The Application Process

For the majority of Health Professions Programs, the application process will take roughly 1.5 years from time of application to time of matriculation. For example, if you were planning to attend medical school in Fall 2026, you would need to apply in the Spring of 2025. After you submit your application, you may be contacted for interviews any time from August-March of that year. If a student wanted to graduate from Simmons in May and go straight to medical school that upcoming September, they would need to apply in the spring of their junior year.

There is no one path to graduate school in the health professions. Some folks feel that they need to apply to start medical school immediately– but that isn't true! The average age of matriculation to medical school is currently 24 years old, which implies that students took anywhere from 1-3 growth years on average. Over 80% of Simmons students choose to take one or more growth years, and we strongly recommend doing so. Taking a growth year can only strengthen your application, as it allows for more time to gain valuable experiences.

Students applying to Medical and Dental Schools often request a "Committee" or "Composite" Letter/ Letter Packet from their undergraduate institution. Simmons University uses a Letter packet form of submission. This letter compiles the student's letters of recommendation from faculty, employers, mentors, etc. to their professional school of choice. Please follow the following timeline to receive a Composite Letter from Simmons University.

Application cycles begin the summer before the year of matriculation into medical school. It is recommended to have your application, including the composite letter, complete by the end of June. If you are unsure if you will be applying this cycle, but could be potentially, please still submit the form. Changing your mind will have zero negative repercussions.

Notes:

• These are hard deadlines. If students miss deadlines, the Pre-Health Committee reserves the right to refuse a composite letter. 
• This timeline begins in January for students planning to submit applications to medical/dental school in June. 
• The recommended tasks are intended to help you as an applicant be more prepared.

Composite Letter Timeline

January 31

Composite Letter Agreement due by 01/31 at 5 PM.

Fill out the Composite Letter Request 2026 Cycle form

April 15

All letters of recommendation due to the Pre-Health Committee. All letters must be sent directly from the recommender to [email protected] to be considered official. Hard copies may be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Advising in a sealed envelope from the recommender. Electronic letters are strongly preferred. Recommenders and students will receive a confirmation email when a letter of recommendation is received.

Three letters of recommendation must be from instructors, with 2/3 being from science instructors and one being from a non-science instructor. When asking for a letter of recommendation, it is recommended to meet with your instructor first to go over who you are as an applicant and send them the self-assessment in order for them to write a strong letter.

Download the Letter of Recommendation Self-Assessment

July 1st

Pre-Health Committee deadline to submit Composite Letters to AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, etc. Provided that the above deadlines are met, the Pre-Health Committee will commit to submitting letters between June 1st and July 1st. Please let us know early in the process when you plan to submit your application so we can plan ahead. PLEASE NOTE: We cannot submit a letter on your behalf until we receive your Application ID # and/or a request for a committee letter from the application service. Please be sure to send these requests as soon as you are able to access the application system (usually early May).

Recommended Additional Tasks

Application Check-In Appointment

February - April
Meet with your Pre-Health Advisors to go over where you stand as an applicant and your application material. Schedule a normal appointment, but email your advisor your application materials in advance so they have time to look over them. Materials to include: self-assessment, AMCAS GPA calculation, MCAT scores (if available), Personal Statement, Resume or CV. You do not need to have all of these fully completed before meeting, but please have something in the works.

Your advisor may recommend you postpone your application to a later cycle for various reasons; it is ultimately your decision.

• Self-Assessment: This Self-Assessment is meant to be a tool to help you prepare for the application process and assess your own readiness to apply, as well as give readers a better understanding of you as an applicant. The Pre-Health Advisors encourage you to be thoughtful and self-reflective in your responses to best prepare for a strong personal statement, interview, and overall application.
• AMCAS GPA Calculation: You can find multiple AMCAS calculators online; just use the one that makes the most sense to you for calculating your BCMP GPA. If you are unsure which courses should be counted towards your BCPM, look to this helpful AMCAS® Course Classification Guide.

Practice Interviews

The Pre-Health committee offers mock interviews that have similar questions to those you will see in your PreHealth Program Interviews. These can include advisors and faculty to mimic the actual process

Simmons' has created an asynchronous, go-at-your-own-pace MCAT prep course accessible to all current students. This course is designed for those who have completed the majority of the prerequisites needed for the MCAT; if you have more than two prerequisites remaining after the current semester after the current semester you are not eligible.

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