Harvard Medical School (HMS) has a long history of preparing future leaders in medicine, science, and healthcare through its mission to alleviate human suffering. HMS blends cutting-edge biomedical research with a patient-centered curriculum, giving students early and meaningful clinical experience while also providing opportunities for inquiry, innovation, and global health engagement. With curricular tracks such as Pathways (focused on active learning, early clinical exposure, and flexible scholarly projects) and Health Sciences & Technology (HST) (a joint program with Harvard University and MIT for students interested in biomedical research and quantitative sciences), HMS tailors its education to students’ strengths and aspirations. The school emphasizes collaboration over competition, a pass/fail grading system in the pre-clerkship and principal clinical years, and robust advising through Academic Societies. Beyond the classroom, HMS offers more than 200 electives, combined degree options, and a vast network of research and clinical opportunities through its Boston-based hospitals, MIT, and global partners.

HMS seeks applicants who are not only academically gifted but also deeply curious, reflective, and committed to serving others. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate compassion, integrity, and professionalism, along with the ability to provide inclusive, patient-centered care while addressing health inequities. HMS values students who are strong communicators, collaborative team members, and adaptable problem-solvers who can thrive in rapidly changing medical and scientific landscapes. Applicants should also show a capacity for critical thinking, self-directed learning, and scholarly inquiry, whether through clinical excellence, biomedical research, or advocacy for underserved populations. Above all, HMS looks for individuals who aspire to be leaders and innovators in medicine – advancing healthcare, promoting health equity, and improving the human condition both locally and globally.

HMS Secondary Essay Tips

(Note: Essays A, B, and C are short-answer questions.)

Essay D

If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters maximum) summarize your activities since graduation.

This essay is strictly for applicants who have already graduated from an undergraduate institution. Explain any work you have done in the interim, as well as any volunteer activities and MCAT plans, in whatever order you choose. Provide details about the level of your responsibilities, what you are learning, the impact you’re having on the community you are working with, and/or how the experience is influencing your goals as a future physician. Provide clear and succinct summaries. If you are a reapplicant, highlight activities that might rectify any weakness in your earlier AMCAS application. Your answers should convey your engagement with the work you’re doing, revealing opportunity, growth, and learning. Explain why the work is, or has been, a wise way to use your time during the gap year.

Essay E

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, diverse ideological perspectives, or other aspects of your personal or family background that help place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further insight into your motivation for a career in medicine or the view points you might bring to the medical school community. (4000 characters)

This prompt is open-ended on purpose. As you write, keep the part of the prompt that says “how you could contribute to the medical school” at the forefront of your mind. The admissions committee is providing you with an opportunity to share something unique about yourself. For example, were you raised by a relative? Were you raised by a single parent? Does someone in your family have a disability? Do you identify as a member of a marginalized community? Did your race or ethnicity influence what opportunities you had access to? Were you raised in a non–English-speaking household? Did you attend a diverse public school? Did any of these circumstances affect your educational opportunities or progress? Take care to ensure that the story you tell is not already shared in a different part of your application.

The words “important” and “significant” are key here. If you do not have an aspect of your background or identity you feel could genuinely be deemed “important” or “significant,” do not respond to this prompt. 

Essay F

The interview season for the 2025-2026 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2026. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)

Include any significant interview scheduling restrictions, if applicable. 

Essay G

If you are re-applying, briefly summarize your activities since your previous application. (4000 characters)

If you are a reapplicant, reflect on what you have been doing since your previous application and how you have improved as a medical school candidate. Were you employed, conducting research, taking classes, or volunteering? Select several experiences that illuminate the most meaningful change and describe them. Maybe you were lacking clinical experience during your first application cycle but have since spent many hours shadowing physicians and volunteering in a free clinic. How did this experience better prepare you for a future medical career? Consider new knowledge, skills, or qualities you have gained or improved. Be sure to focus your response on activities that show growth since submitting a previous application.

