Applying to the Premedical Program

Interested in applying to the Premedical Program at Harvard Extension School? Applications are accepted between January 10 and April 10.

Who Should Apply?

Eligibility

To be considered for the Premedical Program, you must:

• Have already completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Graduating college seniors are not eligible to apply. If you will earn your undergraduate degree in May 2025, for example, you’ll need to apply next year starting January 2026.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in all previous Harvard Extension School (HES) and Harvard Summer School (HSS) coursework. (Guidance on calculating your HES GPA can be found at Grades. The first two grades of Withdrawal (WD) are not included in the calculation of the cumulative grade-point average, but the third and subsequent WD grades count as zeroes.)
• Be in good financial and administrative standing with Harvard University, with no disciplinary or other administrative procedures pending (applies to current or former students only).
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. We are not able to accept international students.
• Prove English proficiency. If your native language is not English and you have not earned a high school, bachelor’s, or graduate degree (master’s or doctorate) from a school, college, or university in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, or the United Kingdom, you’ll need to submit a satisfactory English proficiency test score. Read more about the English Proficiency Requirement for Registration and review the list of acceptable exams and scores.

Admission to the Premedical Program is selective. In evaluating your application, we attempt to be holistic and take many factors into consideration. These factors include experiences that indicate you are making an informed decision about your career choice and are capable of working to the academic standards of Harvard. 

Characteristics of Competitive Applicants:

• Although there is no minimum prior school GPA, it is unlikely that applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 will be accepted.
• In addition to GPA, being able to demonstrate achievements in your past academic pursuits, including research activities, teaching, and honors or awards.
• Activities that demonstrate your commitment to the healthcare field, such as prior employment in a health profession (including, but not limited to nurse, medical scribe, EMT, medical/dental/veterinary assistant, hospice care, etc.), clinical shadowing, or volunteering in clinical settings.

Harvard Extension School does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), or any other protected classification.

How and When to Apply

The application period is open from January 10 to April 10 each year. You should plan to apply at least a year before applying to medical, dental, veterinary, or physician assistant/associate school.

Starting the Application Process

1. Create a MyDCE student account. If you already have a MyDCE account, please check to be sure all contact information is still accurate (we will be using the student email address from your account to communicate with you regarding application updates).
2. Next, access the application portal through MyDCE by logging in using your Harvard Key. Select the Premed Pgm Application icon under your name at the top of the homepage.

Application Materials

A complete online application includes the following:

• Nonrefundable $50 application processing fee.
• Essay: In no more than 500 words, address the following question: Why do you want to prepare for a career in the medical field?
• Résumé or CV: Upload a current résumé or CV to the online application that includes all your work experience, including volunteer jobs, with dates. Also include any research you have done or research positions you have held, with dates.
• Transcripts: Send an official transcript from each college or university in which you have enrolled for credit, including those from which you have not earned a degree. Note: To be eligible to apply, your degree must be awarded, not pending. We accept electronic transcripts, but only if they are sent from the institution or the institution’s transcript service directly to hcp@Extension.Harvard.edu. Do not send transcripts to Harvard University because we will not receive them.
  • If you earned a degree outside the United States, you must have your official transcript(s) evaluated by the Center for Educational Documentation (CED) or International Education Evaluations (IEE), the only two agencies from which we will accept evaluations. The company should send an electronic copy of your general evaluation (CED) or Document Report (IEE) directly to the Premedical Program Office. See our guidelines for verifying international credits for more information.

Mailing Transcripts (if necessary)

If transcripts must be mailed via post because your college or university does not offer electronic delivery, please have them sent to:

Premedical Program Office, Harvard Extension School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Do not send transcripts to Harvard University Admissions because we will not receive them.

• Do not open envelopes addressed to you that contain official copies of documents. Mail them unopened in a larger envelope.
• All mailed materials must be received in the Premedical Program Office by the last date of the application cycle. 

Materials are accepted and processed by the office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Any materials received after 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 10 will not be considered.

Program or Application Questions?

Contact the Premedical Program Office at hcp@Extension.Harvard.edu.

Admission Decisions

Applicants are informed of their acceptance to the program on a rolling basis through the online application portal, accessed by logging in to MyDCE and clicking on the Premed Pgm Application icon under the name and profile picture section of the home page.

Successful applicants must accept or decline their offers by May 20; otherwise, their offers will be rescinded. Offers may also be rescinded if applicants are current Harvard Extension School course takers and earn poor grades at the end of the spring term or have pending academic disciplinary actions or similar demonstrated behaviors that may negatively affect their application for admission.

All decisions are final, but unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply in the next cycle, with the understanding that holistic application reviews are performed. Re-applicants to the program should demonstrate academic and professional growth in the intervening time.