Health Professions Advisory Committee

Last update: November 16, 2026. HPAC 2027 is LIVE below.

HPAC 2027 is for students and alumni of GW undergraduate schools in the 2027 - 2028 health professional school application cycle (matriculation year 2028).

The purpose of the GW Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) is to support applicants from GW to health professional schools that accept a committee packet as part of their application process (generally medical, dental, veterinary, or podiatry schools). The HPAC process provides applicants with opportunities to assess their application readiness, strengthen their application materials, develop interview skills, and receive meaningful feedback before submitting primary applications. The committee consists of GW faculty and academic advisors.

Applicants who complete the HPAC process and meet or exceed the standards, as determined by the committee and outlined in the rubric, will receive a committee packet, which they can submit as part of their health professional school applications. A committee packet contains a cover sheet with a summary evaluation by the committee along with the letters of recommendation submitted in support of the applicant's candidacy.

Although participation in HPAC is not required, it is strongly recommended. The process can help applicants strengthen their applications and committee packets are valued by many health professional schools as a comprehensive assessment of an applicant's preparedness and qualifications.

If at any point you are unsure how to proceed or you have a question regarding your eligibility or readiness, you can discuss your concerns with a Pre-Health Advisor, please email [email protected] or visit our website to meet with a Pre-Health Advisor.

NEW for HPAC 2027: Applicants are required to attend at least one of the following GW Pre-Health Advising Events prior to submitting their HPAC application.

These sessions support improved application preparation. Please view dates and times and register for the following on our Pre-Health Events page.

1. HPAC Info Session

2. Personal Statement Workshop

3. Interview Skills Workshop

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants for HPAC 2027 must meet the following requirements

Applying to health professional schools in the 2027-2028 application cycle.
Bachelor's degree from GW by May 2028 (CCAS, CSAD, SMPA, ESIA, SEAS, SB, SPH).
Clinical experience (involving patient interaction).
Non-clinical community service / volunteer experience.
Completed pre-health prerequisites with grade of C or higher by end of August 2027.
Completed at least 24 credits of math and science at GW by end of August 2027.
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (including credits earned at all US institutions and grades from all attempts for any repeated courses including those for which academic forgiveness was granted).
Minimum BCPM or Science GPA of 3.0 (including credits earned at all US institutions and grades from all attempts for any repeated courses including those for which academic forgiveness was granted).

Timeline

Remember, it is the applicant's responsibility to complete the HPAC steps and primary application(s) in a timely manner.

November 2026 - January 2027

Attend HPAC Info Session, Personal Statement Workshop, Interview Workshop (at least one is Required).
Begin HPAC Self-Assessment (Required) and HPAC Application (Required).
Set up PrivateFolio account (Required). See link and instructions in the related section below.
Reach out to Letter of Recommendation Writers (Required).
Meet with Pre-Health Advising for a Check-In Appointment (Recommended).

January 31, 2027, 11:59 PM ET

Priority Deadline for HPAC Self-Assessment (Required) and HPAC Application (Required). Students who submit by this time will have priority in choosing HPAC Interview times, as well as opportunities to complete the remaining HPAC steps earlier. This enables the committee to complete and upload committee packets earlier.

February 21, 2027, 11:59 PM ET

Final Deadline for HPAC Self-Assessment (Required) and HPAC Application (Required).
Letters of Recommendation must be submitted by your Letter Writers to PrivateFolio (Required). See link and instructions in the related section below.

February - March 2027

Schedule and attend HPAC Interview (Required).

April - May 2027

Meet with Pre-Health Advising for HPAC Follow Up Appointment (Required)

May - June 2027

Committee packets uploaded to PrivateFolio for applicants who have completed all steps and evaluated by the committee at the "meets expectations" level or higher.
Most centralized application services open for submission.

HPAC Info Session, Personal Statement Workshop, Interview Workshop (at Least One is Required)

New for HPAC 2027: Applicants are required to attend at least one of the following GW Pre-Health Advising Events prior to submitting their HPAC application.

These sessions support improved application preparation. Please view dates and times and register for the following on our Pre-Health Events page.

1. HPAC Info Session

2. Personal Statement Workshop

3. Interview Skills Workshop

HPAC Self-Assessment (Required)

The HPAC Self-Assessment form will help you evaluate your readiness to apply for health professional schools that accept a committee packet and, by extension, the HPAC Process. This form is for GW undergraduate students and alumni of GW's undergraduate schools.

Click here to access the HPAC Self-Assessment.

