Application Checklist

with FAQ

Our Application Checklist will help guide you through the application process. As you begin this
process, start with identifying whether you will be applying through our preselect, fall, or spring match
application process. Determine if you are eligible to apply via the preselect process by viewing the
Preselect Criteria and Checklist on our website.
If you are not eligible for the preselect application process, then you will need to apply through DICAS
for the fall or spring match. Fall match applications are due on September 25th. Spring match
applications are due on February 15th. Once you have determined your application due date, use
the following checklist to help you get started on your application.

Step 1
Determine if you meet all admission criteria set by the Aramark Dietetic Internship.
• You will have gained least 6 hours of graduate credit completed prior to Orientation Day of the
dietetic internship.
• A Verification Statement from an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
received within the past 5 years. If a Verification Statement is greater than 5 years old,
students must confirm completion within the past 5 years of:
• a capstone Medical Nutrition Therapy or Diet Therapy course
• a capstone Foodservice Management course
• an advanced level nutrition course (the exact course to be chosen/approved by the
dietetic internship director and/or NFS faculty members)
or)
• Graduate level nutrition courses within 2 years of applying to internship,
or)
• Relevant work and certifications (such as NDTR will be considered).
• DPD GPA of 3.0 and a Science GPA of 2.8. A lower GPA will be considered if a student has
at least a 3.5 in junior and senior-level classes or an NDTR credential.

Further criteria to be met once matched into the program:

o Background investigation upon acceptance into the program.
o Health care accreditation site requirements, including:
o Physical Examination,
▪ Proof of negative tuberculosis test within 3 months of admission,
▪ Proof of titers (blood tests) showing immunity to measles, mumps, varicella,
rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis,
▪ Tetanus vaccination within the last 10 years,
▪ Evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination or signed waiver to decline,
▪ COVID vaccine or a signed waiver to decline,
▪ Drug urine screening,
o Health insurance,
o Fingerprinting, if required by rotation site.
 Application Checklist
with FAQ
Step 2
Select locations in which you can complete your practice experience.
• Locate the Aramark Rotation Sites Document from the internship website at
www.aramark.com/dieteticinternship to find your desired geographic areas where you would
like to complete your internship.
• Use the site selection question in DICAS to rank your location choices (enter the city and state
as listed on the site selection sheet).

Step 3
Register for DICAS and D&D Digital.
DICAS is the system used to complete and submit your application to dietetic internship programs.
D&D Digital manages the matching process for dietetic internship programs. All your internship
choices must be ranked within the D&D Digital system to participate in the spring match.
▪ Preselect applicants will only need to register with the DICAS system. If you are not extended
an offer to our program, you will then need to register with D&D and rank your internship
choices prior to the spring match deadline.
▪ Spring and Fall match applicants will need to register with both the DICAS and D&D Digital
systems.

Step 4
Complete the DICAS application.
• The DICAS application provides you with specific instructions for each section of the
application. You will experience a fee for your first application submitted and an additional fee
for each subsequent application. The fee amount for each application is outlined on the DICAS
portal. You are encouraged to complete your application in full and have someone review your
application for any spelling or grammatical errors prior to submitting. Use the Site Selection
Sheet located on our website to rank the locations you would be able to complete your practice
experience in DICAS under Custom Questions. Any issues related to the DICAS portal can be
addressed by their Customer Support team via email or phone.

Step 5
Record your video interview and attach to your personal statement in DICAS.
• Students must provide a recorded interview answering all the interview questions. Questions
are posted on the internship website. Students should place the link to their interview within the
personal statement of their application.
 Application Checklist
with FAQ
Step 6
Rank your internship choices on D&D Digital.
You are required to rank your internship choices by the deadlines set by D&D Digital for spring and
fall match. For the Aramark program, you will need to rank every geographic location you would like
to be considered for in order of preference. All geographic locations for our program will be found
under Philadelphia, PA.
Applicants may reorder their internship rankings during a designated time after the deadline.
However, new internships cannot be added to your list during this reorder time period. Refer to the
D&D Digital Matching Timeline for a detailed list of dates.

Step 7
Pay the application fee to the Aramark Dietetic Internship program.
In addition to any fees paid directly to DICAS and D&D Digital during the application process, the
Aramark Dietetic Internship program has an application fee that must be submitted when submitting
your application into DICAS. The $65 application fee should be paid via debit or with credit card using
the internship electronic pay portal located on the website Apply page. Click on the “Pay Here” button.

Step 8
Complete Graduate School Application.
If you already hold an advanced degree, move to Step 9!

The Aramark program requires you are enrolled and have completed 6 hours of graduate school prior
to the first day of Orientation.

Our program offers the opportunity to obtain a fully online master’s degree through our affiliate
universities while completing your practice experience:
The University of Alabama (UA)
Texas Tech University (TTU)
Penn State University (PSU)
University of Georgia (UG)
West Chester University (WCU)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-M)

A comparison of each university can be found on our website at www.aramark.com/dieteticinternship

• If you want to enroll at the The University of Alabama contact the Human Nutrition MS
program Director, Dr. Tiffany Hylton at [email protected]

• If you want to enroll at Texas Tech University contact Dr. Childress at

[email protected]. Then, be sure to complete your application to the Graduate School
at Texas Tech University by April 15th (summer start), July 15th (fall start), or November 15th
(spring start).
 Application Checklist
with FAQ
• If you are a student enrolled at Penn State applying for preselect you must contact the MPS
Program Director, Dr. Gina Pazzaglia at [email protected] and Shawnee Kelly, Coordinator,
Master of Professional Studies in Nutritional Sciences at [email protected].

• If you are a student enrolled at the University of Georgia applying for preselect, you must
contact DPD director, Dr. Emma Laing ([email protected]).

• If you are a student enrolled at West Chester University applying for pre-select, you must
contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Joanne Sullivan ([email protected]).

• If you are a student enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Madison applying for
preselect you must contact Makayla Schuchardt, MS Clinical Nutrition Coordinator, at
[email protected] to discuss your interest and application to the UW-Madison Graduate
School.

Step 9
Accept your internship position.
• When you are matched to the Aramark Dietetic Internship, you will need to email the program
director at [email protected] to accept the offer.
• Your name, acceptance confirmation, and preferred contact information should be included in
your email. The program director will reply to your email to confirm receipt.
• A $2500 program deposit is due upon acceptance into the program.

There are several questions we are asked each year about our application process. You can find the
answers to these frequently asked questions below.

1. Is a GRE required for your program?

No, a GRE is not required for any of our affiliate universities. You can skip over this part of the
application if you have chosen a university not requiring a GRE. The GRE is NOT a requirement for
the dietetic internship.

2. Do you have a recommended amount of work or volunteer hours for your

internship program?
No, we do not have a recommended amount of work or volunteer hours for our program. We do place
an emphasis on applications demonstrating relevant work or volunteer experience within the dietetics
profession, though.
 Application Checklist
with FAQ
3. What questions do you want me to answer in my personal statement?
Our program requires you to answer the five standard questions provided in your DICAS application.
There are no additional questions to answer specifically for our program. These questions include:
▪ Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
▪ Discuss experience 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?
Be sure to include a link to your video interview within your personal statement.

4. How do I submit my video interview to you?

You will upload your video to a sharing site, such as Google Drive, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Please
make sure our directors can access your video without having to enter a password. The sharing link
should be copied and pasted into the end of your personal statement.

5. How many letters of recommendation do you require? Who do I ask to provide

a recommendation for me?
Three letters of recommendation are required as part of your application. No additional
recommendation letters beyond the three are desired. You should choose references who are familiar
with your nutrition-based knowledge, oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, and
professional behaviors.
If you are applying through our preselect application process, then you should provide reference
letters from the following three individuals: one from a professor; the second letter from your Aramark
supervisor or manager; and the third letter from a professor, work manager, or volunteer supervisor.
The letter written by the Aramark supervisor or manager must be dated within the past one year.
If you are applying through the spring match option, then you should provide reference letters from
the following three individuals: one from a professor; the second letter from a work manager or
volunteer supervisor; and the third letter from either a professor, work manager, or a volunteer
supervisor.

6. What state is your internship located under in the Program Designation

section?
You will be able to find our internship listed under the state of Pennsylvania since Aramark
headquarters is located there. Even if you want to be placed at a rotation site in Colorado, you will still
select the state of Pennsylvania to find our internship in the Program Designation section of DICAS.