Before we dive into the individual prompts, it’s worth noting that there is no secret formula or special strategy to blow the UCSF admissions committee’s socks off. It’s no accident that this secondary is so light. Much of what UCSF is looking for will be covered in your primary application’s personal statement and activities list, plus your MCAT score, GPA, letters of recommendation, and so forth. The best way to answer a straightforward secondary application prompt is to be straightforward—be clear, get to your point, and argue it persuasively and with conviction.
University of California – San Francisco: Statistics
University of California – San Francisco Acceptance rate and admissions statistics
We’ve calculated the 18% acceptance rate for University of California – San Francisco based on the ratio of admissions to applications and other circumstantial enrollment data. Treat this information as a rough guide and not as a definitive measure of your chances of admission. Different programs may have significantly varying admissions rates.
1,396 students enrolled in some distance education courses.
258 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity
| Asian | 1051 (33%) |
|---|---|
| White | 973 (31%) |
| Hispanic | 524 (17%) |
| Black or African American | 210 (7%) |
| Two or more races | 186 (6%) |
| Race or Ethnicity unknown | 108 (3%) |
| Nonresident Alien | 105 (3%) |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 4 (0.1%) |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 3 (0.1%) |
Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees
Tuition and fees
| Graduates | |
|---|---|
| Tuition in-district | $11,442 |
| Tuition in-state | $11,442 |
| Tuition out-of-state | $26,544 |
| Fee in-district | $1,557 |
| Fee in-state | $1,557 |
| Fee out-of-state | $1,557 |
Room and board costs
University of California – San Francisco majors
University of California – San Francisco has granted 284 master’s across 11 programs and 716 doctorate degrees across 20 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at University of California – San Francisco.
| Major | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | 222 | |
| Medicine | 173 | |
| Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse | 153 | 6 |
| Dentistry | 115 | |
| Physical Therapy & Therapist | 71 | |
| Health & Health Care Administration & Management | 36 | |
| International Public Health & International Health | 35 | |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 14 | 16 |
| Biomedical Sciences, General | 2 | 28 |
| Medical Science & Scientist | 20 | |
| Molecular Biochemistry | 17 | |
| Oral Biology and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology | 13 | 4 |
| Neuroscience | 3 | 10 |
| Nursing Practice | 10 | |
| Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry | 9 | |
| Molecular Pharmacology | 1 | 8 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | 7 | |
| Cell & Cellular Biology and Histology | 6 | |
| Health & Medical Physics | 6 | |
| Biophysics | 4 | |
| Epidemiology | 3 | |
| Medical Anthropology | 3 | |
| Sociology, General | 3 | |
| Health Policy Analysis | 1 | |
| History and Philosophy of Science and Technology | 1 | |
| Grand Total | 284 | 716 |
Publications & Citations
University of California – San Francisco is a world-class research university with 203,687 scientific papers published and 10,453,694 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Medicine, Biology, Genetics, Chemistry, Pathology, Biochemistry, Psychology, Computer Science, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Surgery.
How to Get Into UCSF Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Learn the UCSF acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies, plus UCSF secondary essay examples
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: UCSF Medical School MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into UCSF Medical School?
Part 4: UCSF Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Part 5: UCSF Medical School interview
Part 1: Introduction
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine is widely regarded as one of the best medical schools in the nation. In fact, it’s the only program to consistently rank among the nation’s top five for both research and primary care.
In addition, the UCSF acceptance rate sits under 3 percent, placing it among the most selective medical schools in the country. If the odds of admission aren’t daunting enough, the USCF secondary application gives its applicants the opportunity to answer only three cut-and-dry essay prompts, making it potentially tough for an applicant to stand out in today’s hyper-competitive admissions landscape.
Fortunately, our team has nearly 20 years of experience helping students get into UCSF School of Medicine. In fact, we routinely receive messages like this:
“I am so excited to share with you and the Shemmassian team that I got into my dream school, UCSF. I am beyond thrilled. Thank you and the team for literally everything—encouraging me when things got busy, cutting down my verbose essays, and helping me put my best application forward. I am so happy that I placed my trust in y’all because, honestly, it was worth it. I’m gushing, but I’m just so excited!”
STUDENT ACCEPTED TO UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
If you hope to join a future class at UCSF, read on. Although many applicants understandably agonize over how to get in, we’ve created this useful guide to help you put your best foot forward as you begin work on your UCSF Medical School application.
