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Reviewed by:
Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Reviewed: 6/14/24
If you’re interested in attending a medical school with an unwavering pursuit of intellectual change, read on to find out more about how to get into the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS).
As a medical school that ranks high for research, it’s no wonder one of the ISMMS’s mottos is “another day, another breakthrough.” This guide will tell you everything you need to know to join ISMMS in its commitment to discovery!
There are various programs for prospective students to choose from:
Whether you’re an undergraduate student or already have your MD, Icahn Medical School has the perfect program to advance your medical career!
As a high-ranking school, Icahn aims to admit big thinkers interested in changing the face of medicine. Due to its rigorous curriculum, it has high expectations of all prospective students.
The Icahn School of Medicine acceptance rate is extremely competitive at 1.38%, meaning prospective students must craft stellar applications to stand a chance at acceptance.
Please note that this is an approximate acceptance rate and refers to the percentage of matriculants and deferred students compared to verified applications. Medical schools often don’t release data pertaining to accepted applicants and verified applications.
The average MCAT score at the Icahn School of Medicine is 519.3. To achieve this competitive score, it’s essential to create a comprehensive study plan and stick to it! Inspira's tutors in Brooklyn can help you achieve an MCAT score of 515+.
Like their MCAT score requirements, Icahn has high GPA requirements. Accepted students have a GPA of 3.91.
There are various requirements you must meet to apply for ISMSS’s MD program.
Icahn requires students to complete the following key subjects during their undergrad:
Icahn also suggests students develop proficiency in a second language and acquire basic competencies in social sciences such as political science, global health, psychology, and sociology.
ISMMS requires students to take the MCAT within three years of their desired matriculation date.
ISMMS prefers students to submit a committee letter or package of letters. However, if these options are unavailable, students must submit at least three separate letters of recommendation.
These letters must be written by people who can speak to your passion for a medical career and your academic potential. Possible sources include research mentors, supervisors, professors, or clinical preceptors.
Andrew, Admissions Consultant at Icahn School of Medicine, shared these insights:
"Icahn School of Medicine has a strong focus on serving diverse and underserved populations. Gaining experience in community health centers, free clinics, or international medical missions can align well with their mission and make your application stand out. These experiences not only show your commitment to helping those in need but also prepare you for the diverse patient population you will encounter at Icahn."
"Your GPA and MCAT scores are crucial components of your application to Icahn School of Medicine. However, clinical experience is equally important. Finding a balance between maintaining strong academic performance and gaining substantial clinical experience is key. Icahn seeks applicants who can excel academically while also demonstrating a strong commitment to clinical practice."
"Strong letters of recommendation from respected professionals who can speak to your abilities and character are invaluable. Networking within the medical community can also provide insights and opportunities that enhance your application."
Students must also complete secondary essays as part of their application. Since many students find the essay writing components of med school applications difficult, we’ve included ISMMS’s exact essay questions and tips to help you answer them!
1. “If you are currently not a full-time student, please briefly describe the activities you are participating in this academic year. (100 word limit)”
How to Answer: You should only answer this question if you aren’t a full-time student at the time of application. ISMMS asks this question to ensure you make good use of your time and are still committed to a medical career, even if you aren’t in school.
Ensure you explain any vital work or volunteer experience you’re focusing on during your time away from school, relating it to how these experiences will make you a better med student and physician.
2. “Were there any adverse circumstances in your premedical preparatory journey including but not limited to impact from COVID-19? (100 words)”
How to Answer: Use this opportunity to explain any circumstances that may have negatively impacted your premed journey. These should be legitimate reasons that prevented you from pursuing extracurriculars, impacted your grades, or made it difficult to excel on the MCAT.
3. “If you are committed to a particular community or if there is an important aspect of your identity not addressed elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. Briefly also explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. Completing this section is optional. (100 word limit)”
How to Answer: This optional essay is a diversity essay. Applicants should use this space to explain unique circumstances and experiences they’ve been through that offer them different perspectives on medicine and patient care.
