2027 entry to professional school

• Carefully review the full applying section of this website.

• Look into fee assistance programs.

• Make a pre-health advising appointment.

• Prepare for entrance exams:

  1. Medical school applicants should register for the MCAT, review our website and view the recorded presentation on preparing for the MCAT. 

  2. Those taking other entrance exams may register now or at later dates. 

  3. Study for your exam. Critically monitor yourself and adjust your study habits as needed. Only take the test when you are fully prepared and able to do well.

The pre-application is an internal document used by the Office of Health Professions Advising to help you prepare for your professional school application, and to help us evaluate your qualifications and advise and support you through your process. It includes the following components:

• The pre-application form

• Reflection questions

• Your resume or CV

• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities where you have taken courses

• Optional: a draft personal statement

• View the mini videos about the application process (scroll down for these, below)

• Log into the pre-application to ensure you can access it and to review the details

This event is designed as the live complement to the videos on application topics. Upcoming applicants should plan to review the application videos (scroll down for mini videos) before this Q&A session in order to attend with well-informed questions. We will share informational updates as needed, but this time will largely be devoted to conversation. 

• Intended and prospective applicants in the 2027 cycle are expected to attend

• All seniors are encouraged to attend

• Everyone is invited to attend

• Virtual only; Zoom link

Roughly 1-3 weeks after you submit your pre-application, the Office of Health Professions Advising will contact you to set up a 1-hour advising meeting. Please do not self schedule this meeting until you are invited to do so. Pre-applications may be submitted anytime between November 1, 2025 and January 7, 2026. Those taking an entrance exam in January are strongly encouraged to complete the pre-application in November or December, as we do not shift the pre-application deadline to accommodate entrance exam dates.

Application services and instructions

• AMCAS (MD schools), instructions; 2025 Official Guide to Medical School Admissions

• AACOMAS (DO schools), instructions

• TMDSAS (Texas-only MD, DO, dental, podiatry, and vet schools), instructions

• AADSAS (dental schools), instructions

Application services open in May. Schools use rolling admissions.

Committee letters

The Mount Holyoke Committee on the Health Professions will provide a committee letter for all students and graduates who request one and who meet the committee’s requirements and deadlines. 

Full details about committee letter eligibility and process

Email Jackie to request an extension on committee letter deadlines

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Detailed timeline

January-March 2026

• Use this link to create an Interfolio account that is affiliated with Mount Holyoke.

• As needed, prepare for the MCAT/DAT.

• If you know your entrance exam score, you can begin selecting schools.

• Draft and/or revise your application essay. -- 2027 cycle resources will be shared during/after the essay workshop on 2/1/26. Those looking for resources earlier may wish to review the information from the workshop offered in 2025.

• Begin drafting other text for your primary application.

DEADLINE: By April 1...

• Request three to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated, and signed.

• Ensure all letter writers receive the Committee's "Guidelines for letter writers"

• Enter letter requests in Interfolio

• Confirm that your Interfolio account is affiliated with Mount Holyoke College

• More information on letters and Interfolio

April-May 2026

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to your application service(s) (exact timing will vary).

• As needed, prepare for the MCAT/DAT.

• Continue work on application essay and developing school list.

• AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS and TMDSAS application services open in May; you may send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

DEADLINE: By May 15...

• Ensure that all of your individual letters of recommendation are in Interfolio

• Alert the pre-health office (jcollett@mtholyoke.edu) each time a letter is submitted so we can confirm that it is properly formatted.

• Complete the committee letter request form and email it to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

June 2026

• As needed, continue work on primary application. You may send a draft to the pre-health office for review before submitting.

• As needed, prepare for the MCAT/DAT.

DEADLINE: By June 13...

• Last day for medical school applicants to take the MCAT and remain eligible for a committee letter in the 2027 cycle

• Last day for dental school applicants to take the DAT and remain eligible for a committee letter in the 2027 cycle

July 2026

• As needed, continue work on primary application. You may send a draft to the pre-health office for review before submitting.

• When available, work on secondary applications and send final draft to the pre-health office for review; submit within 1-2 weeks of receiving them from schools.

DEADLINE: By July 1...

