Calvin pre-health graduates are in demand. The statistics don’t lie. In 2025, Calvin grads registered an impressive 88% acceptance rate into med school and 62% into PA school, both significantly higher than the national averages of 41% and 31% respectively. Grads heading to PT school saw similar success with an 87.5% acceptance rate, while 100% of applicants to dental, optometry, occupational therapy, and pharmacy schools were accepted.��
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“This is a phenomenal cohort of students,” said Tammy LaRue, director of pre-health advising at ������Ƶ. “These numbers are nearly unheard of.”��
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While this cohort’s acceptance rates are higher than most years, LaRue says Calvin consistently trends much higher than the national average across these categories.

Standing out with soft skills

And it’s clear to her why that’s the case. While she says grads score well on the MCAT and have the necessary clinical and research experience to compete in the application process, what puts them over the top are the soft skills.��
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“We strongly encourage students through advising, through their capstone courses, through all avenues to think deeply about what they are doing and how to articulate that well,” said LaRue. “These critical thinking and communication skills set them apart when they are side-by-side with students from other institutions who have met the checklist of admissions requirements as well.”

Proven value of the liberal arts

Students who are heading off to grad schools this fall credit their cross-disciplinary education as one of the keys to their preparation.��
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“Calvin’s liberal arts education has equipped me to engage in thoughtful conversations on a range of topics beyond medicine,” said Claire Cassiday, a senior studying biochemistry who is attending GVSU’s PA program this coming fall. “This academic challenge has given me the confidence I need as I enter into PA school and learn about other complex subjects.” ��
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“My experience at Calvin not only prepared me to collaborate effectively with others within my own area of study, but it also equipped me with the skills to engage in meaningful collaboration with individuals from diverse academic backgrounds—which is an increasingly vital competency for working in any healthcare setting,” said Erin Cawley, a senior on the pre-physical therapy track studying psychology, who is heading to the University of Colorado this fall.

Personalized education leads to stronger network

Grads also clearly point to the individualized attention and mentorship they received as being crucial to both their character formation and to their acceptance into grad school.��

“The small class sizes and approachable professors made it easy to ask questions, seek help, and build relationships. That kind of environment gave me confidence to be curious and ask questions when I was confused on a topic, a mindset I’ll carry into PA school,” said Cassiday. “Through one-on-one conversations, I received advice and mentorship that went beyond academics. Those personal connections also led to strong letters of recommendation from professors who truly knew me and my goals, something that I believe helped me get into PA school.”��
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“Calvin having small class sizes has enabled me to have close relationships with my professors and I still stay in touch with professors from my first year at Calvin,” said Daniel John, who’s graduating this May with degrees in biology, chemistry, and mechanical engineering and attending the University of Michigan Medical School in 2025. “As I applied to medical school, Dr. LaRue and Professor Sinniah were especially helpful in crafting my application and gave valuable feedback as I wrote my essays.”��
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“I was able to receive personal research mentorship from three different professors across three different departments and fields of study,” said Cawley. “Each of my professors I worked under invested in me—they got to know my life story, the unique experiences and perspectives that have come to shape my vocational pursuits. They intimately knew my story and actively shaped it as well.”

This fall, 56 students will be heading off to graduate schools in the health professions, from Boston University to Creighton, Case Western to University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison to Northwestern, to dozens of others.