INTENT TO APPLY – Careers in Health

APP INTENT TO APPLY (2027 Matriculation)

This form is to be completed by current Kalamazoo College students and alums who are applying for the 2026-2027 application cycle, participating in the App Prep Program, and seeking to obtain a pre-application interview as part of the process. The deadline to submit this form is 11:59 PM January 4, 2026. Any forms submitted after this deadline will not be accepted. Please complete this form thoughtfully and thoroughly. As you go through the questions, keep in mind that your answers will help you to reflect on various aspects of your application.

Step 1 of 8

Applicant Information

Name(Required)

First Last

Preferred Name

Pronouns

State of Residence(Required)

K ID Number(Required)

K Email Address

Please note that if you have graduated, you should leave this blank.

Enter Email Confirm Email

Permanent Email Address

Please note that if you do not yet have a non-Kalamazoo College email address, you will need to procure one prior to your application to graduate school. Your @kzoo.edu email address will expire shortly after your graduation, and you will need to have a reliable e-mail address to provide on your application(s).

Enter Email Confirm Email

Major(Required)

Minor(s)/Concentration(s)

Graduation Year(Required)

To which professional program(s) will you apply?(Required)

Medicine (MD)

Medicine (DO)

Dentistry

Nursing

Optometry

Occupational Therapy

Pharmacy

Physician Assistant

Physical Therapy

Public Health

Veterinary Medicine

Other

If other, please list the professional program that you will be applying to.

Motivation and Background

In 1-2 paragraphs, describe your purpose and motivation for pursuing your chosen career.(Required)

What's Your Why?(Required)

In 50 words or less provide your elevator pitch/mission about pursing your chosen profession.

Describe 2-3 activities that have given you a realistic understanding of "what you're getting yourself into" by pursuing your chosen career.(Required)

If you have already graduated, briefly describe your activities since graduation.

Are you a reapplicant?(Required)

You applied to a professional health program before.

Yes

If you have applied to a professional health program previously, describe the ways that you have improved your candidacy since your last application.

Academic Preparation

What is your cumulative undergraduate GPA?(Required)

What is your undergraduate science (BCPM) GPA?(Required)

List any additional science courses you plan to take before you apply.

Note that the minimum grade for prerequisites is a C for most schools.

Please select all of the following entrance exams that you have taken.

MCAT

DAT

GRE

Other

MCAT Exam Score

MCAT Total

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

DAT Exam Score

Academic Average

Total Science

GRE Exam Score

Quantitative Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning

Analytical Writing

Please list the name of the entrance exam taken and report your scores (by section and total).

Please indicate your future entrance exam test date or retest date.

Month

Day

Year

Experience Hours

Please indicate the number of hours you have in each of the following areas.

Shadowing Experience(Required)

Shadowing is the observation of a health care clinician while that individual cares for and treats patients.

Patient Interaction Experience(Required)

Direct patient interaction is defined as being in a position to offer comfort and moral support to conscious patients (and, for pre-vet students, human clients) in a health care environment. It may include attending to patients’ health maintenance, progression, or end-of-life needs. Direct patient exposure can be gained in a variety of ways, such as volunteering or working in hospitals, emergency rooms, clinics, nursing care facilities, or hospice. This category does not include indirect patient interaction, such as housekeeping (cleaning operating or patient rooms) or staffing the hospital information desk.

Service History(Required)

Professional schools select applicants with a long history of serving in jobs and volunteer roles that put them in a position to help other people directly. Examples include retail/restaurant jobs; working as a teacher, tutor, or mental health counselor; serving as a coach; etc.

Leadership and Collaboration(Required)

Leadership is a process of social influence that maximizes the efforts of others, toward the achievement of a goal. Leadership capacity can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including formal leadership roles in student groups, at work, in volunteer roles, and on athletic teams. You should be able to articulate your personal style of effective leadership.

Research and Scholarly Inquiry(Required)

Research is defined as involvement in a scholarly or scientific hypothesis investigation that is supervised by an individual with verifiable research credentials. Research may be in any discipline and performed at any site, but it must involve the testing of a hypothesis.

Experience Criteria

You are on track to be a competitive applicant if, by the time you submit your professional school application, you meet the following standards: 1) score “2” or higher in at least three categories, including patient interaction, and 2) score a total of 9 or higher.

Please rate yourself in the following areas.(Required)

To determine the criteria for each category, please click on the category link.

	Above Average = 3	Average = 2	Below Average = 1	Limited or None = 0
Shadowing
Patient Interaction
Service History
Marginalized and/or Vulnerable Populations
Leadership and Collaboration
Research and Scholarly Inquiry

Did you score a "2" or higher in at least three categories, including patient interaction?

Yes

Is your total rating score greater than 9?

Yes

Self Reflection

When considering the strength of your candidacy, the most significant variables include: 1) academic performance (GPA/standardized test (MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc…), supported by letters of recommendation); 2) involvement in health-related experiences; 3) community service; 4) how you will enhance the school community. Underlying all of these are the basic core competencies, where many health professions have adopted the AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical School Students (https://www.aamc.org/services/admissions-lifecycle/competencies-entering-medical-students). In light of these variables, it is important that you honestly and holistically assess your developing profile as a prospective applicant. Please rate yourself and comment on these aspects of your candidacy below after reflecting on your personal responses from the experience section of this form.

Self Reflection(Required)

	Need Considerable Improvement	Sufficient	Above Average	Excellent
National Data Competitiveness of your academic preparation (BCPM and overall GPA, standardized test score, academic trajectory, rigor of curriculum)?
Experience in and knowledge of health care settings and work with patients.
Demonstration of commitment to helping others and serving your community.

Please comment on your rationale behind your rating of competitiveness in your academic preparation.(Required)

Please comment on your rationale behind your rating of experience in and knowledge of health care settings and work with patients.(Required)

Please comment on your rationale behind your rating of commitment to helping others and serving your community.(Required)

Letters of Recommendation(Required)

	Not Confident at All	Somewhat Confident	Extermely Confident
What is your level of confidence in securing 3-5 strong, positive letters of recommendation that speak to your readiness for the professional school curriculum and for your chosen profession?

Please comment on your rationale behind your level of confidence in securing letters of recommendation.(Required)

Using the AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Students link below, identify your three most well-developed competencies and describe how you demonstrate each of them through your academics and activities:(Required)

AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Students

What areas of your candidacy do you hope to continue to improve before/during the application year? What ideas do you have on how to address these areas?(Required)

Letters of Evaluation

Please identify the individuals that you are considering asking to write letters of evaluation/recommendation on your behalf. Most professional programs require at least 3 letters.

Name of Recommender 1(Required)

Why Recommender 1?(Required)