Perelman School of Medicine: Acceptance Rate, Requirements & Strategies (2026)
Perelman School of Medicine has a ~3.5% acceptance rate, average MCAT of 521.7, and average GPA of 3.94. Learn what it takes to get in with admissions strategies for 2026.
Perelman School of Medicine is consistently highly ranked
Perelman School of Medicine: overview and what makes it unique
Perelman School of Medicine quick facts
Living in Philadelphia as a Perelman Student
Perelman School of Medicine MD programs: four-year MD, MD/PhD, and dual degrees
Perelman School of Medicine tuition and financial aid
Perelman School of Medicine class profile (2025–2026): acceptance rate, MCAT, GPA, and requirements
Perelman School of Medicine application timeline and deadlines
Perelman School of Medicine secondary essays: prompts, examples, and strategies
Perelman School of Medicine interview: format and preparation
Perelman School of Medicine frequently asked questions
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Perelman School of Medicine: overview and what makes it unique
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, aka Penn Medicine, is not only the oldest medical school in the country—it’s also one of the most renowned. Ranked #3 on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the top research medical schools prior to opting out of the ranking system in 2024-25, UPenn Medical School has been producing leaders in the medical field for more than two centuries.
Some of the most important medical advancements of the last 100 years have been developed by UPenn Medical School alumni. As an Ivy League institution, the Perelman School of Medicine has high standards and low admission rates and will be a reach school for anyone. Test scores and excellent grades can help you get your foot in the door, but it’s the qualitative aspects of your application, especially the supplemental essays, that can make the biggest difference and set you apart.
Here, we’ll run through strategies and examples that will strengthen your UPenn Medical School supplemental essays, as well as provide pointers for tackling your interview.
A number of our students get into UPenn Medical School each year. Want to learn how?
Get our free 102-page guide to help you with every step: Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat
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Living in Philadelphia as a Perelman Student
Philadelphia is one of the most underrated cities in the country for medical school, and if you end up at Perelman, you're going to discover that quickly. Penn's campus sits in West Philadelphia, directly adjacent to University City, a neighborhood that has become one of the most dynamic academic and research hubs on the East Coast, home to both Penn and Drexel and anchored by a concentration of hospitals, biotech startups, and research institutions that makes the area feel genuinely alive with the kind of work you'll be doing.
Beyond campus, Philadelphia proper offers everything you'd want from a major city: a growing and exciting food scene, world-class museums including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation, professional sports teams, and a walkable, neighborhood-driven layout that makes it easy to build a real life outside of the hospital.
Compared to New York or Boston, the cost of living is manageable for a medical student. You can rent a comfortable apartment in neighborhoods like Rittenhouse Square, Graduate Hospital, or Fairmount for a fraction of what you'd pay in comparable Manhattan or Cambridge neighborhoods.
And the history is inescapable in the best way: Philadelphia is the birthplace of American medicine, home to Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in the United States, founded in 1751 with Benjamin Franklin among its founders, and the sense that you're training in a city where medicine has mattered for centuries adds a dimension to the experience that newer medical centers simply can't replicate.
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Perelman School of Medicine MD programs: four-year MD, MD/PhD, and dual degrees
The Perelman School of Medicine offers several ways to attain the MD:
The Traditional Four-Year MD Program at Perelman
If you're applying to Perelman's four-year MD program, you'll be training within one of the most distinctive medical curricula in the country: a program called IMPaCT (Integrating Medicine, Patient Care, Transitions), built around three interlocking cores that carry you from foundational science through clinical training and into your final transition to residency. The curriculum is organized around three themes that run throughout all four years: the science of medicine, the technology and practice of medicine, and professionalism and humanism, meaning you're never just memorizing biochemistry in isolation, but constantly connecting what you're learning in the classroom to what it means to care for patients. The curriculum is also integrated into active clinical and research spaces through the Henry A. Jordan Medical Education Center, one of the first medical education buildings in the country built directly alongside the hospitals and labs where you'll actually be working, which means from your very first year, you're training where medicine is actually happening, not just reading about it.
