Should You Apply Early Decision for Medical School?

EDPs for medical school can be an amazing opportunity if you’re a competitive student who’s passionate about a particular medical school. I frequently work with pre-meds to determine whether applying to medical school early decision is the right choice. (It might surprise you to learn, though, that I very rarely recommend students apply ED.)

Biggest advantage: If your top-choice school has an EDP, the admissions committee will see your application before the sea of regular admissions applications.

Biggest drawback: You can’t apply to any other medical schools until you’ve gotten your EDP decision, and if you’re accepted, you must attend that school. If you’re rejected from the EDP and put back in the main pool of applicants, your chances of admission at any other school drop significantly because you’ll be so behind on applying during the cycle.

My goal with this guide is to give you an in-depth understanding of the pros and cons, the schools with EDPs, and the application cycle timeline so that you can determine if it’s a good fit for you.

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Early Decision Timeline (2026/27 Cycle)

The most significant advantage of early decision programs (sometimes called “early acceptance programs”) is getting your admissions decision earlier than regular applicants. You have to be mindful of the tighter application timeline.

The AMCAS deadline for EDP applications is August 1st, but we always recommend starting the medical school application process early.

Here’s a glance at the AMCAS Early Decision Program 2026-2027 timeline:

By April: You should already have your MCAT score. You can pre-write some common parts of your med school applications, including your personal statement and Work & Activities descriptions. Start contacting potential letter writers now who can pen a letter of recommendation earlier than in a regular admissions cycle.
Beginning of May: AMCAS application cycle opens, although you can’t submit an application yet. Be sure to indicate your interest in the early decision program when filling out the AMCAS.
End of June: AMCAS applications may start being submitted.
Beginning of August: This is the deadline for EDP submissions via AMCAS.
August-September: If you meet the admissions criteria, you’ll earn an invitation for a medical school interview with the admissions committee. If you don’t receive an interview invitation, your application will shift to the regular pool, and you’re free to apply to additional allopathic and osteopathic medical programs.
Beginning of October: Schools must finalize their admission decisions for EDP candidates by this date, though some might inform you sooner. You may not know until October 1st whether you can apply to other schools or not.

How to Apply

To apply early decision, you need to fill out your application as normal. However, you have to apply early and to only one school. Indicate your interest in an EDP on the appropriate application service. Your application timeline and deadlines will be different.

Before you decide to apply to an EDP, ensure your first-choice school of medicine offers early decision, and know how to apply to the medical school you’ve chosen. Remember, not every school has an EDP, and different medical programs may use different application services.

Eligibility Criteria You Need to Meet

Before applying to an EDP, make sure you meet all of the following criteria:

You’re 100% certain you want to complete your medical education at the particular school you’ve selected. If accepted, you will have to attend the EDP and cannot compare scholarship and financial aid offers from other schools.
You’re a high-achieving pre-med student with the necessary prerequisite work, clinical experience, extracurriculars, a competitive MCAT score, and an above-average GPA.
You understand that you will be moved to the regular applicant pool if you are not accepted into the EDP. Because regular admissions are on a rolling basis, you may have to wait for the next application cycle to enroll in medical school.
You’ve discussed this decision with advisors, academic counselors, and healthcare mentors.

Always double-check with the school about important deadlines and dates that are unique to that program.

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Different Application Services

There are three different types of medical school application processes: AMCAS for MD programs, AACOMAS for DO programs, and TMDSAS for medical schools in Texas. Depending on where you’re applying early decision, the application service will have unique requirements.

The three application services have different application fees and character limits, but one major difference is how you will signal your intent to apply for a school’s EDP.

For the AMCAS application: You have the option to select Program Type and choose Early Decision on your application.
For the AACOMAS application: Prospective DO students must contact specific schools for the best information about the process of applying early decision. You may be required to submit a letter of intent to apply to an osteopathic EDP program.
For the TMDSAS application: Texas medical schools have a Select Schools section where you can indicate you are applying early decision for medical school.

Is Applying Early Decision Worth It?

