How Do I Apply to an Online Health Science Degree Program?

If you are thinking about applying to an online health science degree program, you may be curious as to how to go about properly filling out and submitting your application. Online programs usually have the same requirements as a traditional program. Some schools have systems that let you create your own personal account which you can use to log in and out of as you work on your application. Applying may take a few hours, but you will need to do your research before filling out any application.

Choose the Best Program

When you apply for a spot in a standard health sciences program, you have the chance to visit that campus, take a tour, sit in on classes and even spend the night to get an idea of what the college has to offer. You do not get those same opportunities with an online school. To make sure that you avoid diploma mills and scam colleges, you should look at factors like the cost of tuition, how you earn credits and the way it advertises or markets itself to prospective students. According to the Federal Trade Commission, diploma mills will often use pushy marketing pitches, award credit for work you did before enrollment in the program and charge a flat rate based on the program you choose instead of the credit hours you take.

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Read the Application Carefully

Once you find a reputable college, you should carefully read through the directions and each section of the application. Most applications will include sections devoted to your educational background, hobbies and interests, test scores and your parents. It may also include an essay portion that asks you to respond to a short question. Some applications ask for a photograph of the applicant.

Gather All Your Information

Make sure that you have everything you need on hand and in front of you before filling out a single section. For the section on your parents, you’ll usually need to know their dates of birth and the highest level of schooling each one completed. If your parents are divorced or separated, you may need to list a separate phone number and home address for each parent. You also need to know your current grade point average and class ranking, the name and address of your high school and the score you earned on either the SAT or ACT.

Check and Edit Your Work

As you work on your application to a health science program, you may feel tempted to send in the application as soon as you finish. If the site has a log in system, save your work and come back to it the following day or a few days later. This gives you the chance to go over the application and look for any mistakes you made, including spelling and grammar mistakes or errors with a name or address. You can even ask a friend or counselor to read over your essay for any mistakes.

Earning a degree in health science can help you land work as a community health specialist or a medical billing expert, but it can also prepare you for earning an advanced degree and working in more complex fields. Before you apply to an online health science degree program, make sure that you follow the directions carefully and go over your work for possible mistakes.