Requirements
You must be the eligibility requirements as stated on the HPAC website. You must complete and submit this form BEFORE submitting your HPAC Application. This form does not have a separate deadline, however, your HPAC Application will not be evaluated by the committee without this completed form.

Instructions
Please complete this form AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to ensure you have time to work on your HPAC Application and get help from Pre-Health Advising if needed. This form make take 30 to 60 minutes to complete. It helps to have your resume, calendar, or other personal records of your pre-health activities with you when you are completing this form. It also helps to have Degree Map or other records of your grades with you when completing this form. You are able to pause and revisit this form anytime, so long as you submit it before the HPAC Application deadline. Upon submission, a summary of your responses will be shown which you can save for your records.

Referral
This form is not automatically reviewed by a Pre-Health Advisor, but can be reviewed upon request. If at any point you are unsure how to answer a question, or a question brings up an aspect of your application readiness that you would like to discuss with a Pre-Health Advisor, please email [email protected] or visit our website to meet with a Pre-Health Advisor.

Priority Deadline: January 31, 2027, 11:59 PM ET. Students who submit the HPAC Self-Assessment and HPAC Application by this time will have priority in choosing HPAC Interview times, as well as opportunities to complete the remaining HPAC steps earlier. This enables the committee to complete and upload committee packets earlier.

Final Deadline: February 21, 2027, 11:59 PM ET

HPAC Check-In Appointment (Recommended)

After completing the self-assessment, you have the option of reviewing it with a Pre-Health Advisor. Simply submit the form and type "HPAC Check-In" on the Calendly registration page when you make a Pre-Health Appointment. During the appointment, we'll go through your self-assessment to establish your areas of strength and room for improvement. We'll also make sure you meet all eligibility requirements for HPAC.

HPAC Application (Required)

The Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) provides this opportunity to share components of your application with a committee of GW advisors and faculty ahead of your submission to health professional schools. By completing this application you can get an early start on your application materials, receive guidance and feedback, and earn a committee packet to include with your primary application. The HPAC process is intended to mimic the health professional school application process. Therefore, your submission should reflect the high level of professionalism and polish expected by admissions committees. Do your best! We look forward to reviewing your submission!

Click here to access the HPAC Application.

Click on this PDF to download a COPY of the FULL instructions which can also be found within the Application. You can use this document to read through the directions and assist you in preparing your application. The HPAC Application is an online form. Do NOT attempt to submit this pdf.

This application may take up to several weeks to complete! Please begin this form as soon as possible to ensure you have time to get help from Pre-Health Advising if needed. Read the instructions thoroughly!

The application consists of the following sections:

Identifying Information
Academic Information including Unofficial Transcripts and GPAs
List of Letters of Recommendation Writers
Work and Activities
Personal Statement
Three Short Essays (Practice Secondaries)

Final Deadline: February 21, 2027, 11:59 PM ET

Letters of Recommendation (Required)

Letter of Recommendation deadline: February, 21, 2027, 11:59 PM ET.
Letters of Recommendation Requirements
- 3-5 letters
- At least one science faculty member
- At least one major faculty member (cannot be the same letter if majoring in the sciences)
- Submitted by letter writer to applicant's PrivateFolio account (follow directions below to create account).
Guidelines for applicants
- Reach out to your letter writers and supply them with HPAC Guidelines for Recommendation Letter Writers.
- When requesting a letter from a professor, be sure to state in writing that you grant them permission to share your protected academic information (such as grades).
- Do NOT read your letters of recommendation.
- Do NOT write a letter of recommendation for yourself and ask someone else to sign it.
- Check with the schools to which you will be applying for any other letter of recommendation parameters, such as non-science professor or clinician requirements. If you have more that 5 letters, you will be able to add additional letters to your primary application and select which schools you want to send the committee packet and/or individual letters.
The letter writers that you identify on your application will submit their letters of recommendation to PrivateFolio.
Follow instructions to set up your PrivateFolio account:
- Use this GW Pre-Health Advising Private Folio link to sign up for an account if do not already have one. You MUST use this link in order to be properly affiliated with the GW Pre-Health Advising so that we can access your letters.
- You will be asked to choose a 1, 3, or 5-year term. Please view PrivateFolio's website for up to date pricing information. As a GW affiliated account you will also receive a $10 discount. This will also include all deliveries needed for an application cycle, so there will be no additional delivery fees.
- We regret that there is a cost associated with PrivateFolio, however, for the 2027-2028 application cycle it is the lowest cost option available amongst such services.
- Enter your information, choose a password, and press Submit to create your account.
- You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the confirmation link in this email, and then log in to your account using your email address and password.

