Mercer University's Health Vocations Advisement Committee (HVAC) prepares evaluation letters for Mercer students and alumni who are applying to medical, dental, optometry, and/or veterinary schools.

Deadlines for Requesting a Letter from the HVAC
The HVAC schedules meetings and writes letters mainly on a first-come, first-served basis, so students who want their letters to be mailed earlier in the semester should try to complete their materials for the HVAC before the posted deadline. Late applicants will not be guaranteed an HVAC letter.

Regular Applicants: The deadline to submit a request for an HVAC student evaluation letter is typically in early September of a student's final year as an undergraduate (about 11 months before the student plans to enroll at a professional school).  The deadline to submit a request for an HVAC letter in the fall semester of 2008 is Friday, September 5, 2008.

Early Decision Program Applicants: The deadline to submit a request for an HVAC student evaluation letter is typically in mid-January of a student's second-to-last year as an undergraduate (one-and-a-half years before the student plans to enroll at a professional school). The deadline to submit a request for an HVAC letter in the spring semester of 2009 is Friday, January 30, 2009. (The dealine for submission of a request for an HVAC letter in the spring semester of 2008 was February 1, 2008.)

** NEW IN 2008** 
MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOW REQUIRING THAT LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY RATHER THAN IN HARD-COPY FORM. STUDENTS WILL NEED TO CONVERT THE "AUTHORIZATION AND WAIVER FORM" (#1 ON THE LISTS BELOW) TO PDF FORM FOR INCLUSION IN THE HVAC SUBMISSIONS TO THOSE SCHOOLS.

Directions for Students Requesting an HVAC Letter for the First Time

The directions below are for students who are requesting a student evaluation letter from the Health Vocations Advisement Committee for the first time. Follow the directions carefully to ensure that you have completed all the necessary steps to apply for a letter from the HVAC.  A checklist for students can be found at Checklist Student 08-09.

• Read this form carefully and provide the information it requests.
• Indicate, by checking the appropriate box, whether you do or do not waive your right to access the HVAC evaluation letter.
• Sign the form. 
• If the school to which you are applying requires electronic submission of letters of recommendation, you will need to convert this signed form to a pdf file and send the file to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.

2. Complete the "Student Contact Information" form (HVAC Contact Information.doc).

• If your contact information changes at any point in the semester during which you are applying to professional schools, you should notify the HVAC in writing as soon as possible.
• When you have completed the form, save it as a Word document using the following format: yournameCONTACT.doc. E-mail this file to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros. Be sure to include your name and "Contact Info" in the title of your e-mail.

3. Complete the "Student Self-Evaluation" (HVAC Self-Evaluation.doc).

• Save the self-evaluation document on your computer.
• Answer all of the questions. Type your answer to each question in the document itself, directly below the question.
• Include the essay you have or will use on your professional school application (either the AMCAS or another application, depending on which schools you are applying to). The essay should be a brief (four-to-five-paragraph) personal statement that explains your motivation for wanting to become a certain type of medical professional (physician, dentist, etc.). Your essay should be well-organized and should include a brief introductory paragraph and a brief concluding paragraph. The body of your essay should be two or three paragraphs in length and should describe, in detail, specific experiences that contributed to your desire to become a medical professional. Choose as your theme ONE aspect of your identity and/or personality that seems to be particularly appropriate to your career choice. Type your first draft of this essay and paste it into the appropriate place on the self-evaluation form, or copy and paste the essay you have already written for your application(s).
  Note: Students should be aware that this essay serves as an example of their writing skill for the HVAC to evaluate.  Students should also note that this essay or essays like it will be required for professional school applications, so it can be used as the basis for future application essays.
• When you have completed the form, save it as a Word document using the following format: yournameSelfEvaluation.doc. E-mail this file to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros. Be sure to include your name and "Self Evaluation" in the title of your e-mail.

