Current or prospective UND students are encouraged to meet with the Health Sciences Advisor, Mrs. Kimberly Ruit, as early in your UND undergraduate education as possible.  Mrs. Ruit can help in all aspects of your undergraduate preparation for chiropractic school:  from scheduling to study skills, to interview preparation.  Together, you can plan the undergraduate curriculum that is right for you.

Competitive Applicant Profile
No matter what chiropractic school a student chooses to attend, there are 6 areas that will be scrutinized by any Admissions Committee when reviewing applications.  It is therefore very important that the student is well prepared in order to present his/her best possible application.  The table below summarizes these areas:
 

Academics	Degree needed?  Most schools require 90 semester hours - a few require or prefer a degree. However, because of state licensing concerns, UND strongly recommends all Pre-Chiropractic students finish an undergraduate degree. Major?  Any major, science or non-science, is fine as long as prerequisite coursework is done. These schools want well-rounded and broadly educated applicants. GPA?  National average is 3.00.
Physical  Qualifications	Physical strength and coordination are essential in the performance of chiropractic techniques.
Letters of  Recommendation	2-3 are generally required - preferred authors are professors or chiropractors.
Relevant  Life Experiences	Essential!!!!!  Especially experiences that include contact with patients or clients in a chiropractic office.
State of Residency	North Dakota does not have a school of chiropractic medicine, nor does the state provide funds through WICHE or PSEP to chiropractic students.  Most chiropractic schools do not have a residency requirement.
Legal Record	Keep your legal record and personal image squeaky clean!! 1. Background checks a. More and more health professional schools are now doing background checks on all matriculants and/or applicants. => If you have been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor of a violent or sexual nature, you will be prohibited from professional health care practice in many states, so health professional schools will not accept you. => All other misdemeanors (underage drinking, drug possession, etc.) will also show up on background checks (even if they happened before you were 18). Having just one of these can definitely hurt your chances of acceptance into a health professional school! b. UND's medical school will ask you to list any violations beyond a simple parking ticket on their application! You will have to disclose everything – no matter how old you were!! The legal drinking age in North Dakota is 21. Illegal drugs are just that – illegal at any age. Stay away from alcohol and illegal drugs and any activities or instances where they may be present!! Why risk it? Is it worth ruining your future?   2. MySpace, Facebook, etc. a. As more and more companies and schools use the internet to research potential employees and students, it is essential that you make sure comments posted by you and about you are wholesome, reflect good character, and show maturity. => Limit visitors to your site to friends only. => Regularly check and remove any unwanted postings by others b. Be sure pictures are in good taste and not incriminating. => Regularly check and remove any unwanted postings or tags by others. => At UND, students may be written up by their RA's for university conduct violations with evidence provided by just a picture!

Pre-Chiropractic Handouts

Sample Pre-Chiropractic Schedule
	All chiropractic schools have required coursework that must be completed successfully by prospective students.  Almost all of the U.S. chiropractic schools now require 90 credits (3 years of study) for admission (only National University of Health Sciences, in Illinois, currently requires a degree).  Additionally, several schools require that 30 of those credits be upperdivisional.  Several chiropractic schools also allow students to complete a bachelors degree while finishing their DC degree.  There are currently 12 states that require you to have a bachelors degree, along with the DC degree, before you may practice within their borders.  These states are listed in a table on the Bulletin Board section of this page. UND encourages all Pre-Chiropractic students to finish a degree before entering Chiropractic school. This handout suggests a schedule for completing the most commonly required classes in 4 years, as well as the best time for submitting applications.
Possible Interview Topics and Questions

Bulletin Board

Pre-Chiropractic Links
Check out these links to sites of interest for pre-chiropractic students: