Students first submit a primary application, which consists of MCAT scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a list of experiences such as community service, research, leadership, medical exposure, clinical hours, and extracurricular activities.

The admission committees at a student’s chosen medical schools will either reject the application or they will send a secondary application. (Some school send all applicants a secondary application, while others screen based only on MCAT Score and GPA). The secondary application usually consists of a variety of essays.

Lastly, if a student makes it past the secondary application round, they will be invited for interviews. Interviews generally occur between September and February/March. Final decisions are made after the interview.

The majority of medical schools offer spaces in their programs to qualified students until all of the openings are filled. This means students are at an advantage if they apply early in the application cycle (in June) as opposed to at the end (in November).