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Start Your Journey: Apply to Rochester

Our students have a strong foundation in science, evidence of curiosity through research/innovation, and demonstration of human connection through clinical experiences, community engagement, and advocacy.

As required by federal regulations, we are sharing that the MD program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, as a medical school fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), meets the educational requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The school is required to share the contact information for the LCME (https://lcme.org/contact/) for the public to verify the school’s status. 

Important Dates: Application Timeline

If you are interested in Rochester, we recommend you apply as early as possible. Here are the deadlines:

  • October 15: American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS) opens for application submission May 28, 2024. Our deadline for submission is October 15th. Once we receive your verified application from AMCAS, we will send you an email with instructions on how to submit a secondary application form.
  • November 15: Secondary application and $100 non-refundable fee due via the applicant portal by November 15th.
  • November 22: Letters of recommendation due. These must be submitted via AMCAS Letter Service. Letters of recommendation, submitted on official letterhead may be a composite letter or pre-health advisory committee letter from your school,β€―or a minimum of 3 individual letters.
  • September – mid-March: Interviews are conducted by invitation. All interviews will be virtual and are required for admission.
  • Early to mid-March: All interview decisions will be completed.

Interview Process

Interview Selection 

Applicants are selected for interview based on a holistic admissions process which weighs a number of different factors including MCAT, GPA, activities and experiences, letters of recommendation, personal statements, background, undergraduate institution, and mission alignment. Selected applicants will be emailed by the Admissions Office to schedule their interview day. A confirmation email will be sent with your interview day schedule prior to your interview date.

Admissions Requirements and Recommendations

** Response to COVID-19 - information for the 2024-2025 Admissions Cycle** 
 
  • SPRING and SUMMER 2020 SEMESTER GRADES
    • ​​​In response to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, many colleges and universities offered Pass/Not Pass grades for the 2020 Spring and Summer semesters. We will be flexible in our understanding of the unique circumstances that you may have faced and will accept P/NP grades for these two semesters, including online labs. If your school offered students the option of a grade rather than P/NP, we would prefer a grade, especially for prerequisites.
  • FALL 2020 and SPRING 2021
    • We prefer in-person pre-requisite courses, if your school offered you the option. We recognize that this may not have been possible and will accept virtual prerequisite science classes and labs. 
    • All special situations will be considered, please reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
  • MCAT
    • With the exception of applicants in our (Rochester Early Medical Scholars Program, Early Assurance Program, and Post-bac Linkage Program), all applicants are required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Applicants may submit an AMCAS application and secondary application without an MCAT score, but an application will not be considered complete and ready for review until an MCAT score has posted. MCAT scores must be no more than four years old prior to matriculation.


      The latest exam date that will be accepted for the 2024-2025 application year will be September 14, 2024.


      Please visit AAMC's MCAT site for additional information.

  • Degree An undergraduate degree is required from an accredited college or university. We prefer that science coursework be completed in a U.S. or Canadian college.
    Science Coursework
    • One year of biology with laboratory. Biochemistry or botany will not satisfy this requirement. AP credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If your undergraduate college granted you credit through AP coursework, you may take upper level courses in biology with laboratory to satisfy this requirement.
    • One year of physics with laboratory. AP credit can be used to meet one semester of the physics requirement.
    • One year of chemistry with laboratory which must include either one year of organic chemistry or one semester of organic and one semester of biochemistry. AP credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If your undergraduate college granted you credit through AP coursework, you may take upper-level courses in chemistry with laboratory to satisfy this requirement. 
    • One semester of either calculus or statistics. AP credit can be used to meet this requirement.
    • AP credit must be documented on an official transcript.
    • All required science coursework must be taken in-person, if available.
    • We recommend courses in general chemistry, statistics, genetics, physiology, and biochemistry.

    Non-Science Coursework

    • 12 credit hours in the humanities and/or the social or behavioral sciences.
    • One year of expository writing. This may be met with English or non-science courses that involve expository writing.
    • AP credit will not satisfy non-science requirements.
  • Evidence of altruism, an accepting attitude, curiosity, empathy, maturity, professionalism, mindfulness, and resilience.

Updates to our admissions policies, procedures, and deadlines will be updated on our MSAR.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average GPA & MCAT score of entering students?

The average GPA is 3.8, range of 3.0 - 4.0. The average MCAT score is 517, range of 503 - 528.

If I have taken more than one MCAT, how are the scores viewed?

We look at all test scores. We do not take the best section scores from different exams (super score).

Do you require situational judgment tests (e.g. CASPer or AAMC PREview)?

No.

Do you accept international applicants?

