Admission Process for Pre-Health Studies
What are health profession schools looking for?
Health profession schools seek well-rounded students with solid preparation in the sciences, a record of high academic achievement, and some basic preliminary experience in medicine (such as volunteering in a clinical setting). They also seek applicants who possess maturity, leadership and strong interpersonal skills.
Health profession schools base their admissions on a combination of the following criteria:
- overall grades in college
- grades in science and math courses
- scores on the appropriate admissions exams
- letter of evaluation from the Pre-Health Council
- relevant experience
- interviews
What is a Composite Letter?
Adelphi’s Pre-Health Council will write a composite letter for your application to professional school (medical, dental and optometry students) and issue you a ranking based on various criteria that are discussed among council members. These decisive factors include your GPA, ethical conduct, academic honesty, and personal characteristics. If you are a re-applicant, you must apply for a composite letter again to have your composite letter released. Additional recommendations may also be provided.
This composite letter consists mainly of six parts:
- Your waiver of rights to inspect the composite letter and letters of evaluations; waiver of rights allowing the Pre-Health Council to gain access to your disciplinary records held by the Dean of Student Affairs, granting the Council rights to share those records with the professional schools to which you apply.
- The Pre-Health Council will elect a member to write the composite letter it on your behalf.
- A description of you that includes some personal history, focusing on your strong and weak characteristics, both academic as well as non-academic. They will also highlight comments from the various letters of evaluation you have received.
- Verbatim reproduction of 5 or more letters of evaluation You may also include letters from other professionals who can attest to academic ability, character and potential to succeed in professional school.
- Conclusion and summary.
- Attached letters from non-academic sources where applicable.
Composite Letter Eligibility Requirements:
- Must meet with the pre-health advisor at least once a year and attend a composite letter application workshop.
- Minimum of 3.3 cumulative GPA and 3.3 BCPM (Biology Chemistry, Physics, Math) GPA.
- Have completed (or are in the process of completing) at least 38 science credits at Adelphi University. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 30 BCPM credits at Adelphi University by the time the Composite Letter Application is submitted.
Students must apply for a Pre-Health Composite Letter by March 15, 2025 if they intend to begin professional school in January/August 2026.
If you are a re-applicant, you must submit a re-application form to have an updated composite letter released. Click here to apply.
(The 2026 cycle application will open on Saturday, December 2, 2024).
What is a Letter Packet?
A Letter Packet is a cover letter from the Office of Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships that accompanies a Pre-Health student’s application to AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, AACPMAS, VMCAS, PharmCAS, OptomCAS. The cover letter is not a composite letter and does not summarize the candidate’s qualifications, nor does the cover letter provide a level of endorsement of the candidate.
Attached to the cover letter is a packet of the three most comprehensive letters of recommendation submitted on behalf of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all letters of recommendation have been received by this office at least one month in advance of the upload deadline given by the application service(s) of choice.
All applicants receiving Letter Packets have been certified as students in good standing at Adelphi University and at any other academic institution attended since high school graduation. In addition, each student receiving a Letter Packet must agree to waive their right, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts of 1974, to view the Letter Packet, including the cover letter and the contents of their letters of recommendation on file at Adelphi University.
- 2025 cycle is still available until February 1, 2025.
- The 2025 cycle application will become available on February 2, 2024.
Interview Tips
Personal Statement
You can make an appointment with the Writing Center or the Office of Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships to begin work on your personal statement.
Character Limits (with spaces) and Prompt:
- AMCAS: 5300
- AACOMAS: 5300
- AADSAS: 4500
- OptomCAS: 4500
- VMCAS: 3000
- PTCAS: 4500
- CASPA: 5000
- PharmCAS: 4500
- AACPMAS: 4500