The MD/PhD Program (MSTP) at Perelman
If you're drawn to a career as a physician-scientist — someone who splits their professional life between caring for patients and conducting research — Penn's Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is one of the most competitive and comprehensive MD/PhD pathways in the country. In the most recent application cycle, Penn MSTP received 914 applications (nearly half of the entire national MD-PhD applicant pool), interviewed 119 candidates, and admitted a class of just 25, making it exceptionally selective even by the standards of Perelman's MD program.
The program currently has 230 MD/PhD trainees enrolled across 12 PhD programs:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Cell and Molecular Biology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Immunology
Genomics and Computational Biology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Bioengineering
Anthropology
Chemistry
History and Sociology of Science
Health Care Management and Economics
This breadth reflects Penn's unique advantage of having 12 schools on a single contiguous campus.
Sometimes when you’re researching programs of interest, it is hard to know what each program wants from its applicants. When it comes to what the admissions committee is actually looking for, Perelman wants to see sustained research experience (typically at least one year in the same lab or with the same mentor), well-articulated goals that align with training as a physician-scientist, and strong letters from faculty who can speak to your potential in both medicine and research. Successful applicants over the past five years have averaged a GPA of 3.94 and an MCAT of 521, though the committee is explicit that the MCAT is just one factor among many.
Notably, publications are not required, gap years are neither expected nor discouraged, and applicants from all backgrounds, including first-generation college students, are actively welcomed. If you're currently undecided between the MD and MD/PhD tracks, you should apply to the MD program. You'll have the opportunity to apply to join the MSTP during your first or second year of medical school if your goals become clearer, and the program does admit a small number of students through this internal pathway each year.
MD/Master's Dual Degree Programs at Perelman
If you're interested in combining your MD with specialized graduate training, Perelman offers one of the most extensive menus of dual degree options you'll find at any medical school in the country. The core MD/Master's programs span research-focused tracks (the MD/MSTR in Translational Research and the MD/MSHP in Health Policy Research) as well as more specialized training paths including the MD/MBA in Healthcare Administration, the MD/MBE in Bioethics, the MD/MPH in Public Health, and the MD/ML in Health Law.
No matter where your interests lie, the odds are good that Perelman offers a program to fit your needs. Penn's unified campus opens the door to a range of combinations, including the MD/MSCE in Clinical Epidemiology and even an MS in Nutrition Science. Most programs are designed to be completed in five years, with the bulk of master's coursework taking place in the year between your third and fourth years of medical school, and a few — the MD/MBE and MD/ML in particular — can be completed in four years with careful planning.
Before you apply, you're strongly encouraged to attend PSOM information sessions, connect with current MD/Master's students through program directories, and meet with Penn's Director of Financial Services to understand the financial aid implications, since MD scholarship funding does not apply to master's tuition. You'll typically apply to your master's program in the fall of your third year of medical school, though application deadlines vary by program.
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Perelman School of Medicine tuition and financial aid
Base tuition and fees for Penn Medicine in 2026–2027 run $80,511. Taking into consideration living expenses, travel costs, books, and other expenses, UPenn recommends a yearly budget of $117,173 for first-year students.
This may seem high, but UPenn offers a number of need-based scholarships and fixed-interest loans. There are also 35 full tuition scholarships given annually on the basis of student excellence as part of the Twenty-First Century Scholars Program. The class of 2024 graduated with an average of $150,000 in debt.
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Perelman School of Medicine class profile (2025–2026): acceptance rate, MCAT, GPA
UPenn Medical School admissions statistics
UPenn Medical School’s current matriculation rate is 2.4%, and we can look to admissions statistics for the class of 2029 to see that Penn Medicine’s standards are stringent:
Matriculants: 153 (91.6% out-of-state, 8.4% in-state)
Mean GPA: 3.94
Mean MCAT: 521.7
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
UPenn Medical School admissions requirements
The Perelman School of Medicine does not require applicants to complete specific coursework. However, successful applicants will demonstrate the following competencies:
English/communication
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Math
Behavioral disciplines (e.g. history, philosophy, ethics, anthropology, and others)
Furthermore, the MCAT must be taken within three years of applying. If you’re aiming to matriculate in the fall of 2027, your MCAT score must be earned between January 2023 and September 2026.
