Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I apply for the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars program?
2. Do I need to submit any additional information for consideration if I apply to the Rice/Baylor program?
3. How many years total is the program?
4. Is there a scholarship associated with the Rice/Baylor program?
5. Is there a minimum GPA or SAT that is required for the Rice/Baylor program?
6. What is the average SAT score for students accepted into the Rice/Baylor program?
7. How many students are selected into the Rice/Baylor program each year?
8. What is the acceptance rate into the Rice/Baylor program?
9. What can I do to give myself a better chance at being accepted into the program?
10. Do I need to major in a certain area while at Rice, or am I free to choose any major?
11. Is the Rice/Baylor program a binding commitment?
12. Do I have to take the MCAT?
13. What are the other paths available at Rice for becoming a physician?

1. How do I apply for the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars program?
Students who wish to be considered for the Rice/Baylor Program must submit the Common Application, the Rice Supplement to the Common Application, and the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Application to Rice by December 1, 2009. Students interested in the Rice/Baylor Program may apply to Rice as either Early or Regular Decision applicants. See Admission and Financial Aid Calendars for details. Students applying to Rice under Early Decision must submit all Rice application materials by the November 1, 2009 Early Decision deadline, however, the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Application does not have to be submitted until December 1.  Keep in mind that students admitted to Rice under Early Decision must still commit to Rice by January 2, regardless of the Baylor decision to be made later in the spring. All finalists for the Rice/Baylor Program are notified in March and are expected to interview at Baylor College of Medicine in April.  Final decisions are announced in late April.  Students who apply to the Rice/Baylor program may not apply to any other Baylor sponsored Medical Scholars Program.

2. Do I need to submit any additional information for consideration if I apply to the Rice/Baylor program?
The Rice/Baylor application is the only additional document you need to submit. The complete file that was reviewed for your Rice admission is forwarded to the Baylor College of Medicine for its review.

3. How many years total is the program?
The Rice/Baylor program is a combined eight-year baccalaureate/MD program and no one will be considered for early matriculation. Students are expected to spend four years at Rice University, followed by four years at Baylor College of Medicine. If students are able to finish their coursework in less than four years, they will be encouraged by both Rice and Baylor to broaden their undergraduate experience by using the opportunity to study abroad, pursue a double major, or explore additional coursework at Rice.

4. Is there a scholarship associated with the Rice/Baylor program?
There is no scholarship associated with the Rice/Baylor program. However, Rice University guarantees to meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students and also offers a small number of merit scholarships. Upon completion of their undergraduate education at Rice, financial aid requests can be submitted and awarded by the Baylor College of Medicine.

5. Is there a minimum GPA or SAT that is required for the Rice/Baylor program?
Similar to our evaluative process for undergraduate admission, there is no minimum GPA or SAT/ACT score that is required for acceptance into the Rice/Baylor program. The only students that are eligible to apply for the program are those that have been first accepted to Rice. Therefore, the students are very competitive academically with the rest of the outstanding class we select each year.

6. What is the average SAT score for students accepted into the Rice/Baylor program?
The mid-range SAT scores do not vary from the mid-range scores of the rest of the talented pool of applicants. For the class entering in the 2006-2007 school year, the mid-range (the middle 50 percent) fell between 1350 and 1510 on the SAT I.

7. How many students are selected into the Rice/Baylor program each year?
There will be 14 matriculants selected for the class that enters in Fall 2010.

8. What is the acceptance rate into the Rice/Baylor program?
Last year, more than 1,000 Rice applicants expressed an interest in the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program; 305 applicants were admitted and given the opportunity to compete for admission to the Medical Scholars Program. Fifty-one of those students were selected as finalists and asked to interview with Baylor College of Medicine. After the interviews, 14 students were selected as Rice/Baylor Scholars.

9. What can I do to give myself a better chance at being accepted into the program?
Selection into the Rice/Baylor Program is a very complex process and there is absolutely no way to ensure acceptance. The students that apply to the program are all excellent students who have tremendous potential. Successful students generally have a defined interest in medicine and are convincingly certain that medicine is the field they want to pursue for their career. The interest may manifest itself in many ways; examples include: significant volunteer hours, personal experiences that focused on medicine, experience with medical research, etc.

10. Do I need to major in a certain area while at Rice, or am I free to choose any major?
There is absolutely no requirement to major in a certain field. Students are encouraged to pursue a broad academic curriculum, and many take full advantage of that opportunity. Of students currently involved in the program, some of the majors include: Spanish, Biochemistry/Cognitive Science, Philosophy, Anthropology, Women and Gender Studies.

11. Is the Rice/Baylor program a binding commitment?
No, the program is not binding.

12. Do I have to take the MCAT?
The MCAT is not required unless the student is interested in the MD/PhD program.

13. What are the other paths available at Rice for becoming a physician?
There are many opportunities to pursue a future in medicine while you are at Rice. Our graduates who are not in the Rice/Baylor program are extremely successful when applying to medical schools across the country. Last year, 116 Rice seniors applied to medical school and 102 were admitted - an acceptance rate of nearly 90 percent.