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Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine
Reviewed: 6/13/24
Is Weill Cornell your dream medical school? Follow along for admissions stats, acceptance rates, and a step-by-step guide on how to get into Cornell medical school.
Cornell is among the most prestigious schools in the U.S. As an Ivy League school, Cornell is known for leading discovery, producing creative work, and promoting a culture of broad inquiry. It’s also known for its highly regarded medical school, Weill Cornell.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about getting into this prestigious med school!
Because Cornell has many schools and plentiful resources, several individualized program options exist. Weill Cornell offers the following medical programs:
Each program has many options for students interested in joint-degree or master's programs. Refer to the links above for a full list of every medical education option available at Cornell.
Cornell medical school’s acceptance rate is 1.4%. For the past admission cycle, Cornell medical school had 7,345 applicants, 784 interviews, and 106 enrolled. Cornell medical school is extremely competitive to get into, so make sure you have a strong application!
Now, let’s see the past few years' acceptance rate for Cornell medical school.
If you want to gain admission to this school, ensure that you have a competitive application!
Cornell medical school is highly selective, with an admit rate of 1.4%. This means that only about 1 in 100 applicants matriculate.
As a highly regarded Ivy League school, Cornell is not the easiest school to get into. Here are recent Weill Cornell Medicine admissions statistics.
The average GPA for admitted applicants to Cornell medical school is 3.9. Although Cornell doesn’t have a minimum GPA requirement, ensure you aim for around 3.9 to 4.0 when applying.
The average MCAT score of admitted students at Cornell medical school is 518, which is very competitive. Aim for an MCAT score higher than 518 to be considered a competitive applicant.
Reaching this score won’t be easy! You'll need plenty of practice and a solid review of the key concepts. Check out our free, detailed flashcards made by MCAT experts to help you nail the important content from each section of the exam!
Below are the Weill Cornell Medicine admission requirements you must fulfill to apply.
Now that you know how to get into Cornell medical school, note that failure to provide any of these materials will delay your application review or lead to rejection.
Cornell medical school requires specific coursework prerequisites from its applicants. Failing to submit these courses will make your application incomplete.
Here are the Cornell medical school prerequisites:
Source: Weill Cornell Medicine
The minimum grade acceptable in any above courses is a "C.” All prerequisite courses must have been completed less than ten years before submitting your application.
Cornell medical school is looking for applicants who do academically well and have a diverse background in basic sciences, social sciences, and liberal arts. Admissions prefer applicants who have broadly explored academic disciplines and gone in-depth in specific areas.
Cornell admission also seeks applicants exploring medicine through research, clinical work, and volunteer service.
If you aspire to gain admission to Cornell medical school, it's essential to approach the application process strategically. Consider incorporating these key steps to increase your chances at Cornell medical school.
As Nate, an admissions expert and USC Keck/Caltech MD-PhD student, states, productive summers are key to building competitive applications:
“It's important to use your summer wisely as a pre-med student and can be a window of opportunity to enhance your medical journey. Summers provide the time and flexibility to engage in activities that deepen your understanding of the medical field, build practical skills, and bolster your competitiveness for medical school admissions."
So whether it’s to hone in on your MCAT studies or gain useful experience for your resume, those few months between your school years should be used wisely!
If you want to learn more about how to best spend your summers, check out this webinar:
Partaking in research experiences can significantly boost your application to Cornell medical school. The admissions committee highly values applicants who have participated in research, be it in the area of basic science, social science, or liberal arts. Emphasizing your involvement in biomedical sciences research is particularly encouraged.
Highlighting your contributions to these areas shows your commitment to academic exploration and potential to contribute meaningfully to the medical field.
You should highly consider taking the recommended courses to enhance your application to Cornell medical school. Weill Cornell recommends applicants take two semesters of organic chemistry with lab, so ensure you take it to increase your admissions chances.
Cornell medical school values applicants who have explored medicine in diverse ways before entering their program. This exploration is encouraged through various avenues, including research, volunteering in medicine, experiences in medical practices or labs, and summer employment.
Volunteering is typically the easiest and most common way for students to gain clinical exposure, but Nate warns there is such a thing as too much volunteer experience:
“With volunteering, there's a point of diminishing returns. It's a necessary component of your medical school application but you don't have to have a thousand volunteer hours to be a competitive applicant. It's not just about accumulating hours but about gaining meaningful experience that you can discuss in your application and interviews. Think about how they are shaping your understanding of the medical field and your motivations for becoming a doctor.”
Showcasing your engagement in medicine through these diverse experiences connects with the school's values. It enhances your overall application by demonstrating your genuine interest, commitment, and understanding of the medical profession.
To help you decide which med school to choose from, check out this Medical School Comparison tool to help you make the right decision!
Cornell medical school will only allow interviews for 10-12% of its applicants. Weill Cornell interviews begin in September and continue until early spring. If you’re selected for an interview, you’ll be notified via email and be given a schedule to select a date and time.
Most students report the Weill Cornell interview as not overly stressful and a pleasant experience. You may be asked questions relating to:
You may also be asked about research/clinical experiences and other questions about your experience and goals.
To ensure you’re as prepared as possible, consider using our free interview question generator!
Annual tuition at Weill Cornell is $69,422. However, there are several other fees to consider. Here’s a list of some of Cornell’s additional med school fees:
Source: Weill Cornell Medicine
Tuition costs may change annually. Ensure you check the school’s site for the most up to date costs for the year.
The four-year tuition at Cornell medical school is approximately $295,000. This tuition cost is rather high; however, Cornell medical school has plenty of scholarships available to help cut the cost!
Cornell medical school offers generous financial aid to students who need it. Cornell Medicine can offer debt-free, need-based financial aid for students who have demonstrated financial need. Because of Conrell’s generous financial aid, students graduate with lower school debt than the average in the country.
Here are the important application dates for Cornell medical school. Like most med schools, you should begin preparing to apply two years in advance. This gives you enough time to take necessary prerequisite courses, build your resume, get an excellent MCAT score, and secure recommendation letters.
Here is the Cornell application timeline:
To ensure you’re keeping up to date with deadlines and what’s required by AMCAS and Cornell, check their websites frequently.
Here are our answers to some frequently asked questions about getting into this medical school:
Weill Cornell does not have a minimum GPA requirement. However, median GPA of their current class is 3.9.
The Weill Cornell Medical College acceptance rate is approximately 1.4%. Each year, the school chooses 106 applicants to matriculate into the school from a pool of over 7000.
Weill Cornell is an excellent medical school, ranking among the top 40 in the world.
There are many things about Weill Cornell that make it special. For instance, the school emphasizes work in small groups as opposed to lectures, five institutions for research opportunities located on campus, and “early exposure to one of the most diverse patient populations in the world.”
Cornell isn’t a tuition-free school, although it offers students generous financial aid packages. For example, Weill Cornell Medicine offers “debt-free need-based financial aid for students in the MD program who have demonstrated financial need.”
If Weill Cornell is your dream medical school, you must go into application season well-prepared. Although acceptance rates are low, you can stand out with a polished, well-rounded application.
Our experienced admissions counselors hail from admissions committees of top universities nationwide and are dedicated to helping you get into medical school. We’ve got you covered from essays to interviews—we’d love to help you boost your med school application!
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