Applying to medical schools without rolling admissions can have distinctive pros and cons for prospective med students. One option is not necessarily better than the other in the grand scheme of things, but if a student has a very strong application and is perhaps running a little late, schools without rolling admissions may become more appealing. No matter how a school maneuvers its application process, there will always be firm deadlines, stiff competition, and a heavy amount of organization involved in preparing your medical school application timeline to ensure that acceptance letter.
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List of Medical Schools Without Rolling Admissions in the United States
1. Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Many of the Ivy League medical schools in the United States do not have rolling admissions due to the intense competitiveness of their programs. Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is one of the most prestigious medical schools in New York, with very high median scores for their matriculants and a low application success rate. These types of schools usually have a strong reputation that they want to maintain by only accepting top applicants. Not having rolling admissions procedures is one way to do this. Columbia states specifically that their decisions are all made at the end of the interview season and letters are sent out in March.
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2. Duke University School of Medicine
Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University also does not offer rolling admissions or any early assurance medical programs. Decisions are typically released by late February after all interviews have been completed. In addition to being very competitive with its admissions proceedings, Duke is known for its Medical Scientist Training Programs and combined dual degree programs, such as MD/PhD options. It is a top-ranking medical school, often ranked higher than Ivy League programs, with a low overall success rate. Duke’s dual degree programs can also be applied to once the student is already enrolled in their medical school, as a sort of “add-on” to their MD program.
One of the most famous schools based on name alone, Harvard University is another uber-competitive medical school that does not have rolling admissions for its applicants. All application decisions are emailed on the same date in early March. However, awards and other funding opportunities are delivered on a rolling basis after the admission decisions have been sent. This does not necessarily impact rolling admissions for applications, but that is something to keep in mind if you are applying early. As per other Ivy League schools, median test scores and GPA are very high, and the number of matriculated applicants versus the number of applications is low. As with other schools without rolling admissions, Harvard is surely not one of the easiest medical schools to get into and your application must be near-perfect to be considered for their school, regardless of whether or not they have rolling admissions.
4. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Perelman School of Medicine, part of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is also a top medical school in the United States that does not offer traditional rolling admissions. It is known as a Canadian-friendly US medical school due to its inclusion of Canadian applicants in the same pool as American ones, though it provides limited funding for non-US citizens. Contrary to other schools on this list, Perelman does offer an early decision program (EDP), but it is very small in scope, which means it will not apply to most of their general applicants. To be eligible for this program, students must meet the GPA and MCAT scores of the entering class, and a CV and undergraduate transcript must be provided for consideration. Otherwise, acceptance notices are sent in early March after all interviews and the secondary application has been sent.
5. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine also does not have a rolling admissions policy. Like Perelman in the same state, UPSOM does offer an EDP with its own requirements. As stated on their EDP page, this option is for applicants who are sure that this school is their first and only choice when pursuing their medical education. There are specific deadlines to complete steps such as the AMCAS application, MCAT, and supplemental application to be considered for the early decision program. Also, while UPSOM’s admissions requirements are still rather competitive as a whole, this school is not considered part of the Ivy League and has slightly lower median overall scores for its matriculants than other schools on this list. Therefore, the University of Pittsburgh can be a little more accessible for applicants looking for schools without rolling admissions.
Attracting thousands of applicants a year for about 104 available spots, Yale is another competitive Ivy League school without a rolling admissions procedure. Decisions are made after the interview season and letters are mailed by mid-March. Their EDP opportunity only accepts the highest-quality applicants who wish to apply to their first choice early. By October 1, the EDP application could either be accepted, deferred to the regular application pool, or rejected entirely. Following a deferral or rejection, you will still be allowed to apply to other medical schools through AMCAS. Admission statistics at Yale, as with other Ivy League medical programs, are highly competitive and their medical school tuition fees are very high. They only want to enroll the most determined and accomplished applicants, and not having rolling admissions serves this purpose.
