Timeline

Timeline to Apply

This is a general application timeline for students studying at a four-year undergraduate institution. This timeline should be used as a guideline and not as a concrete checklist. Make sure to talk with your advisor about your timeline, as he or she can help you develop one more specific to you.

Freshman Year

Meet with a pre-health advisor.
Enroll in either biology or chemistry courses, as recommended by your advisor.
Join a pre-health professions club at your school. This is a great opportunity to meet other like-minded students, network, become involved in community service and form study groups for your science courses. Meeting upper-class pre-health students gives you the opportunity to learn about the application process.
Learn more about careers in the chiropractic profession. Speak with your own chiropractor and learn more about the advantages and challenges of the profession. Based on what you learn, why does a career in chiropractics appeal to you?
Learn about personal finance. Does your university offer a course? Consider how your student budget, spending habits and use of credit cards impact your student loan debt. You may also want to look into scholarship and fellowship options. How can you balance a demanding academic schedule, work, and a comfortable, yet frugal, student lifestyle?

Freshman Year—Summer

Work or volunteer in a health care environment. Your goal is to gain exposure to the health care environment in general and to learn more about the work of chiropractic professionals. Talk to practicing chiropractors, learn about the delivery of chiropractic care, and find out about the issues impacting the profession.

Sophmore Year

Start thinking about selecting a major. Remember, you do not have to be a science major, but you do need to complete specific science courses.
Work with your advisor to identify special opportunities for the upcoming summer. Many universities offer summer workshops to enhance study skills, and to expose undergraduates to the profession. Check application deadlines.
Become actively involved in your pre-health professions club. Sign up for committee work, help organize events and participate in activities.

Sophmore Year—Summer

Participate in a summer program, enroll in summer school, or work/volunteer in the chiropractic office.
Get a job! Keep that student loan debt as low as possible during your undergraduate years.
Start putting together a financial plan for applying to chiropractic school. Take into consideration fees for the GRE (if required), requesting and submitting official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, plus the cost of participating in on-site interviews.

Juinor Year

Review the chiropractic school applications and create a timeline for the submission of your application materials. Look over the application and begin formulating your application information.
Identify individuals who are willing to write letters of evaluation on your behalf and communicate submission deadlines to them. Be able to document your chiropractic office observation experiences.
Start making decisions about the schools you want to attend: location, size of school, composition of the student body, curriculum and the program’s emphasis. View websites and talk with classmates and upper-class students who are now enrolled in chiropractic school.
Participate in visitations from chiropractic school admissions officers, visit the schools and talk to chiropractic students and admissions/minority affairs officers.
Continue to actively participate in pre-health professionals club activities.
If required, register for the GRE. The GRE is a computerized examination and can be taken at a date and time of your choosing.

Junior Year—Summer

Submit your chiropractic applications. The application cycle is on a rolling basis.
If possible, work, volunteer, or participate in a summer pre-health program.

Seinor Year

Complete advanced science courses. Although most schools only require a year of biology, many chiropractic schools will tell you that additional courses, particularly in the sciences but including humanities and social science courses, prepare you better for the fast-paced chiropractic school curriculum.
Finish up all course requirements for your degree.
Prepare to go on interviews. Participate in mock interviews offered by the career center.
Obtain a good interviewing outfit. Professional business attire is the norm.
Depending on the date of an offer of admission, you will have specific response time. Most (but not all) schools require a deposit to reserve a space in the class at the time you accept the offer of admission.
Initiate the financial aid application process to the chiropractic school you choose to attend. Don't procrastinate! Many financial aid awards are based on the date of application. Work with the school’s financial aid office to stay on top of the application process.
Prepare for graduation!

Seinor Year—Summer

Prepare for your enrollment at the chiropractic school you select. This could mean participating in a pre-freshman experience, working and earning a few more dollars before starting school or traveling and relaxing. Have fun!
Brush up on your reading. Once you are in the program the amount of reading that you will do will be different from what you have as an undergraduate student. Try reading more books, magazines, newspapers, etc., anything where you can work on reading speed and comprehension will help you prepare for chiropractic school.
Keep working on your hand skills. Continue to play your instrument, participate in your sporting activity, knit, etc. All those things that you were doing to demonstrate your hand skills, don’t stop doing them once you have been accepted.
Develop and maintain good healthy eating habits, work out on a regular basis, learn how to relax and find things that are fun to do.