A. Follow the application instructions exactly

As the instructions state that you may not see or submit your own transcripts and letters of recommendation, do not submit your own transcripts or letters of recommendation! Similarly, you may not submit letters of recommendation that you have seen and read. This may seem redundant. However, every year numerous well-qualified applicants are denied entry simply because they do not follow such simple instructions. They disqualify themselves at the very first stage of the admissions process.

B. Type your application

The admissions committees must read and consider many hundreds of applications every year. To submit an application which is difficult to read looks unprofessional and gives the impression that the applicant is sloppy and not as motivated to obtain admission as those who took the time to type theirs. In addition, every instance of an acceptance letter being lost in the mail has been a result of the applicant having provided an illegible (or incorrect) handwritten address on their application.

C. Choose people who know you well to write your letters of recommendation

At least one of your three letters should be from an academic. Your academic referee(s) should comment on:

• Your intellectual qualities
• Your performance in class and examinations
• Whether s/he believes your academic performance reflects your true ability
• Why (or why not) s/he believes you will be able to manage the rigors of a medical curriculum

Your other referee(s) should try to include the following information in their letters:

• Your first and last names
• How they know you
• How long they have known you
• Details about your communication skills (oral and written, if applicable)
• Your interests and future plans
• Briefly, why they believe you would be a good candidate for a career in medicine

We recommend that you give your referees plenty of advance notice before the application deadline. Then, contact them periodically to ensure that they have submitted their letters to us.

D. Submit a typed, on-topic essay

Essays which are either (i) off-topic or (ii) which have been written previously but altered later so that they "fit" the required topic will receive little or no credit from the admissions committees. Watch your spelling and your grammar!

E. Keep it simple

Submitting multiple pages of ancillary information will not help your cause. In fact, it could possibly have the opposite effect on the admissions committees who have to read them all. If you will be submitting (i) a resume and/or (ii) details on research projects and/ or (iii) details on publications in which you are/have been involved, keep each document to a maximum of one page in length.

F. Don't leave everything until the last minute

Submit your documents on time so that they are not marked "Late". By submitting documents late you are giving the applicants who submitted theirs on time a competitive advantage over you. Late letters of recommendation are by far the most common reason for the consideration of an application to be delayed. Therefore, once again, you should give your referees plenty of advance notice before the application deadline and contact them periodically to ensure that they have submitted their letters to us.