GSA - Handbook for Admissions Officers

The Handbook for Admissions Officers compiles key information, examples of best office practices, and general wisdom based on decades of experience. The members of the 2002-2003 GSA National Committee on Admissions, along with other experienced admissions office personnel, created this document as a resource guide for both the new and the experienced admissions officer.

Table of Contents

(Note: Sections are linked to individual PDFs.)

• Introduction (PDF, 1 page, 28 KB)
  
  
• I. The Role of Admissions Officer (PDF, 42 pages, 230 KB)
  • Understanding the Mission of the Institution
  • The Admissions Office
    1. Staffing
    2. The Electronic Office
       • Transmission of Admissions Decisions
    3. Record Keeping/In-House Processes vs. the Use of External Vendors
    4. Reports
  • Committee on Admissions
    1. Role and Responsibilities of the Committee on Admissions
    2. Composition of the Committee
    3. Methods of Selecting Committee Members
    4. Defining Admissions Criteria
    5. Policy Development
    • Technical Standards for Admission and Graduation
    • Disability Issues
    6. Committee Training and Orientation
  • Admissions Process
    1. Recruitment
       • Feeder Schools
       • College Fairs and Other Programs
       • Open Houses
       • Recruitment Materials
       • Students and Alumni
       • Scholarships
       • Recruitment of Special Populations
    2. Premedical Advisors and Committees
    3. Evaluating Applicants
       1. Determination of Recipients of Secondary Application Materials
       2. Letters of Recommendation
       3. Preliminary Review/Interviewee Selection
       4. The Interview Process
          • i. Interview Report
       5. Committee Decisions
    4. Notification of Decisions
    5. Evaluation of the Admissions Process
    6. Delayed/Deferred Matriculation
    7. Other Admissions Processes
       • Transfer Applicants
       • Combined/Joint-Degree Programs
  • Matriculation Process
    1. First-Year Orientation
       • Orientation Programs
    2. Records Transition
  • Confidentiality/Legal Issues
    1. Federal Civil Rights Statutes
    2. Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
       • Purpose
       • Enforcement
       • Age of Student
       • Disclosure
       • Directory Information
       • Annual Notification of a Student's Rights
       • Definition of Terms
       • Transition from Applicant to Student
       • Other Institutional Responsibilities
    3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
       • Accommodations
       • Pre-Admission Inquiries
       • Definition of Terms
       • Technical Standards for Admissions and Graduation
       • Post-Admission Inquiry
       • Identifying Accommodations
    4. Affirmative Action
  • School Policies
    1. International Students
    2. Legacy Issues
    3. Handling Political Inquiries
    4. Counseling Applicants and Rejected Applicants
    5. Non-Traditional Students
    6. Other Special Interests


• II. Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (PDF, 10 pages, 76 KB)
  • AAMC Divisions
    1. Division of Medical School Affairs
    2. Section for Student Affairs and Programs
    3. Division of Community and Minority Programs
    4. Division of Medical School Services and Studies
    • American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
    • Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
    • Section for Student and Applicant Studies
  • Group on Student Affairs (GSA)
    1. Steering Committee
    2. National Committee on Admissions (GSA-COA)
    3. Minority Affairs Section (MAS)
  • AAMC Meetings
  • AAMC Publications and Databases


• III. Relationships with Internal and External Offices (PDF, 9 pages, 66 KB)
  • President's Office
    1. Legal Counsel
  • Dean's Office
  • Alumni/Development Offices
  • Financial Aid Office
  • Information Systems and Technology
  • Marketing and Public Relations
  • Minority Affairs
  • Registrar/Student Records Officer
  • Student Affairs


• IV. National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) (PDF, 1 page,29 KB)
  
  
• V. Professional organizations and Publications (PDF, 2 pages, 41 KB)
  
  • Organizations
  • Publications


• VI. GSSA Resources (PDF, 1 page, 34 KB)
  
  
• VII. Webliography (PDF, 5 pages, 5 KB)
  
  
• VIII. Appendices (PDF, 13 pages, 75 KB)
  • AAMC Recommendations for Medical School Applicants
  • AAMC Recommendations for Medical School Admission Officers
  • AAMC Guidelines for the Consideration of Applications for Transfer or Advanced Standing
  • AAMC Reference Center/Frequently Used Acronyms