Steps for individuals preparing to apply to enter health profession school in the fall of 2024:
1) Watch the 2024 Application Meeting recording.
2) Review all the information below, the Instructions for Completing the Portfolio and FAQs for Current Applicants
3.) Enroll in our Pre-Health 101 Blackboard site and complete the Portfolio Overview module to get access to the Portfolio of Accomplishments and Reflections.
4.) Begin the Portfolio of Accomplishments and Reflections for 2024 Applicants. Even individuals who have previously submitted a Portfolio must submit a 2024 Portfolio by the stated deadline.
If you were a 2023 applicant to health profession school and missed the 2024 Portfolio deadline, please email preprof@bu.edu with your name, BU ID, and confirmation that you were a 2023 applicant to receive access to the 2024 Portfolio of Accomplishments and Reflections.
5). If you have any questions/concerns after you have reviewed these resources, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with a pre-health advisor via Handshake.
Central Application Service Fee Assistance/Waiver Programs
Some applications/central application services offer fee assistance or waivers to financially qualified applicants. The process of applying for fee assistance/waiver programs, as well as the benefits they provide, vary by application/central application service. We encourage you to explore the relevant links below and be aware of the timelines/deadlines to apply.
Optometry and Podiatry schools do not offer fee waivers at this time.
Comprehensive Advising Appointment
Students who complete and submit a Portfolio of Accomplishments (PAR) and Reflections by the January 3, 2023 5:00 pm ET deadline will qualify for an hour-long comprehensive advising appointment (CAA) in February, March, and April. Individuals who wish to qualify for an early CAA in December or January must submit a PAR by December 5, 2022 5:00pm ET (optional early deadline). A limited amount of early comprehensive advising appointments will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The CAA is an opportunity for you and a pre-health advisor to discuss your achievements in and out of the classroom and help you assess your preparedness for the application process.
You will receive an email, sent to the email address provided in your Portfolio, from the Preprofessional Advising Office concerning the status of your PAR. If you qualify for a CAA, the email will include instructions on how to sign up for a CAA with an advisor.
As of Fall 2021 and starting with the 2023 application cycle to health profession school, applicants are limited to a maximum of TWO CAAs (one per application cycle). We encourage you to be thoughtful when deciding which application cycle you will be most competitive for and schedule your initial CAA for that application cycle. If you are unsure whether you will be prepared for the upcoming application cycle to health profession school, we recommend you schedule a “Pre-Application Assessment” with a pre-health advisor through Handshake (available October – December 2022) to review your academics and/or your most updated and comprehensive resume prior to submitting a PAR. At that appointment we will help you consider the best timeline for your application.
Even if you have already completed one or more CAAs, you are still eligible for TWO additional CAAs starting with the 2023 application cycle. However, you may find that you do not need an hour-long appointment to discuss your PAR. Having completed previous CAAs assumes that you have put significant time and effort into updating your PAR so you may choose to schedule regular 20-30 minute advising appointments that focus on updating your personal statements or other significant updates to your activities/experiences since your last appointment. CAAs are not required to be completed in order to qualify for the interview workshop series or a Letter Packet.
Financing Health Profession School
Interview Workshop Series
Applicants who successfully completed the PAR, will have the opportunity to sign up for the interview workshop series co-hosted by the Center for Career Development. Interview workshops for applicants will take place during the summer. These workshops will provide you with an opportunity to learn how to prepare for interviews and practice your communication skills by discussing your accomplishments.
In order to qualify for the interview workshop series, you must complete and submit a Portfolio of Accomplishments and Reflections by the January 3, 2023 5:00 pm ET deadline. You will then receive an email by the end of the spring that will include information about how to sign-up for one of the workshops.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are an important component of the application process. Students who qualify may request that the Preprofessional Advising Office submit a packet of letters of recommendation to certain central application services of health profession schools.
Applicants who complete and submit a Portfolio by the January 3, 2023 5:00 pm ET deadline will qualify for a Letter Packet that may include up to five letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation must be received by the Preprofessional Advising Office no later than June 7, 2023 11:59 pm ET to be included in a Letter Packet.
Letters of recommendation must be written on letterhead stationery, must include a signature, and must be accompanied by the Preprofessional Advising Office’s Recommendation Waiver Form. Recommendation Waiver Forms, available on our website, should be given to each of your recommenders and submitted by them to the Preprofessional Advising Office. We strongly encourage recommenders to submit their letters and the waiver form electronically as PDFs to hlthrecs@bu.edu. Alternatively, physical copies of recommendations may be mailed to the Boston University Preprofessional Advising Office at 100 Bay State Road, Room 428, Boston, MA 02215.
Portfolio of Accomplishments and Reflections
The Portfolio will provide you with an excellent opportunity to thoughtfully reflect upon your accomplishments and to organize much of the material required in primary applications. It will provide pre-health advisors with important information to help you assess your preparedness for the application process and your personal statement.
You must be a BU student or an alumnus who has received a bachelor’s degree from BU and be applying to enter professional school in the fall of 2024 to submit the Portfolio.
By completing and submitting a PAR by January 3, 2023 5:00 pm ET, you will qualify for a Letter Packet, a CAA in February, March, or April, and the interview workshop series.
Individuals who wish to qualify for an early CAA in December or January must submit a PAR by December 5, 2022 5:00pm ET (optional early deadline). A limited amount of early CAAs will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Requesting Transcripts
It is your responsibility to request that all official transcripts from the appropriate institutions be sent directly to central application services. We cannot submit official transcripts on behalf of applicants.
Official Boston University transcripts are ordered online, directly from the Boston University Registrar’s website.
- If you are applying to medical school through AMCAS, Boston University has partnered with AMCAS to accept the electronic delivery of official BU transcripts, which you order directly through your Student Link.
- If you are applying to osteopathic medical schools, allopathic medical schools not using AMCAS (such as TMDSAS), or other health profession schools such as dental, veterinary, physician assistant, nursing, etc., central application services may require you to include a “Transcript Request Form” with your Boston University transcript. This form is usually available directly from your application portal or the national association’s website. For more information, contact the appropriate organization directly. Additional information about this can also be found on the Boston University Registrar’s website.
Standardized Tests
Different health professions and schools require different types of standardized tests. Detailed information about the different types of exams is available on our Standardized Tests page.
Note for alumni who are not yet in our 2024 database: It is imperative that you request that we change your year of application and update your email address. Please email this information to the Preprofessional Advising Office at preprof@bu.edu. By doing so, you will ensure that you receive important email notifications from us.
