The majority of careers in health professions require graduate level training. Western Michigan University College of Arts and Sciences pre-health advisors take pride in helping you enter professional schools in the State of Michigan and around the nation. It is highly recommended to make an appointment with one of the pre-health advisors once a semester to discuss both your general education questions and your professional school plans. Students who routinely meet with their advisors have a higher likelihood of being successful in their graduate school applications.
Pre-Health Advisor
Applying to Graduate Programs
Application timelines vary depending on the program, the school, and the student. Most graduate applications open once a year for admissions and follow an admissions cycle of approximately 8 months to a year from the time of application to the time of decision. Students will submit an initial (or primary) application to all their prospective schools with their transcripts, letters of recommendation, and written statement. They may be asked to submit a secondary application including a statement or questions for individual schools. Most schools do anywhere from one to three rounds of interviews before decisions are released.
Students who do not plan on a gap year typically apply toward the end of their junior year; students planning on one or more gap years apply at the end of their undergraduate program. Gap years are common, and give students a chance to gain experience in clinical work for their field.
Specific deadlines and requirements depend on both the profession and the school; students should consult with their pre-health advisor regularly to plan out their application.
WMed Preferred Relationship
Western Michigan University has a preferred relationship with the WMU Stryker School of Medicine. This means students are eligible for the WMedStart Early Decision Program. In order to apply for the early decision program, students must take either the ACT or SAT before starting college and meet the minimum score. Additionally, students who apply through AMCAS for the regular admissions cycle are reviewed earlier, though they must still meet all admissions requirements.
Students from WMU have the opportunity to apply to the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine early through their WMed Start program.