Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Applicants are required to take either the SAT or the ACT. Results of the SAT or ACT tests must not be older than three years at the time of the application. For admission for Fall 2025, we accept official results of tests taken from February 2022 onward. WCM-Q does not require the writing section of the ACT for applicants to the Six-Year Medical Program. Applicants who attempt the ACT exam must take the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections of the exam. Applicants who attempt the SAT exam must take the Evidence Based Reading and Writing section and Math section. 

The SAT exam, or the ACT exam, is required of all students who are applying to WCM-Q, with no exceptions. The International Baccalaureate or A-Levels will not serve as replacements.

No. We need to receive yearly transcripts as well as predicted A-levels or IB marks.

An applicant must take the TOEFL or IELTS. The TOEFL Home Edition is suitable.  The TOEFL and IELTS can only be waived if one of the following criteria is met:

1. Obtaining a score of 650 or above on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT.
2. Obtaining a score of 30 or higher on the English and Reading sections of the ACT.

You should note that the TOEFL and/or IELTS are only one indicator of English proficiency. We also consider your scores on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or ACT English tests, your performance in English courses you are taking or have taken, your writing on the application form and in the essays you submit, and the communication skills you display in your interview.

Please use the following links:

• SAT Reasoning Test
• TOEFL
• IELTS
• ACT

We don't have specific SAT/ACT "cut-offs", but standardized testing plays an important role in the selection process. Excellence is expected.

It would be useful for you to consider the test performance profile of a recently admitted class. The middle 50% score ranges (25th percentile to the 75th percentile) of students admitted directly to our Six-Year Medical Program in 2024 were:

Please note that although standardized tests are important, the Committee on Admissions reviews only complete applications, with a holistic approach.

The institutional code for both TOEFL and SAT is: 3999

The institutional code for ACT: 5268

ABP helps students strengthen their English language and academic skills. However, successful completion of the ABP does not guarantee admission to WCM-Q. The Committee on Admissions evaluates each student's entire academic record up to the time of application, including their academic record in the ABP (if applicable). For details, please review our admissions requirements.

For Fall 2025, the online application must be submitted by January 15, 2025. All supporting documents must be received by February 15, 2025.

No, we do not have a rolling admissions policy.

No. Transcripts must be official or attested and must be translated into English, and be certified by the school and/or the relevant official authority. In addition, all transcripts must have a true signature and be stamped by the school. Transcripts should reflect subjects studied each year and marks received. If you have attended more than one school, we will require official records from each school. We prefer transcripts to be sent directly from school authorities.

Your teacher and counselor are in a position to provide valuable insight into your academic abilities and potential, your learning style, your achievements in school, and your personal character traits as observed in the school community. When supported by sufficient evidence and information, letters of reference provide well-documented assessments that enable the Committee on Admissions to make informed decisions. Such letters are sometimes used to explain apparent inconsistency or weakness in a student's record. In sum, letters of reference address the question of your admissibility from the perspective of your past performance. It is also very important that your references submit the forms available in the online application. Please download the forms and give a relevant copy to each of your reference writers.

Academic references from science and math teachers are most helpful because they are in a better position to understand the academic background required for successful completion of our Six-Year Medical Program. However, you should feel free to submit more than two teacher references, but not more than five references in total.

If the teacher or advisor you have chosen is not familiar with the practice of writing reference letters, he or she will find clear guidance in the downloadable reference form we provide to teachers and advisors. A typical letter of reference is about one page long and uses specific examples and observations to illustrate what the teacher feels are your most important qualities. Letters may be written in the teacher's or advisor's native language, but a certified English translation must then be provided.

Please use the following address when mailing any documents:

Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar
Office of Admissions
Al Luqta Street
P.O. Box 24811
Doha, Qatar

Yes, interviews are part of the normal selection process. Applicants who are selected to appear for personal interviews must participate in this process in order to be considered for admittance. Interviews are conducted at our campus in Doha.

