Applying Early Decision to Medical School: The Ultimate Guide

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Should you apply to medical school via early decision? Learn the pros and cons, plus a list of early decision medical schools

A group of medical students wearing blue scrubs and holding cups of coffee

Through the Early Decision Program, applicants can secure a medical school acceptance by october

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Part 1: Introduction

What is the Early Decision Program for medical school?

If you’re applying to medical school and are fairly interested in a specific program, or if you’re simply looking for a way to tighten your application timeline, you might be looking into the Early Decision Program (EDP), which gives applicants the opportunity to secure a place at one allopathic (MD) medical school earlier in the application process than is typical.

Applying through the EDP is a great choice if your heart is set on one specific school—you can only apply to one through EDP—and you’re committed to going to that school if you get in. In other words, EDP is binding.

From a medical school’s point of view, EDP exists to fill seats early on with highly qualified candidates who are exceptional “fits” for their programs. As is true in college admissions, medical schools want to not only admit high-achieving students, they also want to attract students who have interests and strengths aligned to the distinguishing characteristics of the school.  In fact, the NRMP Director’s Survey revealed in 2022 that approximately 42% of applications are reviewed holistically, meaning an applicant’s personality and values are considered as important as their stats, and 67% of those programs use holistic review models created specifically for their school.

Since medical schools’ reputations rest in large part on the successes of their students, they want to admit the students who they believe are best-positioned to succeed at their unique programs of study.

From an applicant’s point of view, there are a couple of possibly compelling reasons to pursue EDP:

  • You have exceptionally strong accomplishments and qualifications aligned to a school’s programmatic strengths, such as having been heavily involved in community health work for many years.

  • You have a strong geographical connection to the area the school is in, such as growing up in the same city or state.

Since medical school admissions is a daunting process no matter which route you go down, in this guide, we’ll cover the basics of EDP, unpack the application timeline, and discuss the differences between early decision and early assurance. We’ll outline some strategies to help you decide whether early decision is right for you. And, of course, we’ll offer insights into how to optimize your EDP application to maximize your odds of getting in. 

The Early Decision Program vs. early assurance programs: key differences

Early assurance programs allow current undergraduate students to secure a place at a participating medical school early in college—typically towards the end of sophomore year—prior to completing their premed course requirements, and often prior to taking the MCAT.

Most early assurance programs are only open to undergraduates from specific schools. For example, the early assurance programs at both Georgetown and Dartmouth are only available to undergraduates from those same schools, and the University of Rochester’s program is open to students from around a dozen partner colleges. However, there are a few early assurance programs that students from any undergraduate institution can apply to; examples include the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai’s FlexMed Program and SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Early Assurance Program.

The Early Decision Program, on the other hand, is for applicants who have completed their prerequisite courses and taken the MCAT. Rather than applying years before you normally would, as is the case with early assurance programs, your medical school application timeline is moved up by just a few months. And, where you complete your undergraduate education has minimal bearing on which Early Decision Programs you are eligible for. (Note: Some schools only allow EDP applications from in-state candidates—we’ll detail which schools in Part 5 of this guide).

Can you apply early to osteopathic (DO) medical schools?

Yes! While this guide primarily discusses applying early through the AMCAS Early Decision Program, the advice given here is also relevant if you want to apply early to an osteopathic medical school. Six osteopathic medical schools (listed at the end of this guide) offer EDPs of their own, and their timelines closely mirror those of their allopathic counterparts.

Applicants often wonder if they can apply early to an MD program and a DO program, since the two use different application systems. The answer here is no.

AACOMAS requires that “EDP applicants agree to apply to only one medical college through the process.” AMCAS is even more specific, noting that applicants must agree “not to apply through the Early Decision Program if they have already submitted an initial or secondary application (AMCAS or non-AMCAS) to a U.S. medical school for the current entering class.”

Therefore, it is clear that applying early means submitting an application to one school total, regardless of whether it is an MD or DO program.

Can you submit regular decision applications while waiting for an early decision response?

Nope—one means one! While it might be tempting to submit some more applications while you’re waiting on a response to your early application, this is generally not permissible.

AMCAS makes it clear that, once you’ve submitted an EDP application, you cannot apply to additional schools (AMCAS or non-AMCAS) until you’ve received a rejection or a formal release from the EDP commitment. Alternatively, if the October 1st EDP notification deadline has passed, you may start submitting additional applications, though it’s recommended that you first contact the school to which you applied early if you haven’t received an admissions decision.

Can you apply early as a reapplicant if you’re on a waitlist from the previous cycle?

Sometimes this question comes up from students who are reapplying to medical school. The answer is not clear cut, as different schools have different policies surrounding this issue.

As noted earlier, the AMCAS EDP rules restrict you from submitting multiple applications for the same entering class. But if you’re still waiting on a decision from a previous application cycle, there technically isn’t anything in the AMCAS system that prevents you from submitting an EDP application for the upcoming cycle.

