How to Get Into Cornell Medical School | Requirements + Tips

Follow our tips, tricks, and expert advice to learn how to get into Weill Cornell Medicine.

If you’re just here for the requirements, click here.

Weill Cornell Medicine Acceptance Rate: 1.44%

The acceptance rate at Weill Cornell Medicine is 1.44%.  Last year, Weill Cornell Medicine received a total of 7,345 applications and 106 students matriculated, according to the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database. This official AAMC resource reports GPA, MCAT medians, and admissions data. That means your odds of getting into Weill Cornell Medicine are fewer than 2 in 100.

Below is a table highlighting Weill Cornell Medicine’s acceptance rate over the previous four admissions cycles, according to archived data from the AAMC.

The average acceptance rate at Weill Cornell Medicine across the past four years is 1.40%, which also means the average rejection rate is 98.60%. On average, about 71 applicants competed for each available seat at Weill Cornell Medicine over the last four years.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Weill Cornell Medicine?

It’s very difficult to get into Weill Cornell Medicine. In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Weill Cornell Medicine admitted fewer than 2 applicants for every 100. Weill Cornell Medicine receives enough qualified applications to fill its incoming class 68 times over. Your application must be exceptional, as even qualified applicants are often rejected.

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We created the Weill Cornell Medicine Admissions Difficulty Scale by comparing acceptance rates and overall selectivity across all accredited US medical schools.

What is Weill Cornell Medicine's Acceptance Rate for In-State Applicants?

The approximate acceptance rate for in-state applicants at Weill Cornell Medicine is 2.05%. Last year, Weill Cornell Medicine received 1,218 verified in-state applications and 25 students matriculated. That means your odds of matriculating as an in-state applicant are 2 in 100.

In-state applicants make up about 16.6% of the entire Weill Cornell Medicine application pool. This relatively small proportion is likely due to Weill Cornell’s status as a private Ivy League medical school with a national and international reputation, meaning it attracts a much broader applicant base beyond New York State residents.

What is Weill Cornell Medicine's Acceptance Rate for Out-of-State Applicants?

The approximate acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants at Weill Cornell Medicine is 1.35%. Last year, Weill Cornell Medicine received 5,696 verified out-of-state applications and 77 students matriculated. That means your odds of getting into Weill Cornell Medicine as an out-of-state applicant are fewer than 2 in 100.

Out-of-state applicants account for approximately 77.6% of all applications to Weill Cornell Medicine. This high percentage reflects the school’s strong national prestige, competitive programs, and desirable location in New York City, which draws aspiring physicians from across the United States regardless of residency.

What is Weill Cornell Medicine's Acceptance Rate for International Students?

The approximate acceptance rate for international students at Weill Cornell Medicine is 0.093%. Last year, Weill Cornell Medicine received 431 verified international applications and 4 students matriculated. That means your odds of getting into Weill Cornell Medicine as an out-of-state applicant are fewer than 1 in 100.

International applicants represent about 5.9% of the Weill Cornell Medicine application pool. While the proportion is small, it underscores the school’s global recognition and its appeal to top-tier candidates worldwide, despite the additional hurdles of securing visas, meeting U.S. licensing requirements, and facing highly competitive admission odds for non-U.S. citizens.

How Many People Apply to Weill Cornell Medicine Every Year?

The average number of applications Weill Cornell Medicine received in the last four admissions cycles was 7,345. This means that both traditional and non-traditional applicants compete in one of the most crowded and competitive applicant pools in the country, so standing out requires not only exceptional academics but also a compelling, well-rounded profile that aligns with Weill Cornell Medicine’s values and mission.

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Weill Cornell Medicine

Here are expert tips to improve your chances of getting into Weill Cornell Medicine.

1. Highlight Clinical and Community Engagement in Urban and Underserved Settings

Weill Cornell Medicine wants students who can demonstrate a track record of thriving in urban environments and addressing urban health disparities. The opportunities an urban environments give you "fundamentally affected my medical school career" as there are just so many "unconventional opportunities both in patient care and research," according to Alex Raghunandan, a current medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine and admissions counselor at Inspira Advantage, who recently spoke about his experience in a recent webinar.

If you're located in NYC, you could get involved in opportunities such as:

• NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital volunteer programs (a Cornell-affiliated hospital)
• Weill Cornell’s Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program (for underrepresented students)
• Community health initiatives in Harlem, the Bronx, or Queens, especially those tied to immigrant or underserved populations

Mention these experiences in your secondary essays. Reflect on how the city’s diversity, complexity, and healthcare inequalities shaped your path in medicine.

