Medical School Deadlines for the Top 30 Programs
So, this might be the year you finally decide to apply to medical school. You’ve got the prerequisites and the MCAT, the shadowing, and the research. But when exactly should you apply? To help guide you through the exact dates, we’ve provided the medical school deadlines for the top 30 schools. After the table, we have discussed exactly when it might actually be too late to apply to medical school. While the medical school deadlines offer a set time after which programs don’t accept primary applications, you should never be pushing that late!
Medical School Deadlines at the Top 30 MD Schools
According to the AMCAS, all medical school deadlines are set by individual medical schools. Your application must be submitted to AMCAS (not processed) by 11:59 p.m. ET to meet the deadline. AMCAS does not grant deadline extensions for any reason.
| Medical School | Medical School Deadline |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | October 15 |
| New York University | October 15 |
| Duke University | October 15 |
| Columbia University | October 15 |
| Stanford University | October 1 |
| University of California—San Francisco | October 15 |
| Johns Hopkins University | October 15 |
| University of Washington | October 15 |
| University of Pennsylvania | October 15 |
| Yale University | October 15 |
| Mayo Clinic | October 1 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | November 30 |
| University of Pittsburgh | October 15 |
| Vanderbilt University | November 1 |
| Northwestern University | November 1 |
| University of Michigan—Ann Arbor | October 15 |
| Icahn School of Medicine | October 1 |
| University of Chicago | November 15 |
| University of California—San Diego | October 15 |
| University of California—Los Angeles | October 1 |
| Baylor University | November 1 |
| Emory University | October 15 |
| University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | October 1 |
| Case Western Reserve University | November 1 |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | November 1 |
| University of Colorado | October 15 |
| University of Maryland | November 1 |
| Oregon Health and Sciences University | October 15 |
| University of Southern California | November 1 |
Students can also apply to ONE school early decision. According to the AMCAS, “The Early Decision Program gives medical school applicants the opportunity to secure an acceptance from one Early Decision Program-participating medical school by October 1, while still allowing sufficient time to apply to other schools if you are not accepted.”
But When SHOULD You Submit Your Application?
Sure, the medical school deadlines for these top programs aren’t until October or November, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply as soon as possible. The earliest you can submit is May 28th, 2022 for the 2022-2023 application round. Submit your primary materials as soon as the AMCAS application opens at the end of May. Once you have submitted your primary application and it has been verified, you will receive your secondaries, which are essays specific to each of the schools you have applied to. You will not be able to access and answer these questions until your primary has been submitted and verified. So, you must act on a tighter timeline.
Although June is ideal, submitting by mid-July should be safe, especially if you’ve got a strong application. September is too late to submit your medical school application because most schools would already choose their interviewees by then. August isn’t as extreme, but your chances may be a bit more narrow. If you absolutely can’t submit before August, make sure that you have incredibly strong grades, unique extracurriculars, and a highly compelling personal statement that helps you stand out in order to make up for the lost time. However, the odds are not in your favor, especially with the competitiveness of the admissions landscape.
More than half of the total number of students who apply to medical school every year get denied and have to reapply to medical school. Even if you applied at the earliest possible time—with the intense level of competition—your chances would still be low. Pushing your medical school deadlines later than July isn’t the most ideal, especially if you believe you could prepare more this year, and wait until next year’s cycle to submit.