That said, some medical schools have their own guidelines or restrictions in place around this question. Therefore, if you are on a waitlist, we highly recommended that you check with the school to which you plan to apply early.

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Part 2: Early Decision Program timeline 

The AMCAS deadline for early decision applications is August 1st. If you’re planning to apply early for a given cycle, you must make that decision before you submit your AMCAS primary and secondary.

Early decision applicants hear back no later than October 1st. If you’re rejected from your early decision school, you may then apply as a regular applicant to additional schools. But, as we’ll discuss momentarily, you’ll then be entering the regular cycle later than is ideal.

Because the AMCAS application opens at the same time for both regular and early applicants, many of the preparatory elements of the early timeline are identical to the recommended regular application timeline. Below, we’ve highlighted the key dates that are different between the regular and early decision application timeline for AMCAS and TMDSAS.

March–early April 

  • Submit your application to your early decision school of choice.

August–September

  • Attend the interview if granted one at your early decision school.

  • If rejected before the interview, either reapply to that school next cycle, or continue as a regular applicant.

    • If applying as a regular applicant, submit applications as soon as possible.

October 1st

  • If accepted by your early school: congratulations!

  • If rejected: pick your head up! Medical school admissions are extremely competitive and even applicants that are a good match for a particular school face rejection. Most people at this point should wait until the next cycle to apply rather than applying as a regular applicant—we’ll discuss this further in the pros and cons section below. 

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Part 3: Should you apply via the Early Decision Program? Pros and cons

For most applicants, the relative benefits of EDP are usually outweighed by the risks. In this section, we outline the pros and cons of the process. 

Pros of applying early decision

  1. Cost-saving: Applying to medical school is not cheap. For example, in 2021, ten AMCAS applications plus corresponding secondary applications cost an average of $1548. In contrast, one AMCAS application plus a secondary application costs $270. For students who don’t have disposable funds of that magnitude, the difference is significant. However, this should not be the sole reason for applying early decision. In fact, applying early could lead to further financial strain if a student has to reapply.

  2. Time-saving: A regular applicant who applies to 10 schools will need to begin preparing for the flood of secondaries immediately after submitting their primary applications, a time-intensive process. This can be a significant obstacle for an applicant juggling other responsibilities whether that be during college or after graduating. Consequently, the writing may be rushed and the quality of the essays may suffer. In contrast, a single early application is more manageable and can be done with care.

  3. Less stress during upper years of college: During junior and senior years, you’re taking more advanced courses—even pursuing senior capstones and theses –and preparing mentally to graduate. An early acceptance can mean one less thing to worry about.

Cons of applying early decision

  1. Ultra-competitiveness and unpredictability: The most selective medical schools offer admission to only 1 percent of applicants. However, unlike undergraduate admissions, there is no such thing as a “safety” school; some of the least selective medical schools still reject 85 percent of their applications! For EDP, acceptance percentages are even smaller, since medical schools only reserve a limited number of spots. Furthermore, medical school admissions as a whole are notoriously challenging and unpredictable, meaning even the most competitive applicant could be rejected from their early decision school for reasons that extend beyond stats. In our view, it’s almost always better to hedge your bets.

  2. Entering the admissions cycle “late”: Medical school admissions are rolling. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of acceptance. If an early applicant is rejected, they may then apply as a regular applicant no earlier than October 1st. By this time the applicant will be significantly behind other regular decision applicants.

    For example, Marcus applied regular decision and submitted his AMCAS application for verification on June 2nd. His application was verified on June 22nd. He received a secondary application from Dartmouth Medical School on July 2nd. He submitted the secondary application 2 weeks later. He received an interview on September 25th, nearly 2.5 months after submitting his secondary. He was accepted on November 20th.

    Marcus’s complete process from start to finish took nearly 5 months. Now imagine you are an early decision applicant that was rejected from your school of choice. You are now behind thousands of regular decision applicants, many of whom have already been interviewed and offered spots.

  3. No way out: You must be more than 100 percent sure that you’re ready to commit to one school and one school only. If you’ve been accepted early, you are obligated to attend, even if you have second thoughts about the school at a later date or find another school that is a better fit for you.

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Part 4: Tips for applying early decision 

If you still feel the school you’ve selected is a perfect match, you now need to convince admissions committee members that this is the case. This is done through your statements and interview. Below are some tips for writing personal statements, secondaries, and handling interviews through the lens of early decision. 

Early decision personal statement

An excellent medical school personal statement illustrates how the applicant became interested in medicine and how they validated that interest through clinical experiences, extracurriculars, and research.

For an early decision applicant, this personal statement writing process will be largely the same as it is for a regular decision applicant. However, by applying to only one school, your personal statement can also highlight why you would be a great fit for that school.

