NEW for the 2021-2022 Applicants
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Prehealth
Newsletter
November 30, 2020
Welcome!
Please read below for important updates to our process for 2021-2022 applicants to health professions programs. We also have a couple of resources and sessions this week that may be of interest to you! Scroll down to see what's happening!
New Process for our 2021-2022 Professional School Applicants
A brief list of important items and links are included below. Learn more about our new process here!
To obtain a Comprehensive Interview and Letter Packet, candidates must complete the following four steps:
1. Complete the E-portfolio.
To request access to the Health Professions Portfolio: https://sites.psu.edu/sciadvising/health-professions-portfolio-access/
To submit completed portfolio checklist: https://sites.psu.edu/sciadvising/health-professions-comprehensive-interview-checklist/
Deadlines for completion of portfolio:
January 22, 2021 – Priority Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be given first priority in scheduling a Comprehensive Interview before they submit their application.
April 15, 2021 - Regular Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be scheduled for a Comprehensive Interview before June 10.
June 1, 2021 – Final Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be scheduled for a Comprehensive Interview before before August 15, but not necessarily before they submit their application.
2. Complete FERPA statement. (see step 3 for link to FERPA statement)
3. Pay for veCollect account (see link below). Our office will then create a veCollect account for you.
To complete FERPA statement and pay for veCollect account (use Firefox please, Chrome does NOT work): https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bwk6UhfZl3RCHQh
*veCollect account information will be emailed to students once it is generated by our office.
4. Collect 3 letters addressing your pre-professional competencies within veCollect.
Deadlines for letter collection are below - see note at end*.
January 22, 2021 – Priority Portfolio Deadline
Applicants must have any 3 letters of recommendation. Students are encouraged to have 2 science faculty letters and 1 non-science faculty letters.*
April 15, 2021 - Regular Portfolio Deadline
Applicants must have any 2 letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters should be from a science faculty member.*
June 1, 2021 – Final Portfolio Deadline
Applicants must have at least 2 science faculty, 1 non-science faculty letter.*
*For a final application, candidates must have 2 science faculty letters, 1 non-science faculty letter and up to 3 additional letters. Please see the portfolio for further suggestions.
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AAMC Discount Access Codes for MSAR and MCAT Prep Materials
We are very excited to announce that Prehealth Advising has launched a new page on our website dedicated to AAMC Discount Codes. Students and alumni can now begin purchasing DISCOUNT access codes from us for AAMC MCAT prep products and MSAR access. Hopefully, this helps make things a little more affordable for all Penn State pre-med applicants!
PLEASE ACCESS THE LINK BELOW USING A BROWSER OTHER THAN CHROME (FIREFOX WORKS WELL!)
https://science.psu.edu/interdisciplinary-programs/premedicine/association-for-medical-colleges
Personal Statement Workshop
Weds. Dec 2, 6P - 7:15P
A workshop on Personal Statements
For Health Profession Programs
Learn actively by:
- Reviewing actual personal statements from previous cycles
- Engaging in a short writing exercise that shows you already have good stories to tell
MCAT 2021 Registration OPEN for Jan-March dates
Registration for January and March exam dates opened on Tuesday, November 10. As we have previously shared, the MCAT exam will return to the full-length test in January 2021. To assist students with the registration process, the AAMC has provided two short videos to aid examinees in navigating the registration system. To accommodate the needs of all learners, both videos include closed captioning.
Updated 2021 U.S. Testing Calendar and Score Release Dates
On Nov. 4, the AAMC informed prehealth advisors and preregistered examinees that expedited scoring would be in effect for January 2021 dates, meaning scores from all January exams will be reported in about two weeks instead of four.
This change is meant to help students who still want to take the MCAT exam and submit scores in their 2021 applications. It will also help with admissions timelines for the medical schools that are accepting January 2021 scores.
MCAT plans to return to the typical 30- to 35-day score reporting schedule beginning in March 2021.
ICOM at Penn State
Tomorrow, DEC 1 @ 6PM EST
Join Penn State Prehealth Advising as we host ICOM for a virtual information session. This is a great time for current or future applicants to learn more about ICOM and to ask any questions you may have about their program!
Prehealth Canvas Pages
Prehealth Group Advising Canvas Module
To gain a better understanding of how to prepare for a health professions program, we encourage our students to attend group advising sessions. Typically, these sessions are presented live and in person, but with changes to remote education, we have developed these modules to allow you to get the benefit of the sessions asynchronously.
Each candidate will need to request access to the module.
Canvas Health Professions School Applicants Networking Space
It can be intimidating to apply to a health professions program, but you don’t have to go it alone! Join other Penn State students and alumni to help guide and encourage one another through the process of applying to a health profession program. There will be dedicated space for each health profession – and we can always add more discussion boards if needed!
Each candidate will need to request access to the module
Personal Statement Reviews
We have begun accepting personal statements for review for the 2021-2022 application cycle. You may complete the modules within our Canvas course to gain a better understanding of how to write a personal statement. Personal statements will be reviewed through January 22, 2021.
For instructions on how to write a personal statement, and how to get it reviewed by a prehealth adviser, please go here:
http://sites.psu.edu/sciadvising/prehealth-advising/personalstatement/
Virtual Fairs & Open Houses
-MANY NEW EVENTS!-
Feel like you are missing out by staying at home? Want to learn more about osteopathic medicine, medical school in the Caribbean, or postbacc opportunities? Visit and connect with these and other programs virtually at these live events!
Miss an issue of the newsletter?
Head over to our website for an archive of past issues to see what you missed!
Eberly College of Science
225 Ritenour Building
Penn State University
University Park, PA 16802
The newsletter will be sent out approximately once per week during the school year. During summer, newsletters will be sent once per month or on an as-needed basis. As always, please feel free to send announcements relevant to science/prehealth/premedicine students to prehealthadvising@psu.edu.
