Penn State MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Deadlines: AMCAS November 15; complete secondary file December 15. Apply
• MCAT: Entering-2027 applicants submit scores from no earlier than 2024. Requirements
• Interview: Virtual, Monday/Wednesday/Thursday from mid-September through March, with two interviewers simultaneously. Process
• Eligibility: U.S. citizens, permanent residents and DACA applicants; other international applicants are ineligible. Apply
• Campus identity: University Park's 12 seats are selected only after central MD acceptance. University Park

Admission requirements

Applicants must complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution and at least three years of postsecondary study. Required courses are one year each of general biology with lab, general or inorganic chemistry with lab, organic chemistry with lab and physics with lab, plus one semester of biochemistry. AP can count when earned credit appears on the college transcript. Online and non-letter grading are generally discouraged, except consideration for 2020–21 pandemic coursework. Requirements

The MCAT is required and reviewed comprehensively. For the entering class of 2027, scores must be from 2024 or later. The current page does not publish a numeric GPA or MCAT minimum or exact latest accepted administration. Requirements

Applicants using a prehealth committee or office can submit that service's recommendation. Otherwise, four to six letters are required: at least two science faculty, one nonscience faculty and one other responsible observer. Additional institutional, graduate-faculty or supervisor letters are required for multiple degrees, graduate study or full-time employment as described on the current page. All letters go through AMCAS. Process

Eligible applicants are U.S. citizens, permanent residents and people with official DACA status. Other international candidates are ineligible. DACA matriculants have additional clearance and financing-verification requirements. Apply

Important dates

The current regular MD timeline lists May 30 as the earliest AMCAS submission, November 15 as the AMCAS deadline and December 15 as the deadline for the secondary, $90 fee, MCAT and letters. Interviews run mid-September through March, and regular acceptances begin after October 15 and continue until the class fills. Apply Process

Accepted applicants generally have two weeks to respond through April 30, with shorter windows afterward. The $100 deposit and deferral request are due May 15, and final transcripts June 30. The current page does not attach years to these recurring dates or publish the exact Fall 2027 orientation date. Apply

How selection works

Penn State selects interviewees from applicants judged most qualified. After all required materials and interview evaluations arrive, the medical student selection committee reviews the file comprehensively and assigns Acceptance, Hold for Continued Review or Denied Acceptance. Hold files remain active until the class fills. Process

The school seeks science and liberal-arts preparation, service, lifelong learning and interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. Interview evaluations receive substantial importance, but the current page does not publish numerical component weights, screening thresholds, panel scoring anchors or committee-vote rules. Requirements Process

Interview details

Confirmed

Interviews are currently virtual on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from mid-September through March. Two faculty, staff or alumni interview each applicant simultaneously. Morning and afternoon cohorts also join admissions, leadership and student information sessions, with the full published day ending at 4 p.m. Eastern. Process

Not published

The current page gives a three-hour cohort window but does not isolate the interview's duration, identify which two interviewer roles each applicant receives, describe file access, publish question domains, scoring anchors or numerical weight. Invitation instructions control exact logistics.

Who this program may suit

Penn State emphasizes humanistic, systems-ready, socially accountable physicians who are adaptive, collaborative, critical-thinking and scholarly. Applicants should connect service and academic preparation to specific decisions and learning. Apply

University Park is a post-acceptance regional-campus choice within the same MD. Accepted applicants can interview for 12 University Park seats; declining a University Park offer does not affect the Hershey acceptance. Accelerated and combined pathways are also selected after or separately from central MD admission and do not change this regular guide. University Park

Practice and next step

Record a 90-second panel-style response about balancing individual patient needs with a health-system constraint. State the tension, explain your reasoning and describe how you would communicate with others. Review for structure and accountability, adjust one weak section, record a second attempt and compare the two.

Frequently asked questions

Is University Park a separate initial MD application?

No. Applicants first earn College of Medicine acceptance and then interview for a University Park seat; declining it does not affect the Hershey acceptance. University Park

Which MCAT years are accepted for Fall 2027?

Scores from 2024 onward. The exact latest administration is not published on the current page. Requirements

What is the interview format?

A current virtual panel with two faculty, staff or alumni interviewers simultaneously. Process

Can DACA applicants apply?

Yes, with additional post-acceptance clearance and financing verification. Apply

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: Apply, Admission requirements, Admission and interview process, MD program and University Park Regional Campus.