Early Assurance Opportunity
Application to the Early Assurance Opportunity (EAO) is open to Michigan State University students in their junior year (or the academic year prior to completion of their undergraduate degree) at MSU.
MSU students interested in attending medical school at the College of Human Medicine (CHM) and subsequently caring for underserved populations should complete a program of meaningful clinical and service experiences while attending MSU.
It is important that potential applicants contact the CHM Office of Admissions to indicate their interest in the program. Email us at chm.mdadmissions@msu.edu
Preference for EAO admission will be given to students at MSU who:
- are the first generation to attend college
- graduated from a low-income high school
- are eligible for need-based grants
- express and support an interest in a high-need medical specialty area
The EAO is an enriched, interest-directed program; it is not an accelerated program.
Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum BCPM GPA of 3.0. The MCAT deadline is Saturday, June 15, 2024 and requires a minimum MCAT score of 500, with subsection scores of 125 or above. A situational judgment test is also required. Applicants to MSUCHM may choose between the CASPer Exam or the AAMC Preview Exam in 2024. Please see our CASPer and AAMC Preview pages for details on when applicant scores are due.
We consider all courses for college level credit, including repeated courses when calculating GPA. Students may complete any major. Applicants must complete all required premedical coursework before matriculation with a grade point of no less than 2.0. Please review the CHM admission prerequisites for further prematriculation details.
If you missed the webinar regarding this year’s Early Assurance Pathways’ application cycle, please click here to view it. For just the student panel portion, click here.
Completing the Application
Once applicants have met all requirements and have familiarized themselves with the EAP application process, they may access the EAO Application and CHM Secondary Application via the CHM Applicant Portal in December—see our event schedule for dates. When accessing the CHM Applicant Portal login screen for the first time, click on Early Assurance Applicants to create an Early Assurance user account. An AAMC ID is required to create a user account. To initiate an AAMC ID, register for the MCAT exam.
The Selection Process
Applicants must complete the no-cost online application by the given deadline. Transcripts and letters of evaluation are also required.
- Three to five letters of evaluation must be submitted in support of your application. You can find detailed information on letter requirements below, in our Guidelines for Letters of Evaluation section
- All EAO applicants must take the MCAT and CASPer/ PREview by the given deadlines.
The college reviews all application materials and invites selected applicants for interview on a dedicated Early Assurance day, typically at the end of February/ beginning of March. The virtual interview experience features a ½ day Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and a 30-minute interview with a current CHM student.
The decision to admit an EAO applicant to the College rests with the Committee on Admissions. The committee releases conditional decisions in the Spring, with final decisions on a rolling basis, as MCAT scores have been received.
Applicants accepted to the program must decide to either accept or decline the offer within ten (10) business days. By accepting an offer, applicants commit to matriculation at CHM and cannot apply to other AMCAS-participating schools. Accepted applicants will begin an active relationship with the college during their senior year. Unsuccessful applicants to the Early Assurance Program can begin the regular AMCAS application process without delay.
Accepted EAO students can select their ECE/MCE campus (East Lansing or Grand Rapids), engage in research, seek dual degrees, and/or defer matriculation for one year if they wish. Since acceptance to medical school has already been secured, EAP students are able to spend their senior undergraduate year conducting research, participating in Study Abroad, or pursuing other personal or academic interests.
Guidelines for Early Assurance Letters of Evaluation
We expect three-five letters of evaluation in support of your application. An applicant should seek individuals who are able to write strong letters and who know you well. The most meaningful letters come from people who know you well and who can convey your character and abilities based upon their personal experiences. We expect writers to sign and submit their letters using pertinent letterhead and including current contact information. We do not accept letters older than one year from that of your application.
We encourage writers to comment on non-academic qualities that expand beyond what may be reflected by your grades or address any special achievements or attributes. We especially welcome letters from writers who can attest to your maturity, empathy, moral character, reliability, interpersonal skills, self awareness, cultural sensibility, and any other special attributes or experiences.
An endorsement form from CHM Admissions is required to be considered for EAO. Please contact the Office of Admissions to express your interest in Early Assurance immediately at: chm.mdadmissions@msu.edu. We desire one letter from a basic science or medical science professor who can critically evaluate your academic potential, maturity, strengths and weaknesses, along with the rigor of coursework. We accept letters from graduate teaching or research assistants as long as they are cosigned by his/her/their supervising faculty mentor.
We also desire one letter from someone with clinical expertise who has observed you and can critically evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in this setting.
We welcome additional letters from people who can attest to your work and attributes in academic, clinical, employment, research, or volunteer settings. If pertinent, we ask that you include letters from people who can validate or clarify special circumstances or anticipated concerns raised within your application (ex: lower grades one semester, compelling reason for withdrawal from a class, minor institutional action).
Notice to EAO Applicants: Applicants must complete the no-cost application by 11:59PM on January 31, 2024.
Individuals submitting letters on your behalf may do so via the Admissions email at chm.mdadmissions@msu.edu. Please pass along the email address to your letter-writers with these instructions on how to label the file: The Office of Admissions asks that the Letter of Evaluation file please be labeled with the student's name and current cycle year (lastname_firstname_Year). For example, a file would be labeled Doe_John_2022.pdf.
Questions about the Early Assurance Opportunity may be directed to:
Jessica Davison, MA
15 Michigan St. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Email: daviso54@msu.edu