HPAC Interview (Required)

Eligible students who have completed the HPAC Self-Assessment and HPAC Application, will be invited to HPAC Interviews. Interviews are about 15 minutes. They are structured, one-on-one interviews over Zoom. Interviews are recorded and evaluated by the entire committee. Interviews will take place from February to April and links to sign up for a interview time slot will be sent out to applicants after the Priority Deadline and the Final Deadline.

HPAC Rubric

Click here to view the HPAC 2027 Rubric.

This rubric serves a guide for committee evaluations of HPAC Applications and Interviews.

Follow-up Appointment (Required)

After your interview, you will be invited to schedule and attend a follow-up appoint with GW Pre-Health Advising to discuss the feedback the committee has compiled for you. The feedback will include the written application and your performance during the interview. Follow-Up Appointments will be in April - May.

Confirmation Form (Required)

The committee packet may be provided only after the eligible student completes a HPAC Self Assessment, Application, Interview, Follow-up Appointment and Confirmation Form and is evaluated by the committee at the "meets expectations" level or higher. The Confirmation Form will be sent after the Follow-Up appointment and asks for confirmation that the applicant wants the packet and applicant ID numbers for application services.

HPAC FAQs

Is HPAC required?

Although participation in HPAC is NOT required, it is strongly recommended. The process can help applicants strengthen their applications and committee packets are valued by many health professional schools as a comprehensive assessment of an applicant's preparedness and qualifications.

What if I cannot attend at least one required HPAC Info Session, Personal Statement Workshop, or Interview Workshop?

If you do NOT attend at least one required session, you will NOT be eligible to earn a committee packet.

In recent years, HPAC removed several attendance requirements, including mandatory Information Sessions and Check-Ins. This current requirement has been reinstated for HPAC 2027 to improve consistency across applications. Sufficient sessions will be offered to accommodate all applicants.

If extreme extenuating circumstances prevent you from attending a session, you may request a make-up option by emailing GW Pre-Health Advising. Exception requests will be approved only in rare and extraordinary circumstances and will NOT extend deadlines.

Will my packet by submitted in time for my application to be reviewed by health professional school admissions?

Yes. Committee processes at undergraduate institutions nationwide are commonly completed in August, and most health professional schools that accept committee packets continue accepting them throughout the application cycle.

Applicants may submit their primary application while their committee packet is still pending. Primary applications are then verified by the centralized application service, a process that typically takes 2-8 weeks, depending on the service and time of year. During this period, applicants often work on secondary applications.

Most health professional schools do not review letters of recommendation or committee packets until secondary applications have been submitted. As a result, the HPAC timeline generally aligns well with the timelines used by admissions offices.

Applicants who earn a committee packet will be notified when it becomes available. It is the applicant's responsibility to link the packet to their primary application.

Is there a minimum MCAT / DAT score for HPAC?

No. There is no minimum MCAT or DAT score required for HPAC participation. Eligible applicants must be applying to health professional schools in the upcoming application cycle and must meet the testing requirements of the schools to which they are applying.

You are not required to submit standardized test scores to HPAC. However, it is the applicant's responsibility to complete all required entrance exams in time to meet the application deadlines and admission requirements of their intended health professional schools.

When should I go through HPAC?

Typically, you go through HPAC the fall and spring before you apply to medical or dental school. So if you're applying to medical or dental school in May, you'll start HPAC the previous fall.

Can I go through HPAC even after I graduate?

Yes! Almost half of HPAC participants are alumni.

What if I need to reapply to medical or dental school?

Many applicants who reapply choose to participate in HPAC again. GW HPAC does not limit reapplications.

But if I need to reapply to medical or dental school, can't I just use my HPAC packet from a previous year?

We strongly recommend participating in HPAC again. You may use a packet from a previous year; however, it will not reflect your most recent experiences, accomplishments, or application materials.

Do I have to pay money for HPAC?

GW Pre-Health Advising does not charge any fees for participation in HPAC.

However, HPAC uses PrivateFolio, a dossier service that helps manage and deliver confidential documents, including letters of recommendation. PrivateFolio charges its own fees. Please refer to PrivateFolio's website for current pricing information.

Applicants must use the GW Pre-Health Advising PrivateFolio sign-up link when creating an account so that their account is properly affiliated with GW Pre-Health Advising. GW-affiliated accounts receive a $10 discount and include all deliveries needed for a single application cycle, with no additional delivery fees.