If you have spent time applying or planning to apply to college or graduate school, you have probably come across the phrase “holistic admissions process.”
But what does “holistic admissions” really mean?
Schools that look at applicants holistically look at the whole person, not just their grades and scores.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) describes holistic admissions as a “Mission-aligned admissions or selection processes that take into consideration applicants’ experiences, attributes, and academic metrics as well as the value an applicant would contribute to learning, practice, and teaching. Holistic Review allows admissions committees to consider the “whole” applicant, rather than disproportionately focusing on any one factor.”
Your lived experience is the center of a holistic admissions process. We talk a lot about “match to mission” in these blogs and how it is a key factor you should look to when considering where to apply. Well, it’s also important to schools!
Is “holistic admissions” just a coded way to say “race-based admissions?”
This question has been at the forefront of people’s minds since the recent Supreme Court decision.
The short answer is simply, “no.”
Race and ethnicity certainly inform someone’s life experience, but it is the ability to connect to the experience that provides the “match to the mission” that schools seek.
The Supreme Court ruling was explicit in saying that schools can still “consider an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”
Holistic admissions, which could also be described as “experience-based admissions” or “mission-based admissions,” is well aligned with the ruling.
Why does it matter?
When students have diverse experiences to share with their classmates, their classmates may become more effective, empathetic, and culturally competent medical providers to support the real-life experiences of their patient populations.
Does this mean my grades and scores aren’t important?
You should still pay attention to your grades, standardized test scores, and the number of patient care hours you gain! But we also recognize that sometimes the life experiences that make you a valuable member of the health care profession may have also limited your academic success in some of the objective criteria schools have traditionally used to select students.
Even with holistic admissions, some schools have minimum requirements. And those that don’t have minimums still want to bring in students who can handle the rigorous PA school curriculum. So, grades and scores certainly continue to be part of the admissions process – they're just no longer the only part.
Duke is the top-ranked PA program in the country, but every year, we accept students who thought of us as a “reach” school or who did not get into any other schools. Why? Because of our holistic process. Yet, we still have an average attrition rate of only 1% per year.
Ultimately, those objective data points are just one piece of your experience that informs the admissions decision-making process, but they are still important.
How do I showcase my experiences?
Passions and interests, resilience and adaptability, extra-curriculars, leadership, and dedication to service are all attributes you might bring to the table.
If you are still early in your journey to PA, the first thing you can do is think about your values and passions and use them to inform your choices along the way as much as you can. This is another reason writing your own mission statement can be helpful as you plan your path to PA.
Once you are ready to apply, keep those values and experiences close at hand as you write your essays. When picking references, consider who can best speak to your unique set of talents.
Authenticity is important in your PA school applications.
As more and more schools focus on holistic admissions, they don’t want to hear boilerplate recitations of what you think they want to hear. It's important for schools to understand what makes you... you!
The Duke Physician Assistant Program Admissions Blog presents information based on the experiences of Duke PA Program staff and faculty. While the information provided is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, requirements can change. Please visit the Duke PA Program website for the most up-to-date information.
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