The 2026 - 2027 Pre-Health Committee Application is OPEN! Applications are due by January 26, 2026. It is highly recommended you compile all your materials and writing components prior to starting the application.
What is the Pre-Health Committee?
The Pre-Health Committee is a group of faculty and staff who advise, prepare, and provide feedback to RPI students and alumni who are interested in applying to various medical school programs. The Committee also submits a Pre-Health Committee Letter on behalf of applicants to the following medical school applications:
- Allopathic Medical Schools (AMCAS)
- Osteopathic Medical Schools (AACOMAS)
- Dental Schools (ADEA)
- Optometry Schools (OptomCAS)
- Veterinary Schools (VMCAS)
- Physician Assistant Schools (CASPA)
What is a Pre-Health Committee Letter?
A Pre-Health Committee Letter is an extensive recommendation letter that contextualizes an applicant's academic, clinical, and extracurricular experiences within the RPI community as well as among current and previous medical program applicants, serving as an official representation from RPI on an applicant's readiness to join the medical profession. The Pre-Health Committee Letter is also a multi-page cover letter for additional recommendation letters from other sources (i.e., professors, physicians, principal investigators, etc.), which are submitted to the Pre-Health Committee to be included as additional pages in the Pre-Health Committee Letter PDF. Medical programs far prefer Pre-Health Committee Letters to individual letters of recommendation.
What are the requirements to participate in the Pre-Health Committee process and receive a letter?
- RPI junior, senior, or alumni
- 3.3 GPA or higher throughout the Pre-Health Committee Process (Note: those whose GPA is less than 3.5 are highly encouraged to pursue a postbaccalaureate program prior to applying to a medical program)
- A variety of community service, clinical, and extracurricular activities
- Confirmed standardized exam registration (e.g. MCAT)
- 5 evaluators who will submit recommendation letters directly to the Pre-Health Committee by March 9, 2026:
- 2 Science/Engineering Professors
- 1 Non-Science Professor
- 2 Physicians
- 60-minute interview with the Pre-Health Committee. Interviews will take place March 16 - April 2, 2026.
- Meet all deadlines and ensure evaluators submit their letters promptly
What are the Pre-Health Committee Application requirements?
- Completed Pre-Health Committee Application
- Current resume
- Official or unofficial transcripts from other institutions
- Personal Statement (follow the guidelines from the Personal Statement Webinar)
- 10-15 activity descriptions (follow the guidelines from the Work & Activities Writing Webinar)
Members of the Pre-Health Advising Committee
The Pre-Health Advising Committee consists of staff and faculty members from across campus, including:
- Lee Ligon (Associate Dean of Science for Academic Affairs)
- Hope Shuttleworth (Pre-Health Advisor)
- Monica Agarwal (Professor, Biomedical Engineering)
- Tankut Atuk (Assistant Professor, Science and Technology Studies)
- Brian Jensen (Lecturer, Biological Sciences)
- Kristen Kettering (Career Counselor, Center for Career and Professional Development)
- Michael Klein (Lecturer, Biological Sciences)
- Alex Ma (Sr. Lecturer, Chemistry and Chemical Biology)
- Alicia Walf (Sr. Lecturer, Cognitive Science)