For HST Applicants 

Instructions: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). (4000 characters)

Innovations in medicine abound across academic disciplines. In particular, HMS is interested in sophisticated medical technology and data application systems that solve unmet healthcare needs. What experience or education in technology or engineering have you had? How does this tie into medical innovation? How has your experience with or education in technology or engineering prepared you for this hybrid program? What is the intersection of technology (or engineering or social sciences) and medicine for which you are a good fit? What research or experience do you have with this interdisciplinary intersection? Tell HMS about that research/experience and its potential influence on healthcare in the future.

Take particular notice of the second parenthetical comment in the prompt: “rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities.” Avoid writing about what the program can do for you. Rather, how are you a good fit for the HST MD track? How are you uniquely suited to thrive and succeed in this hybrid opportunity? Your answer should convey your knowledge of the program’s mission and a thorough understanding of the relevance of your expertise to healthcare innovation and improving healthcare outcomes.

HMS Application Timeline

Early May	AMCAS application opens.
Early June	AMCAS application becomes available for submission.
Early July	HMS secondary application opens and becomes available for submission.
September	Interviews begin.
October 15	Final deadline for AMCAS application
October 22	Final deadline for HMS secondary application and all materials (letters, MCAT scores, etc.)
October 30	AMCAS transcript deadline. All transcripts must be received before this date.
January	Interviews conclude.
Early March	All admissions decisions are sent out via email on the same date, whether candidates are accepted, declined, or waitlisted. Candidates accepted or waitlisted for admission are sent financial aid materials. Families should file tax returns, FAFSA, and Need Access application as soon as possible.
Mid to late March	Deadline for submission of all financial aid application materials including tax returns. Evaluation of completed files and email notification of financial aid award letters begins on a rolling basis.
April	Admitted Student Preview Days
April 15	Admitted students should narrow their acceptance offers down to three schools.
April 30	Admitted students planning to enroll at HMS must select the “Plan to Enroll” option on the Choose Your Medical School tool in their AMCAS application.*
June 2	Admitted students planning to enroll at HMS must select the “Commit to Enroll” option on the Choose Your Medical School tool in their AMCAS application.**
Early to mid June	Immunization and health forms deadline
July	Email notification of fall term bill sent to students
July 1	Deadline to submit all transcripts to the admissions office
Early August	Matriculation and White Coat Ceremony

* Admitted students planning to enroll at HMS must select the “Plan to Enroll” option on the Choose your Medical School tool on or before April 30. If this date falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day applies. In doing so, it is expected that applicants will promptly withdraw their applications from other schools to which they have been offered admission. If applicants receive new offers of admission, they may update this selection at any time, but they can select only one school at a time. Applicants should notify all schools promptly if their plan to enroll changes.

** Admitted students planning to enroll at HMS must select the “Commit to Enroll” option on the Choose Your Medical School tool on or before June 2. Out of professional courtesy to other applicants and medical schools, applicants should make this selection as soon as their plans have been confirmed, but no later than June 2. In doing so, it is expected that applicants will promptly withdraw their applications from other schools to which they have been offered admission or placed on the alternate list.

Source: HMS website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with HMS directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

HMS Class Profile

Here is a look at the HMS 2025 entering class (data taken from the HMS website):

Applications: 7,166

Interviews: 716 

Class size: 165

• Pathways: 135
• HST: 30
• MD-PhD: 15

Average MCAT

• BBFL: 130.38
• CARS: 128.82
• CPBS: 130.28
• PSBB: 130.99
• Total: 520.48

Backgrounds underrepresented in medicine: 14%

Average GPA: 3.9

Age range: 21-31

Colleges represented: 62 

States represented: 31 

Countries represented: 9

Gender

• Female: 57% 
• Male: 42%
• Different identity: 1% 

Science majors: 72% 

Related Resources

• Medical School Selectivity Index, a free tool
• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Med School & Secondary Essays, a free guide
• Five Tips for Completing AACOMAS Secondary Applications