UT Southwestern

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Dallas, TX · Public · MD

Average MCAT: 517
Average GPA: 3.93
Class size: 239
Tuition: $38,536 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Limited

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Oct. 1, 2026
Secondary deadline: Nov. 1, 2026

Essays

Essay 1: Collaboration (2,500 characters)

Describe a group project or collaborative experience that you are most proud of. What was your role, and how did you contribute to the group’s success? Reflect on how you navigated challenges or differing perspectives.

Essay 2: Ethics (2,500 characters)

Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or experienced a behavior of harassment or discrimination. What did you do? Describe your reaction. Is there anything you might do differently now in retrospect?

Essay 3: Different backgrounds (2,500 characters)

Describe an experience that deepened your understanding of people whose backgrounds or life experiences differ from your own. How did this experience shape your perspective?

Essay 4: Community service (optional) (2,500 characters)

Tell us about a community service experience that had a significant impact on you. What made it meaningful, and what did you learn through your involvement?

Essay 5: Academic discrepancies (optional) (2,500 characters)

Please explain any academic discrepancies or extenuating circumstances that you feel the Admissions Committee should know.

Editor's notes

Treat Oct. 15 as your real deadline, not Oct. 1 or Nov. 1. That's when UTSW starts making pre-match offers and when TMDSAS wants your letters. Offers roll from then through January, before the TMDSAS match, and an interview in August puts you in that pool while a December interview doesn't.
If you aren't a Texas resident, know the math. State law caps non-Texans at 10% of a class of about 239. Apply if your file is strong and you have a reason to be in Dallas, and say that reason plainly in your essays.
Book CASPer early. It's required of every applicant, the last test date is Oct. 27, 2026, and your score has to reach UTSW before your interview date. An August interview with no CASPer score on file is a problem you created yourself.
The mission names three things: primary care, underserved areas of Texas and physician-scientists. Your secondary essays don't ask about the mission directly, so let your examples do it. A service story from a Texas community or a research thread that runs through your file does more than a sentence of praise.