USC Columbia (Floyd)

University of South Carolina Kay and C. Edward Floyd, M.D. School of Medicine Columbia, SC · Public · MD

Average MCAT: 509
Average GPA: 3.80
Class size: 102 (3,254 applicants)
Tuition: $87,150 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Welcome

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Nov. 2, 2026
Early Decision Program: Aug. 1, 2026
Secondary deadline: Dec. 15, 2026

Essays

Practice goals (2,500 characters)

What are your medical practice goals?

Employment since graduation (2,500 characters)

Describe your employment status since you completed your bachelor's degree (part-time, full-time, and dates).

Region (2,500 characters)

In what region of the country do you want to practice medicine? Why?

Areas of interest (2,500 characters)

What area/specialty of medicine are you interested in at this time, if any? If you have an interest, what has led you to consider this area/specialty?

Unique qualities (2,500 characters)

Do you have any accomplishments or experiences that make you a unique applicant?

COVID-19 impact (2,500 characters)

Explain any impact that COVID-19 may have had on your educational, research, volunteering or employment plans.

Teamwork (2,500 characters)

Working as part of a team is an important aspect of your medical education at our School of Medicine and as a practitioner in the future. Please share at least one experience where you worked as part of a team to accomplish a goal/objective. What was your role as a part of the team and what did you learn from working with others? How did you deal with conflict on the team and/or working with a team member who you disagreed with?

Ties to South Carolina (2,500 words)

Do you have any other ties to South Carolina that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider?

Editor's notes

If you live in South Carolina and this is your clear first choice, look hard at Early Decision. It closed Aug. 1, 2026 this cycle, and the FAQ sets the bar plainly: at least the class averages of 3.8 and 509. If you're below that, apply regular decision and don't lose the fall to a binding wait.
Out of state? Your file lives or dies on ties. About a quarter of each class comes from outside South Carolina, and the secondary asks directly about ties to the state and where you want to practice. Answer both with facts, not enthusiasm.
Interviews run only on Wednesday afternoons, and decisions roll from Oct. 15 into March. The Dec. 15 secondary deadline is late, but a file finished in August competes for more interview slots than one finished in December.
The interview is one 45-minute conversation with two committee members, and the school lists what they're judging: motivation, maturity, integrity, interpersonal skills, stress tolerance and your reasons for medicine. Prepare to talk through your own file, especially your teamwork example from the secondary.