General Four Year Timeline

Preparing for professional programs is a long process. The most important thing is that you have the strongest possible application when it comes time to apply.

NOTE: The following four year timeline is only a guide. Depending on your chosen profession, your entrance exam and application period may require a different timeline. 

First Year

• Join the health professions Poly Learn site to find out about health profession opportunities and have access to additional resources!! It is our primary mode of communication.
• Talk with an academic advisor about selecting courses
• Visit the Pre-Health Professions Peer Advisors in Bldg. 53, Room 211 during walk-in hours
• Become familiar with pre-requisites
• Concentrate on getting A's and B's in your courses
• Start researching information about your health professions
• Consider taking SCM 101: Intro to Health Professions offered once per year
• Begin developing mentoring relationships with both faculty and professionals in the field
• Seek opportunities to volunteer, shadow a health professional, and/or identify research opportunities on campus
• Join a health professions club
• During summer months, begin gaining health profession and/or community service experience

Second Year

• Concentrate on maintaining a good academic record
• Explore professional schools' application process and specifics of a competitive applicant
• Visit the Pre-Health Professions Peer Advisors in Bldg. 53, Room 211 during walk-in hours
• Continue gaining health profession related and relevant community service experience
• Continue researching professions through job shadowing, informal interviewing, the internet, professional associations, etc...
• Put yourself on a BUDGET and keep credit card debt at a minimum!
• Continue fostering mentoring relationships with faculty and professionals in your field of interest
• Consider study abroad, research and/or other summer possibilities

Third Year

Fall Quarter

• Speak with a health professions advisor
• Check dates of admissions tests (register early!)
• Check application deadlines for schools
• Decide whom to ask for letters of reference
• Form a support/study group for entrance exams
• Begin personal statement essay(s) for application
• Visit professional schools during sponsored visitation days
• Plan summer possibilities early
• Examine and save for application costs for summer/fall (application fees, interview attire, travel, lodging)

Winter Quarter

• Attend an application workhop
• Request letters of reference from faculty/professionals
• Take prep course/practice exams and create a STUDY plan
• Continue revising personal statement for application
• Have all prerequisites completed before taking admission test

Spring Quarter

• Take the standardized admissions test (This is discipline-specific).
• Attend an application workshop if you have not done so already.
• Finalize personal statement essays- Have final draft critiqued - THIS IS A MUST!!
• Consider school choices
• Obtain an official transcript after grades have posted for Spring.
• Send thank you letters to those who wrote letters of evaluation for you
• Create an account and open a Centralized Application (if available) for your health profession schools.

Summer Quarter

• Request that official transcripts be mailed to the individual schools or have sent to the centralized application service (This is discipline-specific).
• Complete your application. Print copy and check for typos.
• Submit error-free applications early in application process to centralized application service/individual schools (This is discipline-specific).

Fourth Year

Fall Quarter

• Speak with your health professions advisor
• Complete supplemental (secondary) applications and send directly to schools
• Arrange for letters of evaluation to be mailed.
• Send an updated transcript directly to schools at the end of the fall quarter
• Prepare financial aid information
• Prepare for anticipated Interviews - arranged at the discretion of the schools

Winter/Spring Quarters

• Interviewing may continue
• Submit financial aid applications-Fill out FAFSA by March 1 priority deadline!  Go to the FAFSA website.
• Inform the COSAM Advising Center and your letter writers of your acceptances
• Choose a school, pay required deposit.
• Graduate from Cal Poly!
• Make alternative plans if not accepted

Year Following Graduation from Cal Poly

• Begin professional school in late summer/early fall.