All students applying to Harvard Medical School must have a baccalaureate degree. Required courses include biology, with at least a year of lab experience. Advanced placement credits are not considered. Students need two years of chemistry, with lab experience, and one year of physics. At least one year of calculus is required, but advanced placement credits may qualify. One year of expository writing is needed. Computer skills are important. Applicants are encouraged to complete courses in languages, literature, the arts and humanities as well as the social sciences. Honor courses are particularly recommended, as is independent research and study,
The admissions committee uses various factors in its decision. Among them are the applicant's academic history, summer jobs, evaluation letters and life experiences. The essay submitted with the application is considered, as is experience in the community in a health-related capacity.
Applicants must submit their scores from the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT. The MCAT is conducted from January through September in the United States and Canada. It is also held internationally. Annually, the MCAT is taken by 70,000 applicants. The MCAT is developed and owned by the Association of American Medical Colleges.