Applying for Committee Recommendation

Find information on what materials are required for a committee review.

Required Materials for a Committee Review for Medical, Dental, Optometry and Veterinary School

The Health Professions Advising Committee seeks to provide applicants with the best possible feedback on their readiness to apply to graduate programs as well as the best possible letters of recommendation. As a result, we require you to submit the following items in the formats described below.

Note that in order to be recommended by the committee for any cycle, applicants must have materials submitted by February 15 so they can be evaluated by the committee in the spring of the year they will apply. This includes applicants who were recommended by the committee in previous years. If you were evaluated by the committee in the past, please scroll down to "Seeking a Second or Subsequent Review" for instructions.

Starting in the Fall, make sure you:

1.  Open a file by emailing a signed Health Professions File Waiver Form to healthprofessions@holycross.edu. You only need to do this once, not every year.

2.  In the first week of October in the academic year when you want to be reviewed by the committee, fill out the Health Professions Advisor Request Form. You must do this in any year you plan to apply, even if you have been reviewed previously.

3.  Request letters of recommendation as required, updating your recommendation spreadsheet as appropriate. 

By February 15 in the academic year you want a committee review:

You must submit the following materials to healthprofessions@holycross.edu. Make sure to have your advisor review your materials well before the due date.

Items 1-9 must be combined in one PDF document in that order. If the steps above are not completed prior to February 15, your file will be delayed.

  1. Completed checklist .
  2. A copy of your most recent unofficial Holy Cross transcript.
  3. Official copies of transcripts for courses taken away from Holy Cross that do not appear on your Holy Cross transcript. (You do not need transcripts for HECCMA or study abroad courses). **PLEASE NOTE:  If your non HC school cannot email transcripts, please have the paper transcript(s) sent to your address, scan the transcript for us, then add to your packet.  We are currently working remotely and are not receiving mail.  Save the paper transcript in case it is needed in the future.
  4. A cover sheet with your name, contact information, target type of health professions school (M.D., D.M.D., etc.) and recent picture (color headshot) of yourself. Make sure the picture is professional-looking. You do not have to hire a professional photographer but please don’t send in a group party picture with other people cropped out, for example.
  5. A list of all the courses you have taken at Holy Cross and elsewhere plus the teachers and grades in these courses, organized by semester. Indicate which professors you asked for recommendation letters. Also on this sheet report all standardized test and entrance exam scores you have taken, e.g., SAT, ACT, MCAT, DAT etc. (but not AP, SATII, IB, etc.). We will use this for advising purposes only, and not to rate you. We will not share this information with any institutions you apply to.
  6. If needed, also supply a sheet that explains how you took a medical school requirement in a non-standard way, for example, meeting the English requirement in a non-English department course, or biochemistry by working in a lab. Use this form (DOC).
  7. An optional academic notation sheet on which you discuss any grades which you feel need to be explained. Use this to tell us about extraordinary circumstances, e.g., illness, family tragedy, etc. that impacted your ability to perform well in classes.
  8. A separate sheet listing your extracurricular activities in college, post-college, and high school. Please organize this by labeled categories: clinical experience, research experience, volunteer experience, other activities (e.g. clubs, athletics, hobbies, and other (non-clinical/ non-research) professional (work) experience. Indicate the dates of the experience, the number of hours per week or total that you have worked or participated in, and the contact person for the experience (e.g. supervised you). Provide a brief (350 characters) description of your involvement and indicate if you solicited a reference letter. For up to four of the experiences that are most meaningful to you, you may provide a short paragraph of up to 1352 characters explaining why it was important to you. View an example of what we are looking for (PDF).
  9. A personal statement of approximately seven double-spaced pages in length (12 pt font, 1” margins, approx 10,000 characters/ 1500 words). This statement allows you to introduce yourself to the committee and show why you are ready to pursue graduate training for your chosen career in the health professions. Use this to reflect on the important experiences of your life to show that you are ready to dedicate your career to serving others as a healthcare professional and have demonstrated the competencies of a successful student (e.g. search for “AAMC Premedical competencies”). You can also use this space to discuss your personal growth including any hurdles/ setbacks you have overcome. We will hold your statement confidential. You do not have to tell your whole life story. Make sure to work with your advisor on this statement and attend the workshops. This essay is a critical part of your review.

