Question: Hi HPA – I’ve seen articles about the 18% increase in applicants to medical school this year. Do you have ideas about why this happened? Did applications increase for Princeton students?
 
Answer: There’s no hard data out there yet, but anecdotally and hearing from admissions deans and directors, factors included the move by some medical schools to make MCAT optional, more time for applicants to prepare materials in the spring when so many other activities were curtailed, a sense of responsibility to join the profession that became more urgent during the pandemic, and an economic downturn and slower job market that led individuals to seek further education (this article has a nice overview). The number of Princeton applicants didn’t change significantly. There are 130 applicants on our list – fourteen who were accepted through sophomore early assurance programs, 97 who worked through the HPA committee letter process, and 19 who applied through other means, including Class of 2003 alums through present students. This is well-aligned with our usual numbers. We do have an unusually small number of current seniors (direct entry students): only 11 of the 97 committee letter applicants are class of 2021 compared to 26 direct entry applicants in 2019 and 17 last year.