Early Assurance Programs

What is an Early Assurance Program?

Early Assurance programs allow Hunter College Pre-Health students from any major to apply for early assurance of acceptance into a medical school without the stresses and expense of applying to multiple medical colleges during their final year of undergraduate study.

If a student is accepted into an early assurance program, the student is contractually expected to matriculate at that medical school. If the student chooses to reject the offer and apply broadly to medical schools,

What is the difference between Hunter College Affiliated vs.
Unaffiliated Early Assurance Programs?

Hunter College affiliated early assurance programs are available exclusively to students at Hunter College. Unaffiliated programs are available to all students, regardless of the institution, who meet their program requirements.

Affiliated Early Assurance Programs

• CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy — 4 + 1 Program
• Georgetown University Medical Center
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine — School of Dental Medicine
• City University of New York — Masters in Translational Medicine
• The State University of New York at Downstate (Juniors and Seniors)
• The University of Rochester School of Medicine (Sophomores)
• St. George's University School of Medicine
• Touro University — Touro College of Pharmacy
• Touro University — Doctor of Physical Therapy Pathway Program

Unaffiliated Early Assurance Programs

• The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - FlexMed (Sophomores)
• Zucker Pipeline Program at Zucker School of Medicine Hofstra (Freshmen)
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine — Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program (SPAEP) with the opportunity of Early Assurance Program (Sophomores)
• The University of Toledo School of Medicine - MedStart (Juniors)
• Cornell University Accelerated BS/DVM Pathway
• SUNY Upstate Medical University — Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) (Sophomores)

Affiliated Early Assurance Programs

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

Priority Deadline: November 1
Deadline: June 21

The 4 + 1 combined BA/MPH program between Hunter College and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy offers a pipeline program that permits qualified students the opportunity to take between 3 - 18 credits of graduate level courses during their junior and senior years at Hunter, which count towards both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Georgetown Univerisity Medical Center

Georgetown University and Hunter College offer scholarship to Hunter Students for Georgetown University's qualifying Masters' programs.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
School of Dental Medicine

Deadline: November 1
Supplemental Application Deadline: January 1

The 4 + 4 Early Acceptance Program with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Erie, PA) offers qualified students the opportunity to pursue a career in dentistry at LECOM, following successful graduation with a degree in a pre-approved pre-dental program at Hunter College.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
School of Dental Medicine

Deadline: November 1
Supplemental Application Deadline: January 1

The 4 + 4 Early Acceptance Program with LECOM School of Dental Medicine (Brandenton, FL) offers qualified students the opportunity to pursue a career in dentistry at LECOM, following successful graduation with a degree in a pre-approved pre-dental program at Hunter College.

City College Masters in Translational Medicine

Deadline: March 31

The Master's in Translational Medicine (MTM) at the City College of New York (CCNY) offers students the opportunity to complete an affordable master's degree program in an accelerated one-year, 30-credit program, immediately following graduation from Hunter College. MTM focuses on building your skills in innovation and entrepreneurship to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape, with access to career and professional development roles in medtech and biotech industries.

The State University of New York at Downstate

Application Opens: N/A
Deadline: February 21

The Early Medical Education (EME) Program is a 2-summer initiative to increase the competitiveness of pre-medical students, early in their college career by providing exam preparation and academic support. Students will learn time and stress management skills, and have an opportunity for hands-on exposure to medical disciplines through shadowing experiences with clinicians. Successful participants are guaranteed admission to SUNY Downstate's College of Medicine.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Juniors and Seniors with a science GPA of 3.2 and non-science GPA of 3.5
• Must have completed all MCAT suggested courses by 1st summer

Two (2) Letters of Recommendation Required:

• 1 from a science professor
• 1 from a math professor

For more information on eligibility and program description, please visit EME Program.

Students interested in applying to this program must be committed to becoming physicians and have well-defined plans for how to use the flexibility offered by this program.