4. Prepare a resume-style list of your work experiences, extracurricular activities, achievements, honors, etc.

• Focus on your accomplishments since graduating from high school.
• Be as specific and concise as possible when describing the responsibilities and experiences you had with each job and activity listed.
• List the amount of time devoted to each job or activity. You may list total hours spent on the job or activity (for example: 60 hours total), or you may give the duration of time you were involved in a given activity (for example: May of 2005 until August of 2005) and the number of hours per week or month that you devoted to the activity during that time (for example: 4 hours per week).
• Present the information on your resume professionally. Check for errors, and use a format that makes the information easily accessible to a reader.
• If you have questions about creating a resume, contact Mercer's Career Services Office for help.
• When you have completed the Resume, save it as a Word document using the following format: yournameRESUME.doc. E-mail this file to the pre-professional advisor, pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros. Be sure to include your name and "Resume" in the title of your e-mail.

5. Obtain copies of all of your transcripts.

• Unofficial copies of your transcripts, such as those obtained through Mercer's BearPort, are acceptable.
• Even if some or all of your credits from other schools are on your Mercer transcript, you still need to submit transcripts from each school you've attended.

6. Type a list of all the professional schools to which you intend to apply.

• Include a complete and accurate address for each school (PLEASE SPECIFY THE APPLICATION PERIODS FOR EACH SCHOOL). Be sure the addresses are those to which your evaluation letters should be sent, not just the general addresses of the various universities (i.e., include the specific office and/or contact person to whom your evaluation letter should be delivered).
• Indicate which schools require an electronic submission rather than a hard copy submission.
• Include all the schools to which you intend to apply. The HVAC will send out only one mailing per applicant per year. (An exception to this rule is granted for students who participate in the Early Decision Program (EDP). Those EDP applicants who need additional evaluation letters sent when applying to other schools in the fall should follow the guidelines listed below in the section titled "Directions for Students Who Have Previously Requested an HVAC Letter.")
• When you have completed the list, save it as a Word document using the following format: yournameLIST.doc. E-mail this file to the pre-professional advisor, pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros. Be sure to include your name and "School List" in the title of your e-mail.

7. Stamp and address an official "Mercer University HVAC" envelope for each of the schools to which you intend to apply.

• These envelopes may be obtained from the pre-professional advisor (Dr. Bokros) in Penfield Hall.
• Your evaluation letters will be mailed in these envelopes, so be sure that the addresses are correct and that hand-written addresses are legible.
• One first-class stamp is sufficient for each envelope.
• Include envelopes for all the schools to which you intend to apply. The HVAC will send out one mailing per applicant per year. (An exception to this rule is granted for students who participate in the Early Decision Program (EDP). Those EDP applicants who need additional evaluation letters sent when applying to other schools in the fall should follow the guidelines listed below in the section titled "Directions for Students Who Have Previously Requested an HVAC Letter.")

8. Include any additional items that the HVAC may need/use when preparing your evaluation letter.

• Some schools have forms/coversheets that are supposed to be included with student evaluation letters when the letters are mailed. It is your responsibility to know about any such forms and to provide the HVAC with the forms in a timely fashion. If you need to complete a portion of one of these forms, please do so before submitting the form to the HVAC.
• If you have taken the MCAT (or another standardized test, depending on what type of school you are applying to) and received a score report, you should submit the score report to the pre-professional advisor. Include your official AMCAS number.
• ADVOCATES:  Each student should choose advocates who can speak to the student's abilities in one or more of the following areas: scholastic ability, written communication, oral communication, motivation and maturity, interpersonal relations, and/or relevant medical experience. Include a typed list of the contact information for your two advocates. Include the full name and title (along with affiliation) of each advocate, along with their phone numbers, mailing addresses, and email addresses.
• If there are other documents, such as a letter of recommendation from an advocate who cannot attend an HVAC meeting, that you wish to submit to the HVAC in support of your application for an HVAC student evaluation letter, you are welcome to do so.  Please send such letters of support to pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.

9. Once you have completed/obtained the items listed above:

• Submit paper copies of all items (the "Authorization and Waiver" form, the "Student Contact Information" form, the "Self-Evaluation," the resume, the unofficial transcripts, the list of schools, the envelopes, and any additional items) to the Office of Academic and Advising Services on the upper level of Penfield Hall.  Be sure to submit electronic copies of any items indicated above, in the forms requested above to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.
• Schedule a meeting with Dr. Steve Brown (brown_sr@mercer.edu) in Career Services to discuss strategies for doing well in interviews with admission officials from professional schools. This meeting is also an opportunity to discuss other matters that may be relevant to the success of your professional school application.

