MD · Boston, MA · private · applies through AMCAS
Harvard Medical School
Known as Harvard
Prerequisite coursework
Verify with the school| Course | Status | Hours | Lab | Pass/fail | AP credit | Online | Community college | Notes from the school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology BIOL | Required | — | Yes | No | No | Case-by-case No policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements however courses taken in person are strongly preferred. Lab Sciences requirements should not be taken online. | No | One year with lab experience (one semester of lab experience should be with corresponding coursework; however, second semester lab may be fulfilled by independent laboratory based research) is required. Should include cellular and molecular aspects AP credits cannot be used; however, if students have earned college credit for biology through AP coursework, upper level courses in biology will satisfy this requirement. |
| Chemistry CHEM | Required | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case No policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements however courses taken in person are strongly preferred. Lab Sciences requirements should not be taken online. | No | Two years of chemistry (four courses) including inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry are required. Lab experience required AP credits that enable you to take a higher-level course will satisfy one semester of inorganic chemistry |
| Composition & Rhetoric ENGL | Required | — | No | No | No | Case-by-case No policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements however courses taken in person are strongly preferred. | No | One year is required. AP credits cannot be used Writing intensive courses are preferred Humanities or social science courses involving substantial expository writing will satisfy this requirement |
| Mathematics MATH | Recommended | — | No | No | No | Case-by-case No policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements however courses taken in person are strongly preferred. Lab Sciences requirements should not be taken online. | No | Pathways- Encouraged to complete one year of coursework in mathematics, including one semester each of calculus and statistics (preferably biostatistics) HST –Coursework that includes upper-level mathematics (typically to include differential equations and/or linear algebra)* is strongly encouraged, although evidence of comparable engagement with analytic and computational tools through other activities will be considered. Statistics (preferably biostatistics) is also encouraged |
| Physics PHYS | Required | — | No | No | Yes | Case-by-case No policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements however courses taken in person are strongly preferred. Lab Sciences requirements should not be taken online. | No | One year is required. Lab experience is desirable but not required Pathways- AP credits that enable you to take an upper-level course will meet one semester HST- One year of physics must be taken at the college level. Candidates are strongly encouraged to meet this prerequisite with at least one year in calculus-based physics* |
| Psychology BESS | Recommended | — | No | Case-by-case Courses taken for a grade are strongly preferred. | No | Case-by-case HMS does not have a specific policy restricting the use of online courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements; however, courses taken in person are strongly preferred. . | No | All applicants are encouraged to complete coursework in the behavioral sciences. Courses in the fields of psychology, sociology, as well as other disciplines, are suggested. |
Community-college pathways
Please review our website to see detailed information regarding our pre-requisites: https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/preparing-apply/prerequisite-courses
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Admission policies, in the school's words
Please visit our website for more information regarding our admissions policies: https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/preparing-apply/policies
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Who can apply
- Out-of-state applicants
- Yes n/a
- Canadian applicants
- Yes n/a
- International applicants
- Yes Please see our website for more information regarding international applicants. https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/mdprogram/admissions/preparing-apply/eligibility
- DACA applicants
- Yes Please see our website for more information.
- DACA details
- Please see our website for more information.
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Interview
- Format
- One-on-one; scheduled selectively.
- Invitations sent
- Early September
- Typical interview day
- Candidates who are invited to interview will receive an email from the Office of the Committee on Admissions regarding available interview dates as well as information about the day itself.
- Regional interviews
- No.
- Video interviews
- Interviews will be conducted virtually for the 2027 cycle.
Tags are derived from the text above by keyword; read the text before relying on a tag.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Situational-judgment tests and MCAT dates
- Casper
- Not on official list source
- AAMC PREview
- Not used "We are not using PREview scores in the admissions" source
- Latest MCAT considered
- September 12, 2026
- Oldest MCAT considered
- January 2023
Casper status comes from the school's own admissions page where it states one, otherwise from published requirement lists; PREview from the school's page or the AAMC PREview policies report. Both change between cycles. Verify with the school.
Secondary application
- Required
- Yes
- Fee
- $100
- Fee waiver available
- Yes
- Deadline
- Oct 22, 2026 October 22, 2026
- Who receives it
- All verified applicants.
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Letters of evaluation
- Committee letter
- Preferred
- Letter packet
- Accepted
- Individual letters
- Accepted
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Waitlist and deposit
- Typical waitlist positions
- Varies each cycle
- Offers made from the waitlist
- —
- Procedure
- If offered a position on the waitlist, the Office of Committee on Admissions will be in touch with information regarding the procedures of the waitlist.
- Deposit required
- No
Cost of attendance and debt
| In state | Out of state | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $76,421 | $76,421 |
| Health insurance | $4,308 | $4,308 |
| Total cost of attendance, year 1 | $113,489 | $115,569 |
74% of students receive aid. Average indebtedness of indebted graduates: $119,656.
Official AAMC counts, 2025-2026
- Applications
- 8,275 (8.3% in-state)
- Matriculants
- 165 (15.2% in-state, 84.8% out-of-state; 57.6% women)
- Applications per seat
- 50
Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Entering class 2026
- Applicants
- 7,734
- Interviewed
- 757
- Accepted
- 215
- Matriculated
- 165
- MCAT (mean)
- 521.07
- GPA (mean)
- 3.96
Source: the school's published class profile (page), retrieved 2026-10-13. Statistics describe one entering class and are not cutoffs.
Transfer applications
No
Mission statement
To nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership. For more information about our Culture & Community Values, please visit our website: https://hms.harvard.edu/about-hms/campus-culture/mission-community-values
Notes
Admissions at a Glance, Entering Class of 2026: 7,734 applications, 757 interviewed, 215 offers of admission, class size 165 (Pathways 135, HST 30; MD-PhD listed as 20); average MCAT 521.07 (BBFL 130.57, CARS 129.25, CPBS 130.42, PSBB 130.82); average GPA 3.96; median age 23 (range 21–33); 74% science/math/engineering majors. No minimum GPA or MCAT; MCAT scores older than three years must be retaken and all valid scores are considered; supplemental application fee $100 (waived with AMCAS fee waiver).
Sources for this page
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- School website (class profile and admissions pages)
- LCME Directory - Accredited Programs
- AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/admissions-glance · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://hms.harvard.edu/education-admissions/md-program/admissions/submitting-application · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
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