Eligibility:
- What are the minimum admissions requirements?
- Who is eligible to apply?
- Can I apply to the postbac program if I have already taken the science courses required for medical school?
- Can I apply to the postbac program if I have taken the MCAT?
- How competitive is admission to the program?
- Can I be accepted directly from my undergraduate college?
- What types of volunteer experience should I have before applying to the postbac program?
Application:
- Do I need to submit any essays?
- What are the requirements for recommendation letters?
- What are the requirements for official transcripts?
- Study at an institution outside of the United States: When is a credentialing service required?
- How long does the admissions process take?
Eligibility:
What are the minimum admissions requirements?
We require a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution, an excellent undergraduate academic record, and SAT/ACT scores if you have taken either of these standardized tests. If you have taken the GRE or another graduate-level standardized test, you are welcome to send us those scores in addition to but not as a substitution for your SAT/ACT scores.
Who is eligible to apply?
The program is designed primarily for those who are changing careers, many of whom are new to science. You can be considered for the program if you have or will have completed a bachelor’s degree by the time you start the postbac program and you have had a strong academic record in college.
Can I apply to the postbac program if I have already taken the science courses required for medical school?
The postbac program is designed for individuals who have not taken the prerequisite science courses for admission to medical school. The core science requirements for medical school are one year of General Chemistry, one year of Biology, one year of Physics, and one year of Organic Chemistry (all with labs). Although Bryn Mawr may consider a student who has completed up to half of these requirements, you are not eligible for the program if you have completed all or a majority of these courses. Applicants seeking to enhance their academic record are similarly not eligible for our program.
Can I apply to the postbac program if I have taken the MCAT?
Individuals who have taken the MCAT are not eligible for Bryn Mawr's program, regardless of when they have taken the MCAT.
How competitive is admission to the program?
Admission to the Bryn Mawr postbac program is very competitive. Your application must demonstrate your ability to handle an academically rigorous course load in the sciences as well as a strong commitment to, and understanding of, medicine.
Can I be accepted directly from my undergraduate college?
We recommend that seniors wait until at least the mid-point of their senior year to apply. At this point, they will have more graded coursework, as well as additional health-related experience, completed. The majority of our applicants have completed their undergraduate studies and have had additional time beyond college to explore their commitment to medicine through health-related experiences.
Some seniors decide to apply in the fall of their senior year. In this case, if the admissions committee feels that an additional semester of grades and experience will be helpful to review, a senior's application may be placed on hold until grades are available. In some cases, the admissions committee may determine that there is sufficient data to be able to move an application forward, either with an interview, or with a denial.
If you are concerned that having your registrar's office send an official transcript once fall grades are posted would delay your application, you are welcome to apply with an official transcript for your freshman through junior years, and a screen shot of your unofficial senior fall term grades, with an official transcript to follow.
Seniors often worry that this timeline for applying will put them at a disadvantage given that our admissions process is rolling. However, we have found that seniors who wait until the mid-point of their senior year to apply are often stronger candidates, since they are able to include additional information in their application.
What types of volunteer experience should I have before applying to the postbac program?
Although there is no single "right" answer to this question, you should demonstrate that you have carefully thought about your motivation for a career change as well as your commitment to a medical career. Meaningful experiences in healthcare or social services settings, either professionally or through volunteer roles, can help you demonstrate this commitment.
Application:
Do I need to submit any essays?
Our application requires two essays (maximum 5,300 characters, incl. spaces)—one about your reasons for pursuing a career in healthcare and another describing any aspect about yourself that would provide further insight about you.
What are the requirements for recommendation letters?
You must arrange to have two (2) letters of recommendation completed on your behalf, one of which must be written by a former professor/instructor/advisor who is familiar with your academic abilities.
We understand that it may be challenging to obtain an academic recommendation if you have been out of school for a few years. We suggest you try as best you can, given that when you go on to apply to medical school, you will want to provide letters of recommendation from each academic setting since starting college.
We strongly prefer 2 Letters of Recommendation. We can accept a maximum of 3 Letters of Recommendation total.
Please refer to the PostBacCAS Applicant Help Center for instructions regarding how to request letters of recommendation.
What are the requirements for transcripts?
Your transcripts must be submitted through PostBacCAS. Do not send transcripts directly to Bryn Mawr College. Please refer to the PostBacCAS Applicant Help Center for instructions regarding ordering your transcripts.
Study at institutions outside of the United States: When is a credentialing service required?
a. Degree from or extensive coursework at a non-U.S. institution:
Bryn Mawr requires that applicants use World Education Services (WES) to have their transcript(s) processed and submitted to PostBacCAS. Within the “Academic History” section of your PostBacCAS application, please select “Order WES Evaluation” for all non-U.S. / foreign institutions you attended.
b. Study Abroad semester(s):
U.S. institution overseas: In the case of 1-2 semesters, or a summer, of study overseas at a U.S. institution, or if your study abroad credits and grades appear on your home institution transcript, mark these courses as "Study Abroad" during Transcript Review in PostBacCAS, and arrange to have transcripts sent directly to PostBacCAS.
Non-U.S. institution: In the case of 1-2 semesters, or a summer, of study overseas at a non-U.S. institution please report that you attended a foreign institution in the "Academic History" section of your application. Do not list courses taken. Coursework at a non-U.S. institution cannot be recorded in PostBacCAS. We do not require a transcript nor a foreign transcript evaluation service. In our program application we provide applicants an opportunity to include information about the grades they received during their study abroad experience.
How long does the admissions process take?
It can take up to three weeks from the time we receive and process your completed application materials until the time we contact you to inform you if you will be invited for an interview. Following an interview, it can take four to six weeks before we notify you of the decision by the admissions committee.
We recommend you check your PostBacCAS account to track your application status. Once your application is marked "complete," we are able to begin the review process.