Once you have submitted all the required materials to Mercer's pre-professional advisor, your HVAC application folder will be sent to Dr. Ed O'Brien, HVAC chairperson. The HVAC chairperson will then inform you, via e-mail, when the meeting to draft your evaluation letter has been scheduled. 

Students who have requested that the HVAC write an evaluation letter in a previous semester, either for an Early Decision Program application or for regular applications, may request that the HVAC mail copies of their letters again in a subsequent semester. These students should follow the steps listed below when requesting that the HVAC mail their evaluation letters. Please note, the HVAC will not meet again on students who have previously requested a letter.

1. Complete the "Authorization and Waiver for the Preparation and Release of a Student Evaluation Letter" again (HVAC Authorization and Waiver.doc).

• Read this form carefully and provide the information it requests.
• Indicate, by checking the appropriate box, whether you do or do not waive your right to access the HVAC evaluation letter.
• Sign the form.
• If the school to which you are applying requires electronic submission of letters of recommendation, you will need to convert this signed form to a pdf file and send the file to  the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.

2. Complete the "Student Contact Information" form, using your most current address(es) and phone number(s) (HVAC Contact Information.doc).

3. Type a list of all the professional schools to which you intend to apply.

• Include a complete and accurate address for each school with application deadlines.
• Be sure the addresses are those to which your evaluation letters should be sent, not just the general addresses of the various universities (i.e., include the specific office and/or contact person to whom your evaluation letter should be delivered).
• Include all the schools to which you intend to apply. The HVAC will send out only one mailing per applicant per year.
• When you have completed the list, save it as a Word document using the following format: yournameLIST.doc. E-mail this file to the pre-professional advisor, pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros. Be sure to include your name and "School List" in the title of your e-mail.

4. Stamp and address an official "Mercer University HVAC" envelope for each of the schools to which you intend to apply. These envelopes may be obtained from the pre-professional advisor in Penfield Hall.

• Your evaluation letters will be mailed in these envelopes, so be sure that the addresses are correct and that hand-written addresses are legible.
• One first-class stamp is sufficient for each envelope.
• Include envelopes for all the schools to which you intend to apply. The HVAC will send out one mailing per applicant per semester.

5. Include any additional items that the HVAC may need/use when preparing your evaluation letter .

• Briefly explain your request.
• Include detailed information about any academic, work, or extracurricular activities you have participated in since your first request for an HVAC evaluation letter (i.e. additional medical experience, extra courses etc.) that strengthen your application to medical school.

7. Once you have completed/obtained the items listed above:

• Submit paper copies of all items indicated (the "Authorization and Waiver" form, the "Student Contact Information" form, the list of schools, the envelopes, and any additional items) to the Office of Academic and Advising Services on the upper level of Penfield Hall.  Be sure to submit electronic copies of any items indicated above, in the forms requested above to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.
• Schedule a meeting with Dr. Steve Brown (brown_sr@mercer.edu) in Career Services to discuss strategies for doing well in interviews with admission officials from professional schools. This meeting is also an opportunity to discuss other matters that may be relevant to the success of your professional school application.

Once you have completed the items listed above, submit them to the secretary in the Office of Academic and Advising Services or to the pre-professional advisor, Dr. Carol Bokros.  This office is located on the upper level of Penfield Hall.

Applicants' Responsibilities

As an applicant for an HVAC evaluation letter, you are responsible for the following:

• Familiarizing yourself with the guidelines listed above.
• Completing and/or obtaining all of the required materials and submitting them to Mercer's pre-professional advisor by the posted deadline.
• Inviting two advocates to join the Health Vocations Advisement Committee at the meeting to draft your evaluation. These advocates should be prepared to share anecdotal information about you for inclusion in the evaluation letter.
• Remaining cognizant of the application instructions and deadlines at the schools to which you are applying. If a school provides a coversheet to attach to the HVAC student evaluation letter, then you should pass this coversheet on to the pre-professional advisor or the HVAC chairperson promptly.
• Remaining cognizant of your application status at each school to which you are applying. If you haven't received confirmation that your application is complete by a school's application deadline, you should contact the school; sometimes transcripts or recommendation letters are lost or mislabeled, and it is your responsibility to see that these are re-sent if necessary.

If you have any questions about these instructions or about applying to a professional health vocation school, please refer to the "Health Vocations Advising Frequently Asked Questions" (hvafaq08.doc).