Rush Medical College MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; AMCAS is due October 1, 2026 and the complete secondary is due November 13 at 11:59 p.m. Central. Application timeline
• Eligibility: U.S. citizens, permanent residents, asylees, refugees and applicants with DACA status are eligible. Admission requirements
• MCAT: January 2024 through September 12, 2026 for the regular 2027 pool; Rush reviews all scores with emphasis on the highest composite. Application timeline
• Academic screen: the required MCAT ranges from 500 to 510 depending on GPA, with a separate qualifying postbaccalaureate or graduate route. Admission requirements
• Casper: no longer required or recommended for Fall 2027. Admission requirements
• Interview: virtual; invitations begin in August and interviews run from early September through the end of February. Application timeline

Admission requirements

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, asylees, refugees or have DACA status. A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year U.S. college or university or a Canadian institution is required before enrollment. Admission requirements

Rush publishes paired academic screens: GPA 2.99–3.19 requires an MCAT of at least 510; 3.20–3.59 requires 506; 3.60–3.79 requires 502; and 3.80 or above requires 500. A qualifying postbaccalaureate or graduate alternative requires at least 24 hours of basic or higher science work, a science GPA of at least 3.5 and an MCAT of at least 503; public-health degrees do not qualify for this alternative. Rush reviews all MCAT attempts with emphasis on the highest composite. Admission requirements

Prerequisites must appear on the transcript before application, and biology and chemistry must be within five years of matriculation. Rush accepts no online prerequisite work. Required work is one academic year of biology including cell biology; one biochemistry course; one chemistry course, with organic chemistry recommended; one academic year of biology and/or chemistry laboratory; one physics course; one algebra-or-higher math course, where statistics does not qualify; and one academic year of writing-intensive reading-comprehension coursework. AP is accepted only for physics and math. Admission requirements

Casper is no longer required or recommended for Fall 2027. Recommendations must reach AMCAS and may be one committee letter, one packet or three individual letters: a science-faculty academic letter, a professional non-academic letter and a personal letter from someone with substantial contact during the previous 24 months who is not family or a friend. Admission requirements

Important dates

Rush begins sending selected applicants secondary invitations in July and interview invitations in August. For 2027 matriculation, the earliest accepted MCAT is January 2024 and the final regular-pool test date is September 12, 2026. Application timeline

Interviews run from early September through the end of February. AMCAS is due October 1, admission decisions begin October 15, and the secondary plus all additional materials, including letters, are due November 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central. Rush says it attempts to communicate a decision two to three weeks after interview. Application timeline

First Look Day for admitted and wait-listed applicants is planned for late March or early April, and orientation is in late June. Offers may continue until the class fills but no later than the first day of orientation; wait-listed applicants remain eligible until then. Exact Fall 2027 First Look, orientation, Plan to Enroll and Commit to Enroll dates are not published. Application timeline

How selection works

Rush first applies its citizenship or status, degree, academic-screen, prerequisite and material-completion requirements. Competitive applicants are invited to the secondary rather than receiving it automatically. The college then describes holistic review rooted in its mission and consideration of responsibility, resilience, dependability, empathy, ethical judgment, cultural competence, service orientation, interpersonal and teamwork skills, communication, leadership and commitment to improving public health. Admission requirements

Interview invitations are sent by email, and decisions begin October 15. Rush says it attempts to decide within two to three weeks after interview, continues making offers until the class fills and periodically re-evaluates the wait list until orientation. Application timeline

The current pages do not publish numerical weights beyond the initial GPA–MCAT screen, an interview rubric, committee vote thresholds, offer count or wait-list ordering. The academic screen is an eligibility control, not a prediction of admission.

Interview details

Confirmed

Rush conducts a virtual interview day. Invitations begin in August, with interviews from early September through the end of February. Scheduling directions arrive with the invitation. Rush says it attempts to send the admission decision two to three weeks after interview. Application timeline

Not published

The current official Fall 2027 pages do not publish the number or duration of interviews, whether the format is conversational, panel-based or MMI, interviewer roles, application-file access, question domains, scoring anchors, numerical interview weight, virtual platform or exact interview-day schedule. Applicants should use their invitation as the authority for those details.

Who this program may suit

Rush seeks applicants who will participate actively in its learning community and serve Chicago's diverse communities through clinical practice, education, research and service. Strong fit evidence should connect an applicant's prior actions to empathy, accountability, teamwork, community partnership or health equity rather than relying on a generic interest in an urban medical school. Admission requirements

This is the regular Rush Medical College MD identity in Chicago. Other Rush University colleges, graduate programs, residencies and translational-science programs have separate admissions contracts and should not be imported. MD program

Practice and next step

Record a 90-second answer to: Tell us about a commitment you made to a community or team when circumstances became difficult. What did you do, what did others need from you and what changed because you followed through?

Review whether the answer proves dependability, empathy and reflection with observable actions. Ask a partner to challenge one assumption about the community's needs, improve the weakest part of the response and record it again. Compare whether the second attempt is more specific about your judgment and contribution.

Frequently asked questions

What GPA and MCAT combination does Rush require?

The published MCAT minimum is 510 for GPA 2.99–3.19, 506 for 3.20–3.59, 502 for 3.60–3.79 and 500 for 3.80 or above. A qualifying science postbaccalaureate or graduate route has separate criteria. Admission requirements

Does Rush require Casper for Fall 2027?

No. The current requirements explicitly say Casper is no longer required or recommended for applicants matriculating in Fall 2027. Admission requirements

Is the Rush MD interview virtual?

Yes. The current timeline calls it a virtual interview day and places interviews from early September through February, but it does not publish the format or duration. Application timeline

Does every applicant receive a secondary?

No. Rush states that competitive applicants are invited to complete it after application review. Application timeline

Sources

Verified August 11, 2026. Current official sources used:

• Admission requirements — eligibility, GPA–MCAT screens, prerequisite rules, Fall 2027 Casper policy, recommendations and selection attributes.
• Application timeline — explicit 2027 MCAT window, application deadlines, virtual interview season and decision timing.
• MD program — regular MD identity in Chicago.
• Rush Medical College admissions — college-level identity boundary.