evaluation request in your standardized application service and submit your IDs to our office through the Quest portal.
Q: How do I request my official transcript?
A: To request your official transcript, you will need to use the Parchment service through StudentAdmin. For further instructions, visit our Transcripts page.
Q: How do I list courses on my AMCAS application?
A: If you are wondering how to classify your coursework as you enter it on your AMCAS application, we strongly encourage you to use page 31 of the AMCAS 2023 Cycle Applicant Guide. Do not worry about making a mistake here–the verification process for your primary application is, in part, so that AMCAS can correct any “errors” they detect with these listings.
Q: How is my GPA calculated?
A: Your GPA is calculated using all grades posted for coursework taken at the collegiate level (this includes things like ECE and community college courses). These application services will calculate your cumulative GPA during the verification process.
To understand AMCAS’s calculation process specifically, see the Grade Conversion Guide.
Q: How do I prepare for interviews?
A: All of the information you need to know about interviewing can be found on our Interviews page, which gives a comprehensive overview of how to prepare, the interview itself, and post-interview procedures. We also list additional outside resources. Note especially the information for our interview pairing program, through which you can be paired with current or recent medical/dental students from up to three schools to do interview preparation. To participate in this program, please fill out this survey.
Q: What is the CASPer exam?
A: The CASPer exam is a situational judgement test that tests your ability to think on your feet, assess certain character traits, and determines behavioral tendencies. It presents the test-taker with realistic, hypothetical scenarios and may ask the individual what they would do in the dilemma and why they would do it. To learn more about CASPer, visit their website here.
Q: How long does it take to hear back from schools?
A: Because incoming class spots are offered to applicants on a rolling basis, the time it takes to hear back from programs will vary. Interview offers typically begin in the fall and are offered through the winter and early spring. Depending on how a school’s roster has filled out, it is possible that applicants can even receive interview offers during the summer months. Most formal acceptances will be extended by July of the year following the application cycle at the latest, though applicants are typically notified earlier than this.
If you have not yet heard back from a school(s) that you are interested in, there is still a chance that you will hear back, so hang in there and remain positive. That being said, it never hurts to analyze your options and consider if you will need to reapply, or if you would like to pursue a different avenue altogether. Whatever the case may be, our office is happy to help you in these deliberations. Feel free to email us at premed_predental@uconn.edu, or schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.
Q: What do I do if I want to submit updates to my application?
A: If you are interested in submitting updates to a program that you have applied to, it is best to inquire with them directly to ask if they will accept and consider updates. A majority of schools do not like to receive updates, though some do offer an update period.
Q: What do I do if I want to defer my application?
A: As an applicant, you can choose to defer your application to a later cycle at any point during the application process. To understand the formal process through AMCAS, review their FAQs page here.
If you choose to defer and have already notified our office that you are planning to apply this cycle, please just email us directly at premed_predental@uconn.edu and we will update our records to reflect that change. Any information that you have submitted to us up until this point will be saved both in the Quest Portal and in your applicant file. If you’d like to discuss anything regarding future updates, letters of recommendation, etc., feel free to email us or schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.
Q: What do I do if I’m a reapplicant?
A: If you are a reapplicant with our office, you will still need to follow our procedures for receiving a letter packet–i.e., you will need to re-submit or update your HPAP application, meet with our advisors for a coaching session, and collect all of your letters of recommendation through the HPLP. You are welcome to email us at premed_predental@uconn.edu at any point to inquire about this process, or schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.
If you are a formal reapplicant, meaning you submitted all aspects of your application and were reviewed by schools, most application services will allow you to “copy over” your previously entered information into a new application. To understand the procedures for each service, visit their respective websites–AMCAS; AACOMAS; AADSAS.
Q: What do I do if I don’t get in?
A: If you do not get into the schools or programs that you desired, there are still many options available to you moving forward. First and foremost, you should take some time to reflect on the application process and ask yourself if you are still interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. Think about what is right for you and how you can be most fulfilled in your academic or professional life moving forward.
If you are still dedicated to pursuing a career in healthcare, are you interested in reapplying for the same kinds of schools, or looking to switch gears? As a reapplicant, or a first-time applicant to a different kind of health professional school, identify what you need to do to strengthen and round out your candidacy. What will you be engaged in for the coming year? Do you want to take more than one growth year to improve your application?
These are all questions that take time to mull over and answer, so don’t rush yourself in making any decisions. Talk to your family, friends and mentors about what your next steps could be. Our office is always happy to help answer these questions as well. You are welcome to email us at premed_predental@uconn.edu, or schedule an appointment with one of our advisors.