How To Get into Ivy League Medical Schools

For students who dream of becoming physicians, getting into an Ivy League medical school is often considered the gold standard. With cutting-edge research opportunities, state-of-the-art clinical training, and internationally renowned faculty, Ivies are often considered the pinnacle of medical education—not just in the U.S., but globally.

THE GROUP OF SEVEN

While the Ivy League includes eight universities, only seven have affiliated medical schools:

1. Harvard Medical School (Harvard University): arguably the most well-known with plentiful hospital research options.
2. Yale School of Medicine (Yale University): known for its flexible course options and strong research backing
3. Perelman School of Medicine (University of Pennsylvania): One of the oldest and most well-funded
4. Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia University): First medical school to award the MD
5. Geisel School of Medicine (Dartmouth College): smaller, close-knit knit and community-centered—kind of like Dartmouth
6. Brown Alpert Medical School (Brown University): many  interdisciplinary offerings and public health and policy options
7. Weill Cornell Medical College (Cornell University): located in NYC, not upstate NY and has a unique international branch location in Qatar

Princeton University is the only Ivy League institution that does not have a medical school, though their pre-med program at the undergraduate level is very strong and their most recent medical school matriculant profiles are impressive. Their PhD program in Bioengineering is renowned as well.

An Ivy League degree is powerful, as you might imagine, but in the world of medicine, name brand recognition isn’t everything, but it does carry weight.

IVY LEAGUE MEDICAL SCHOOLS HAVE MAJOR COMPETITION

We are often asked about the “T20,” which refers to the top 20 ranked medical schools in the United States, based on various ranking systems, including the U.S. News & World Report. Interestingly, students don’t necessarily flock to the Ivies as their top picks.

The following prestigious medical schools are known for excellence in medical education, research, and clinical practice: (in alphabetical order)

1. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2. Cornell University Weill Medical College
3. Duke University School of Medicine
4. Harvard Medical School
5. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
6. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
7. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
8. New York University Grossman School of Medicine
9. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
10. Stanford University School of Medicine
11. University of California–Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
12. University of California–San Francisco School of Medicine
13. University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
14. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor Medical School
15. University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
16. University of Pittsburg School of Medicine
17. University of Washington School of Medicine
18. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
19. Washington University School of Medicine
20. Yale School of Medicine

Elite non-Ivy programs in this list, like Stanford, Johns Hopkins University and Duke are often just as competitive, if not more so, than the Ivies.

NAME-BRAND RECOGNITION

Attending an Ivy League college or medical school doesn’t guarantee an advantage, but it undeniably carries significant name recognition and prestige in a world where status matters. And, as we often say, there’s lasting value in having that distinguished first line on your CV or résumé.

College admissions at Ivy League and T20 schools are fiercely competitive, but medical school admissions are highly competitive across nearly all programs. In 2024, the average acceptance rates for applicants to any med school were:

• AMCAS (MD programs): 44.58%
• AACOMAS (DO programs): 42.28%
• TMDSAS (Texas medical programs): 34.46%

But it’s not ANY medical school that applicants are looking for, of course. On average, the T20 U.S. MD schools accept just 4% of their applicants.

WHAT THE IVIES AND T20 ARE LOOKING FOR

Are you in range?

• GPA: 3.8–4.0 ideally (usually from a top undergraduate institution with high rigor)
• MCAT: 515–525+ (top 1–5% of all MCAT test takers, the higher the better; a perfect score is a 528)
• Research Foundation and Research Experience: 1–3 years, often with peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, lab experience, fellowships, etc.
• Clinical Experience: Hundreds of hours, ideally including direct patient contact (150-300, depending on the program, and depending on your profile/availability)
• Shadowing: Demonstrated high exposure to assorted specialties
• Civic Leadership, Activism, & Non-Profit Involvement: Meaningful commitment to underserved and underprivileged local communities with a focus on depth over breadth
• Personal Statement: Showcase your standout experience
• Interviews: Are you compassionate, unwavering, and prepared?

The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) reports that, in recent years, applicants to MD programs submitted an average of 16–18 applications. The reality is that this number is likely much higher! One student we recently worked with had been advised by their Ivy League college advisor to apply to a minimum of 40 medical schools. Another current applicant is targeting 32. We also frequently support students who originally applied on their own, and are now seeking expert guidance in hopes of a better result the second time around.  The truth is, there is no right number of programs to target when it comes to applying to med school. This answer depends entirely on the applicant and their academic profile, clinical experience, research, and, of course, long-term goals. So, how do students make this determination? Our Graduate Analysis & Guidance Program is a great place to start!  

APPLY SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Need help navigating your pre-med journey? Whether you’re a high school student targeting BS/MD programs, a college student preparing your AMCAS application, or on a gap year just starting or perhaps wrapping up your MCAT, let us help you strategize. Our expert team provides personalized strategy and data-driven insight to help you build the strongest profile and application.

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Know someone else navigating the medical school process? Pass it along — they’ll thank you later!

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Dr. Kristen Willmott

Senior Private Counselor & Graduate School Admissions Director at Top Tier Admissions

A former Admissions and Financial Aid Officer for Harvard University, Kristen brings over 20 years of experience working in higher education. Kristen has a PhD in Education with a concentration in Higher Education, an M.S. in Business Management, and a B.A. in English. Her PhD dissertation won the International Susan B. Anthony Institute Dissertation Award. In her role at Harvard, Kristen oversaw admissions for 17 departments and was also responsible for distributing funding from the National Science Foundation Fellowships Program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Student Research Fellowship Program. Kristen previously worked as a substitute K-12 teacher, as adjunct faculty at three universities in MA and NY, and as an educational researcher. Kristen recently published a book (Information Age Publishing) on faculty and tenure in academia which Stanford University Libraries featured on their recommended "Gender and Education Books" list. Kristen has written for Entrepreneur Magazine and published in journals such as the Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs and the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Journal. Kristen has also been featured in and interviewed for publications such as U.S. News & World Report, the Washington Examiner, Yahoo News, and Business Insider.

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