Raghunandan highlights that New York is the perfect state to gain diverse clinical exposure, which Weill Cornell Medicine loves to see. If you’re applying as an in-state applicant, gaining NYC clinical experience should be straightforward. 

However, if you’re applying as an out-of-state applicant, brainstorm ways you can still acquire that diverse clinical experience akin to NYC.

2. Mirror the Values of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Curriculum in Your Essays

Weill Cornell Medicine restructured its MD curriculum to emphasize an “integration of scientific and clinical learning” from day one and a high degree of individualization via the Areas of Concentration (AOC). Most applicants skip over this nuance in their writing.

To stand out, study the curriculum page and directly reference specific features like:

• The “Patients, Populations, and Systems” course
• The early Longitudinal Clinical Experience
• The option to pursue an AOC in Global Health, Medical Ethics, or Health Policy

When incorporating these features into your essays, show how they connect to your own journey. For example:

• If you’ve done public health research, explain how the “Patients, Populations, and Systems” course would give you the framework to expand that work into practice.
• If you value patient continuity, connect your experiences shadowing or volunteering to the benefits of longitudinal clinical exposure.
• If you’ve worked abroad or studied health policy, highlight how an AOC in Global Health or Health Policy would deepen and formalize your training.

Weill Cornell Medicine also emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, giving students opportunities to engage with experts across fields like biomedical research, business, and policy. 

Applicants who can demonstrate curiosity outside of medicine, or a desire to bridge medicine with another field, will resonate strongly with the curriculum’s vision.

3. Show Significant Evidence of Research Experience

Weill Cornell Medicine is part of the Tri-Institutional collaboration with Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering. This signals how central research is to their identity, even for MD-only students.

According to the AAMC, 99% of Weill Cornell matriculants had research experience, sustained over nearly four consecutive years. This means that only about 1% of matriculants lacked research on their application, which strongly signifies that research experience appears to be almost non-negotiable for Weill Cornell Medicine applicants.

If you haven’t conducted hypothesis-driven research, you could be at a significant disadvantage. You can easily fix this by:

• Getting involved in wet lab or translational research in a biomed or cancer research setting
• Targeting summer research fellowships at institutions affiliated with Cornell, Sloan Kettering, or Rockefeller
• Preparing a concise but technical description of your research for the AMCAS experience section, highlighting your role in experimental design, data analysis, and any presentation/poster you produced

If you’ve published an article (even in a student journal), talk about your experience in your application. If you haven’t, be clear about ongoing work and what stage it’s in because Weill Cornell Medicine wants future physician-scientists.

Raghunandan reinforces this by highlighting:

“Research is a major part of medical school—you’re expected to contribute, whether it’s clinical research or bench work. That independence is built into the curriculum.”

That means having research experience is essential to your Weill Cornell Medicine acceptance. But it’s better to have specific NYC-based research experience than just generic experience, as admissions officers want evidence of your ability to work with a diverse population.

4. Show Your Commitment to Global Health Through Volunteer, Clinical, and Shadowing Experience

Weill Cornell Medicine has one of the strongest global health programs in the country. It offers electives in Tanzania, Brazil, Haiti, and India, and they expect many of their students to be globally-minded.

But vague statements like “I want to work globally” won’t help increase your admissions chances. Instead:

• Show that you’ve already volunteered, interned, or researched in a global health setting (even virtually).
• Reference specific countries or health crises that you’ve worked with or studied.
• Connect your work to Weill Cornell Medicine’s Global Health Education Program (GHEP).

Applicants who demonstrate understanding of past global engagement, especially in resource-limited settings, are significantly more competitive at Weill Cornell Medicine than those who simply claim general interest.

5. Prepare for an MMI-Style Interview

Weill Cornell Medicine doesn’t use traditional interview panels. It conducts MMI, which simulates ethical dilemmas, team scenarios, and interpersonal challenges.

Prep specifically for:

• Ethical questions around healthcare rationing, reproductive rights, vaccine hesitancy, and resource allocation
• Scenarios that test empathy, boundaries, and cultural competence
• Rapid judgment calls where you must weigh nuance, not just give “correct” answers

Practice with real-time coaching or mock MMIs. Interviewers want to see self-awareness, maturity, and clarity under pressure, especially in moral gray areas. Intelligence is assumed. Admissions officers look for emotional intelligence.

