Program Selection

Selecting Your Professional School

Exploring schools and programs is a time-intensive process. It is important that you take your time researching potential schools to attend. Each student has different preferences that will impact how they determine which programs best suit them. 

When exploring schools and programs, some factors to consider include:

Admission
  • What courses are required for admission?
  • Are hands-on, clinical experiences required for admission, and if so, how many hours?
  • What is the previous year's cohort class profile?
    • How many students applied?
    • How many students were interviewed?
    • How many students are accepted annually?
    • What is their average cumulative GPA and average prerequisite GPA?
    • What is their average examination score?
    • What is the percentage breakdown of in-state and out-of-state students? 
Academic
  • How is the curriculum organized?
  • Is the program offered in-person, online, or in a hybrid setting?
  • How long is the program?
  • How many students are enrolled in each cohort?
  • Who are the faculty in the program?
  • Does the program offer any specialized areas of study that interest you?
Experience
  • At what point in the program do you complete clinical rotations?
  • Where are clinical rotations offered?
  • How many hours of clinical experience do you receive?
  • What type of patient populations will you serve?
  • What experiences are you hoping to gain?
Personal
  • Where do you want to live?
  • What is the size of the community where the program is located?
  • What is the cost of living in this area? (Refer to Career Services to compare the cost of living!)
  • How much does the program cost? 

Exploring Programs 

Many educational associations have databases, reports, or program directories with information that can help as you’re learning about programs.