According to the UPenn Medical School website, students with degrees from foreign institutions (with the exception of Canada) “must complete a full-time year of science (biology, chemistry and physics) coursework before applying.”
Many applicants to prestigious medical schools like Perelman will meet the coursework standards and have impressive grades and test scores. However, the admissions committee will also want to see candidates who exhibit leadership and compassion, candidates who are intellectually curious and devoted to a field of study. Furthermore, they are interested in supporting candidates who’ve overcome hardships in their lives and can contribute to the diversity of the matriculating class. There’s no better place to showcase these attributes than in your supplemental essays.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
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Perelman School of Medicine application timeline and deadlines
To apply to UPenn Medical School, you should submit your AMCAS application according to the following timeline:
May, 2026: AMCAS application opens
July-November, 2026: AMCAS applications transmitted to UPenn
August 1, 2026: AMCAS application deadline for Early Decision
August 15, 2026: UPenn secondary application deadline for Early Decision
October 1, 2026: Early Decision applicants notified
October 15 (11:59pm ET), 2026: AMCAS application deadline
November 15 (11:59pm ET), 2026: UPenn secondary application deadline
September, 2026 - January, 2027: Interview Invitations are released
March, 2027: Admission decisions are released
Although you can submit your UPenn application well into the fall, it’s in your best interest to submit your materials as early as possible. Competitive applicants often submit their personal statements and supplemental essays as early as June or July of the year they’re applying.
As noted above, the Perelman School of Medicine has an Early Decision program. The admissions website states that successful Early Decision applicants will meet the average GPA and MCAT scores of the most recent entering class, and it recommends that applicants consult with the Office of Admissions prior to June 1 of the year they’re applying.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
Learn everything you need to know to get into schools like the Perelman School of Medicine
Get our free 102-page guide: Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat
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Perelman School of Medicine secondary essays: prompts, examples, and strategies
With your medical school personal statement completed, you’ll be ready to tackle the UPenn secondary essays. Here, you’ll find the 2025–2026 prompts. For Question 1, you’ll also find strategies for answering the question, an example essay response, and a detailed breakdown of why that response works so well for the given prompt.
Question 1: Were there challenges related to your academic professional and/or personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share with the committee? (Y/N) (If yes, 500 characters max.)
Chances are, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your life in some way. As you respond to this prompt, you’ll want to keep your answer focused on how your education or personal life changed and describe how that may have obstructed your path to medical school. For instance, perhaps testing centers near you were closed and, in turn, your MCAT test date got pushed back. Or, maybe you faced the untimely death of a loved one during the pandemic.
Whatever story you tell, focusing on any lessons you learned or ways you adapted will show resilience and the ability to adjust to quickly changing circumstances. This prompt is not simply asking you to explain why the pandemic caused you to hit a few obstacles, it’s asking you to explain what you did in response to those obstacles. How can you use these events to portray yourself as a leader? How can you show that you’re a decisive and committed individual to the practice of medicine?
Regardless of your situation, keep your response factual, to the point, and ultimately positive as you demonstrate that those changes have no bearing on your candidacy for medical school.
Here’s one example of how you might answer this prompt:
Due to COVID, my MCAT was canceled twice, which delayed my application. Moreover, the closure of my campus housing led me to quarantine with my family, which includes my parents and grandparents, who have multiple chronic health conditions. For their safety, and to meet the requirements of MCAT testing centers, I had to temporarily leave my work as an EMT. My hospice volunteering program was closed. I used this time to make masks for the local hospital and work as an online COVID test scheduler.
What makes this an effective response?
When answering a COVID response, it’s important not to sound like you’re making any excuses for poor academic performance or if your MCAT test score isn’t as high as you’d like. With this in mind, this response works because it’s straightforward and showed that the student was determined not to let changes in their plans stop them from pursuing medical school.
Additionally, their singularity of purpose didn’t affect their concern for others, as is shown by their ability to be flexible regarding their job and the MCAT so as not to infect immunocompromised individuals.
