August 12, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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The Jacobs School of Medicine acceptance rate is more than just a number. It’s a reality check. Every year, hundreds of bright, capable premeds apply, but only a fraction make it through. If you’re aiming for a seat, you can’t afford to submit an “average” application that blends into the stack. You need to know exactly what this school values and how to stand out in a pool of equally driven applicants.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what it takes to earn an acceptance to the Jacobs School of Medicine in 2025. You’ll learn how hard it really is to get in, the numbers you should be aiming for, and the admissions requirements you can’t afford to overlook. We’ll also cover tuition and financial aid, what makes Jacobs stand out, and step-by-step strategies to help you apply on time, write a personal statement that sticks, impress in interviews, and more.
If you want to see exactly what a successful application looks like, our Premed Catalyst Application Database is your shortcut. Inside, you’ll find 8 full AMCAS applications, including acceptances to schools like UCLA and UCSF, that you can study and model your own after. It’s completely free, and it shows you exactly how top applicants present themselves so you can rise above the “average” pile.
Get your free resource here.
For the 2025 entering class, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo received 5,828 applications. Out of those, only 181 students matriculated.
That makes the Jacobs Medical School acceptance rate about 3.11%.
And here’s the thing: if you’re from New York, you’re in luck. Jacobs fills the majority of its seats with in-state applicants. If you’re out-of-state, those odds get a lot tougher.
Jacobs’ incoming students bring strong academic stats. The average GPA for accepted students is 3.79, and the average MCAT score is 511.
For perspective, the national averages for med school matriculants hover around 3.77 GPA and 511.7 MCAT. That means you don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to have solid stats to make it in.
Like most med schools, Jacobs doesn’t have a hard cutoff for GPA or MCAT, but applicants with a GPA under 3.0 or MCAT section scores below 125 are generally not considered competitive.
To be considered for admission, applicants must complete the following prerequisites:
In addition, coursework in Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Statistics, and the Social Sciences is recommended but not required.
Beyond academics, here’s what else Jacobs looks for:
Neither the CASPer test nor AAMC PREview™ is required. PREview is only recommended (not required) for the 2025–2026 cycle for research purposes, and will not be used to evaluate applications in this cycle.
Medical school is expensive. No surprise there. But at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine, you’ve got options to make it doable.
For the 2024–2025 year, New York residents are looking at about $48,238 in tuition. Out-of-state? Closer to $70,368. Once you throw in housing, food, books, and fees, the total cost of attendance jumps to roughly $71,618 for in-state and $93,748 for out-of-state. And yes, tuition has crept up about 3% since 2020, but that’s par for the course almost everywhere.
Here’s the good news: over 90% of students here get financial help. We’re talking loans, scholarships, tuition waivers, and loan repayment programs.
Some awards are local and personal, like the Western New York Medical Scholarships that cut your debt and keep more doctors in the area, or the Graduate Opportunity Program for grads of certain NYS educational-access programs. Others are specialty-focused: Pisicano Scholars for future family docs, Seneca Diabetes Foundation awards, and even psychiatry residency funding.
Then there are the big national players like the NHSC Scholarship and Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship, which can wipe out your tuition in exchange for service. And when life happens? The Murray J. Ettinger Student Emergency Fund is there so a bad month doesn’t derail your whole career.
If you’re looking for a med school that doesn’t just talk big but actually backs it up, then Jacobs School of Medicine at UB might be the right fit. This place combines history, high-powered research, early real-world experience, and an unshakeable commitment to community. It’s not just about getting your MD; it’s about building the kind of career that matters.
Here’s more about what makes this med school stand out.
Founded in 1846, Jacobs is one of the oldest medical schools in the U.S. and Buffalo’s only med school. That heritage gives you roots and real institutional depth, plus a brick-and-mortar presence on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that puts you in the action from day one.
As of the 2025‑26 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Jacobs is one of only 33 schools in the nation and the only public one in New York to rank in the top two tiers for both primary care and research. That means you're getting quality education and serious credibility.
Most schools don’t even let you care for a patient until year two at the earliest. At Jacobs, you’re hands-on by month two. It’s real clinical experience early enough to keep motivation high and imposter syndrome in check.
Jacobs isn’t just throwing scholarship money at the diversity problem. They actively build it in. Programs like their AMSNY/Jacobs Post-Baccalaureate and Early Opportunity Program in Medicine cultivate a diverse generation of future doctors.
Want to play in AI, genomics, structural biology, or basic science? You’re covered. Jacobs offers many research options across disciplines, and your professors aren't behind a paywall: they're practicing in the real world. Plus, you’re training on a health-sciences hub with hospitals, NCI cancer centers, and structural biology institutes.
