2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is a US MD program in Philadelphia, PA that takes 2027-entry applications through AMCAS. Its published class profile lists a median MCAT of 522 (range 517–526), a median GPA of 3.98, a 3.0% acceptance rate and a class of 129. The school holds a traditional interview: September 2026–January 2027. Decisions for 2027 entry: March 30, 2027.
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Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →Integrated, 4 years, clinical rotations in Philadelphia, plus some sites outside the city.
See the program →The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1765, is the first medical school established in North America. Located in West Philadelphia adjacent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Penn Medicine is a leading center for biomedical research, gene therapy, and translational medicine.
The curriculum emphasizes scholarly pursuit and leadership in academic medicine.
Penn is the oldest medical school in the United States. The school pioneered CAR-T cell therapy and has strong ties to the Penn Institute for Immunology and the Abramson Cancer Center. Penn's MD-PhD MSTP is among the largest and most funded in the country.
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD curriculum. Perelman's curriculum was redesigned to integrate clinical correlates from the start of Year 1. A scholarly pursuit (research or scholarly project) is a graduation requirement. Early clinical exposure through Penn's Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship model.
Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD) is strong in these research areas:
Format: Traditional one-on-one interview (typically 2 faculty/student interviews on interview day)
Approximately 150 students per year.
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1765 and is based in Philadelphia, PA.
Programmes offered:
These are real recordings of the interviewers you would meet, from a panel of 21 photoreal faces. Speak your answers out loud, get pressed with follow-ups, and receive rubric-scored feedback about two minutes after you finish, with a replay of your answers.
Try the AI interviewer| MCAT / GPA (medians) | 522 · 3.98 (MCAT range 517–526) |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 3.0% |
| Class size | 129 |
| In-state preference | No stated in-state preference |
| Interview format | Traditional interview |
| Intake | Approximately 150 students per year |
| Decisions (2027 entry) | March 30, 2027 |
| Admission overview | Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Strong academic record, research experience, and clinical exposure expected. No specific major required. AMCAS application; secondary required for all. |
|---|---|
| MCAT median | 522 (range 517–526) |
| GPA median | 3.98 overall / 3.98 science (BCPM) |
| Acceptance rate | 3.0% |
| Class size | 129 |
| In-state preference | None |
| CASPer | Not required |
| AAMC PREview | Not required |
| Holistic review emphasis | Research, academic excellence, intellectual leadership, and long-term commitment to academic medicine. |
| Notes | Checked 2026-09-14 against the school's own published figures (class entering in 2026): median MCAT 522; median GPA 3.98; science GPA 3.98; class of 129. Not confirmed from the school's own pages: acceptance rate. |
| Specialities offered | Gene Therapy, Translational Medicine, Oncology, Immunology, Cardiovascular Medicine |
MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's published admissions data. Class profiles are republished each year — confirm which entering class these numbers describe before you rely on them.
Working towards the MCAT score Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
| Format | Traditional one-on-one interview (typically 2 faculty/student interviews on interview day) |
|---|---|
| Interview window (2027 entry) | September 2026–January 2027 |
| Decision date (2027 entry) | March 30, 2027 |
Penn's traditional interview is conversational and relationship-focused — interviewers are often interested in your story, your reasons for medicine, and your research narrative. Prepare a clear, compelling personal statement and be ready to discuss your research in accessible, meaningful terms. Penn values candidates who can articulate why they want to be academic physician-scientists; a vague interest in "helping people" without specific intellectual depth will not stand out. The Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship is a distinct feature — express genuine enthusiasm for this model if it aligns with your learning preferences.
Two questions from our US bank that match Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD)’s panel format. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Using Type 2 diabetes as your example, explain how the biopsychosocial model changes both how we explain the disease and how we treat it, compared with a purely biomedical model.
Likely follow-up · What are the limitations of the biopsychosocial model in clinical practice?
You scored 516 on your first MCAT, took nine months away from test preparation, and scored 519 on your second attempt. Walk me through your decision to retake the MCAT and what that process taught you about how you learn.
Likely follow-up · How did you identify what changed between your two attempts, and how did you adjust your study strategy accordingly?
We've helped students into Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD) and other US medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
Build an MCAT prep plan that hits the median score profile for Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD).
Learn morePractise the Traditional interview format with students who interviewed at Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD).
Learn moreGet your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreChecked against Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's own website on 14 September 2026: our record for the school was reconciled with what it publishes there. For most US schools that is class size and interview format only, so MCAT, GPA and acceptance-rate figures remain unconfirmed.
We've helped students turn their MCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn (MD) and other US medicine schools.
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