4. “What is the toughest feedback you ever received? How did you handle it and what did you learn from it? (250 word limit)”
How to Answer: During medical school, you’ll be expected to accept feedback to ensure you’re ready to care for patients independently. ISMMS wants to know you’re capable of growth and can take criticism well.
Don’t try to use this opportunity to highlight strengths by saying you received feedback about your unrelenting work ethic or your inability to let projects go because of your perfectionist attitude.
Be vulnerable. Tell the committee a true story about when you received harsh feedback and how you implemented it to grow and improve.
5. “Describe a situation that you have thought to be unfair or unjust, whether towards yourself or towards others. How did you address the situation, if at all? (200 word limit)”
How to Answer: ISMMS uses this essay to show how you can problem-solve and overcome obstacles. Think back to when you genuinely felt you were being mistreated or witnessed someone else being mistreated.
Explain the circumstances and how you created more equality in the situation. You want to demonstrate you feel an ethical and moral obligation to address and resolve injustices because this is part of what physicians do as advocates for their patients!
Given the ISMMS’s ranking, low acceptance rates, and high score requirements, you might feel disheartened about your chances of joining one of their medical programs!
To reignite your optimism, here are some tips to help you get into this medical school!
ISMMS is very specific about the values they like to see in their applicants. On the school website, Icahn lists the following traits as core values they look for in candidates:
You’ll want to display these traits throughout your application, including in your secondary essays, extracurriculars, and interviews.
Unless your letters of recommendation prove you’re an exceptional student or person who is meant to become a physician, consider them useless. Your letters should in no way paint you as average.
Ensure you ask people who know you well enough to write stellar recommendations. These recommendations must be personal and shouldn’t follow a template. The admissions committees can tell, and it’ll decrease the sincerity of your letters.
There’s no better way to increase your chances of getting into Icahn than to enlist the help of admissions experts who know the ins and outs of the application process.
Inspira’s experts can increase your med school admission chances by seven times! Just take a look at how Inspira helped Jaideep gain admission to ISMMS.
Like any other medical school, attending ISMMS is an investment! Tuition and fees alone costs $74,208 a year.
Icahn has an enhanced scholarship program to help ease some of the financial burdens of attending this school. Students can fill out a needs-based application and be given grants based on their economic circumstances.
ISMMS also has merit-based awards for students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement or a commitment to science or service.
If you feel the ISMMS financial aid won’t be enough to get you through medical school without drowning in debt, you can also apply to external scholarships that often cover a good part of your tuition!
ISMMS knows how stressful interviews can be for prospective medical students, so they do their best to make them more conversational. A second-year MD student even called the interview “very relaxed,” which is not the typical adjective students use when describing med-school interviews.
The interviews consist of two 30-minute in-person interviews with admissions committee members. They are considered semi-structured traditional interviews, and the committee members aim to get a holistic view of the applicants.
To prepare for these interviews, students should review the school’s core values and common interview questions. Icahn Medical School interviews mainly focus on the following areas:
Interview day is a fantastic way to begin networking and meeting the staff, faculty, and potential students you’ll spend the next four years with!
As you begin applying to ISMMS, it’s vital to keep the following timeline in mind:
Ensure you make a note of these deadlines to reference back to as you prepare your application!
If you have any remaining questions about ISMMS, read on to find the answers!
This school is prestigious, as it ranks among the top research medical schools nationwide.
With a low acceptance rate of only 1.38%, getting into Icahn is difficult. Students need to have stellar applications to be considered competitive!
Icahn is known for its groundbreaking research and comprehensive spectrum of research labs, institutes, and centers across various disciplines.
The average GPA at Icahn School of Medicine is 3.91, so you should aim for a GPA higher than the average to be considered a competitive applicant.
The average MCAT at Icahn School of Medicine is 519.3, so to be considered competitive, you should aim for an MCAT score of 520 or higher.
Yes, the interview process at Icahn School of Medicine involves two 30-minute interviews.
ISMMS has built an impressive reputation for its innovative approaches and life-changing research. By attending this school, you’re guaranteed to gain a diverse and advanced education that will catapult you into a prosperous medical career.
Good luck!
Dr. Akhil Katakam was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
Reviewed by:
Dermatology Resident Physician, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
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