Part 2: UCSF Medical School MD programs
UCSF offers students several tracks of study through which its students can earn their MD:
- The traditional, four-year MD program
- The Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US), a five-year track focusing on urban underserved populations
- The UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME), a five-year track focusing on underserved populations in the San Joaquin Valley
- The Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD)
- The MD/PhD in History of Health Sciences
- The MD/Masters in Advanced Studies in Clinical Research (MD/MAS)
- The UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Medical Program (MD/MS in the Health and Medical Sciences), a joint program with UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health
- The MD/MPH, a joint program with UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health
UCSF tuition and scholarships
UCSF’s 2022–2023 tuition and fees run $47,580 for California residents and $59,825 for non-residents. However, keep in mind that living in San Francisco is far from cheap. The city’s cost of living is the highest in the nation, largely due to scarcity in the rental/housing market, so the overall cost of spending four years as a UCSF medical student might end up being more expensive than other top programs with higher tuition rates.
Once books, housing, transportation, and other personal expenses are factored in, the first-year cost of attendance is estimated to be $80,175 for in-state students and $92,420 for out-of-state students.
UCSF notes that increasing scholarship support is their highest priority, and that the number of scholarships awarded to its students have gone up by more that 50 percent since 2008. Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average medical school debt of $140,293, which was around $75,000 below the national average that year.
If you’re an out-of-state applicant, it’s possible to become a California resident after one year of living there, so long as you meet a number of criteria that establish your intent to permanently reside in-state. Once these metrics have been in effect for over one year (366 days), you can be considered “in-state” for UCSF’s tuition purposes. Since matters of state residency can be complicated, we encourage you to review the guidelines provides by UCSF.
Part 3: How hard is it to get into UCSF Medical School?
UCSF Medical School admissions statistics
At just 2.6 percent, UCSF Medical School’s acceptance rate is low. Let’s examine the admissions statistics for the class of 2026:
- Applicants: 9,090
- Interviews: 544
- Matriculants: 187 (71% in-state)
- Average GPA: 3.87
- Average MCAT score: 90th percentile (approximately 515)
UCSF Medical School admissions requirements
Here’s the coursework required by UCSF Medical School in order to apply:
- Biology: One year with lab (may include biochemistry)
- Chemistry: One year, including at least one semester of organic chemistry with lab (may include biochemistry)
- Biochemistry: At least one course
- Physics: One semester
While the list of required courses is short, UCSF’s website states that most successful applicants will have exceeded these requirements and demonstrated an ability to excel at a high academic level. For example, the majority of accepted students will have taken at least one upper-level biology course and one full year of organic chemistry.
In addition to preparedness in the sciences, UCSF also encourages applicants to pursue academic breadth. They note that they value success in humanities coursework as well as proficiency in a second language, particularly languages commonly spoken by non-English-speaking populations in the U.S.
Applicants must also take the MCAT within three years of planned matriculation in order to submit a complete application. In the 2023–2024 application cycle, an MCAT score earned in 2021, 2022, or 2023 is required.
UCSF states that applicants with GPAs below 3.2 are usually not viewed favorably for admission.
UCSF Medical School application timeline
To apply to UCSF, plan to submit your AMCAS application according to the following timeline:
- May 2, 2023: AMCAS application opens
- May 30, 2023: AMCAS application can be submitted
- Early July 2023: Application review begins
- October 15, 2023: AMCAS application deadline
- December 2023–April 2024: Admissions decisions released
UCSF employs rolling admissions, so we encourage you to submit your AMCAS application as early as possible. They do prescreen for secondaries, so if you’re chosen to move on to the next phase of the admissions process, you’ll receive an invitation to complete the secondary application 3–10 weeks after verification of your AMCAS application.
Part 4: UCSF Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Compared with other top medical schools, UCSF’s secondary application is slim. With only three essays totaling under 1200 words, it might seem impossible to distinguish yourself from the thousands of other applicants vying for a spot in this elite program. To help you knock these prompts out of the park, we’ve broken down each response into the necessary marks you should aim to hit and advised a structure that will allow you to shine even with such limited space allowed.
Before we dive into the individual prompts, it’s worth noting that there is no secret formula or special strategy to blow the UCSF admissions committee’s socks off. It’s no accident that this secondary is so light. Much of what UCSF is looking for will be covered in your primary application’s personal statement and activities list, plus your MCAT score, GPA, letters of recommendation, and so forth. The best way to answer a straightforward secondary application prompt is to be straightforward—be clear, get to your point, and argue it persuasively and with conviction.
Question 1: If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)
Between your medical school personal statement and your AMCAS Work and Activities section, you may feel as though you’ve already completed this prompt. You’re not wrong; you have. But here they get another chance to see what makes you tick. Though this prompt may seem optional (“if you wish to…”), it’s not.
