Admissions
You apply to the School of Medicine Columbia M.D. Program through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The AMCAS application cycle opens in early May each year. Please keep in mind that the AMCAS application verification process can take up to eight weeks before the primary application is sent to our school. We encourage applicants to apply early in the cycle. Our Admissions Office then uses the AMP system for our application process. Secondary applications will be sent to all applicants following receipt of the AMCAS primary application and preliminary screening by our office.
Application
Learn about the application process, the items needed to successfully submit your application for our program, along with direct links to where you can apply to attend the School of Medicine Columbia M.D. program.
Admissions Requirements
We give preference to applicants who will, upon enrollment, hold a bachelor's degree. We occasionally admit students on the basis of 90 semester hours of outstanding undergraduate achievement.
While the School of Medicine does not have any course prerequisite requirements, for most applicants a strong preparation in the natural sciences is highly recommended. The following is strongly recommended for all applicants:
- English composition with literature (two semesters or three quarters).
- Biology with laboratory. (Coursework in general biology, general zoology, or botany is acceptable. Two semesters or three quarters.)
- General inorganic and organic chemistry with laboratory. (Coursework in qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, or physical chemistry is acceptable. Two semesters or three quarters.)
- Social Science. (Coursework in Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Politics, Psychology, or Sociology is acceptable. Two semesters or three quarters.)
- Further advanced studies in the biological, physical, and/or chemical sciences are encouraged. Courses such as physics, histology, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology are also recommended. At least one semester or two quarters and a lab are recommended.
All applicants to the School of Medicine Columbia are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). You should take the MCAT no earlier than four years before you apply to the School of Medicine and no later than the last day in September for the year in which you are applying.
The MCAT is offered many times each year and can be taken at colleges and universities throughout the country. We recommend you take the exam at least twice to help ensure you're submitting the best possible score. You can find testing dates, tips on how to prepare for the exam and a registration form on the Association of American Medical Colleges website.
The University of South Carolina has also partnered with Princeton Review for MCAT review courses.
The Admissions Committee expects that applicants will have some health care experience at the time of application. This could include volunteering at a free medical clinic or hospital, physician shadowing, medical scribing, EMT or CNA experience, etc. We do not have a required number of hours. However, it should be significant enough that the applicant has a reasonable idea of what it means to pursue medicine.
As a matter of policy, the School of Medicine can accept applications only from those individuals who are currently citizens of the United States or who are permitted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to reside permanently in the United States.
Currently, international students are not eligible to obtain medical licensure in the state of South Carolina. If the licensure process for the state of South Carolina changes, then the School of Medicine Columbia will revisit the residency requirement.
Campus Visits
Your tour of the campus is one-on-one with a current first-year medical student. This will give you a better understanding of everything our school has to offer. You will attend first-year lectures and labs, visit the Ultrasound Institute, tour the campus and have the chance to ask your guide any questions. Please complete this request form for more information.
Admissions Details
We accept 100 new students to our program each year. Please be mindful of the deadlines below.
Admissions Actions Milestone |
Fall 2025 Timeline |
| AMCAS Application opens to applicants. | Early May 2024 |
| Submit your AMCAS application. | May 28, 2024 to November 1, 2024 |
| Submit Early Decision Program application (EDP is only open to current legal residents of South Carolina). | May 28, 2024 to August 1, 2024 |
| The Admissions Office begins reviewing AMCAS applications. | Beginning the week of July 1, 2024 |
| Secondary applications will begin going out to applicants. | Beginning the week of July 8, 2024 |
| Final MCAT administration date accepted (Early Decision Program applicants). | July 13, 2024 |
| Deadline for submittal of Secondary Application and Letters of Recommendation for Early Decision Applicants | August 15, 2024 |
| Interview invitations sent out (will continue on a rolling basis as applications are completed). | Beginning the week of August 12, 2024 |
| Interviews are scheduled only on Wednesday afternoons (All interviews are virtual via Zoom in AMP). | September 11, 2024 to March 26, 2025 |
| Final MCAT administration date accepted (Regular Decision applicants). NOTE: This is the last MCAT date for this cycle. | September 14, 2024 |
| Early Decision Program applicants will be notified of their status. | No later than October 1, 2024 |
| Regular Decision applicants will be notified of their status. We accept 100 new students each year. | Beginning October 15, 2024 and on a rolling basis through March 2025 |
| Deadline for submittal of Secondary Application and Letters of Recommendation for Regular Decision Applicants | December 15, 2024 |
| “Plan to Enroll” becomes available in the Choose Your Medical School tool for accepted applicants to select, in their AMCAS application. | TBD |
| Applicants holding more than three offers should narrow their offers of acceptance to three, with no limit on the number of alternate list offers they may hold. | April 15, 2025 |
| “Commit to Enroll” becomes available in the Choose Your Medical School tool for accepted applicants to select, in their AMCAS application. | April 30, 2025 |
| Applicants should narrow their acceptance offers to one, with no limit on the number of alternate list offers they may hold. | April 30, 2025 |
| A non-refundable $250 seat fee is required with "Plan to Enroll" Selection. | April 30, 2025 |
| Final “Commit to Enroll” deadline for USC School of Medicine Columbia. | TBD |
| Required Orientation for new M1 Students. | TBD |
| Our program begins. | August 2025 |
Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual interview day, via Zoom, in our AMP application system, with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Admissions Committee. The day begins with introductions from the Office of Admissions and a 45 minute Q&A session with current medical student representatives from our Admissions Ambassadors group. Each applicant will then have two, 30-minute interviews with one member of our Admissions Committee.
You can find more information regarding interview day, including information on the members of the admissions committee and a schedule of what a normal interview day looks like, here.
We are dedicated to your success, with standards in place to help ensure all our accepted students are physically and mentally prepared to take on the rigor of our academic program.
Learn about those technical standards, here.
- 2,965 Total Applicants
- 98 new students matriculating in the entering class
- 73 South Carolina Residents
- 25 Non-Residents
- 41 Male
- 56 Female
- 1 Another Gender Identity
3.78 Average GPA (Cumulative)
3.72 Average BCPM GPA (Sciences GPA)
508 Average MCAT
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Frequently Asked Questions
Applying for medical school can be a challenging and intimidating task. Find a number of frequently asked questions that can help you through the process of applying to the School of Medicine Columbia.