7. Weill Cornell Medical College
In addition to Columbia, Cornell University’s Medical School (named Weill Cornell Medical College or WCMC) is an Ivy League New York medical school that includes no rolling admissions or EDP. As always, academic history and standardized test scores are incredibly important to your candidacy. While the median MCAT score for its applicants is about 519, which is pretty high, Cornell has no official cut-off for these test results. If you’re looking at how to get into medical school with a low MCAT, make sure all other aspects of your application are excellent. It will not be a deal-breaker for this school, and they may accept applicants with a lower score. Think of it this way: an average score means that there was a range of performance. Some students had better or worse scores, although you cannot bank on that possibility when choosing which schools to apply to.
What you can surmise from this list of institutions is that there are not that many medical schools that do not have rolling admissions in the United States. Applying to a school without rolling admissions may be limiting your options since more competitive schools opt to not use rolling admissions. If you want to learn more effective strategies for how to get into medical school, applying as early as you can to a school with rolling admissions may very well be your best opportunity. You could also take advantage of our medical school chance predictor to verify the probability of your acceptance to schools across the country or internationally.
No Rolling Admissions in Canadian Medical Schools
- University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
- Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary
2. Medical Schools in British Columbia
3. Medical Schools in Manitoba
4. Medical Schools in Newfoundland
5. Medical Schools in Nova Scotia
- Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine (McMaster University)
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)
- University of Ottawa Medical School
- Queen’s University Medical School
- University of Toronto Medical School
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Western University)
- Université de Sherbrooke Medical School
- Université de Montreal Faculty of Medicine
- Université Laval Medical School
- McGill Medical School
8. Medical Schools in Saskatchewan
There are 17 medical schools in Canada, none of which offer rolling admissions. Instead, there is usually a hard deadline for applications and all decisions are sent out around the same time, depending on the school. Nevertheless, it is still important to start to prepare for your medical school application early to make sure you have everything in order. That will indicate your attention to detail and overall preparedness. Using the day applications open as a due date will keep you on task and ensure that you have everything you need beforehand. Just like any medical school application, perfecting all the components within the appropriate time window is always an advantage. Visit the individual school’s website for exact admission requirements and other prerequisites needed that can enhance your application.
How to Approach Your Application for Schools Without Rolling Admissions
- Apply early. Even though it may seem that you have more time to perfect your application if you are applying to a medical school without rolling admissions, the reality is that it is still better to submit early. While it may be reassuring to know that applications will be considered all at once, regardless of when they were sent in, without proper planning, you still run the risk of a late medical school application. When your application is complete, send it in as soon as possible for your own peace of mind.
- Stay organized. Make sure you're aware of all the admission information regarding each school and plan accordingly. It will surely hurt your chances of acceptance if you are constantly disorganized throughout the preparation process. You need to be knowledgeable about medical school applications well before you plan to apply. One delay could create a domino effect that impacts your entire application. If you need months to accumulate clinical experience or tackle MCAT prep, factor that into your schedule. Keep track of deadlines you are applying for and what exactly each school needs. You could do this by using a calendar, a document on your computer, or a vision board, among others.
- Letters of recommendation. Receiving quality medical school recommendation letters from academics or supervisors who know your passion for medicine well can bring your candidacy to the next level. Getting them early is also extremely important. Relationships take a while to foster and do not come easily if you are running behind. While taking classes during your original degree, start to think about who a potential reference for you could be. Ask politely and well in advance so that you can guarantee their letter when the time comes to apply. Letters that are insubstantial or late may jeopardize your entire application, even without rolling admissions.
- Extracurriculars. For medical school applications, what you do outside of school can be just as important as what you do in school. Logging hours of shadowing, clinical experience, or extracurriculars for medical school will give you proximity to your future profession and provide you with options for reference letters as well. These experiences will give your application character and could differentiate you from hundreds or even thousands of other applicants all vying for acceptance. It is important to know how to ask to shadow a doctor so that you can learn about specialties and be exposed to the ins and outs of being a medical professional. Medical schools without rolling admissions will be looking for these qualifications.
- Application documents. Your application documents, such as a medical school personal statement, are also crucial to your application. Make sure your personal statement tells your story in a concise way, is written well, and displays your affinity for studying medicine or becoming a future physician. Edit several drafts of your personal statement, as it will never be perfect the first time.
