Common FAQs
Pre-Professional C.O.R.D.
- What if my GPA is below a 3.0?
- Any pre-professional student, regardless of GPA, is welcome to participate and work towards the Pre-Professional C.O.R.D.
- However, to receive the C.O.R.D. your overall GPA must be ≥ a 3.0 when you submit your application.
- If you have completed all the other requirements and are below a 3.0, continue working on your academics and wait to submit your completed application until your overall GPA is ≥ a 3.0.
- When and how is my GPA calculated?
- GPA is calculated when you submit your completed C.O.R.D. application.
- Your GPA includes all college coursework (OSU, transfer/ concurrent work).
- In Self-Service you may view your unofficial transcript at any time. At the bottom of your transcript, right above "Course(s) in Progress" look for "Transcript Totals." We use your overall GPA (see example).
- How do I connect at least twice with OSU's Pre-Professional office?
There are three options to connect with us:
- Make and attend a pre-scheduled appointment.
- Attend a Pre-Professional Open House (hosted the first week each fall semester).
- Attend a Pre-Professional Cowboy Welcome Info Session (pre-health, pre-law, or pre-vet) hosted each fall the week before school begins.
*you may attend different options or the same opportunity multiple times
- How do I track my progress?
- The C.O.R.D. application is always live in OSU's CampusLink system.
- To start the process for the first time, click here.
- To re-open your current application, click here.
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- Under "Action" click the eyeball to view and continue your application.
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- You may input and track your progress towards any requirement at any time. The form auto saves as you go. Just don't hit the "final submission" until you've completed all requirements and are ready for us to review your application.
- The C.O.R.D. application is always live in OSU's CampusLink system.
- Can an experience count for more than one category?Yes, if the experience/activity meets the requirements of more than one category it may be used multiple times.
- When do I apply?
- You may begin working on the C.O.R.D. program anytime as an undergraduate student.
- Once you meet/complete all the requirements, review and confirm everything is correct and then hit the "final submission" button.
- The Pre-Professional office begins reviewing submissions in November & April each year.
- Once we have confirmed you met all C.O.R.D. requirements, you will receive an email with next steps information about how to collect your cord.
- I'm graduating. What is the deadline to submit my application?
- Applications must be received the last day of classes before Dead Week.
- This allows us time to review your application and coordinate pick up of your cord prior to graduation.
- I may leave OSU before graduation. Can I still participate in C.O.R.D.?
Yes
- Not every pre-professional student will graduate from OSU.
- Some students attend OSU only for pre-requisites, while others may be accepted into an early start program.
- Some professional programs require bachelor's degrees before beginning a program, but not all do.
For example:
- nursing and dental hygiene programs are both offered as associates and bachelor's level programs
- some pharmacy, chiropractic, and optometry programs do not require a bachelor's degree
- students in early entry programs (law's 3+3 or OSU-COM's 3+1 programs) leave OSU after their junior year and transfer credits back to OSU to graduate
What is Field Related Community Service & Advocacy
Active unpaid volunteer experiences within your community or active participation with local, state, national, or international legal organizations. You may, but do not have to, complete 100 hours with the same entity.
- Community Engagement
Active volunteer engagement based on self-reflection to broaden your:
- Understanding of needs and challenges within communities you wish to serve as a future healthcare provider, legal professional or veterinarian.
- Exposure to lived experiences different from your own upbringing.
- Knowledge of resources or where there are gaps in services.
- Insight into underlying issues with current structures and systems relevant to areas you're considering as part of your healthcare, legal, or veterinary practices.
- Profession-Related Community Access, Equity, & Promotion
Active volunteer focused on the enhancement of access to healthcare services, such as:
- Improve access: lessen community barriers.
- Improve equity: community education (resources, rights, access, etc.).
- Improve promotion: promote publicly available veterinary-related, legal-related, or health-related services (Oklahoma/local region/underserved/rural areas highly recommended).
- Profession-Related Community Advocacy
Active volunteer within a health, law or veterinary related industry, association, organization, agency (non-profit/public/private) to support community-based policy reform, advocacy campaigns, community organizing or needs/cause(s) at a local/state/national/international level.