6. Work With an Expert Counselor

One of the best ways to improve your chances of admission to Weill Cornell Medicine is by working with an expert counselor. Inspira Advantage has over 15 years of experience helping students get into Weill Cornell Medicine with former admissions officers.

‍Experienced admissions counselors at Inspira Advantage help you prepare for the MCAT to secure a competitive 522 score, refine your secondary essays with unlimited edits, and prepare for your interviews with mock sessions.

Weill Cornell Medicine MD Programs Offered

Here are the 14 MD programs offered at UCSF School of Medicine.

Weill Cornell Medicine Tuition and Scholarships

Here are the tuition and fees for in-state and out-of-state students at Weill Cornell Medicine.

How Much Does Weill Cornell Medicine Cost for 4 Years?

For a typical four-year MD program, Weill Cornell Medicine costs $304,144 for 4 years. This breaks down to around $76,036 per year.

Scholarships

Weill Cornell Medicine offers a debt‑free, need‑based scholarship program for its MD students. That means any U.S. citizen, eligible non‑citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient who qualifies for financial aid will no longer have to take out loans. Weill Cornell Medicine’s full cost of attendance, including tuition, living expenses, housing, health insurance, and other related expenses, is covered by grants.

There are no merit‑based scholarships in Weill Cornell Medicine’s MD program. Scholarships are strictly need‑based, and the admissions committee doesn't factor in financial aid applications.

Weill Cornell Medicine Application Timeline

Here is the 2025-2026 application timeline for Weill Cornell Medicine.

FAQs

1. Does Weill Cornell Medicine Accept Update Letters or Letters of Intent?

Yes, Weill Cornell Medicine accepts letters of intent, but only after the interview concludes. Weill Cornell Medicine does not accept updates or letters of interest from applicants before an interview invitation. 

2. Can I Take Weill Cornell Medicine Prerequisite Science Courses at a Community College?

Yes, you can take science courses at a community college to satisfy Weill Cornell Medicine’s prerequisites. However, strong applicants will show upper-level science coursework at a four-year institution to prove academic readiness. The admissions committee pays closer attention to where the coursework was completed if the rest of the academic record is borderline.

3. How Many Letters of Recommendation Should I Submit to Weill Cornell Medicine?

While Weill Cornell Medicine requires a minimum of two letters, competitive applicants typically submit three to five letters of recommendation. This usually includes:

• Two science professors (biology, chemistry, physics)
• One non-science professor or mentor
• One physician or clinical supervisor (if available)
• An optional research PI if you’ve done substantial research work

4. Does Weill Cornell Medicine Prefer Ivy League Undergraduate Institutions?

No, Weill Cornell Medicine does not have an official preference for any undergraduate institution. However, a majority of accepted students come from highly selective schools. What matters more is how rigorously you challenged yourself in your academic environment. If you attended a less selective school, make sure to demonstrate excellence through research, advanced coursework, and standout MCAT performance.

5. Does Weill Cornell Medicine Have a Time Limit for Prerequisite Courses?

Yes, there is a time limit for prerequisite courses at Weill Cornell Medicine. All prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of the time you apply. Additionally, Weill Cornell strongly prefers that prerequisite courses in biology be completed within the last five years to ensure that applicants are familiar with the most current developments in the field.

6. How to Succeed as a Cornell Premed

To succeed as a Cornell pre-med, maintain a strong GPA by excelling in core science courses like biology, chemistry, physics, and biochemistry, and use support from the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) and Learning Strategies Center. Strengthen your medical school application through research (via CURB or Weill Cornell), shadowing, and clinical or community volunteering. Plan your coursework strategically, prepare early for the MCAT, and use Cornell’s advising resources to secure strong recommendations—key steps that help Cornell pre-meds achieve a medical school acceptance rate above the national average.

Final Thoughts

Weill Cornell Medicine’s 1.44% acceptance rate makes it one of the most selective medical schools in the U.S. Competitive candidates combine exceptional academics with NYC-based clinical work, impactful research, and a global health mindset. By showcasing your alignment with Weill Cornell Medicine’s mission and programs, you’ll position yourself to rise above thousands of equally qualified applicants.

For expert support, work with a former admissions officer at Inspira Advantage. Book a free consultation today to learn how we can help you get accepted to Weill Cornell Medicine this cycle.