If you are an extremely competitive applicant who will stand out above other medical students and have zero doubts about the fact that you want to attend the singular medical school you’re considering, early decision may be worth it for you. For most students, regular admissions are likely a better option than an early decision program for American medical colleges.

When applying for an EDP, remember these three crucial pieces of information:

You can only apply to ONE medical school until that school tells you that you’re not accepted early, at which point you’ll be late in the regular admissions cycle.
You may NOT apply for an early decision program if you have submitted an application to any other medical schools for this admissions cycle.
You are REQUIRED to attend the college of medicine you have applied to, if accepted. (Your EDP commitment is a binding legal obligation.)

If you accept these crucial bits of information and believe you’re competitive enough to get in, go ahead and shoot your shot.

Making the choice to apply for an early decision program warrants heavy consideration. You will be submitting your application against a pool of highly competitive applicants. It is essential to be honest with yourself when you make this decision.

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Let’s weigh the pros and cons of early decision for medical school to help you make an informed decision.

Advantages

Below are the advantages of applying to an early decision program for med school:

Tailored application: Focusing on one school allows you to research that school and tailor your application materials to the school’s mission and culture. You can write about your ambitions, experiences, and viewpoints in your secondary application, all with one school in mind.
Cost-efficient: Application expenses increase as the number of schools you apply to increases. The initial AMCAS application fee is $175 for the first school, with an extra $47 for every subsequent school. When you consider the additional costs of potentially dozens of secondary applications, the EDP savings add up.
One interview: You only have to attend one interview if you apply early decision – unless, of course, you move to the regular applicant pool. Applying to an EDP, you won’t need to balance work, extracurriculars, and pre-med coursework while scheduling multiple med school interview dates.
Dedication on display: Applying through an EDP shows your commitment to your preferred medical college, which can impress AdComs and help you stand out above regular applicants.
Early notification: If you are accepted into an EDP, you will know by the start of October, while other med school applicants have to endure months of the potentially stressful med school application process. You can have your future secured and focus on finishing undergrad strong.

Drawbacks

Here are the disadvantages to applying to an early decision program for med school:

Highly competitive: EDPs are known for their intense competition. Just a handful of positions are allocated to EDP candidates for each incoming class, typically no more than 5-10, although most schools don’t publish their available EDP spots. Plus, not every med school has an EDP.
All-in approach: Opting for an EDP means you’re committing to a single school right from the outset. In some cases, EDP may increase your chances of getting into a certain med school, but early decision program medical schools can often hinder your chances. Remember, acceptance into an EDP is binding.
Risk of late regular admission: If an EDP denies you, your choices are limited. Either postpone your application for a year or dive into the regular admissions cycle later than most applicants. Many schools might have been admitting on a rolling basis for months by the time October rolls around.
Inability to compare financial aid packages: Since EDP is binding if accepted, you will not get the chance to weigh financial aid packages or scholarships from different schools.
Limited options: Not every med school has an EDP, so you may not be applying early to your dream school. Don’t settle, especially if applying early decision.
Geographical commitment: Securing a spot through an EDP is binding, so you’re making a geographical commitment, anchoring yourself to the location of your chosen EDP medical institution. Locking in that early takes away potential future options.

Medical EDPs in the U.S.

It’s helpful to know which medical schools actually have early decision programs so you can determine if your school of choice offers this option. The table below contains all EDPs available through AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS for this application cycle.

This list is organized by state or territory alphabetically.

