Kansas (KU)

University of Kansas School of Medicine Kansas City, KS · Public · MD

Average MCAT: 509
Average GPA: 3.84
Class size: 211 (4,976 applicants)
Tuition: $72,906 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Limited

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Oct. 15, 2026
Early Decision Program: Aug. 3, 2026
Secondary deadline: Nov. 15, 2026

Essays

Nonresident interest

If you are not a Kansas resident, what is your specific interest in applying to the University of Kansas School of Medicine?

Vision statement

Please describe how your actions and experiences align with the vision statement of the University of Kansas School of Medicine: "To improve lives and communities in Kansas through innovation in education, research, and health care."

Clinical exposure

Describe your health care experiences that involved direct exposure to physicians' clinical duties and how they have shaped your desire to apply to medical school.

Leadership

Describe examples of leadership experience in which you have significantly influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

Challenge

Beyond academics (grades and MCATs), describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge.

Community

Give an example of what you have done to make your community a better place to live.

Academic discrepancies

If there are academic discrepancies in your application that have not been explained in your application, use this space to clarify. Examples may include unexplained gaps in time, multiple undergraduate institutions attended, multiple course withdrawals, inconsistent academic performance, inconsistency between academic performance and MCAT scores.

If not a full-time student

Briefly describe your current employment, community, medical, and/or educational activities.

Editor's notes

Be honest about the residency math. In 2025, 4,435 applicants had no Kansas tie; 97 were interviewed and 25 enrolled. Kansas residents and tie applicants are reviewed first, and those with a 502 MCAT and 3.4 science GPA get an interview automatically. If you have a tie, make sure AMCAS shows it clearly.
Sept. 1 is the date that matters, not Oct. 15. KU says it strongly encourages AMCAS by Sept. 1, admits a few applicants each month of interviews, and won't review a file until expected MCAT scores arrive. A late test date slows everything else.
KU tells every applicant, resident or not, to show an understanding of health care in Kansas and a service mindset. Several supplemental prompts ask about community, leadership and the school's vision, so plan them as a set with a different story in each.
You apply to one school, not a campus, and the preference is stated after admission. If rural practice is your goal, know about Salina's eight-seat class and the Scholars in Health program before your interview.