2026-2027 Charles R Drew University

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Los Angeles, CA Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Average GPAGPA 3.55 Average MCATMCAT 508 IS tuitionIS $69,000 OOS tuitionOOS $69,000 Drew Details Interview Feedback School Secondaries
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Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine - Class of 2031 (2026-2027 Application Cycle)

Thread Purpose: This is the official discussion thread for applicants to the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine applying during the 2026-2027 admissions cycle (matriculating Class of 2031). Share interview invites, acceptances, waitlist updates, secondary questions, and connect with fellow applicants.

Who Should Use This Thread:
  • Applicants to Charles R. Drew University for Fall 2027 matriculation
  • Current applicants seeking information about the admissions process

Key Application Information:

📋 CRITICAL: Historically Black College/University (HBCU) / Mission-Driven
Charles R. Drew University is a private, nonprofit, mission-driven university focused on training physicians to serve underserved communities.

📝 Secondary Essay Questions:
Secondary Essay Questions will be updated when available for this cycle. Review the Charles R. Drew University secondary essay prompts database for prompts from previous years: Charles R. Drew University Secondary Essay Prompts

🔗 Helpful Resources:

How to Use This Thread:
  • Post interview invites with date/time to help others track timeline
  • Share acceptance/waitlist/rejection updates
  • Ask questions about secondaries, interviews, or school culture
  • Connect with fellow applicants

Thread Guidelines:
  • Be respectful and supportive
  • Verify all information with official school sources
  • Use search function before asking repeat questions
  • Celebrate acceptances, support those still waiting

Good luck to all applying!
 
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GirlWithQuestions said:
Does anyone have the prompts for this year?
Click to expand...
IS secondary 7/9
1. CDU's vision is "Excellent health and wellness for all in a world without health disparities." Using a specific experience from your background — clinical, community, research, or personal — describe how this vision has already shaped your path and how you plan to advance it as a CDU physician.
2. Beyond stating your commitment, illustrate it: describe a specific moment when you took meaningful action to address the health needs of an underserved or underrepresented community. What did you do, what did you learn, and how has it shaped the physician you intend to become?
3. What draws you to CDU specifically — not medicine generally? Identify concrete elements of CDU's mission, curriculum, community, or location that align with your goals and are not easily found elsewhere. Be specific about why CDU is the right fit for you.
4. Describe a specific instance in which you experienced or witnessed discrimination. What was the impact on you or others involved? How did this experience shape your understanding of equity, and how will it inform your practice as a physician?
5. Describe a concrete vision for your post-residency impact: Which community do you intend to serve, what unmet need will you address, and what specific role — clinical, advocacy, research, or policy — do you see yourself playing? Be as specific as possible about place, population, and purpose.
6. How will you use your personal experience with poverty and housing insecurity as a physician? Describe how it has shaped your perspective on health, access to care, or the doctor-patient relationship. How will this lived experience inform the way you approach patients facing similar circumstances? (800 characters)
 
In case you didn't know, this school is a HBCU, with 35% of it's medical students being black and 31% being latino. They screen heavily for secondaries and emphasize URM students with a lot of community service from the surrounding California area. I know many URM SoCal students who didn't even receive a secondary in previous years. If you get one it probably won't be for a while.
 
reesespeanutbuttercup said:
In case you didn't know, this school is a HBCU, with 35% of it's medical students being black and 31% being latino. They screen heavily for secondaries and emphasize URM students with a lot of community service from the surrounding California area. I know many URM SoCal students who didn't even receive a secondary in previous years. If you get one it probably won't be for a while.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by it won’t be for a while
 
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reesespeanutbuttercup said:
In case you didn't know, this school is a HBCU, with 35% of it's medical students being black and 31% being latino. They screen heavily for secondaries and emphasize URM students with a lot of community service from the surrounding California area. I know many URM SoCal students who didn't even receive a secondary in previous years. If you get one it probably won't be for a while.
Click to expand...
Do you know why they didn't receive a secondary? Did their app not fit the school's mission?
 
I got a secondary and an II multiple years in a row, right after submission. This is my strongest app yet, and I've received nothing.

Am I cooked, or are they just really swamped this cycle?
 
BluBoo said:
I got a secondary and an II multiple years in a row, right after submission. This is my strongest app yet, and I've received nothing.

Am I cooked, or are they just really swamped this cycle?
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat! I got my secondary 2 days after they received my app last year, but with a stronger app this year its quiet on the creek 🙁 maybe this is a sign that they truly are just swamped this cycle.
 
PinkWallflower said:
I'm in the same boat! I got my secondary 2 days after they received my app last year, but with a stronger app this year its quiet on the creek 🙁 maybe this is a sign that they truly are just swamped this cycle.
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do you think it's because they are swamped fr?? I hope so, cause its been like 2 weeks since they received my verified app, and still no secondary either, and I'm IS + feel like I fit their mission😫.

also do you know if they send secondaries out in waves? I've been checking admit.org cycle results tracker and haven't seen anyone say they've received one for September yet soo idk
 
avocadorable444 said:
do you think it's because they are swamped fr?? I hope so, cause its been like 2 weeks since they received my verified app, and still no secondary either, and I'm IS + feel like I fit their mission😫.

also do you know if they send secondaries out in waves? I've been checking admit.org cycle results tracker and haven't seen anyone say they've received one for September yet soo idk
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I truly don't know, but this is my second cycle applying to Drew, and they didn't do this last year. So I'm thinking it's more likely an admin issue that's causing delays, and not because they don't plan to send us secondary invites....but I can only speculate. Regardless, what's for us will be for us!
 
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BluBoo said:
I wonder what changed their mind(s)?
Click to expand...
not quite sure, but the timing of their update is annoying. They added the 500 language well after many people submitted their primary. Their academic catalog for 2026-2027, which was updated in July, states that a 498 is required and the admissions webpage language requires a 500, which appears to have been updated after the catalog. And from what I can see they haven't even updated the MSAR to show the 500 cutoff. a screen is a screen but updating screening requirements after people submitted primary? tsk tsk. sorry to everyone that received a pre-secondary R
 
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kinda sad I applied with a 498 and got a secondary even after applying late last cycle, this time applied with a 508 and got pre-secondary R. I am in LA and thought mission fit 🙁
 
xoxodr said:
kinda sad I applied with a 498 and got a secondary even after applying late last cycle, this time applied with a 508 and got pre-secondary R. I am in LA and thought mission fit 🙁
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sorry to hear. if you don't mind me asking, what was your BCPM GPA? they also updated that minimum to 3.3 up from 3.0.
 
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tawakkul said:
sorry to hear. if you don't mind me asking, what was your BCPM GPA? they also updated that minimum to 3.3 up from 3.0.
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oh wow that must of been it 😭, my cumulative is 3.29 ugh but my post bacc is 3.7 rip, thanks for the info! can you direct me where to find that on their site
 
I got rejected no secondary I thought I was a strong mission fit but its okay. Heavy community service attended an HBCU medical school for graduate school. Strong graduate GPA and significant mcat improvement mcat > 500.
To everyone who got an interview congratulations. To everyone who got an R, its okay we are one step closer to where we are supposed to be.
 
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This seems unfair. Their website directs us to look at the MSAR for admission requirements, but the MSAR clearly states that there is no minimum GPA for screening. If I knew this wasn't true, I would not have paid to apply there. How is this allowed? Where are we supposed to look for reliable information? I want a refund lol...LBVS
tawakkul said:
It’s BPCM specifically. It’s in the catalog linked. Easiest to keyword search for “MCAT”

Click to expand...
 
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