In our guide on secondary essays, we’ve included information on COVID essays along with another example.
Question 2: During the COVID-19 pandemic, if you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you elected Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here. (500 characters)
Question 3: Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation? (Y/N) If yes, please describe your activities during this time in 500 characters or less.
Question 4: Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? (Y/N) (If yes, 1000 characters max.)
Question 5: How would your life experiences contribute to Perelman? Please explain and limit your response to 1,000 characters.
Question 6: We are all navigating through challenging times at home and abroad, and physicians and physician-scientists must contend with many instances of uncertainty. Please describe a time when you faced a situation that was ambiguous, confusing, or uncertain, and how you navigated making a decision without complete information. (3000 characters)
Question 7: Have you or your family experienced economic hardships, regardless of current income status? (Y/N) (If yes, 1000 characters max.)
Question 8: Please share your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine. (note 1,000-character limit)
MD-PhD prompts
Question 1: Please use keywords or phrases, separated by commas, to identify your research interests more specifically. Do not use tabs or add lines by hitting the enter key. There is a limit of 500 characters.
Question 2: List you research experience chronologically, starting with the most recent, and including your anticipated experience for the remainder of this academic year. For each experience, please provide clear information about the time commitment. (For instance, if you worked continuously in one lab for a year, putting in full time hours during the summer, and part time hours during the school year, you might state: "full time (about 50 hours a week) from mid May until the end of August, continuing part time (about 10 hours a week) from September to April". Note that if you worked two summers in the same lab, but did *not* work in that lab at all during the school year, these should be listed as two separate research experiences.)
For each experience, indicate whether your mentor will provide a letter of recommendation. If you do not select a letter from an individual with whom you had an extensive research experience, please provide an explanation in the comments section.
Question 3: If you are out of undergrad and are currently doing research, please list your primary institution for the coming year below. (This will also be included in the summary above, but is helpful to us to have as a separate data field)
Question 4: How many months of FT research effort do you expect to have had by August of next year when you would join our program? We are asked to report this data to NIH for matriculants.
Calculation Instructions: For many individuals, this value will reflect months of summer research experience or full-time research experience following college. Part-time research, for example during the school year, should be converted to full time - e.g., 15 hrs/week for 8 months = 3 months. (Here’s how the calculation works. When converting part time to full time, we use a standard 40 hour work week. So, we take 15 and divide by 40 = .375 (aka ~37.5% of full time). 8 months times .375 gives you 3 months). If you worked full time in a lab for 6 months and you averaged a lot more than 40 hours a week, it still only counts as 6 months full time – don’t adjust for that. We only use the 40 hour standard when converting part time experiences. Labs associated with a course, such as an organic chemistry course lab, should NOT be included.
Question 5: If you have publications as the result of your research, please provide the full citations here. It would be helpful to distinguish them using the following categories: Published/peer reviewed, published/not peer reviewed, submitted and under revision. Please note that manuscripts "in prep" should not be included. You may add other descriptors or information if helpful. If you do not have any publications at this time, please indicate that (eg by typing "no publications yet").
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Perelman School of Medicine interview: format and preparation
If you’ve been invited to interview at UPenn Medical School, you’re one of the lucky few who have made it past the first round of the selection process. It means that the admissions committee was impressed by your credentials on paper. Now they want to see if you seem like a good match one-on-one.
The Perelman School of Medicine uses a standard (non-MMI) interview format. As confirmed in July of 2026 with the admissions office at Perelman, interviews will be conducted virtually.
Because the Perelman School of Medicine is so focused on research, you can be sure your interlocuters will ask in-depth questions about the research experiences you’ve listed in your secondary essays. Make sure you’re up to speed on whatever you’ve listed. It would be a good idea to read further into the topics as they relate to the specific research programs at UPenn, but don’t exaggerate or assume expertise when your interviewer might well be a leader in the field.
If you have a personal connection to UPenn–either the medical school, the university, or even the hospital, feel free to mention it during your interview since you won’t have the opportunity in your secondary essays. Your interviewers will want to see that you’re passionate about the school and a personal connection will only help to illustrate this.