• If an extension is needed, an extension request must be submitted no later than this date. The Committee on the Health Professions knows that life happens. Sometimes unavoidable circumstances make applicants unable to meet deadlines. If you find yourself in this situation, reach out to Jackie at jcollett@mtholyoke.edu as soon as possible; you may wish to petition for an extension to the Committee's deadlines for taking your entrance exam and/or submitting your primary application. Jackie will send you an extension request form which is due no later than July 1. Extensions are granted rarely, and only for unavoidable circumstances.

DEADLINE: By July 15...

• Submit at least one primary application to at least one school in order to remain eligible for a committee letter

• Email a PDF of the submitted application to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

August 2026

• Work on secondary applications and send a draft to the pre-health office for review; submit within 1-2 weeks of receiving them from schools.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026), read the news to stay abreast of current topics in health and medicine.

Fall 2026-winter 2027

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview. 

• Send letters of interest and updates, if applicable.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• This is a good time to become familiar with your schools’ “traffic rules”:

  • AAMC’s Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants and Application and Acceptance Protocols for Admission Officers

  • AACOM Application Traffic Guidelines

  • ADEA Guidelines for Dental Schools When Extending Offers of Admission

Spring-summer 2026

• Review and follow your schools’ “traffic rules” and individual school expectations.

• Weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application service: NursingCAS and individual nursing programs

Instructions: NursingCAS instructions

NursingCAS opens in August, while applications through individual programs will be available at different times. Final submission deadlines vary by school. Programs may use rolling admissions but often do not.

Nursing programs vary significantly in their application processes, and many do not use the NursingCAS application service. It is important for nursing applicants to look carefully at each individual school to ensure you are aware of all requirements and deadlines. 

Your precise application timeline will depend on your particular needs and desires and on the requirements for each nursing program. Work with the pre-health office to lay out your plan, and keep track of everything on a well-organized spreadsheet.

In general, your preparations will follow roughly this order:

Preparing to submit the primary application

• Select schools to which you will apply.

• Prepare for the GRE, TEAS, or HESI A2, if required.

• Revise your essays.

• Request two to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, signed and dated.  You may choose to share the "Guidelines for letter writers" with your letter writers. Follow the NursingCAS and individual schools’ application instructions for managing letters.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to the application service or individual schools.

• Work on writing the primary application. You may send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

After submitting your primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026).

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview.

• Send letters of interest and updates, if appropriate.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application service: OTCAS

Instructions: OTCAS instructions

OTCAS opens in July. Final submission deadlines vary by school. OT programs may use rolling admissions.

Occupational therapy programs can vary in their application processes. It is important for applicants to look carefully at each individual school to ensure you are aware of all requirements and deadlines. 

The precise application timeline will depend on the needs and desires of each individual applicant and on the requirements for each occupational therapy program. Work with the pre-health office to lay out your plan, and keep track of everything on a well-organized spreadsheet.

In general, your preparations will follow roughly this order:

Preparing to submit the primary application

• Select schools to which you will apply.

• Prepare for the GRE.

• Revise your essays.

• Request two to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated and signed. You may choose to share the "Guidelines for letter writers" with your letter writers. Follow the OTCAS and individual schools’ application instructions for managing letters.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to the application service or individual schools.

• Work on writing the primary application. You may send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

After submitting your primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026).

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview.

• Send letters of interest and updates, if appropriate.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application service: OptomCAS

Instructions: OptomCAS instructions

OptomCAS opens in June. Optometry schools may use rolling admissions.

Committee letters

The Mount Holyoke Committee on the Health Professions will provide a committee letter for all students and graduates who request one and who meet the committee’s requirements and deadlines. 

Full details about committee letter eligibility and process

Email Jackie to request an extension on committee letter deadlines

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Preparing to submit the primary application

The precise timeline will vary depending on the needs and desires of the individual applicant, but there are some deadlines for committee letter eligibility that apply to all optometry applicants.

• Prepare for the OAT.

• Select schools to which you will apply (this list may be revised at any time up until schools’ final application deadlines).

• Draft and revise your application essay. -- 2027 cycle resources will be shared during/after the essay workshop on 2/1/26. Those looking for resources earlier may wish to review the information from the workshop offered in 2025.

• Begin drafting other text for your primary application.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to your application service (exact timing will vary).

• Work on writing the primary application. You may send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

No later than September 15, 2026: 

• Request three to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated, and signed.

