Admission Process and Timeline

About the Process

The Admissions Committee at the Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU COM) is comprised of approximately 70 members and includes faculty from all FSU COM departments and regional campuses, fourth-year medical students, and community physicians.

When considering applicants for admission, the Committee utilizes all appropriate information including academic, personal, experiential, and demographic data in the selection process. Personal qualities such as motivation, sensitivity to the needs of others, excellent oral communication skills, and maturity receive particular attention along with strong academic credentials. In addition, personal attributes such as compassion and altruism that are, in the view of the committee, essential to the art of good medical practice are of special interest in the selection process.

The Committee is especially interested in applicants who have demonstrated through their lifestyle consistent motivation for service to others. Applicants from underrepresented minority groups, applicants from rural and inner-city backgrounds, women, and non-traditional applicants are of particular interest.

Early Decision Process

Consideration by the Office of Admissions for applicants participating in Early Decision begins as soon as an application is complete. Interviews for Early Decision applicants are held each year in early to mid-September.

Applicants selected for an interview will be interviewed by two members of our Admissions Committee. The interviewers present the candidates at an Admissions Committee meeting  following each interview session. The Committee then makes a recommendation on each applicant to the Admissions Selection Committee as to whether the applicant is immediately accepted or placed on hold and deferred to the regular MD pool.

Applicants on hold may remain in that status until the class is filled. Applicants not selected for admission will be notified by late May at the latest.

Those applicants not chosen for Early Decision interviews are notified (and AMCAS informed) that their files have been deferred to the regular MD pool and will be reconsidered during the regular admission cycle.

All Early Decision notifications of acceptance and deferrals to the regular MD pool will be made by October 1st.

Regular Admission Process

Consideration of applicants by the Admissions Office for Regular Admission begins in July and continues until mid-March. Interviews are conducted from late September through March, and typically about 250-300 applicants are interviewed each admission cycle.

Applicants selected for an interview will be interviewed by two members of our Admissions Committee. The interviewers present the candidates at an Admissions Committee meeting  following each interview session. The Committee then makes a recommendation on each applicant to the Admissions Selection Committee as to whether the applicant is immediately accepted, placed on hold, or not offered admission.

Applicants placed on hold may remain in that status until the class is filled. Applicants not selected for admission will be notified by late May.

Admission Decisions

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle. Following the interview, applicants will be notified of the decision reached by the Admissions Selection Committee concerning their status. The applicant will be notified that they are either accepted, placed on hold, or not accepted:

• Acceptance - An offer of acceptance is made for the applicant to join the incoming FSU COM class. To accept the offer, applicants must submit a signed Acceptance Offer Letter, Residency Classification, and Technical Standards Acknowledgement.
   
• Hold/Waitlist - The decision was made to place the applicant on hold on the waitlist and no offer of acceptance or notice of non acceptance is made. Final decisions of acceptance or non-acceptance will be made by late May. Applicants in this category are encouraged to submit important and significant updates to the Admissions Office throughout the cycle, as updates may increase the likelihood of applicants from the Hold/Waitlist list being offered acceptance during the cycle. At the end of each cycle, applicants on the Hold list may be offered acceptance as withdrawals occur.
   
• Non-Acceptance - After careful evaluation, the applicant is informed that the Admissions Office will not be offering a position in the incoming class.

Timeline

Below is the timeline for the 2024-2025 FSU COM Admissions Cycle.

Due to the nature of our holistic admissions review process, particularly our focus on applicants who meet our mission, as well as our unique Master of Science Bridge to Clinical Medicine program, applicants may not hear from the Admissions Office until a final decision about their application is made, usually by late May.

*Please note all deadlines are on Eastern Standard Time (EST). Exceptions will not be made for time zone differences.

Applicant Updates

Applicant updates, and all other correspondence, must be sent via e-mail to medadmissions@med.fsu.edu. For privacy reasons, application information WILL NOT be provided via telephone.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the submission of the primary AMCAS application and all secondary materials by the application deadline. Applicants will NOT be notified of missing documents.

Decisions are based on the strength of the application, not the date in which the application is received. You may not hear back regarding the status of your application until after April 30 of the calendar year following the year you apply.