How to Get Into Harvard Medical School 2025: Requirements, Stats, Deadlines, and Tips

Why HMS stands out

Harvard Medical School sits at the center of Boston’s world-class hospital network and offers two MD tracks, robust research mentorship, and extensive advising from day one. Applicants choose between Pathways and the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) track, or apply to both. 

MD curriculum tracks: Pathways vs HST

• Pathways focuses on early clinical exposure and case-based learning across core sciences, followed by advanced electives and scholarship.
• HST is a joint Harvard-MIT track built for students who want deeper quantitative science and translational research training.
  
  

Selectivity at a glance

• Class size: ~165
• Applications: ~6,856
• Interviewed: ~757
• Average MCAT: ~520.4
• About 72% of students receive financial aid

Figures are from HMS “Admissions at a Glance.” Average GPA is listed as ~3.9.

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Core admissions requirements

I. Prerequisite courses

HMS expects strong preparation in math and the sciences. Required coursework includes: two years of chemistry with labs (inorganic, organic, biochemistry), one year of biology with labs, one year of physics, one year of writing, and statistics encouraged. Details and nuances, including AP and online-course guidance, are on the HMS prerequisites page. 

II. MCAT policy

HMS sets no minimum MCAT or GPA, although academic excellence is expected. Applicants post scores through AMCAS within HMS’s accepted testing window. 

III. Letters of evaluation

Submit letters through AMCAS. HMS allows up to six total; many applicants provide at least two science letters and one non-science letter. 

IV, International applicants

HMS welcomes international applicants and notes that study at an accredited institution in the United States or Canada for at least one year is expected; applicants without a US or Canadian degree are rarely accepted. 

Deadlines for the This Year's cycle

• Mid October: AMCAS application deadline
• Third week of October: HMS secondary and all materials deadline
• End-of-October: AMCAS transcript deadline

Always confirm the live HMS timeline before submitting. 

Interview format

Note, for the 2025–2026 application cycle, all interviews are virtual. 

Tuition, aid, and debt snapshot

For 2024–2025, published costs list tuition at $71,032, with additional mandatory fees, health insurance, and living expenses shown on the HMS Cost of Attendance page. HMS reports broad aid availability through grants and scholarships. (meded.hms.harvard.edu)

Experiences that help you stand out

• Patient-facing service and shadowing that shows cultural humility and communication skills.
• Sustained research driven by real curiosity, not box-checking.
• Leadership in labs, campus organizations, community health, or service projects.
• Essays and letters that connect your preparation to the specific training environment of Pathways or HST
  
  

Build your profile with real clinical exposure

Guided hands-on clinical experience helps strengthen your medical school applications. Explore:

• Medical Electives Abroad
• Pre-Health and Pre-Med Internships
• Ready to plan dates and secure a supervisor letter Start at goelective.com/apply
  
  

Quick FAQs

#1. Can I apply to both Pathways and HST

Yes. You may apply to one or both tracks.

#2. Does HMS use cutoffs for MCAT or GPA 

No. There are no formal minimums, though expectations are high.

#3. Are interviews in person 

Not this cycle. HMS indicates interviews remain virtual for 2025–2026.

Article Details

Categories

Recent Articles , Pre-health, Medical Electives, Med Schools,

Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: Sep 15, 2025