Getting into the Jacobs School of Medicine means showing the admissions committee you’re more than just a GPA and MCAT score. You need to show them you’re a future physician with a story worth telling. The numbers might get you in the door, but your story, character, and actions will carry you through it. That’s why your application needs to connect the dots between your academic record, your personal journey, and the kind of doctor you aim to be.
The Jacobs School of Medicine follows the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) system and uses a rolling admissions process. That means if you don’t apply on time, you’re fighting over what’s left.
Below is an overview of the application timeline you need to follow to stay competitive:
Your personal statement for the Jacobs School of Medicine isn’t just a checklist of accomplishments. It’s your narrative. It’s who you are, what you care about, and the kind of doctor you’re becoming.
And your experiences are your proof.
If you say you care about underserved communities, then you should show experiences in free clinics and public health outreach. If you claim a passion for research, then your story should weave in the late nights in the lab, the setbacks, and the breakthroughs.
Secondary essays show AdComs who you truly are beyond grades. They reveal your values, how you’ll engage in your community, and how you respond under pressure.
Below are the prompts from the most recent application cycle and how we recommend addressing them.
1. “The Jacobs School of Medicine recognizes the many options you have in choosing medical schools in which to apply. Using personal experiences or connections, in 300 words or less, explain how Western New York and/or the Jacobs School align with your values, making it a place you feel would be a good fit for you to not only complete your medical education but continue your career.”
Say why you’re drawn to Jacobs. Maybe you describe an experience in Western New York or a value you share with the school. Then, explain why that connection matters both for med school and your career as a doctor.
2. “In 300 words or less, please explain how you would respond to a fellow student who muttered a racist or homophobic statement under their breath in your presence and that of other peers.”
Treat this like a real moment. You’re not writing a case study. Start with what you’d do in that heat. Talk about the respectful but firm response, maybe calling it out publicly or checking in privately. Then, reflect briefly on why that matters, both to you and to the kind of community Jacobs builds.
3. “In 300 words or less, please share an example of when you received feedback and how you used that information for self-improvement or asked someone for help.”
Pick a concrete moment—maybe a mentor or peer pointed out something uncomfortable, and you did the hard work to change course. Show humility, your growth mindset, and how that shift made you a stronger student, leader, or teammate.
At Jacobs, letters of recommendation go through AMCAS. No mailing them. No emailing them.
You’ve got two options for what to turn in:
Grad school grads? They don’t care about your old undergrad letters. They want three from your grad professors.
The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo uses a traditional interview format, not MMI.
Each year, about 600 applicants are invited to interview between August and March. The process is grounded in holistic review, meaning academic performance, MCAT scores, clinical and research experiences, leadership, integrity, and community engagement all play a role in the conversation.
Candidates can expect questions that mix ethics, personal reflection, and hypothetical situations, such as describing an ethical dilemma, explaining how to handle a patient’s refusal of vaccination, or recounting an experience delivering difficult news. Some years have included a non-disclosure agreement, underscoring the confidentiality and formality of the process.
Every school has its own personality, and what makes a “good fit” is how that personality matches who you are and what you want. Jacobs offers specific strengths, but it’s all about how those align with your goals.
Jacobs School of Medicine is a good fit if…
Jacobs School of Medicine May Not Be a Good Fit If…
Jacobs School of Medicine isn’t the only med school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Each school operates under the same public mission of affordable, high-quality education, but each has its own vibe, strengths, and admissions quirks.
If you’re applying broadly (and you should be), it pays to understand how Jacobs stacks up against its SUNY siblings.
If you’re looking at the Jacobs School of Medicine, you should also be looking at other medical schools in New York. The most successful applicants never put all their chips on one school. They study the entire playing field, learn what each school values, and build a smart school list.
Below are some other medical schools in New York you should be considering:
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
The truth is, most med school hopefuls don’t get in. And it’s not because they aren’t smart or hardworking, but because their applications read like everyone else’s. AdComs aren’t looking for “good enough.” They’re looking for applications that are impossible to ignore. And you can’t guess your way to that level.
That’s why at Premed Catalyst, we built a free collection of 8 complete AMCAS applications that earned spots at some of the nation’s most competitive programs, including UCLA and UCSF. You’ll see exactly how top candidates structured their experiences, wrote their essays, and framed their achievements so AdComs said yes.
If you want your application to rise above the “average” pile, stop wondering what works and start studying what’s already earned acceptances.
Get your free resource here.
