Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Advanced Placement and I.B. Credit?  Generally, no.  Professional schools ordinarily do not accept credits earned prior to college as meeting their requirements.  If you have Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit in any of the required science fields, you will still want to take advanced work in the same field to demonstrate competence, as well as to broaden your undergraduate preparation.

Can I Study Abroad?  Yes!  Study abroad or elsewhere in the U.S. broadens your cultural and academic experience as an undergraduate and is generally looked upon favorably by health professions schools.  Study away from Mount Holyoke does, however, require careful planning, and may indeed postpone your application to certain programs.  Conduct a careful comparison of courses available elsewhere with those offered here, and consider how the time away will affect your completion of requirements as well as the timing of applications to professional programs.  If study abroad plans take you away from required courses, you may wish to offset that by taking those courses in summer school. Advance planning will help you anticipate and avoid potential conflicts.

Can I take required courses at institutions other than MHC?  Yes.  Be prepared to explain why you did so.  Course availability sometimes dictates that you must take a course elsewhere (e.g., taking an Animal Nutrition course for vet school at UMASS because MHC does not offer the course). Sometimes taking a course elsewhere provides a better fit to your overall schedule (e.g., taking Organic Chemistry in the summer so that you can study abroad the following semester).  These are straightforward, valid reasons that are readily accepted by the professional schools.  Taking a course at another institution because you think it will be easier or because it will lighten your academic load are examples of motives that will not be considered favorably. 

Keep in mind that if you wish to transfer the credit to MHC you must comply with the MHC Regulations for Transfer Credit.  Also, your application package will need to include official transcripts from all institutions you have attended.

Can I substitute related courses for a professional school’s required courses?  Direct questions about specific course substitutions to your health professions advisor and to the admissions office of the health professions school.  The main concern is whether the course’s content provides the subject coverage intended by the requirement.  You may need to provide a course description and/or syllabus in order to get an accurate interpretation.

Is it okay to take time off before attending/applying to a health professions school?  The answers to this can be as varied as the reasons for taking time off.  Many students take time off and are successful in gaining entrance later on (indeed, some students are forced to take time off because they do not get in initially and need to do things to enhance their application).  If you are considering taking time off, have a plan, and be ready to explain your motives to an admissions committee.  Schools do not look favorably upon applicants who have demonstrated a “lack of direction”.  On the other hand, there are many valid reasons for not going straight to a health professions school from your undergraduate program.  These include taking additional coursework, gaining clinical experience, performing volunteer work, earning money, and pursuing other life goals.  Bottom line: you need to be able to articulate persuasively why you did what you did.  Talk your plans and ideas over in advance with your health professions advisor.

How many schools should I apply to?  Careful, deliberate investigation of schools that match your needs and qualifications is essential to being able to apply to the right number and the right kind of program.  It will also save you a great deal of money in application fees.  Students who have done their research really well, picked realistic programs, and polished their applications can apply to 10-15 schools with an expectation that they’ll have 3-4 acceptances to choose from.  Understand what the schools are looking for and what their acceptance rates are.  Normally, you are expected to include your in-state or state-affiliate schools among those you apply to.

Should I re-take my standardized exams if I don’t like my score?  Yes, but consider the following questions as you plan for a re-take:  Why was your score sub-par?  What did you do/not do in preparing for the exam?  What will you do differently in preparation for the second exam?  How do your scores compare with your other academic records?  Finally, will the schedule of taking the exam and getting the score reported fit with the ongoing consideration of your application?  Keep in mind that the schools will see all of your scores, and you want to show improvement on a re-take.  As a rule of thumb you should not take an exam more than twice.  Speak to your health professions advisor about your plans and methods of preparation.