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have permanent residency status or asylee status. The exception is: Applicants for our Levitan scholarship. Please note our MD/PhD program is NIH funded therefore international students are not eligible to apply. We welcome you to apply to our MD program.

Can I meet with an admissions advisor?

Due to limited staffing, please email mdadmish@urmc.rochester.edu with questions.

What’s the status of my application?

Check the applicant portal for application status information.

Where can I find out details about my interview?

Detailed interview day information will be provided in the applicant portal.

When will I learn about Admissions decision following my interview?

Decisions are made approximately six to eight weeks after your interview and communicated via email.

What is your waitlist procedure?

A subcommittee reviews applicants on the waitlist based on a holistic review and their overall committee score. Initial offers to waitlisted applicants begin at the end of April via email notification. The number of students accepted from the waitlist varies from year to year.

Should I send updates to my file if I am waitlisted?

We welcome substantial updates, i.e. awards, a new job or volunteer position, publication or presentation. They may be sent via the applicant portal through the Additional Documents upload.

Do you accept requests for deferment?

Applicants may request to defer their admission for one year for enrichment purposes. All deferral requests must be submitted via email to mdadmish@urmc.rochester.edu and will be reviewed by the committee. If the request is granted, the deferral period will be for one year only. Applicants are expected to matriculate the following academic year. If a deferred student applies to any other medical school during their enrichment year, we will revoke our offer of admission. Merit scholarship awards cannot be guaranteed post deferral. All deferrals must be submitted prior to April 30th. Any requests submitted after this date will not be entertained. Deferrals will not be granted at any time for MSTP applicants.

Why was my application rejected?

Please email mdadmish@urmc.rochester.edu if you were not accepted and would like more information to help strengthen your future application.

Do you require COVID-19 vaccinations?

No. While the University no longer mandates COVID vaccinations, staying up to date on COVID vaccines and boosters remains strongly encouraged to protect against the virus’s severe effects, and to mitigate the illness in the community. View our immunization requirements for more information.

Does the University of Rochester offer health insurance?

Yes, please visit University Health Service for more information.

Do you offer tours to prospective applicants?

We offer a virtual tour and self-guided in-person tours. Accepted students will receive an email with more detail regarding guided in-person tours.

Do you have a preference for New York State residents?

No. We are a private medical school that considers geographical diversity an important aspect of our medical school class.

How does University of Rochester affiliation and legacy status impact the admissions decision?

We do not use legacy status or University of Rochester affiliations when screening applicants for interview or when making admissions decisions. We use family information reported on the secondary application to ensure there are no conflicts of interests during our admissions process.

Do you accept transfer students?

We do not accept transfer applications.

Do you have an 8-year medical school program?

Yes, we have a BA/BS+MD degree program called the Rochester Early Medical Scholars Program. For more information, please call the University of Rochester Undergraduate Admissions Office at (585) 275-3221 or toll-free at (888) 822-2256.

Do you have an Early Assurance Program?

Yes, with the following participating schools: Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Haverford College, Hunter College - CUNY, Middlebury College, Spelman College, Swarthmore College, Williams College, and Xavier University of Louisiana. Please contact your pre-health advisor to learn more about the program.

Do you have a Post-bac Linkage Program?

Yes, with Bryn Mawr College and Columbia University. Please contact your pre-health advisor to learn more.

Do you have combined/dual degree programs?

Yes, view our combined/dual degree programs.

Do you have a DDS program?

The University of Rochester does not have a DDS granting program. Rochester does have advanced degree opportunities in dentistry. If you are interested in the MD-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Resident Program, a four-year training program, contact (585) 275-9004. Applicants to this program must already have their DDS degree.

Do you have a physician's assistant program?

No.

Do you have a medical tech program?

Yes. View our medical tech program.

Do you have a physical therapy program?

No.

Transfer/Admission with Advanced Standing

We do not accept transfer applications.

International Students

We only accept applications from international students who have

All other applicants must be U.S. citizens, have permanent residency status or asylee status. Please note our MD/PhD program is NIH funded therefore international students are not eligible to apply. We welcome you to apply to our MD program.

Medical students who are not U.S. citizens or do not have U.S. Permanent Residency are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate visa status when applying for post-graduate training (residency programs). 


Per U.S. Federal Regulations, 668.43 (2019 Rule), and in compliance with the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) Manual version 19.2, the University of Rochester provides the following disclosure related to the educational requirements for professional certification and licensure. The University of Rochester has designed the curriculum for professional certification and licensure, that if successfully completed, is sufficient to meet the certification and licensure educational requirements in the state of New York.  For information regarding licensure in another state, enrolled and prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact that State’s licensing body to review all certification and licensure requirements.