MSU Preselect Option (For MSU students only)

Applications for the Dietetic Internship should be submitted to DICAS (Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System). Follow the directions listed for the online application. The following information will be requested:

• Personal statement in 1,000 words or less. Questions to be addressed in the personal statement include:
  • Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
  • What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you for your career?
  • What are your short-term and long-term goals?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?
  • What other information do you consider important for the selection decision?
• Listing of GPA and DPD courses; DPD course list form needs to be uploaded.
• One letter of recommendation; applicants must include the name and e-mail address for each reference. This will trigger an e-mail message requesting completion of a reference form, which will be completed online.
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to DICAS.
• Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree to be sent to DICAS by your DPD Director; you will need to provide the e-mail address.
• Current resume.
• Listing of paid and volunteer work experience.
• Honors and awards.
• Phone number and address where applicant can be reached.

The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application submitted.

Applicants are expected to have a GPA of at least 3.2 in the DPD coursework at the time of application.

Preselect applicants do not need to register with D&D Digital

Montclair State University Application

An application fee of $65 must be received by the Montclair State University Dietetic Internship.

The check or money order should be payable to the Montclair State University Dietetic Internship, include the name of the applicant on the check, and send to:

Montclair State University
Dietetic Internship
University Hall, Room 4019
Montclair, NJ 07043

DI Faculty and Admissions Committee members will review and score the preselect applications, and decide and notify applicants of acceptance into the interview portion of the selection process. Students not able to meet the preselect requirements during the last year will forfeit their slots in the DI.

The preselect option is not an automatic acceptance. Applicants will be scored on the following criteria:

• DPD GPA
• Letter of recommendation
• Personal statement including professional interest in the field, experiences that have helped to prepare for a career in dietetics, short- and long-term goals, strengths and areas needing improvement, and other information to consider for the selection decision. Consider content/depth, style of writing/grammar/spelling/punctuation and general flow of statement
• Description of work and volunteer experiences
• Listing of honors and awards
• Interview and writing sample: An interview with program faculty and/or Admissions Committee member/s will be required. Applicants will be contacted by phone to arrange a date and time for the interview which can last up to one hour and will be held at MSU or virtually. Applicants will be evaluated during the interview based on the following: professionalism, communication skills, responses to questions, critical thinking, assessment of prior learning (case-based scenario/writing sample), enthusiasm, and skills.

Applicants who are accepted to the program will receive notification of an offer of admission via email.  Applicants accepted will be required to confirm acceptance by 5:00 p.m. on the following business day. Accepted students will be required to maintain a DPD GPA of at least 3.2, will need a DPD Verification Statement, and model the Academy’s Code of Ethics

Students confirming acceptance into the DI will not be eligible to apply to other programs using the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) or national computer matching through D & D Digital. Students must also remove themselves from other application processes for similar programs that do not participate in DICAS or D & D Digital. Applicants who violate these terms of acceptance will automatically revoke their admission to the MSU DI.

After evaluation of the application, an applicant who is not accepted through the preselect option is advised to contact the DI Director to discuss options and findings of the Admissions Committee. The applicant will be advised to apply through the traditional matching process and will be given directions to improve his/her application.