Prehealth Advising
Health Professions Portfolio and Comprehensive Interview

The Prehealth Advising Office utilizes a portfolio system for our students considering entering a health profession. This portfolio will serve as a space for students to both track their coursework and activities, and reflect on their personal journey. We encourage students at all stages of their preparation to create and begin contributing to their portfolio. 
 

To request access to the e-portfolio system, current Penn State students and Penn State alumni should complete this form. Please allow 7 business days to be added to the e-portfolio. Current students will have access to the portfolio through their Penn State Office 365 One Note App. Alumni may need to download One Note (a free app) to use the portfolio. One Note can be used on computers, tablets, and phones.

Timeline for Penn State Applicants* to Medical, Dental, Podiatry and Optometry Programs
 

Internal Timeline

• October 5, 2020 – Health Professions Portfolio Opens

• October 20, 2020 – Personal Statement Review Opens

• November 2, 2020 – veCollect Opens

• January 22, 2021 – Priority Portfolio Deadline for Comprehensive Interview Before Application Submission

• April 15, 2021 – Regular Portfolio Deadline for Comprehensive Interview Before June 10

• June 1, 2021 – Final Portfolio Deadline for Comprehensive Interview Before August 15

• August 15, 2021 – Comprehensive Interviews Close

• September 1, 2021 – veCollect Closes for new requests, File migration begins*

• October 1, 2021 – veCollect Closes for 2021-2022 application year*

*all letters from veCollect moved to our internal server.

Timelines for Application Systems

• April 30 – CASPA opens

• May – AADSAS, AMCAS, AACOMAS Open

• June – OPTOMCAS Opens

• July – AACPMAS Opens

Timeline for Penn State Applicants* to Medical, Dental, Podiatry and Optometry Programs

Internal Timeline

• October 5, 2021 – Intent to Apply Form Submission Opens 

• November 1, 2021 – Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) Personal Statement Review Opens

• November 2, 2021 – veCollect Opens - see Applicant Guide for full details

• December 2, 2021 – Portfolio Checklist Submission Opens (alumni should submit via Canvas)*

• January 21, 2022 – Comprehensive Interview Scheduling Opens*

• June 15, 2022 – Portfolio Checklist Submission and Interview Scheduling Closes*

• July 15, 2022 – No Comprehensive Interviews scheduled beyond this date.

• September 1, 2022 – veCollect Closes for new requests, File migration begins**

• October 1, 2022 – veCollect Closes for 2021-2022 application year**

*Rolling Interview Cycle: The requirements for scheduling this interview are located in the Checklist and Guide. 

**all letters from veCollect moved to our internal server.

Timelines for Application Systems

• April 30 – CASPA opens

• May – AADSAS, AMCAS, AACOMAS Open

• June – OPTOMCAS Opens

• July – AACPMAS Opens

Cover Letters and Letter Packets are not required to apply to PA, Pharmacy and Public Health Programs*. Applicants should request letters of recommendation from individual evaluators. We encourage students in these areas to schedule advising appointments to review their application materials with a Prehealth Adviser.

Additionally, we encourage all applicants to join our Applicant Networking Canvas page for more resources and faster responses to questions you may have. This page has resources for applicants to many health professions programs. 

*The Prehealth Advising Office does not currently have the capacity to offer Comprehensive Interviews for these applicants, but is working toward this in the future.

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To obtain a Comprehensive Interview to review your candidacy, you must complete the following THREE steps:

1. Complete the E-portfolio.

Request access to the Health Professions Portfolio.

Current Students: To indicate you have completed the Portfolio, complete the Health Professions Comprehensive Interview Checklist. 

Alumni: Please submit your materials through the "Comprehensive Interview Checklist" quiz in Canvas.

2. Collect at least 3 Letters of Recommendation in veCollect.

Complete FERPA waiver (gives permission to collect, review, and release letters) and pay for veCollect account.

Please be sure to enter your name and the cardholder's name accurately, especially if you are using a credit card that does not match your name. This allows us to match your name to your payment and prevents delays.  Note: only VISA or Mastercard are accepted. The $50 processing fee is NON-REFUNDABLE.

Follow instructions in the guide below to set up veCollect account and gain additional insight to set up a well-balanced letter set.

2023 Matriculation Applicant Guide

3. Call the Office to schedule your Comprehensive Interview.

You may call once you have submitted the Health Professions Comprehensive Interview Checklist above and collected 3 letters of recommendation within veCollect.

Prehealth Office: 814-865-7620 or 814-863-3889

For full details on this process, we highly recommend all candidates read and become familiar with the information in the 2023 Matriculation Applicant Guide.

Reapplicants should complete the "Reapplicants Only" section of the portfolio. The remainder of the portfolio can be completed, but is not required for reapplicants.

For the first portion of the interview, we will discuss your prior application and your portfolio. We will then conduct the remainder of the interview. 

For reapplicants needing to create a new veCollect account:

 Complete FERPA waiver (gives permission to collect, review, and release letters) and pay for veCollect account.

Please be sure to enter your name and the cardholder's name accurately, especially if you are using a credit card that does not match your name. This allows us to match your name to your payment and prevents delays.  Note: only VISA or Mastercard are accepted.

Follow instructions in the guide below to set up veCollect account and gain additional insight to set up a well-balanced letter set.

2023 Matriculation Applicant Guide

Applicants completing the Comprehensive Interview Process will receive a cover letter from our office in their veCollect account the week of their interview. Applicants who choose to forgo or are unable to schedule an interview may email a prehealth adviser to request a cover letter be added to their veCollect account after May 15. 

All applicants choosing to use our letter service will need to establish a veCollect account. See step 2 of "Scheduling Comprehensive Interview" (above) for more information on creating a veCollect account.

After June 1, our office will begin sending letter packets to the application systems identified by the applicant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify letters are received, quivers are locked, and letter transmission is requested. To request letter transmission, applicants will need to email their comprehensive interviewer or their prehealth adviser.  

Please follow the steps below to establish a veCollect account with Prehealth Advising:

1. Complete and sign FERPA statement to allow us and your letter writers to release your information in your letterset. It is highly recommended that students allow us to collect and release your letters AND waive your right to view the letters of recommendation. 

2. Pay a $50 processing fee. Returning applicants will need to pay this fee again, as it is associated with maintaining an active account each year. 

To sign the FERPA statement and pay online with a credit card,  follow this link to our Consent for Release Form and Payment Page. Please be sure to enter your name and the cardholder's name accurately, especially if you are using a credit card that does not match your name. This allows us to match your name to your payment and prevents delays.  Note: only VISA or Mastercard are accepted.

Our office will create and activate your veCollect account once you have completed these steps. Within 1-7 business days, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access your account and change your password. Please do not create a veCollect account by accessing the company's website directly. This will only result in a delay in establishing your account, as we will need to delete that account to establish an account associated with our office.  

Note: The $50 processing fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. Even if you choose not to apply, or you choose to withdraw your application, refunds will not be offered, and cannot be transferred to another year.