• Ensure all letter writers receive the Committee's "Guidelines for letter writers"

• Use this link to create an Interfolio account that is affiliated with Mount Holyoke, then enter letter requests in Interfolio.

• Alert the pre-health office (jcollett@mtholyoke.edu) each time a letter is submitted so we can confirm that it is properly formatted.

• More information on letters and Interfolio

No later than November 1, 2026: 

• Ensure that all of your individual letters of recommendation are in Interfolio

No later than November 15, 2026:

• If an extension is needed, an extension request must be submitted no later than this date. The Committee on the Health Professions knows that life happens. Sometimes unavoidable circumstances make applicants unable to meet deadlines. If you find yourself in this situation, reach out to Jackie at jcollett@mtholyoke.edu as soon as possible; you may wish to petition for an extension to the Committee's deadlines for taking your entrance exam and/or submitting your primary application. Jackie will send you an extension request form which is due no later than November 15. Extensions are granted rarely, and only for unavoidable circumstances.

No later than December 1, 2026: 

• Last day to take the OAT

• Deadline to complete the committee letter request form and email it to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

• Submit the OptomCAS primary application to at least one school, and email a PDF of that submitted application to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

After submitting the primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review; submit within 1-2 weeks of receiving them from schools.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026); read the news to stay abreast of current topics in health and medicine.

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview. 

• Send letters of interest and updates, if applicable.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application service: CASPA

Instructions: CASPA instructions

CASPA opens in April. Final submission deadlines vary by school. PA programs may use rolling admissions.

PA programs vary significantly in their application processes. A program may start in August, January, or May, and program application deadlines are similarly diverse. Some schools use a rolling admission process and others review all applications only after a final deadline. 

The precise application timeline will depend on the needs and desires of each individual applicant and on the requirements for each PA program. Work with the pre-health office to lay out your plan, and keep track of everything on a well-organized spreadsheet.

In general, your preparations will follow roughly this order:

Preparing to submit the primary application

• Prepare for the GRE or PA-CAT (a newer entrance exam required or recommended by a small number of Physician Assistant programs).

• Select schools to which you will apply.

• Revise your application essay.

• Request three to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated and signed. You may choose to share the "Guidelines for letter writers" with your letter writers. Follow the application instructions for managing letters.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to the application service.

• Work on writing the primary application. Send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

After submitting the primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send final draft to the pre-health office for review.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026).

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview with your pre-health advisor.

• Send letters of interest and updates, if appropriate.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application services and instructions: 

• AACPMAS, instructions

• TMDSAS (Texas-only MD, DO, dental, podiatry, and vet schools), instructions

AACPMAS opens in August, and the deadline for priority consideration by podiatry schools is March 1, 2027. TMDSAS opens in May and has a late March, 2027 submission deadline. Podiatry schools use rolling admissions.

Committee letters

The Mount Holyoke Committee on the Health Professions will provide a committee letter for all students and graduates who request one and who meet the committee’s requirements and deadlines. Eligible podiatry school applicants will request their committee letter no later than March 15, 2027. 

Full details about committee letter eligibility and process

Email Jackie to request an extension on committee letter deadlines

Preparing to submit the primary application

The precise timeline will vary depending on the needs and desires of the individual applicant, but there are some deadlines for committee letter eligibility that apply to all podiatry applicants.

• Prepare for the MCAT.

• Select schools to which you will apply (this list may be revised at any time up until schools’ final application deadlines). As there are only 11 podiatry schools in the country, many applicants apply to all.

• Draft and revise your application essay. -- 2027 cycle resources will be shared during/after the essay workshop on 2/1/26. Those looking for resources earlier may wish to review the information from the workshop offered in 2025.

• Begin drafting other text for your primary application.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to your application service (exact timing will vary).

• Work on writing the primary application. You may send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

No later than January 1, 2027: 

• Request three to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated, and signed.

• Ensure all letter writers receive the Committee's "Guidelines for letter writers"

• Use this link to create an Interfolio account that is affiliated with Mount Holyoke, then enter letter requests in Interfolio.

• Alert the pre-health office (jcollett@mtholyoke.edu) each time a letter is submitted so we can confirm that it is properly formatted.

