Checklist of Core Application Components

You’ll need to provide transcripts from every post-secondary institution you have attended. This includes community colleges, summer courses, study-abroad programs, and graduate degrees, if any. Plan to order these early, as schools often take time to process requests. Tip: Check if your application service (e.g., AMCAS, AACOMAS, OMSAS, LSAC, TMDSAS etc.) requires transcripts to be sent directly to them or if you must send them to each school – typically, centralized applications handle verification with official transcripts. Verify that all grades and coursework are up to date; discrepancies or missing transcripts can delay processing of your application.

Ensure you have completed (or are on track to complete) all required prerequisite courses for your programs. Different schools have different prerequisites – for example, most med schools require specific biology, chemistry, and physics courses, while some vet schools might require animal nutrition, and law schools usually have no strict course requirements. Create a list of each target school’s prerequisites and check them off against your transcript. If you’re missing any, consider enrolling in the needed courses or find out if they allow alternatives or completion by a certain date. Don’t let a missing course derail your eligibility!

All professional programs require an admissions test. Medical schools require the MCAT; law schools require the LSAT; dental schools require the DAT; pharmacy often requires the PCAT (though some have made it optional); veterinary and many PA/Nursing programs might accept the GRE or have their own specific exams. Know the exam(s) you need and the latest possible test date for your application cycle. (For example, taking the MCAT by May of your application year is advisable so your score is ready in June, and many Canadian med schools won’t accept MCATs taken after a certain date in the summer of your app year.) Once you have your scores, ensure they are released to the correct application service. If you’re not happy with your score, decide early if you will retake – and keep in mind application timelines; sometimes it’s better to apply early with a decent score than late with a slightly better score. Also, some tests like the CASPer (see below) or AAMC PREview are required by certain schools – treat those as equally important to schedule and prepare for.

Strong letters of reference (LORs) are vital. Most medical and dental schools ask for 3 letters (often two academic and one clinical/supervisory, or a committee letter if your college offers one). Law schools might accept 2-3 letters, typically from professors or work supervisors. Veterinary and other programs may have specific requirements (e.g., one from a vet for vet school, or a certain number of academic vs. character references). Check each school’s requirements for number and type of letters. Pro Tip: choose references who know you well and can speak to different strengths – for instance, one science professor who can attest to your academic skills, one mentor or employer who can vouch for your work ethic and character, etc. Provide them with plenty of notice and any necessary forms or guidelines. You may also have to send them a reminder to ensure that they submit the letter on time. For U.S. schools, not having a letter of recommendation submitted should not affect your submission verification so you should still submit if your application is complete and you are just waiting on your LOR. However, the medical schools will not review the application until it is complete, meaning all LOR submitted. Many schools now use electronic submission systems for LORs (like AMCAS Letter Service or Interfolio), but some Canadian schools still have references upload letters or fill forms directly through their portal. Monitor that all your letters have been submitted well before the deadlines. A missing letter can hold up an application from being reviewed by the medical school, so this is one checklist item you want to complete early. You may also need to check the application with the medical school to ensure they received all the items of the applications.

Virtually all professional school applications require a personal statement or essay. This is your primary written narrative – for example, a general “Why do you want to be a physician/dentist/lawyer/etc. and what makes you a great candidate?” essay. For med schools, the AMCAS personal statement is ~5300 characters (about 1.5 pages) to tell your story. Law school personal statements vary in length (often 2 pages). Regardless of program, the personal statement is a critical part of your application that can differentiate you from other applicants with similar stats. You should write, revise, and polish it extensively. (See the Personal Statement Tips section of this toolkit for detailed advice on crafting a powerful essay.) Make sure this statement is entirely your own work – authenticity is key, and plagiarism is a big no-no. Tailor the tone for the field: e.g., medical and dental statements should convey a passion for patient care and science, law statements might emphasize analytical and communication skills, etc., but all should ultimately reveal who you are and why you’re pursuing this path. Your personal statement should also include memorable experiences as these are read by applications committees and you want to stand out. 

Most applications will have you list your extracurricular activities, work experiences, research, volunteer service, awards, and other accomplishments. For AAMC’s AMCAS, this is the Work & Activities section (up to 15 entries, with the option to mark 3 as “most meaningful” with additional essays). The AACOMAS (US DO schools) allows for unlimited experiences (usually with 600 characters each), however, there is not an option to write extra, in-depth descriptions for “most meaningful” experiences. Other application systems have similar sections or may ask for a CV/resume. Prepare a master list of all your activities with dates, hours, and a brief description of your role and impact. Be honest and specific – don’t inflate hours or use jargon. If the application allows, write reflective descriptions focusing on what you learned or achieved (not just duties). For those applying to medical school, if you can provide a conclusion on each activity pointing out skills that would help you in medical school or as a doctor, this is important. For example, if you worked as a CAN and teamwork was essential in your ability to care for patients, this is something you should stress that you learned from this experience. Consistency is key: the information on these lists should match any descriptions in your personal statement or letters. This component showcases your life outside the classroom, so put in the effort to make it clear and comprehensive. It helps to have someone (like a mentor or advisor) review it for clarity and to catch any omissions. Keep your resume updated as you go – you might also need it for interview prep or to give to a recommender. You should add experiences that you have served in for a long period of time or that demonstrate key skills for the application, ie. leadership, teamwork, ect. It is ok to not use all the allotted experiences as long as the experiences that you do include demonstrate your skills and passion. If you only did an activity once, you may want to leave this off your application in favor of an activity that you did for a few years or that you served in a leadership position. 