This is your chance to cover a passion that you haven’t yet demonstrated in your primary application. Review your personal statement and activities list and consider what other personal attribute will best round out the application. Remember the qualities medical schools look for when making their admissions decisions and try to isolate which of these (leadership, collaboration, service, cultural competency) you still need to refer to in order to present as the most well-rounded applicant you can be.
The most important advice we can give on this prompt is to avoid rehashing a resume. This essay provides an opportunity for you to craft an argument about why you, rather than a thousand other hopefuls, will make the best physician in the future and how your particular drives and passions will be best suited for UCSF.
Take a look at our advised structure below, followed by a sample essay drawn from composites of our successful students.
Thesis: begin your essay with an argument. This argument should be your overarching claim for what you care about as a future doctor. It should argue your passion.
- For example, if you have demonstrated an extensive commitment to service or volunteer work and want to expand upon that work here, your thesis statement would be the argument that you have a commitment to serving the underserved, and that you’ve demonstrated that commitment through the activities you’ll write about here.
Evidence: use three to five activities from your past that support the argument you make in your thesis.
- Important note: you shouldn’t think of this as “listing” examples. Instead, structure an argument that builds to your thesis by showing the trajectory that’s led you to the place you are now. Start small and build to your largest commitments, showing how one step led to the next.
Why UCSF?
- You don’t get the chance to discuss why UCSF is your top-choice program elsewhere in your application, so use this prompt to do so, particularly as it relates to your argument above.
- Do your research. What opportunities are available to you at UCSF or in San Francisco that relate to your past activities? How will your passion for these activities allow you to contribute to UCSF?
Conclusion: remind the admissions committee about the passion you’re arguing, and how you’ll carry that passion forward into medical school and beyond.
Here’s an example:
Providing equal access to healthcare to otherwise underserved communities is my greatest goal for my future in medicine. I’ve known this since my undergrad days, when my biggest commitment outside my coursework took place outside of the campus’s walls. I remember learning in a sophomore seminar that despite the dozens of top universities in Boston, the city’s public schools in lower-income neighborhoods were short on volunteers to run extracurricular activities such as pre-professional clubs like HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America.) As president of my high school’s HOSA chapter growing up in Texas, I got to meet doctors and nurses who showed me science wasn’t an abstract discipline but a tool to save lives. That knowledge helped me delve deeper into my science education in order to turn those options into a reality. I hoped introducing young high school students to future career possibilities, especially in communities with low graduation rates, might go a long way in inspiring them to complete their education.
I first canvassed freshman biology courses at Dorchester High to garner interest in a student-led HOSA chapter. Once I recruited over a dozen students, I worked as their sponsor to help register their club with the national organization and structure their vision for what they wanted to learn and achieve as a group. From there, I drew on my university peers and educational network to organize guest lectures, a CPR course, and other activities the HOSA chapter wanted. My service to these kids was rewarding as was seeing how my service propagated more service work as the HOSA chapter began volunteering at the local hospital, assisting with the Boston Marathon, and even joining the efforts of other HOSA chapters to increase numbers in support of their volunteer projects.
Seeing how I could lead by example—how through one service initiative, numerous others came about—I came to understand a core aspect of why medicine as a profession is so important: in providing health and well-being to one person through medical care, you’re also able to positively impact all the people that person touches and the community those people serve. Though this network of service, a doctor can have an astounding impact, and this is exactly the kind of work I hope to continue should I be fortunate enough to train at UCSF.
At UCSF, I’ll join the “San Francisco Cares” initiative already underway with the program’s Public Health Club, in which I’ll utilize my background working with underprivileged teens in Boston to provide health education to the city’s homeless youth population. I also hope to volunteer with UCSF’s “Wellness and Community” program to help educate SF’s homeless youth on STD testing, needle exchange programs, and other initiatives to improve their quality of living and empower them lead healthy, happy lives. UCSF’s commitment to community service is just one of the many reasons the program is my top choice.
Why does it work?
- This applicant uses his essay to demonstrate a passion for service, an ability to take initiative and collaborate, and a savvy for leadership. All medical schools want you to be excited about patient care; top medical schools often expect you to couple that interest in patient care with an understanding of how healthcare fits into society, intersects with inequality, and can have a multiplier effect.
- This student used his personal statement to talk about a family history, which meant that focusing primarily on service here rounded out his application. Note how he ties in how his commitment to service will contribute to UCSF’s culture and how being in San Francisco provides unique opportunities to work toward his long-term goal of increasing access to healthcare for all.
Question 2: If you are 2023 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)
Question 3: Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (350 words)
