Early Admission Program to Medical School

One of the strongest endorsements of our pre-medical program is the cooperative agreement Knox has with The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Through early selection and admission program, selected sophomores are guaranteed admission to The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This program encourages pre-medical students to fully engage in the residential, liberal arts experience, including participation in the full range of academic and extra-curricular experiences without the pressure of the MCAT exam. A similar program is offered to students entering in the fall of 2012 through Rush Medical College (students entering after the fall of 2012 are not eligible for this program).

The Early Admission Programs are designed to recognize strong candidates for medical school while you are still undergraduates, and encourage you to explore the full range of the liberal arts experience by granting you a conditional acceptance to George Washington University or Rush Medical College. If selected, these distinguishing programs provide you with the opportunity to complete your studies at Knox and thoroughly explore other aspects of college life that are often left out of the traditional pre-med program. Early acceptance to medical school permits you to participate in activities, such as study abroad, varsity athletics or considerable co-curricular involvement, that you may otherwise have to limit or forgo. The programs are open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States.

The Knox-George Washington University Early Selection Program
Competitive students for the program must demonstrate high academic achievement in both science and non-science curricula. To be eligible, you must have obtained a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and have received no science grade lower than a B- by the end of your sixth term. Other requirements include:

• Sophomore standing and completion of two years (six terms) at Knox College, with achievement of a minimum of 18 credits by the end of the term during application.
• Completion of a minimum of six terms of pre-medical science courses by the end of your sixth term. Such courses can include Biology 110, 120 and 130, Chemistry 101 and 102, Physics 110, 120 and 130, and Mathematics 151 and 152.
• Achieved SAT score of at least 1250, and/or ACT of at least 27.

Knox-George Washington University students apply during the third term of their sophomore year. All final acceptance decisions are made by early summer. Acceptance is provisional: you must complete the pre-med curriculum, maintain a GPA of 3.3 with a grade of B- or better in all science coursework, and complete your Knox degree. An MCAT score is not required.

Application forms for this program are distributed in the fall term and are due in late March or early April. The application requires transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, letters of recommendation, and a description of your academic goals, planned courses, and projects. Applicants are interviewed on the Knox campus. The applications are then sent to The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Committee on Admissions. The Committee on Admissions invites applicants for interviews and make the final decision by early summer.

Students who are admitted are not obligated to attend George Washington. You have until the summer following your junior year to accept or decline admission to the program.

Successful applicants show high academic potential by earning good grades in all your courses during their first two years at Knox and by taking a challenging selection of classes. Applicants also typically have an interest in current issues in health care, knowledge about the medical profession, and plan to make the best use of the broad range of education opportunities available at Knox.

The Knox-Rush Early Identification Program
(This program is available to students entering Knox through the fall of 2012. Students entering after the fall of 2012 are not eligible.)

In order to apply for admission to this prestigious program, you must complete -- during your first year at Knox -- two course sequences in two of the following four areas (for a total of four courses), with grades of an A or B:

• Any two courses from Biology 110, 120, and 130
• Chemistry 101 and 102
• Any two courses from Physics 110, 120, and 130
• Mathematics 151 and 152 (Math 140 and 141 may be substituted for Math 151)

Only credit earned at Knox can be used for this program. Students with credit in any of these courses from other sources may: a) select other courses for eligibility; b) take the next course in the sequence for that subject (e.g., Chemistry 211 for chemistry); or c) cancel the credit already earned and repeat the course.

Knox-Rush students are chosen during the summer following their first year at Knox. Acceptance is conditional, and if you are accepted to the program, you are required to maintain a B average throughout college, complete standard pre-medical courses, take the MCAT, and graduate from Knox. You'll also be expected to demonstrate good character, a sense of responsibility, and sound judgment.

Application forms for this program are distributed in the fall term and are due in late March or early April. The application requires transcripts, letters of recommendation, and answers to a series of questions. Applicants are interviewed on the Knox campus, and the applications are then sent to the Rush Medical College Admissions staff. The Rush Admissions Office then selects students for interviews at the medical school, and, following these interviews, makes the final selection of students to admit into the program. Applicants are usually notified of Rush's decision by the end of the summer.

A unique feature of the Knox-Rush Program is that students who are admitted are not obligated to attend Rush. You can apply to other medical colleges during your senior year without jeopardizing your conditional acceptance to Rush. Another distinctive feature is that there is no special coursework or obligation, such as workshops or seminars, required of students in this program.

Successful applicants show high academic potential by earning good grades in all their courses during their first year at Knox and by taking a challenging selection of classes. Applicants also typically have an interest in current issues in health care, knowledge about the medical profession, and good interpersonal skills.