• More information on letters and Interfolio

No later than January 31, 2027:

• Last day to take the MCAT

No later than February 15, 2027: 

• Ensure that all of your individual letters of recommendation are in Interfolio

No later than March 1, 2027:

• If an extension is needed, an extension request must be submitted no later than this date. The Committee on the Health Professions knows that life happens. Sometimes unavoidable circumstances make applicants unable to meet deadlines. If you find yourself in this situation, reach out to Jackie at jcollett@mtholyoke.edu as soon as possible; you may wish to petition for an extension to the Committee's deadlines for taking your entrance exam and/or submitting your primary application. Jackie will send you an extension request form which is due no later than March 1, 2027. Extensions are granted rarely, and only for unavoidable circumstances.

No later than March 15, 2027:

• Deadline to complete the committee letter request form and email it to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

• Submit the AACPMAS primary application to at least one school, and email a PDF of that submitted application to jcollett@mtholyoke.edu.

After submitting the primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review; submit within 1-2 weeks of receiving them from schools.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026); read the news to stay abreast of current topics in health and medicine.

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview. 

• Send letters of interest and updates, if applicable.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application service: SOPHAS 

Instructions: SOPHAS instructions

SOPHAS opens in August. Final submission deadlines vary by school. Programs may use rolling admissions.

Public health programs vary significantly in their application processes, and some do not use the SOPHAS application service. It is important for public health applicants to look carefully at each individual school to ensure you are aware of all requirements and deadlines. 

The precise application timeline will depend on the needs and desires of each individual applicant and on the requirements for each public health program. Work with the pre-health office to lay out your plan, and keep track of everything on a well-organized spreadsheet.

In general, your preparations will follow roughly this order:

Preparing to submit the primary application

• Select schools to which you will apply.

• Prepare for the GRE.

• Revise your essays.

• Request two to five letters of recommendation that are on letterhead, dated and signed. You may choose to share the "Guidelines for letter writers" with your letter writers. Follow the SOPHAS and individual schools’ application instructions for managing letters.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to the application service or individual schools.

• Work on writing the primary application. Send a complete draft of your primary application to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

After submitting the primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026).

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview with your pre-health advisor.

• Send letters of interest and updates, if appropriate.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

Application services and instructions: 

• VMCAS, instructions

• TMDSAS (Texas-only MD, DO, dental, podiatry, and vet schools), instructions

VMCAS opens in January and has a September submission deadine; TMDSAS opens in May and has an October submission deadline. A rolling admission process is not used.

Although veterinary medical colleges do not use a rolling admission process, we strongly advise that you plan to submit your VMCAS application in August and TMDSAS application no later than September, to avoid technical glitches or last minute rushing that could compromise the quality of your written application. 

The precise timeline will vary depending on the needs and desires of individual applicants. Your preparations will follow roughly this order:

Preparing to submit the primary application

• Prepare for the GRE if you will apply to Tuskegee University (the only vet school that requires the GRE).

• Select schools to which you will apply.

• Revise your application essays.

• Request three to six letters of recommendation. You may choose to share the "Guidelines for letter writers" with your letter writers. Follow the application instructions for managing letters.

• Request official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions and have them sent to the application service(s).

• Work on writing the primary application. Send a complete draft to the pre-health office for review before you submit.

After submitting the primary application

• Work on secondary applications as needed and send draft to the pre-health office for review.

• Prepare for interviews: Attend or listen to recorded webinar (will be updated in August 2026).

• When you receive your first interview invitation, email jcollett@mtholyoke.edu to schedule a mock interview with your pre-health advisor.

• Send letters of interest and updates, if appropriate.

• Research and apply for funding.

• Follow up with schools that have accepted you.

• If you are admitted to more than one school, weigh your options carefully and select the school that is the best fit.

• Enroll in professional school!

If you are applying to schools in a profession other than one listed here, please contact the Office of Health Professions Advising to discuss your application preparations and timeline. Deadlines, requirements, and the process overall will vary between professions as well as from school to school.

Generally speaking, applicants will need to prepare the following:

• List of schools

• Letters of recommendation

• Entrance exams

• Application essays (personal statement/statement of purpose/other essays)

• Transcript(s) to be sent to the application service or individual schools

• The written application: if you use a central application service this will often include a primary application and several secondary applications

You will also want to prepare for interviews and look into how to pay for professional school.