Hunter College Eligibility Criteria:

• College sophomores
• Must have completed 2 semesters of college Biology, Chemistry w/ labs, and accrued 60 credits
• Must have a minimum cumulative and science GPA of 3.85
• Students must apply through the Pre-Health Advising Office.

Three (3) Letter of Recommendation Required:

• One from a Science Professor
• One from a Clinical Supervisor
• One from a reasearch supervisor or other Hunter instructor

For more information, please contact the Pre-Health Professions Advising Office.

In the 4 + 4 Program, students will begin their studies at Hunter and after successfully completing the four-year premedical currisulum at Hunter, having met all prerequisite coursework for entry into SGU's School of edicine, and meeting the requirements for promotion, qualified students who meet the standards of admission at SGU will proceed to Grenada and enter the first year of SGU's School of Medicine.

The qualified medical students will be eligible to complete the first two years of medical study in Grenada, or can complete year on at Northumbria University in the UK, year two in Grenada, and the final two years of this program in clinical rotations at SGU's affiliated hospitals in the United States and/or the United Kingdom.

Students may apply to this pathway at the time they apply to Hunter or while a matriculated student at Hunter. SGU application fees will be waived for applicants, and they will be given fast track statu and will be prioritized for review, interviews, processing, and decisions.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.2.
• Within 5 points of the average MCAT score (The current average is approximately 498)
• Must meet all admissions criteria of SGU School of Medicine.
• Students should apply to the join program when applying for admission at Hunter college.

For more information, visit St. George's University's Medical School page.

In the 4 + 4 Program, students will begin their studies at Hunter, and interested students will follow Hunter's pre-pharmacy track and apply to TCOP in their sophomore year. If they meet all requirements, after four years, accepted students will matriculate into TCOP.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and minimum science GPA of 2.75.
• Demonstration of a commitment to study pharmacy and core requirements shown through volunteering, shadowing, and becoming knowledgeable about pharmacy.
• Completion of Hunter College's .
• Three favorable recommendations from:
  • One from a Pre-Health Advisor
  • One from a Science professor
  • One from a healthcare professional
• Application must be processed and completed through PharmCAS during the final year of study at Hunter.

For more information, visit Touro College of Pharmacy's admissions page.

Touro DPT Pathway students must meet a series of requirements, both academic and clinical, prior to graduation. Hunter will recommend the DPT Pathway to prospective students in their sophomore year.

For more information, please see a Pre-Health Advisor at Hunter College.

Students interested in applying to this program must be committed to becoming physicians and have well-defined plans for how to use the flexibility offered by this program.

Eligibility Criteria:

• First semester college sophomores with a first year GPA above 3.70 and very high SAT or ACT scores
• Must have completed 2 semesters of college Biology, Chemistry, or Physics by the January 15th application deadline.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation Required:

• 1 from a high school teacher
• 1 from a Hunter professor or faculty advisor
• 1 from a person who knows the student well academically or professionally

The MCAT is neither required nor permitted to be taken.

If accepted, additional course requirements as specified in the program material must be completed prior to graduation. For more information, visit: FlexMed Program Requirements.

Eligibility Criteria:

• College Freshman
• Must have a 3.2 GPA
• Must have demonstrated success in a biology and chemistry class. Completion of a physics class is preferred, but not required.
• Must have a composite score of 1200 or higher on new SAT and/or a score of 25+ on the ACT.
• Must identify with a group that is underrepresented in medicine.
• Must come an economically disadvantaged background.

Strong consideration for admission to the program will be given to candidates who are:

• Ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class
• Willing to commit to participating in the three-year program.
• Willing to maintain a good attendance records

One (1) Letters of Recommendation Required:

• 1 from a Pre-Health Advisor

If you have questions about the application, please email the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. To learn more information about this program and the application requirements, please visit their program web page.

Eligibility Criteria:

• College Sophomores
• Must have completed 2 semesters of college Biology, Chemistry with labs, and accrued 60 credits.
• Must have a science GPA of 3.6.

