HPA takes a data driven approach to advising aspiring health professionals. Below are a few selected statistics that illustrate the diversity of Princeton applicants to health professions schools. Data is calculated over five application cycles, from 2019-2023.
Current students can access additional data by logging in and accessing the HPA Virtual Data Binder (alums can request access by emailing [email protected]). More data is shared with applicants in the year that they apply.
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What health professions do Princeton alums pursue?
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HPA works the most closely with applicants to medical and dental school since these programs ask for the HPA committee letter of recommendation. We have advised students and alumni who are preparing for health professions programs including veterinary medicine, nursing, physician assistant, pharmacy, naturopathic medicine, and public health, among many others.
Additionally, many alums go on to careers in academia, research, policy, government, and many other sectors where their work is directly or indirectly health-related. We hope that Princeton students use their time to explore the diverse array of professional paths within and outside of health. Campus partners like the Center for Health and Wellbeing and Center for Career Development can provide additional guidance on the wide array of ways to integrate an interest in health and healthcare into a professional career.
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How successful are Princeton applicants in gaining admission?
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HPA tracks data most closely for medical, dental, and veterinary school applicants.
For other professions, either comprehensive data is not available to us and/or the number of applicants to the profession is very small.
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How successful are Princeton applicants compared to other schools?
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We do not track our outcomes relative to other schools. There is national acceptance data available online:
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What GPA and MCAT score do I need to get into medical school?
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Admission to medical school is holistic and based on factors including experiences (especially clinical and service), attributes, and metrics, timeline to application, strength of letters of recommendation, state of residence, oral and written communication skills, and demonstration of core competencies.
Rather than think about a certain average GPA or MCAT score, focus on the range of accepted metrics, the importance of an upward grade trajectory, and the context around your academic performance. Advisers will work with you to evaluate your academic metrics and readiness to meet your goals.Prospective applicants with lower metrics work with HPA advisers to discuss their specific academic context and next steps.
- Some students with lower GPAs pursued postbaccalaureate record enhancement programs before application to provide more evidence of readiness for the rigor of the medical school curriculum.
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When do Princeton applicants apply?
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There are many timelines to application to medical school. Princeton applicants matriculated to medical school on timelines from directly after graduation ("direct entry") to eighteen years after graduation.
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What schools do Princeton applicants typically attend?
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Between 2019 and 2023, Princeton alums matriculated at 110 allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools across the country and internationally. The schools with the largest number of matriculants are:
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (38)
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (32)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (26)
- Harvard Medical School (22)
- Perelman SOM at the University of Pennsylvania (20)
- Weill Cornell Medicine (18)
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (17)
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (17)
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (14)
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (14)
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (12)
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (11)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (11)
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine (10)
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (10)
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (10)
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University (8)
- University of California Los Angeles Geffen School of Medicine (8)
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (8)
- Boston University School of Medicine (7)
- Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (7)
- Stanford University School of Medicine (7)
- Tufts University School of Medicine (7)
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (7)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (7)
- University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (7)
- Learn more about factors to consider in school selection
- See map of acceptances for the most recent application cycle
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Does HPA discourage students from applying to medical school if their GPA or MCAT is too low?
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HPA advisers want students to reach their goals and believe that any Princeton student has what it takes to become a doctor. We try to help each potential applicant reflect on the strength of their candidacy on many dimensions, including grades and MCAT scores, so that they have a realistic understanding of their candidacy.
We might recommend taking another year or two to strengthen aspects of your candidacy, but this is not to raise our acceptance rates--it's to try to help you reach your goal of getting accepted! Even if we advise you to wait a while, if you choose to apply, we will do our best to support you when you do. We are not gatekeepers to medical school admissions--we are your advocates and coaches along the way.