Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
APPLYING TO EMORY
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
AFTER APPLYING TO EMORY
FINANCIAL AID
ALREADY IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
APPLYING TO EMORY
How do I apply to Emory School of Medicine?
The application process begins about 13 months prior to each year’s fall semester.
Applications to most medical schools, including Emory, are submitted online with the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The application season begins June 1 of each year (for admission to the fall semester of the following year). The deadline to apply through AMCAS is October 15. You may find out more information about AMCAS on the Association of American Medical Colleges website: www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm
Part of your AMCAS application will include the selection of all the medical schools to which you wish to apply. If you select Emory as one of your choices, AMCAS will send your verified information to us. Once your verified application is received at Emory, you will receive an email from the Office of Admissions giving you access to Emory’s online Supplemental Application. All who have a verified application through AMCAS and select Emory will be given access to the supplemental application. There is no pre-screening of applicants for the supplemental. Instead, we ask applicants to carefully review the guidelines included with the supplemental application and decide whether or not their application is competitive with recent matriculating classes at Emory University School of Medicine.
Once your supplemental application is submitted online, the last step will be to print and complete a hard copy of the Payment Form. You must attach a photo to the Payment Form and return it, with a check or money order for $90, to the Office of Admissions before the deadline of December 1.
You will then need to request your letters of recommendation. Applicants are required to submit letters of recommendation from either: (a) a Pre-Medical Committee; or, (b) three individuals, two of whom should be your professors in the sciences. All letters need to be received in the Office of Admissions by the December 1 deadline.
You may also find help with the medical school application process by contacting your Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Advisor at your school’s academic advising office.
Can you send me an application?
We no longer send out or accept paper applications. All applications are submitted online (see question above for more details about the application process).
How many letters of recommendation do I need?
Applicants are required to submit either:
(a) One letter from a Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee; or,
(b) Three letters from individuals, two of whom should be your professors in the sciences
We strongly suggest you submit two letters from the professors who taught you in the sciences in your undergraduate or post-baccalaureate education or from someone familiar with your research and knowledge in the sciences.
If you are unable to submit letters from two science professors, you may substitute letters from other educators, advisors, or employers, but keep in mind that Emory is an extremely competitive school. The Admissions Committee will look for applicants who demonstrate a sound knowledge in the sciences, prior to attending medical school , and are able to provide recommendation letters to attest that knowledge.
May I send additional letters of recommendations?
You may submit additional letters of recommendation, but keep in mind that the Admissions Committee may not be able to read an excessive amount of letters. Please limit additional letters to just a few.
What if I don’t have a Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee?
If you do not have a Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee at your undergraduate institution, you may submit letters of recommendation from three individual letter writers. Two of these letter writers should be your professors in the sciences or individuals who are very familiar with your knowledge, interest, and abilities in the sciences.
What if my school has a Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee, but I choose not to use the committee?
If your letters are submitted by three individual letter writers rather than your school’s Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee, you should send a letter to the Admissions Office explaining why you are not using the committee.
Can I apply for a waiver of my application fee?
You may request an application fee waiver through AMCAS when you submit your AMCAS application. If your request is granted, you may attach your AMCAS fee waiver voucher to the Payment Form of your Emory Supplemental Application.
If you were denied a fee waiver by AMCAS, you may have your financial aid officer or other financial or banking officer send us a letter requesting a waiver of your application fee. The letter should include a summary of your financial need, as well as the conditions that have changed since your request was denied by AMCAS.
Submitting a request for a fee waiver does not guarantee that your request will be granted. The final decision to grant a fee waiver will be decided once your documentation is received and reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
What are the average GPA and MCAT scores for accepted students?
The average cumulative GPA for our students who enrolled in the Fall 2006 class was a 3.66. The average MCAT score was a 33, with at least a 10 in each of the science subtests.
We do not have minimum scores or GPAs, but our applicant pool is extremely competitive, so only the strongest applicants are selected for interview.
Does Emory offer a preparation course for the MCAT?
Emory does not provide a prep course for the MCATs. For information about studying for the MCAT, you may visit their website at: www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm
If I take the MCAT a second time, will my two sets of scores be averaged?
No. Each set of scores will be assessed separately.
What is the latest MCAT score that Emory will accept?
We will accept MCAT scores as far back as 4 years prior to matriculation. For example, to apply for the Fall 2006 class, you will need to submit MCAT scores from at least 2002.
Will my undergraduate and graduate GPAs be looked at separately or combined?
If you have taken post-baccalaureate courses, this course work will be calculated with your undergraduate grades and appear in your cumulative GPA with your AMCAS data. However, If you have taken courses in a Graduate degree program, your GPA in that program will be separated from your undergraduate and post-baccalaureate cumulative GPA.
What if my early college grades are significantly lower than my most recent grades, including post-baccalaureate courses taken?
The Admissions Committee will look at the improvement a student makes over the course of his or her college career. An ascending GPA will look better than a descending GPA. However, the strength of the courses taken in the early and later years will be considered as well.
Do you accept A/P credit?
We will accept some Advancement Placement (A/P) credit, as long as it appears on your college transcript. However, a solid background in the sciences is essential to do well on the MCAT science subtests and to be accepted to a rigorous medical school program, such as Emory.
It is highly recommended that you complete at least four full years, with labs, in the basic sciences (one year in each of the following areas: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics). We expect medical school students to have a sound knowledge in these areas, prior to attending medical school. If you have A/P credit in any of these general science areas, you may find it helpful to take additional science courses to keep your knowledge in the sciences strong, but it is not required.
What if I don’t meet all the course requirements?
If you do not meet the minimum course requirements, you will be given an opportunity in the Emory Supplemental Application to explain why. Exceptions are made. They are rare, but they are made for individuals with very high grades or for those who demonstrate an exceptional aptitude in the sciences and in other areas (strong MCAT scores, published research, etc.).
Another important factor to consider is scoring well on the MCAT science subtests. Our admitted students score an average of 11s on each of the subtests, with a total average score of 33. If you are able to score well in the MCAT science subtests, this will certainly be a significant indicator of your knowledge in the sciences.
Do I have to complete all the course requirements before I submit my application to Emory?
It is highly recommended that you complete most, if not all, of your science requirements prior to applying. Some required labs and humanities courses can be completed after applying. All required courses must be completed before matriculating at Emory.
Do I need to send my transcripts to Emory?
No. All your coursework will be verified by AMCAS, so you do not need to send transcripts for your application.
If you are offered admission, you must submit official, final transcripts from all schools attended to the Office of Admissions prior to matriculation.
What does “accredited” mean?
“Accredited” means a regionally accredited institution in the United States or Canada. If your undergraduate degree is from a college or university in the United States or Canada, the college or university must be regionally accredited in order for you to qualify for admission to Emory. For a list of accredited schools, please visit the website for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at http://www.chea.org/directories/ . Look for their “Institutional Database”.
If your degree is from a college in the U.S. or Canada that is not accredited, you are not eligible to apply to Emory School of Medicine until you complete a degree at a regionally accredited school.
If your degree is from an institution outside the United States or Canada, you will need to complete one full year of coursework at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada before applying to Emory. The coursework should be in the sciences, and is required to demonstrate academic ability and knowledge in the sciences as taught in English and according to educational standards in the U.S.
