Prospective Students
As prospective Mountaineers, we know that you are looking for information to ensure that Appalachian is a great place for your next step in your health professions journey!
- HPA Office services are available to students beginning with Orientation. We will host HPA Information Sessions during Welcome Weekend in August; feel free to view our 2022 Open House presentation.
- Review our Prospective Student flier that shares some general information and student success and our Health Professions Advising website for detailed information.
- We approach our work from an appreciative advising model using holistic competency development as the cornerstone of a student's preparation.
- Students are encouraged to meet with the HPA Office staff each semester. We start with timeline planning, including academic, clinical, and competency development, with new students and work with them to evaluate and tweak their plans as needed. In addition to two full-time professional advisors, we are supported by a wonderful team on HPA Peer Advisors. Learn more about our current team HERE.
- Appalachian does not have pre-health majors. Health Professions programs require specific courses but not specific majors. We encourage students to major in the discipline that most interests them and work with us to plan out your pre-requisite courses timeline. Popular majors for prehealth students include Biology, Chemistry, Exercise Science, Psychology, and Public Health because many of the health professions course prerequisites are included in the major or count as electives. However, we have helped Spanish, English, Business, Dance Studies, History, and Appalachian Studies majors successfully prepare for their health professions programs.
- We are not academic advisors for students. New students are advised in our University College Advising Center and then by faculty or professional advisors in their discipline. We work closely with our other advising partners to ensure students receive accurate and timely information.
- Students (and alumni) who have regularly used HPA services are traditionally very successful in gaining admissions to their health professions program. Our acceptance rates for students who consistently used our services are often at 75% or higher. For 2023, we have students and alumni attending UNC School of Medicine, ECU Brody School of Medicine, ETSU Quillen College of Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, VCOM, ECU School of Dental Medicine, U. of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Wingate PA, Duke PA, UTSW PA , UNC DPT, Wingate DPT, Campbell DPT, WCU DPT, ECU DPT, Cleveland State DPT, ECU OT, MUSC OT, and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.