Students who attend the first summer of SPAEP and meet program requirements will be invited to rejoin the program for a second summer of research, career and professional development. At that time, eligible participants will be permitted to apply for Early Assurance through SPAEP to the UPSOM.

The Early Assurance Through SPAEP is a multi-summer residential program leading to matriculation at UPSOM. For more information regarding the summary of requirements for Early Assurance through SPAEP, please contact the Office of Diversity Affairs at 1-(412) 648-8987.

Students are accepted into the MedStart program participate in a mandatory program on the Health Science Campus during the summer between their junior and senior years of undergraduate school. This program provides participants with an opportunity to learn more about the MD program, the campus, and the Greater Toledo community. Additionally, participants get to know each other better, as well as engage with current students, faculty, and staff who give them a "sneak peak" into life as a UToledo medical student!

“We are looking for applicants who demonstrate superior motivation and enthusiasm for medicine as indicated through community service, healthcare-related activities, leadership skills, and research experiences. Further, we are looking for applicants with the highest levels of maturity, professionalism, collaboration, and cultural competence in alignment with our COMLS mission to ‘improve health in the communities and region we serve.’”

Eligibility Criteria:

• College juniors
• Recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher with a science GPA of 3.5 or higher at the time of application.
• Must provide an ACT or SAT score. An SAT score of 1980 or higher or ACT score of 30 or higher is strongly recommended.
• Students must complete a minimum of:
  1. one (1) semester of general chemistry with labs
  2. one (1) semester of organic chemistry with labs
  3. either one (1) year of biological sciences or one year of physics
• Must be a citizen of the United States or have permanent resident status.

For more information, visit Toledo University's MedStart page.

Accepted students enter the DVM program after the completion of their junior year.

Admission is based on outstanding academic performance in the first two years of college and the applicant's plan for their intended use of the third year in college. Completion of a baccalaureate degree strongly recommended.

Applications for the Early Acceptance Pathway should not be sent through VMCAS. Send or email the application (preferred) directly to Cornell DVM Admissions.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.7.
• Must have completed one (1) semester of organic chemistry and one semester of upper-level biology, biochemistry, or physics course at time of application.
• Must complete all prerequisite course work by the end of the junior year with a grade of B or better.
• Must provide written plan about how the time between acceptance and matriculation will be used.

For further information, please visit the Cornell Accelerated BS/DVM Pathway page.

Accepted students are required to complete their remaining two years of college and earn a bachelor's degree by May of the year of enrollment, earn a minimum 3.30 prerequisite GPA and a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA (from all colleges previously attended).

Accepted students are also expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours of shadowing with a physical therapist in a different setting than the previous shadowing experiences.

Students that have completed two years of college study but have advanced standing due to AP, IB or college credits earned while in high school are eligible to apply.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Forty hours of shadowing of a Physical Therapist, completed after high school graduation. At least 20 hours must be completed with one Physical Therapist. Applicants may list on their application PT shadowing completed while in high school, but that can't count in the 40 hours.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30 calculated from all colleges previously attended (matriculated and non-matriculated)
• A minimum science prerequisite grade point average of 3.30 in physical therapy science prerequisites (see next two bullet points).
• Four (4) of the 8 science prerequisite courses listed below completed by the end of the spring semester of the sophomore year with grades of “B” or higher, taken from an accredited college
  • Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Biology I with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Biology II with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Chemistry I with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Chemistry II with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Physics I with lab (3-4 semester hours)
  • General Physics II with lab (3-4 semester hours)
• The courses below are additional prerequisites that do not need to be completed at the time of applying, however they do need to be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or higher prior to enrolling as a physical therapy student at Upstate.
  • English elective (3 semester hours)
  • Statistics (3 semester hours)
  • Psychology (3 semester hours)
  • Social Science elective (3 semester hours)

For further information, please visit the SUNY Upstate DPT Early Assurance Program Website.