Honors College

To be eligible to apply for the Guaranteed Admission Program (Medicine), you must have a minimum of a 1330 combined SAT score from critical reading and mathematics from one test administration on your SAT1 or a 29 ACT composite score. In addition, applicants must have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent.

Questions are frequently raised about the criteria for acceptance by the Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine. All applicants should be aware that these decisions are not made on the basis of academic performance alone. The Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine has many more qualified applicants than it can possibly accept and the stated academic criteria of GPA and SAT scores merely indicate the baseline each applicant must attain for consideration for the program.

The same noncognitive qualities used in regular health-science professions acceptance are taken into consideration for the Honors College Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine. These include, but are not limited to, interpersonal skills, maturity, personal motivation, written and oral communication skills, letters of recommendation, evidence of commitment to healthcare, experience in related healthcare fields, compassion, and community service.

Qualified applicants are also selected for an interview, with the interviewer’s assessment factoring into the admission decision. The interviewer’s goal is to develop a sense of the candidate’s personality and oral communication skills and to convey these qualities to the committee.

The selection committee meets in the third week of January to review complete applications; all applicants are notified later that month by email whether they’ve been invited for interviews. Interviews are conducted in January, February and March. Because of the limited number of guaranteed positions, not all applicants are interviewed, even though they may be highly qualified.

Admission decisions are made based on a ranking of all potential students, utilizing each committee member’s assessment of the criteria. Since many factors are considered for acceptance, occasionally individuals with lower GPAs or SAT scores are ranked for an admission offer ahead of individuals with higher GPAs or SAT scores.

Applications were received from 615 high school seniors for the Fall 2024 entering freshman class. Sixty students were selected for an interview. In mid-March, 30 students received an acceptance letter. The average unweighted GPA for accepted candidates was a 3.9. The submitted SAT scores ranged from 1410 to 1600 (critical reading and math), and submitted ACT scores ranged from 32 to 36. In addition, accepted candidates had accumulated an average of 450 hours of healthcare-related experience.

The Honors College considers your application an important part of the selection process. Once you have completed the application online, proofread it carefully before submitting. Do not provide the requested information in any format other than that of the application itself.  The application can be saved before submission, allowing you to work on the application over several sittings. The following information is helpful as you prepare to begin your application:

1. The Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine application is due  November 1, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. EST. Reference letters must also be uploaded by this time. We therefore encourage you to submit early in order to provide ample time for reference writers to upload their letters to the application.

2. Once the application has been submitted, it cannot be modified or retrieved. After your application has been submitted, you will be directed to a confirmation page, indicating that your submission has been received. A confirmation email will also be sent to the email provided in your application.

3. You may track the status of your supporting documents by logging into our status page. Please refer to your email confirmation for instructions on how to visit the status page. The Honors College will retrieve your test scores as well as your official high school transcript from your VCU Common Application sent into the Office of Admissions. You do not need to send separate copies to the Honors College.

4. SAT scores of at least 1330 (critical reading and math; all in one sitting) or a 29 ACT composite score must be received by the November 1 deadline. November SAT or ACT scores of the year of application will not be considered. The SAT code for VCU is 5570, and the ACT code for VCU is 4379. Please note: Submission of test scores remains a requirement for all Guaranteed Admission Programs. The Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine application opens in early August.  

5. A completed application must include a minimum of two, and a maximum of four, letters of recommendation. We suggest that one of these letters come from your school counselor and, if you have volunteer and/or paid work in a healthcare environment, one from your supervisor.  These letters should include, but are not limited to, statements about your ability as a student, potential as a health professional, and extracurricular activities in your school and community.
   You must include your reference writers’ email addresses and names on your application. Once your application has been submitted, your reference writers will be prompted via email to compose a letter and will be given information on how to upload it into your Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine application. The Honors College will not retrieve reference letters sent in with the VCU Common Application. Only letters submitted through the Honors College online submission system will be included with your Guaranteed Admission Program application.

6. There are two short essays on the application. Each essay is limited to 250 words.  

• Comment on your motivation for, and interest in, medicine.
• Discuss one thing about you that is unique, which has not been addressed anywhere else in this application.

8. The application will also collect additional information such as previous healthcare experiences, extracurricular activities, community service activities, leadership roles, and any paid employment.

9. The Honors College will only accept one application per Guaranteed Admission for Medicine candidate. If you submit an incomplete application, it will not be considered. The application cannot be altered once submitted. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact the Honors College at honors@vcu.edu.  

10. Guaranteed admission candidates must also complete the VCU Common Application and submit supporting documents by November 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information on the VCU Common Application, please visit the VCU Office of Admissions.

Applications must be submitted and official transcripts received by November 1, 2024. Letters of reference must be uploaded by the reference writer to your Guaranteed Admission Program for Medicine application by November 1, 2024. There are no exceptions to this deadline. It is your responsibility to make certain that materials are received by the stated deadline date. Be sure to apply early and check your Honors College application status page in advance of the deadline to make sure all required information is in your file.

Any questions about the process or the status of your Honors College Guaranteed Admission Program application should be directed to the Honors College at (804) 828-1803 or honors@vcu.edu. Contact the VCU Office of Admissions with questions about your VCU undergraduate application.