Many programs, especially med schools (MD, DO) and dental schools, require secondary or supplementary applications in addition to the primary app. After your primary application is verified and sent to schools, most U.S. med schools will send you their school-specific secondary questions (often essays about how you fit their mission, a challenge you’ve overcome, diversity, etc.). The timeline for secondaries is usually summer (June-August) right after primary submission. It’s a lot of writing in a short time – so plan accordingly. Most schools have fees to pay with the secondary as well. Canadian med schools generally incorporate their additional essays or short-answer questions into the primary application (for example, UBC’s application has long essay prompts, McMaster has the CASPer instead of essays, etc.), so they don’t typically have separate secondaries sent later. Other programs like law or PA schools might not call them “secondary applications,” but many have supplemental questions or essays as part of the process (e.g., law schools might invite you to write optional essays like diversity statements or “Why School X” – which you should do if offered). Always research each target program’s requirements: know which ones will expect more writing from you, and budget time for it. Use our personal statement tips to guide your writing here too – secondary essays should be consistent with your primary narrative while tailored to each school’s questions. And don’t forget to submit these secondaries promptly; delays can hurt your chances if the school reviews applications on a rolling basis. However, do not sacrifice quality work to submit by the deadlines. 

Many Canadian med schools and some U.S. schools require the CASPer test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) as part of the application. CASPer is an online situational judgment test that evaluates your ethics, empathy, and professionalism via hypothetical scenarios. It’s usually taken around the time you apply (spring or summer of app year) and is sent directly to the schools. About 70% of Canadian med schools and ~30% of U.S. med schools require CASPer, and some dentistry, nursing, or other health programs do as well. If your schools require CASPer (or a similar test like AAMC’s PREview), make sure to register for a test date and prepare for it (yes, you can prep – see our CASPer guide later). The test typically involves answering typed questions under time pressure, and sometimes a brief video response section. While you can’t “study” facts for it, practicing scenarios can improve your performance. This is a component you can’t afford to overlook if it’s required – an absence of a required CASPer score could invalidate your application. (Programs will usually indicate on their admissions website if they require CASPer or other assessments.) If CASPer is optional at the school, it can help your application to submit a score if you scored highly; however, it will not affect your application to not submit if you did not perform as well. 

If you meet a school’s initial criteria (grades, scores, etc.) and impress them with your essays and experiences, you’ll hopefully earn an interview invitation – congratulations! Interviews can take different forms:

• Traditional one-on-one or panel interviews (common in U.S. med, law, and many grad programs) where you speak with one or more interviewers for 20-60 minutes.

• MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews), a series of short stations tackling questions or scenarios, widely used by Canadian med schools and some U.S. schools.

• Group interviews (occasionally used in programs like MBA or some med schools) where you interact with other candidates.

Preparing for interviews is a must – being invited means you’re qualified on paper; now they want to assess your interpersonal skills, motivation, and “fit” for the school. On this checklist, simply note that an interview (if granted) will require scheduling (often you’ll get to pick from available dates) and potentially travel or virtual setup. You’ll need a professional attire ready, and you should research each school extensively before interviewing. We have a whole section on interview readiness later in this toolkit, so we’ll guide you through it. Remember, a successful interview often clinches your acceptance, whereas a poor interview can hurt even a stellar application – so take this component seriously. Ensure that you send thank you emails to all of your interviewers within 48 hours of concluding the interview. If you did not get contact information, you can email the admissions team, and they can forward your thank you.

(This is after you submit, but worth listing to be prepared.) Many schools, especially in the U.S., will ask accepted students to fill out financial aid forms (like FAFSA for U.S. applicants, or provincial loan forms in Canada) and scholarship applications. If you’re an international or out-of-state applicant, you might also have to provide documentation proving residency or financial resources (some U.S. schools require proof you can fund all four years if you’re not a U.S. citizen/permanent resident). While not part of the initial application, being aware of these requirements is important so you’re not taken by surprise later. Make a note to check each accepted school’s process for financial aid and prepare any needed documents (tax returns for aid, etc.). For Canadian schools, if you’re applying as in-province vs out-of-province, ensure you meet the criteria for in-province if you claim it (usually driver’s license, address history, etc., may be required).