 

Seeking a Second or Subsequent Review

If you have been previously reviewed by the committee and want to be reviewed again, in the first week of October in the academic year when you want to be reviewed by the committee, fill out the Health Professions Advisor Request Form. You must do this in any year you plan to apply, even if you have been reviewed previously.  Your updated materials are due on Feb. 15 (for first-time applicants).

Exception: If you currently have applications pending at schools (but are concerned you will not be admitted this cycle), the deadline is extended to May 1 for a new committee review for reapplication. Otherwise, if you reapply we will send the same letter as the previous cycle.

If you currently have applications pending at schools (but are concerned you will not be admitted this cycle), the deadline is extended to May 1 for a new committee review for reapplication. Otherwise, if you reapply we will send the same letter as the previous cycle.

  1. Completed checklist.
  2. Your most recent unofficial Holy Cross transcript if you have completed additional courses since your last review.
  3. Official copies of transcripts for new, completed courses taken away from Holy Cross.  **If your non-HC school cannot email transcripts, please have the paper transcript(s) sent to your address, scan the transcript for us, and then add it to your packet.  Save the paper transcript in case it is needed in the future. If you still have courses in progress at an institution, you may submit an unofficial transcript for Feb. 15 and follow up with an official transcript once grades are entered. 
  4. Provide an updated cover sheet (see item 4 above for new applicants). Mark “addendum” and provide the date.
  5. A list of all the courses you have taken since your last review, plus the teachers and grades in these courses, organized by term. Indicate which professors you asked for recommendation letters and the institutions where you took the courses. Also on this sheet report all entrance exam scores you have taken (as in item 5 above).
  6. If needed, also supply a sheet that explains how you took a medical school requirement in a non-standard way, for example, meeting the English requirement in a non-English department course, or biochemistry by working in a lab. Use this form (DOC).
  7. Optional short academic notation sheet as (in item 7 above) for new courses/issues.
  8. An addendum to the list of activities (as described in item 8 above). List any new activities (and report activities you have continued) in the format described in 8 above.
  9. An update and reflection on what you have done since your last review. This should be short, typically two to three pages. Use your statement to reflect on the important experiences since you were last reviewed and how these experiences have helped you learn and grow, helped you become a better care provider, and impacted your decision to apply to a health professions school or have helped you grow. (Do not edit your original committee personal statement.) Use the same format as your original statement, showing rather than telling and reflecting on experiences.

In addition, you are required to solicit at least one new letter of recommendation (sent to the Health Professions Advising Office) that speaks to your experiences since your last review. This letter may be an updated letter from someone who reviewed you in the past. . If for some reason you cannot obtain a new letter, please speak to Prof. Cahill.  You should solicit such letters of recommendation using the same instructions as your original letters. Update your letters spreadsheet accordingly.
 

Allied Health Programs and Graduate Schools Only (PA, NP, PT, DPharm, Graduate, Post-Baccalaureate programs, etc.)

These programs generally do not accept committee letters or our committee ratings. However, the advisor can send a letter if that is helpful. If you have questions about applying to allied health professions, please make an appointment to speak to a HP Advisor here. 

Allied health and post-baccalaureate programs usually have their own letter formats and ratings systems and usually require three letters sent from separate (original) addresses. In addition, application deadlines vary widely, and sometimes fall before the committee has a chance to review files. As a result, it simply doesn’t make sense to have a full committee review for most allied health programs and graduate programs. However, some programs do accept letter packets or advisor letters; in these cases, we are happy to provide them.