While there’s no way to know exactly what you’ll be asked, we’ve come across some common questions that come up during Perelman interviews that we’ve listed below:
What is your greatest weakness?
Why do you want to become a doctor?
Tell me about x experience.
What do you like about Perelman?
Tell me about yourself.
What impact do you want to make on the field of medicine?
Tell me three things about you that make you a good leader.
What is the meaning you attribute to life?
What do you like to do in your free time?
These questions point to the admissions committee at Perelman wanting to get a deeper understanding of what makes you tick and what you want to contribute to medicine. Questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What is your greatest weakness?” are standard interview fare, but would you have a decent response for “What is the meaning you attribute to life?” How about “What impact do you want to make on the field of medicine?” which is a fantastic place to mention your research interests and segue into why Perelman is the best place to do that.
By thinking ahead and strategizing your approach to the interview in this way, you’re much more likely to feel confident when speaking which will help your interviewer to see you for the top-tier candidate you truly are.
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Perelman School of Medicine frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at Perelman School of Medicine?
While not publishing an exact acceptance rate, Perelman School of Medicine has a matriculation rate of 2.16%, with 153 students enrolling from a pool of 7,097 applicants in the most recent admissions cycle. It is one of the most selective medical schools in the country, so a strong, well-rounded application is essential.
What MCAT score do I need for Perelman School of Medicine?
The average MCAT score among matriculants is 521–522, with a range of 513–528. While there is no published minimum, scoring on the low end of the listed range will put you at a significant disadvantage given the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
What GPA do I need to get into Perelman School of Medicine?
The average GPA among enrolled students is 3.94, with a range of 3.25–4.00 across the entering class. Perelman does not publish a minimum GPA requirement, but given the averages, a highly competitive science GPA and overall GPA are advisable for candidacy.
Does Perelman School of Medicine have prerequisite courses?
Perelman does not require specific prerequisite courses, but you are expected to demonstrate competency in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, mathematics, and behavioral disciplines such as psychology, sociology, history, or ethics. If it has been more than five years since you completed your last BCPM coursework, consider refresher courses before applying.
What is the interview format at Perelman School of Medicine?
Perelman uses a traditional interview format. Unlike some peer institutions, Perelman does not use the MMI format, so expect a conversational, one-on-one evaluation of your goals, experiences, and fit with the school's values.
Does Perelman prefer in-state applicants?
As a private institution, Perelman does not give preference to Pennsylvania residents — only 8.4% of the most recent entering class were in-state students, with 91.6% coming from out of state. You will be evaluated on the same criteria regardless of where you live.
Does Perelman School of Medicine have an Early Decision Program?
Yes, Perelman offers an Early Decision Program, but it is extremely limited in scope and highly selective. Applicants must meet the average GPA and MCAT of the most recent entering class and should consult with the Office of Admissions before June 1 of the year they are applying. If you are admitted through EDP, you will be notified by the end of September and are expected to withdraw all other applications.
How long does it take to hear back from Perelman after applying?
Perelman uses rolling admissions, meaning applications are reviewed as they are received — submitting your AMCAS application early in the cycle (ideally in June) and completing your secondary promptly gives you a meaningful advantage. The primary application deadline is October 15, with complete applications due November 15, and interview invitations are extended on a rolling basis throughout the fall.
Can international students apply to Perelman School of Medicine?
Yes, Perelman welcomes applications from international students, including DACA and undocumented students. However, if you received your bachelor's degree from an institution outside the United States or Canada, you must complete a full year of full-time science coursework (biology, chemistry, and physics) at a U.S. institution before applying. Canadian degrees are exempt from this requirement.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
Few medical degrees carry the prestige of an Ivy League institution. Applying to the Perelman School of Medicine can seem both exciting and intimidating for that reason. But if you’re a gifted premed with superb grades and test scores, UPenn Medical School may well be within your reach. Fine-tuning your supplemental essays to emphasize your research experience and your compatibility with the university will help you stand apart from the other applicants and strengthen your prospects of admission.
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 over 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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