Need-to-Know Updates for Counselors

A Few Things to Know This Season

Meet Chip Timmons

Chip Timmons is Purdue’s new executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, leading recruitment, evaluation and admission of new undergraduate students. He arrives with over 25 years experience in selective admissions at Wabash College, his alma mater, where he led record growth as dean for enrollment management. A Frankfort, Indiana, native (and proud Hot Dogs fan), Chip enjoys fishing and beach time with his wife, Stephanie, their sons, Landon and Drake, and their dog, Harvey.

When Should Students Pick An Alternate Major?

An alternate major isn’t for everyone. Here’s how to tell which of your students could benefit, and how to guide them toward the right choice.

Who should select an alternate choice major:

• Students who want to give themselves a better chance at Purdue admission
• Students who are set on Purdue but are applying to a competitive primary choice major
• Students who are genuinely interested in a few majors (or both locations) and are open to options

Who shouldn’t select an alternate choice:

• Students who are only interested in one specific major and/or location

Tips for advising students on their alternate choice:

• Encourage students to choose an alternate that’s less selective than their primary choice. Our Class Profile page can help you compare selectivity across majors.
• Exploratory Studies is a strong alternate for students who are open to exploring majors — or who simply want to be a Boilermaker and figure out the major piece once they’re here.
• Unless a student’s primary choice is one of our most selective majors (Engineering, Computer Science/Data Science/AI, Nursing, Flight), we recommend steering them toward an alternate in a different, less selective college.
  • YES: Nursing (1st choice) → Public Health (2nd choice)
  • NO: Biology (1st choice) → Genetics (2nd choice)
• Primary and alternate choice majors are reviewed at the same time, so there’s no strategic advantage to waiting to declare one.

More Quick Application Tips

• Applications must be complete by Nov. 1, including all required documents. There’s no grace period, so ensure your students don’t wait until the last minute to submit supporting materials.
• Letters of recommendation aren’t required, but if a student submits one, we’ll include it in their review.
• There’s no advantage to applying earlier or later within the Aug. 1–Nov. 1 window. Everyone who applies by the Early Action deadline gets equal consideration.

Indiana Pre-Admissions Initiative

Students earning the Enrollment Honors Plus Seal are eligible for Indiana Pre-Admissions to West Lafayette or Indianapolis. Apply to either campus with a complete application, including a test score, by Nov. 1.

NEW: High school seniors in Indiana can experience Purdue through dedicated programming, application support and special events designed just for Indiana residents throughout the fall.

Classic Learning Test (CLT)

Indiana state law now requires public colleges and universities to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) on equal footing with the SAT and ACT for admissions and scholarship consideration.

What this means for your students:

• Students may submit CLT scores in place of, or alongside, SAT/ACT scores for admissions decisions.
• Students are not required to take all three tests — families can choose whichever test best fits their student’s strengths or preferences.

Two Purdue campus locations. One degree.

Purdue offers programs at two campuses — West Lafayette and Indianapolis — under one university.

West Lafayette offers the classic Big Ten college town. Indianapolis offers a city experience where career-ready students prepare for the jobs of tomorrow through high-impact internships, industry connections and direct admission to engineering and other in-demand majors.

Purdue for Pre-Health: More Than You Might Think

As a top STEM university, Purdue combines a world-class science education with research, innovation and experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to succeed in competitive professional health programs and beyond.

Professional health programs value students who excel academically, engage deeply in their studies and take advantage of meaningful learning opportunities. At Purdue, pre-health students pursue a wide range of majors based on their interests and goals — from biology and biochemistry to kinesiology, psychology, public health and even engineering — gaining a solid foundation and the experience to stand out when applying to medical, dental, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other health professional programs.

What gives Purdue students an edge: specialized pre-health advisors, research opportunities, hands-on clinical experiences and distinctive coursework like Medical Humanities, Spanish for the Professions and Critical Disability Studies — the kind of well-rounded preparation that makes a competitive application.