Admission Tests
Admissions Tests
What, When and How:
Several admissions tests are required for admittance to professional schools.Typically, the tests are taken at the end of the junior or beginning of the senior year.Most registration materials are available online or from the chair of HPAC.The table below outlines the necessary information.(The AHPAT and VCAT, which were designed for allied health and veterinary admissions respectively, have been discontinued).
|
Professional School
|
Test |
Dates Given |
|
|
Dentistry |
On computer by appointment |
|
|
|
Medicine (MD, DO, DPM) |
|
On computer on dates mainly between April and August |
|
|
Optometry |
|
On computer by appointment |
|
|
Pharmacy |
|
January, July, Sept. October |
|
|
Veterinary and Allied Health |
|
On computer by appointment |
|
Preparation:
You must be well-prepared to take these examinations. DO NOT TRY TO TAKE THEM COLD! There are several ways that you can prepare yourself for these exams:
1. take good notes in prerequisite courses, that is what you will be tested on.
(BIOL 141, 142; CHEM 141, 142, 201, 301; PHYS 121, 122) (additional pre-requisites for the MCAT are CHEM 204, PSYC 101, SOCI 101, and a statistics course)
2. take a review course.
(There are MCAT and GRE reviews held on campus)
3. take practice exams.
(available online)
Numbers to Shoot For:
The following data provide a general guideline on test scores and GPAs you will need to be competitive for admission to health professional schools in various fields. Each program may have slightly different requirements, so you should investigate those before you apply. Typically, there are lower GPA and test score limits below which an applicant will not be considered. For example, 3.0 is a typical lower limit for a GPA to be considered for most graduate programs in the health professions. The listed values are averages for students accepted into the following programs nationally.
Dentistry: 3.60 and 19 on DAT
Medicine (MD): 3.68 and 511.4 on the MCAT
Medicine (DO): 3.57 and about 507 on the MCAT
Occupational Therapy: 3.20 and above average on the GRE
Optometry: 3.30 and about 320 on the OAT
Pharmacy: 3.40 and about 85th percentile on PCAT
Physician Assistant: 3.30 and about 60% on the GRE
Physical Therapy: 3.37 and about 55% on the GRE
Podiatry: 3.20 and about a 496 on the MCAT
Veterinary Medicine: 3.60 and about 70% on GRE verbal and 65% on GRE math