NWU Feinberg School of Medicine
Mission Statement
The Feinberg School of Medicine's mission is to impact the practice of medicine through discovery and education to improve human health. Their vision is to achieve this mission through continuous quality improvement. (Source)
Desired Candidate Traits:
Feinberg highlights collaboration, curiosity, patient-first mindset, reflection/resilience, and growth. Weave these into your activities and essays. (Source)
Highlights:
- Application flow: AMCAS primary → Feinberg secondary sent to all applicants (no prescreen). Secondary arrives ~4–6 weeks after AMCAS reaches Feinberg.
- Secondary fee: $95; AMCAS FAP recipients get an automatic waiver. Others with significant financial need may request a waiver after receiving the invite.
- Class profile (most recent published medians): GPA 3.93; MCAT 520.
- Source: Feinberg Requirements
Before Applying to Feinberg: Coursework & Preparation
- Required (two semesters / three quarters with labs): Biology; Physics; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry.
- Highly recommended: English composition; Statistics; Biochemistry.
- Encouraged: Genetics, public health, humanities/social sciences. AP science credit may count if your college awarded it, but Feinberg expects advanced work in those disciplines; online courses are accepted, though in-person science with labs is preferred. Competitive applicants typically show ~200–300 hours of clinical/volunteer exposure.
Source: feinberg.northwestern.edu
Northwestern Secondary Application Questions
Feinberg does not publish its prompts; applicants see the exact wording and portals when invited. Over the last two cycles, however, the MD secondary has consistently included 200-word prompts on these themes (wording varies slightly year to year):
- Curriculum fit - which parts of Feinberg’s integrated curriculum align with your learning style and goals.
- Name 1–2 curricular elements and tie them to how you learn and what you plan to do (avoid catalog-style lists).
- Coping & wellness - specific steps you take to manage stress and maintain wellness while balancing responsibilities.
- Use one moment + your process + the guardrails you use now; avoid generic “I work out and journal” without context.
- Future career plans - one specific goal in medicine, and how Feinberg (and its location in Chicago) will help you achieve it.
- Pick a focused goal (e.g., improving access to cardio-oncology rehab) and connect it to specific Feinberg/Chicago opportunities.
- Gap year (if applicable) - activities already completed and plans before matriculation.
- Focus on why you chose each experience and the impact/results, not just duties.
- Reapplicant (if applicable) - concrete steps taken to strengthen your candidacy.
- Present measurable changes (hours, publications, new responsibilities) and what you learned.
- Personal narrative/diversity - how your unique experiences would enrich the Northwestern community.
- Show how your perspective will shape teams, patient care, or campus culture - make it personal and specific.
- Feinberg relationship - whether you or an immediate family member has an existing Feinberg connection (often a short response).
**Always follow the wording in your portal; limits and phrasing can change slightly each year.
Letters of Recommendation: Strategy and Tips
Feinberg accepts a committee letter or a letter packet, or three individual letters (at least one from science faculty). The advice below helps you turn a compliant file into a convincing one.
Build a balanced letter set
- Science instructor who taught you. Choose someone who can speak to your performance, curiosity, and professionalism in a rigorous course with lab if possible.
- Research mentor or PI. Ideal if you contributed to study design, analysis, or saw a project through setbacks. Ask for a letter that explains your role and independence.
- Clinical or community supervisor. Someone who saw you with patients or the public. They should discuss empathy, teamwork, reliability, and communication.
- Optional fourth letter only if it adds a new dimension. Do not add more letters that repeat the same perspective.
Who to choose
Choose recommenders who observed your work closely rather than big titles. Recent voices are best, ideally within the last one to two years, unless an earlier mentor oversaw substantial work. Aim for a balanced set that covers academics, research or inquiry, clinical readiness, service or leadership, and professionalism.
What great letters include
Strong letters describe one or two specific moments that show how you think, collaborate, and perform under pressure. They place you in context with comparative statements so the reader can gauge your level. The most compelling letters also show a clear growth arc and connect your behaviors to what matters in medicine, such as patient care, ethics, reliability, and teamwork.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Avoid redundancy by not submitting multiple letters that say the same thing. Vague praise without examples is easy to overlook, and last-minute requests often lead to weaker drafts, so build in at least four to six weeks. Skip family friends unless they supervised you formally in a way that lets them evaluate your work.
Feinberg Interviews: What To Expect & How To Prepare
Interview Format:
- The interviews will be Virtual,
- Selected Tue/Wed/Fri from late August through early February
- Three 1-on-1 interviews (two with faculty members, and one with a senior med student).
- Expect an orientation session and a student-led virtual campus tour.
Source: feinberg.northwestern.edu
Interview Advice:
Map your fit to the integrated curriculum. Feinberg will ask about your alignment with their integrated, active-learning model. Tie your learning style to specific elements (e.g., team-based learning, longitudinal experiences) and why that will help you grow.
Concrete wellness plan. Feinberg probe coping/wellness in the secondary and will often explore it in the interviews also. Have a brief, real example of stress you managed and the tools you used, then what changed in your habits.
Why Chicago, specifically? Show you’ve thought about practicing/learning in a diverse, urban system; connect to patient populations or community organizations you hope to work with.
Leadership with humility. They train “future leaders.” Bring one leadership vignette with measurable impact and one lesson learned (self-awareness matters).
Know your application cold. You may have three different interviewers - each can dive into different experiences. Align your answers across conversations so your arc is consistent.
Source: feinberg.northwestern.edu
Feinberg School of Medicine Application Timeline
May 28, 2025: AMCAS opens for Feinberg
June 27, 2025: Earliest secondary invitations sent
Aug 2025 – early Feb 2026: Interviews (rolling)
Nov 1, 2025: AMCAS deadline (11:59 pm ET)
Nov 15, 2025: Secondary and letters deadline
Apr 9–10, 2026: Feinberg First Look (admitted-students events)
July 6, 2026: Commit to Enroll deadline
Source: Feinberg's Application Timeline. EDP has earlier August deadlines; see Feinberg’s EDP page for details.
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