A parallel plan is a back up academic or career plan in case your original plan doesn’t work out as you had intended.  It could be that you are not admitted to your healthcare program or that you have changed your mind and want to explore other career options.  You can actively pursue your original plan while having a parallel plan in place.  You might never need your parallel plan, but it’s good to have a back up plan in place.  Think of parallel planning as just understanding your options.

A parallel plan is for anyone and everyone, but it is especially helpful for students pursuing secondary admit programs.  Most healthcare programs in college have secondary admissions.  Graduate programs also have secondary admissions.  

Parallel planning can be particularly important for healthcare students as many programs have secondary admissions.  This means that although you have been admitted to GVSU, you will need to apply to a program.  There are two types of secondary admit programs at GVSU - competitive admit and selective admit.  

• A competitive admit program means there is a limited number of students admitted into the program each year.  There is no guarantee a student will be admitted as competitiveness is dependent on the applicant pool.
• A selective admit program means there are requirements to the program, but there is not a limited number of seats available in the program.  As long as you meet the admissions requirements, you will be admitted to the program.  

There is no guarantee that you will be admitted into a healthcare program.  Because of this, you’ll want to have alternative plans in place.   Ask yourself the question “what would I do if I wasn’t admitted to my program or if I changed my mind?”  It can feel uncomfortable to think about this possibility, but brainstorming ideas is simply an exercise of understanding your options.  It does not mean that you won’t be successful in your original plan.  Re-applying to your program might be part of your parallel plan.

A parallel plan will allow you to smoothly transition to another major or career plan while still meeting your career goals.  When creating your plan it is important to keep in mind that you might not need to change your major, and your graduation might not be delayed. 

It is never too early to start parallel planning. It can feel overwhelming trying to create a primary plan and a back up plan.  Come to the Career Center or talk with your academic advisor.  We are here to help!

Having an understanding of your academic and career options gives you more control over your future plans. 

• Set up an alternative academic and career plan
• Learn about your academic and career options
• Assist you with career exploration
• Learn what careers you can pursue with the various majors
• Help with decision making and career preparation
• Get connected to on and off campus resources to assist with their career planning