State	Medical School	Available To	Program Notes	Type of Program
AL	University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine	Residents of Alabama, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in FL, and Jackson, Harrison, George, Stone, Perry, and Greene counties in MS		MD
AL	University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
AL	Alabama COM	All Applicants		DO
CA	California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
CA	Loma Linda University School of Medicine	All Applicants	Applicants accepted through the Early Decision Program must have demonstrated excellent performance in academics, MCAT, non-academics, and mission fit.	MD
CO	Rocky Vista University COM	All Applicants		DO
CT	University of Connecticut School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
DC	George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences	All Applicants		MD
FL	Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine	All Applicants	Candidates must meet the following minimum academic criteria: Overall GPA 3.70, BCPM 3.50, MCAT 510.	MD
FL	Florida State University College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
FL	University of Central Florida College of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
FL	USF Health Morsani College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
GA	Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University	In-State Applicants		MD
GA	Mercer University School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
GA	Morehouse School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
HI	University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
ID	Idaho COM	All Applicants		DO
IL	Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science	In-State Applicants		MD
IL	Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine	All Applicants	Available for MD applicants only.	MD
IL	Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center	All Applicants		MD
IL	University of Illinois College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
IN	Marian University Tom and Julie Wood COM	All Applicants	Letter of intent stating MU-COM is first choice is required	DO
IN	Indiana University School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
KS	Kansas COM	In-State Applicants		DO
KS	University of Kansas School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
KY	University of Kentucky College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
KY	University of Louisville School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
LA	Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans	All Applicants		MD
LA	Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport	All Applicants		MD
LA	Tulane University School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
MA	Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine	All Applicants	This binding program is typically reserved for candidates with extraordinarily strong academic records as well as some special or extenuating circumstance.	MD
MA	Tufts University School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
MA	University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan Medical School	All Applicants		MD
MD	Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine	All Applicants	Applicants must have demonstrated a strong performance in all areas.	MD
MD	University of Maryland School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
MI	Central Michigan University College of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
MI	Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine	In-State Applicants, or Applicants with Ties to OUWB		MD
MI	Wayne State University School of Medicine	All Applicants	The EDP requires a minimum Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score of 508 or above. A BCPM and overall grade point average of 3.60, as calculated by AMCAS, is also required (as of 4/20/2023).	MD
MO	A.T. Still University Kirksville COM	All Applicants		DO
MO	Saint Louis University School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
MO	University of Missouri, Columbia School of Medicine	In-State Applicants	To apply for the early-decision program, candidates must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.75 and an MCAT score of 508.	MD
MS	University of Mississippi School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
MT	Rocky Vista University — Montana COM	All Applicants		DO
NC	Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University	All Applicants		MD
NC	Wake Forest School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
NC	Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace SOM	All Applicants	Students must submit a letter of intent to the CUSOM Office of Admissions for EDP by June 1st.	DO
NE	University of Nebraska College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
NJ	Cooper Medical School of Rowan University	All Applicants	Minimum requirements: all EDP applicants must have a science GPA of 3.6 or higher and a total MCAT score of 507 or higher.	MD
NJ	Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine	All Applicants	Applicants must have a science GPA of 3.6 or higher and a total MCAT score of 507 or higher.	MD
NJ	Rutgers New Jersey Medical School	All Applicants	For those interested in applying Early Decision, a consultation with an Admissions dean is strongly recommended.	MD
NJ	Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School	All Applicants	Early decision applicants will be reviewed prior to September and undergo the same review process as other applicants. Any applicant interested in early decision should contact us for counseling.	MD
NJ	Rowan-Virtua SOM (Rowan-Virtua SOM)	All Applicants		DO
NM	University of New Mexico School of Medicine	All Applicants	WICHE applicants must apply through the EDP to receive consideration.	MD
NV	University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
NY	Albert Einstein College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
NY	Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell	All Applicants		MD
NY	Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo	All Applicants	EDP Candidates should only apply if their candidacy is highly competitive compared to other applicants.	MD
NY	New York Medical College	All Applicants		MD
NY	Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University	All Applicants		MD
NY	State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
NY	State University of New York Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
NY	State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
NY	Touro COM	All Applicants		DO
OH	Northeast Ohio Medical University	All Applicants		MD
OH	University of Cincinnati College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
OH	Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
PA	Drexel University College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
PA	Duquesne University COM	All Applicants		DO
PA	Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
PA	Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University	All Applicants		MD
PA	Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
PA	Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania	All Applicants	Applicants must meet the mean GPA and MCATs of the entering class and be pre-approved by the Committee on Admissions before submitting.	MD
PA	Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University	All Applicants		MD
PA	University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
Puerto Rico (PR)	San Juan Bautista School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
SC	Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine	In-State Applicants	South Carolina residents are encouraged to apply Early Decision if they have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.50 and a minimum MCAT score of 506.	MD
SC	University of South Carolina School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD
SC	University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville	All Applicants		MD
TN	East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD
TN	Meharry Medical College	All Applicants		MD
TX	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine	In-State Applicants		MD (TMDSAS)
TX	University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine	All Applicants		MD (TMDSAS)
TX	University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine	Texas Residents from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV)		MD (TMDSAS)
TX	University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas COM	All Applicants		DO (TMDSAS)
VA	Eastern Virginia Medical School	All Applicants		MD
VA	Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine	All Applicants	Applicants may consult with an admissions officer before applying.	MD
VA	Edward Via COM	All Applicants	Applicants can choose any VCOM campus, including in SC, AL, and LA	DO
VT	Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont	All Applicants	A meeting with the Associate Dean for Admissions is required for preapproval to apply to our program to ensure applicants are aware of all considerations for this decision.	MD
WI	Medical College of Wisconsin	All Applicants	The EDP is available at all campuses but not dual-degree programs.	MD
WV	West Virginia University School of Medicine	All Applicants		MD