For example, Abigail grew up in rural West Virginia, where access to medical care is limited and drug abuse is rampant. Abigail committed much of her time in clinics within underserved areas, eventually becoming passionate about rural health disparities. Unsurprisingly, she decided to apply early to a medical school with a renowned rural health program.

So, Abigail made her interest in rural health the centerpiece of her personal statement, beginning by walking through her upbringing that exposed her to healthcare inequities, then connecting that experience to her forays into clinical shadowing at local underserved clinics, and finally tying in her undergraduate research on the epidemiology behind rural healthcare factors.

By doing so, Abigail showed the admissions committee that her driving passion fits perfectly with the school’s programmatic strength.

Early decision secondaries

Nearly every school will pose the following question to applicants in secondary applications: Why our school? For regular applicants, this question allows them to show genuine interest in the school. 

For early applicants, this question is even more crucial. Did the applicant apply early just to get the admissions process out of the way? Did they apply early to try to get a leg up on the competition? Or did they apply because they thoughtfully considered how the school is the best fit for their interests?

In your secondary, you should explain how your interests align with what the school offers. Perhaps you have a strong background in HIV/AIDS research and are looking for a program that emphasizes research experience and also has strong faculty members studying the human immune system. Or perhaps you are a primary caregiver in your home and have a compelling reason to stay in a specific locale.

The strongest secondary applications present multiple independent and well-developed reasons why an applicant believes that they are a strong candidate for a particular school.

Early decision interviews

Some of the strategies used to write great secondary essays also apply to your medical school interviews. You will likely be asked, “Why are you interested in our school in particular?” Rather than saying, “I like this school because there is a heavy emphasis on research during the first two years,” frame your answer relative to your interests.

For example:

Through my undergraduate research experiences and clinical shadowing, I came to realize the inseparable connection between research and oncology. Because of this, I decided that I wanted to attend a medical school with both a strong oncology program and an emphasis on research, two areas this medical school excels in.

Remember, you are building a case for why you deserve one of the school’s coveted early decision spots and how you’ll make the most of what the school has to offer. Don’t be shy in talking about yourself.

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Part 5: Frequently asked questions about early decision for medical school

Does early decision increase your chances of acceptance?

With the many advantages to applying through early decision, there seems to be speculation that doing so may somewhat increase your chances of acceptance. 

For instance, some prefer going this route since you can only apply early to one medical school at a time and since application decisions must be made by October 1. The hard deadline in the fall prevents students from waiting several months for a decision. 

Additionally, since you must wait until you’ve been rejected before applying to another school, you can focus on one application instead of dozens at a time. 

While there are certainly advantages to early decision, there is no statistically significant evidence that early decision increases your chances of acceptance into medical school. In fact, it can be risky if you are only applying to a school to get an early decision rather than because you genuinely want to attend that specific school. 

Is early decision harder than regular? 

In some respects, acceptance into medical school through early decision can be more complex than gaining acceptance via regular admissions. 

Each year, only around 40% of medical school applicants are accepted into medical schools overall. On top of that, the most selective medical schools only admit 1% to 3% of applicants. Furthermore, medical schools reserve limited spots for early decision acceptees. As you can imagine, a student would need a highly impressive application to secure a spot through early decision. 

Additionally, while you will positively receive your early decision response by October 1, it’s entirely likely that you may not receive a response from your school until closer to October 1. If rejected, you must continue applying to schools, but you will be a late applicant. This can place you at a significant disadvantage, especially for schools that review applications on a rolling basis. 

Does early decision mean you have to attend? 

Yes. The early decision process involves committing to attend the school that offers you a spot of acceptance. Each school will have its own guidelines and conditions, so you must familiarize yourself with their early decision program. 

Does early decision hurt scholarships for medical school?

According to US News, applying to college through early decision could impact merit-based scholarships. The reasoning is that schools often use such scholarships to entice students to apply. Since early decision applicants express their definite interest in and commitment to the school, a school would be less inclined to offer merit scholarships. 

With this in mind, it stands to reason that it could have a similar effect on merit scholarships to medical school. 

Granted, there are plenty of scholarships available for medical school, but it’s a good idea to check with the school to see if early decision can impact the school’s financial aid package. 

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Part 6: List of early decision medical schools

Below is a comprehensive list of all allopathic medical schools participating in the Early Decision Program, based on data from the AAMC. Note that, for some medical schools, the EDP is open only to in-state residents. 

Allopathic (MD) medical schools

(This list has been updated for the 2023–2024 application cycle.)

* For in-state or in-region residents only

Early decision programs are an option whether you’re interested in an MD program or a DO program. Below is a comprehensive list of all osteopathic medical schools participating in the Early Decision Program based on data from AACOM.

Osteopathic (DO) medical schools

(This list is current as of January 2024.)

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About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.

 
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Dr. Shemmassian

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and well-known expert on college admissions, medical school admissions, and graduate school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into elite institutions.