- Keep your grades up. While putting your energy into preparing your medical school application, do not lose sight of your grades and maintain a strong GPA. The other aspects of your application are very important, but they should not come at the expense of your GPA. Medical schools will often look at their GPA requirements when making their first round of cuts. Having it as high as possible will also raise your chances for schools without rolling admissions that have really competitive standards to meet.
- Improve your interview skills. The interview is usually one of the final steps the admissions committee will use to decide who gets in. You need to ace it to make a great first impression on the admissions committee. Brushing up on common questions interviewers ask students or participating in a mock medical school interview can make all the difference. In a school without rolling admissions, most interviews will be held around the same time, so it is even more important to stand out.
Conclusion
It is no secret that getting into medical school is extremely competitive. It may seem impossible to craft a good enough application to stand up against thousands of impressive candidates. This is especially true for medical schools without rolling admissions, which are able to select only the absolute best by evaluating all of their applicants on the same playing field. These schools are often some of the top academic institutions in the nation, partly because of their highly selective processes. Not including rolling admissions could also be the norm depending on the country, as is the case for Canadian medical schools.
Whether a school has rolling admissions or not typically will not change the overall efficacy of your application, so it should be a priority to research schools beforehand and adjust your application strategies as the dates roll closer. Regardless, the best way to increase your chances is to focus on making your application the best that it can be with the proper medical school admissions consulting help. Perfecting the quality of your application is sure to lead to acceptances, no matter when admissions committees are evaluating your application.
FAQs
1. What are rolling admissions?
A rolling admissions process is when applicants are assessed on a continuous basis. It is similar to a first come, first serve mentality. Applications are reviewed as they come in and decisions are sent out when they are made, rather than after the entire interview process is complete. It could be an advantage to apply early to schools that use rolling admissions.
2. Why would a medical school choose to not have rolling admissions?
By waiting until the application period is over, the schools that do not have rolling admissions can be more selective with who they admit into their programs. From an administrative standpoint, it may also be simpler to evaluate the applications all at once instead of on a rolling basis.
3. Do schools without rolling admissions take longer to respond?
Typically. A school that uses rolling admissions will likely take about 4–8 weeks to respond from the time you apply, while a school without rolling admissions can take up to a few months more since everyone is getting their decision at roughly the same time.
4. What is an Early Decision Program?
An Early Decision Program (EDP) or early assurance program allows for high-achieving undergraduates to be accepted early into a medical school, sometimes even before they start studying for the MCAT. The most dedicated students with superior academic performance and a passion for medicine could be given a seat in a med school program well before they graduate. These individuals are essentially given a fast track to medical school, where they bypass almost the entire process of applying and interviewing at other schools.
5. When should I begin preparing my application for medical school?
As soon as possible. It is best to start researching and planning whenever you know that you want to pursue a medical education. To get all your activities and documents together, it could take months, if not years. Between gaining meaningful professional experience, including clinical experiences, getting letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement, and taking standardized tests such as the MCAT or CASPer, there is a lot to do before you even apply, so keep yourself organized and start at the first available opportunity.
6. Where can I find details on specific medical school admission requirements?
Other than each school’s website, MSAR is an online database where you can browse, search, and compare data from US and Canadian medical schools.
7. Do medical schools accept late applications?
They do not, mainly due to the high number of applicants. The application systems will close to new applicants once the deadline passes.
8. How can professional help get me into medical school?
Firms such as BeMo Academic Consulting have expert consultants who can assist with any part of the application process from beginning to end. Whether it is with writing your personal statement, improving your interview skills, or providing the best MCAT prep course or CASPer prep tips, academic consultants are trained to take your application to new heights.
To your success,
Your friends at BeMo
BeMo Academic Consulting
Disclaimer: Please note: Although we have made every effort to provide the most accurate information, admissions information changes frequently. Therefore, we encourage you to verify these details with the official university admissions office. You are responsible for your own results. BeMo does not endorse nor affiliate with any official universities, colleges, or test administrators and vice versa.
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