Source for MD EDPs: MSAR019 – MSAR Early Decision Program Information

Source for DO EDPs: The Application Process | AACOM

Early Decision vs. Early Assurance

Early decision programs and early assurance programs both allow students to apply to medical schools ahead of the typical timeline. The programs are different, though.

EDPs require students to apply to just one school, whereas early assurance programs might not have this restriction. Further confusing the issue, not every school uses the same terminology, so look at schools’ unique requirements for their early assurance/decision programs.

Below is a breakdown of the differences between the two programs.

Early Decision Programs

Here are the defining characteristics of true early decision programs:

You’re obligated to attend the medical school if you’re accepted.
You cannot apply anywhere else until you’re notified that you haven’t been accepted early decision.
You would apply during the regular medical school admissions cycle, traditionally for students about to begin their senior year or finishing up post-baccalaureate studies.
EDPs are ideal for students who are certain about their top-choice school and their competitiveness as applicants.

Early Assurance Programs

Here are the characteristics of early assurance programs:

You are typically meant to apply during your sophomore or junior year of undergrad.
You’re not obligated to attend if you’re accepted to an early assurance program. The medical school may provide a provisional offer based on continuing academic success.
There is a very small advantage (if any) to applying early assurance plus no real risk, whereas the advantages and risks to applying to EDPs are higher.
Early assurance programs are ideal for high-performing pre-med students interested in a future career in healthcare.

FAQs

October 1st is the deadline for early decision program applicants to be notified whether or not they’re accepted. Some programs notify their applicants in September, but many wait for the deadline at the start of October.

No, you can be rejected from an EDP and get accepted into another medical school. EDPs are highly competitive and only accept a small number of applicants. You may actually get accepted into that same medical school through the regular admissions process — although that’s rare.

There are many more seats in the regular admission pool, and you’ll still have a chance at a spot that way. However, you won’t be able to start regularly applying to other schools until you have been notified that you didn’t make it into the EDP program you applied to.

No, true early decision programs do not allow you to apply elsewhere while you’re being considered. EDPs are considering you for an early spot in exchange for you not applying to other schools (until the October 1st deadline).

If you’ve been released from your EDP application, you can begin applying to additional medical schools. To do so, edit the Program Type drop-down selection in your AMCAS application (on the AAMC website). Follow the on-screen instructions to add more schools. Remember to go to the Change Notification Process section and press “Submit.” You’ll be directed to a section where you can select the Early Decision Program Release option. Click “Accept” and recertify by clicking “Resubmit Application.”

Being waitlisted in a previous cycle and still waiting on a decision is a tricky situation. Because there is no official documentation from AMCAS, I recommend contacting the early decision school for clarification.

Improve Your Application and Boost Your Chances of Acceptance

Whether you’re considering an early decision program or navigating the regular admissions cycle, building your application with a doctor can make a significant difference and boost your chances of getting interview offers.

MedSchoolCoach Physician Advisors can help you understand the nuances of the application process, from drafting the perfect personal statement to preparing for your medical school interview.

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