school of health & natural science mercy college graduate csd program application process capcsd...

School of Health & Natural Science

Mercy College Graduate CSD Program Application Process

CAPCSD Conference, Newport Beach 2015

Mercy College School of Health and Natural Sciences

Background

• 4 campuses 15 miles North of Manhattan• Accredited, private, nonsectarian Hispanic serving

Institution• 5 Schools: Business; Education; Health/Natural

Sciences; Liberal Arts; Social/Behavioral Sciences• 40 degree programs• Full-time UGs: 5,289; 27% male, 73 % female• Bachelor's/master's degrees in more than 90

programs

Background


Application Process

• To apply students must complete:– required prerequisite courses – both overall GPA and prerequisite GPA are calculated– GPA less than 3.2 generally do not get a full

committee review• may be individual cases

– student has earned MA/MS in another field– shown a rising/exceptional GPA in last two

years of undergraduate work


Admissions Committee/Rubric

• 5 full-time core faculty; 1 adjunct• Debriefing• Mercy does not require GRE scores• Graduate Admissions Rubric

– yields formula to analyze applicants using same criteria

– allows tracking/analysis of data over time– offers qualitative/quantitative information score– acceptances based on those scores– wait list comprised from these scores


Quantitative GPAs

•

•GPA • <=3.2- 3.21- 3.41- 3.61- 3.81-• 3.4 3.6

3.8 4.0 • • •Overall GPA Rating 1 2 3 4

5• •Pre-Req. GPA Rating 1 2 3 4 5

(counts 2X)


2014 applications

• 530 CSD applications (277 reviewed due to missing coursework, low GPA, weak LORs)

• Offered admission to 90 (17%) of applicants for 47 seats (38 full-time cohort/8 part-time= 42 FTEs)

• Submission due February 15 (fall only)


• Number of applicants accepted limited by clinical externships and training facilities available– qualified applicants may not necessarily

be admitted• Full-time status: 5 semesters to

complete 57 credits• Part-time: Can change to FT; 3 years to

complete program


Qualitative Information

• Adequate written and oral communication skills• Personal statement required in response to an essay

question and may include:– Life experiences affecting career choice, future goals– Committee looks for cohesiveness, creativity, spelling,

grammar or word choice errors– Applicants encouraged to explain unusual challenges

in their academic record– Highlight achievements in clinic, research, global

missions, related work experience or membership in NSSLHA or other student organizations


PERSONAL ESSAY

Below Avg. Avg. Gd. V.Gd. Out.• Grammar 1 2 3

4 5• • Organization 1 2 3

4 5• • Content 1 2 3

4 5• • Creativity 1 2 3

4 5

• Avg.Rating:_________ Comments:


Reapplying 2nd Time

• Advised to address how they have improved application status

• Retaking CSD coursework with below B grades?

• If reapply with no changes may automatically be rejected


Resume

• Résumé one page only• Include:

– community service, NSSLHA involvement

• Life Experience


2 LORs

• #1 from CSD faculty attesting to applicant's capacity to successfully complete graduate study

• #2 from CSD faculty and/or academic clinical supervisor

• Applications are not processed if any requirements are missing


2 LORs

•Recommendation Below Avg Avg. Gd. V.Gd. Out.

•Name:___________________ 1 2 3 4 5

• No Rubric Completed– Estimated Rubric:

•Affiliation: _____________________________________________________

•Faculty / Clinical Supervisor

•Comments: _____________________________________________________

Avg.Rating:_________


Group Interview

• By invitation only• 125 applicants in groups of 8-10• Not challenging interview but just allows

committee to judge: oral communication/interpersonal skills

• Allows prospective students to meet faculty, current students and to ask their burning questions

• Clinic tour


Interview questions

• Group questions

• Individual questions

• Writing sample

• Student questions


Changes in 15 years

• Faculty research interests• Increased interest in personal/on-site

clinic videos• Global interests• More medical training/adult population• NICU• NYC Board of Education Scholarships• GA/RA opportunities


Interview Rubric

BelAvg. Avg.Gd. V.Gd. Out.

• Communication 1 23 4 5 (ability to express

self appropriately)• Speech Model 1 2 3

4 5 (voice, articulation, dialect)

• Pragmatics 1 23 4 5 (relatedness, eye

contact, affect, engaging)• Relevance 1 2

3 4 5 (prepared, answers questions, remains on topic)

• Professionalism 1 23 4 5 (appearance,

knowledge of field)•

Avg.Rating: ____ (*counts 2X)• Comments:• Professional Judgement: _____


Is interview worth it?

Time consuming

Poor time of year

BUT…

Unequivocally yes


Scoring

• Transfer numeric values here: (* Pre-Requisite GPA will be counted twice)

• Overall GPA = _____• *Pre-Requisite GPA = _____ x 2=• Essay = _____• Recs = _____• Sub-Total = _________• (*if applicable, add .5 to “sub-total” for other

graduate degree)• Composite

Score =


Acceptance Rate 2010-14

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Accepted students who did not attend Mercy College 70 81 87 84 106

% of students who rejected Mercy College 33 38 41 39 50

Number of Students who Applied 291 440 515 468 530

50

150

250

350

450

550

7081 87 84

106

33 38 41 3950

291

440

515

468

530

school of health & natural science mercy college graduate csd program application process capcsd...

Documents

mercy college school

natural sciences background

scores slide

prerequisite gpa

programs background

overall gpa

calculated gpa

risingexceptional gpa