Interviews take place between the beginning of February and April. Please be aware that not every applicant will be interviewed. When your application and all required items have been submitted, the Committee on Admissions will review your file and then decide on your eligibility for an interview.

We do not make any travel or housing arrangements, nor do we cover the associated cost. Applicants who are selected for an on-campus interview are expected to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

We do not rely upon any single formula to determine admission decisions. Standardized testing plays an important role, of course, but probably not as much as you think. We closely examine each student's high school record, the rigor of his/her coursework, his/her grades within the context of the educational system standards, public examination results, and scholastic rank. In addition to these empirical factors, we also require applicants to write detailed and thoughtful personal statements, in essay form. Consideration of each student's extracurricular activities is a very important piece of Cornell's selection process. Moreover, we consider factors that cannot be quantified such as recommendations and interviews. Finally, every student is expected to demonstrate that he/she is fluent in the English language.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, and the complexity of the selection process, we are not able to provide individual information of this sort. However, if you would like to appeal the decision, you may submit a letter within seven business days of receiving your decision, addressed to the Executive Committee on Admissions explaining your reasons. The letter can be emailed to the Director of Admissions who in turn will present it to the Executive Committee on Admissions for deliberation and final decision.

The business week in Qatar is Sunday through Thursday.

Yes, it does. However, deferral requests are granted only in exceptional circumstances and rarely approved by WCM-Q.

In order to request a deferral, an admitted student who has accepted the offer of admission must submit a formal letter of request addressed to the Executive Committee on Admissions explaining their exceptional circumstances for the deferral. The letter must be sent to the Office of Admissions by e-mail admissions@qatar-med.cornell.edu which in turn will present the request to the Executive Committee on Admissions for its consideration.

Admitted students for academic year 2025-2026 can submit a deferral request no later than Thursday, June 19, 2025 (12:00 pm noon Qatar time).

Tuition will be the same as that in effect at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. For students entering for the academic year 2024-2025 into the pre-medical curriculum, the amount has been set at US $68,380. Tuition fees for future academic years may change and will be posted when available.

No. Admission to WCM-Q is "need-blind", meaning that the Committee on Admissions screens, evaluates and accepts students without reference to their ability to pay.

Qatari nationals who attend Cornell are funded by the government of the State of Qatar. Non-Qataris who seek financial aid may apply to Qatar Foundation, which offers need-based no-interest loans that can cover up to 100% of a student's cost of attendance without regard for citizenship or national origin. This financial assistance program is based on a family's demonstrated need for help in meeting the cost of a Cornell education. Financial aid applications are available on the Qatar Foundation website.

There is a lot of work. Our faculty expect a lot from their students. However, we don't think this is a bad thing, and neither do our students. One student found the experience "overwhelming" to start with, but ultimately reassuring: "It's like a journey: you change and improve and, hopefully, by the end of the program, you're going to be ready to enter the profession." Said another: "You soon come to realize that faculty and students here are all in the same boat. We have a unique family identity. Our professors' doors are always open if we have any problems or don't understand a concept. It's the same way with students here, we all help each other with our studies and are very supportive of each other." Yet another student remarked: "No two days are the same. Then there are all the social and charity events we organize and fund outside of the curriculum, often to help worthy causes in Qatar. We have organized blood drives with Hamad Medical Corporation, fund-raising campaigns, inter-college sports events and community outreach projects, for example."

There would be a natural period of adjustment, but you would be helped by upper class students who went through it before you. Our faculty and our teaching specialists also help you make the transition. It will be a lot easier than you think. One of our students said: "I think co-education enriches the environment and it's more natural. I don't think it gets in the way of what we're here for." A male student remarked: "I attended an Egyptian high school in Qatar which had different buildings for boys and girls. When I came here I adjusted quickly. First of all, I wasn't sure if the girls would be embarrassed if I talked to them, but within one or two months everyone was talking." Students who had always attended co-educational schools face a different adjustment. One female student observed: "Although I was aware there were schools in Arab countries that had only males or females, I was shocked when I came here and the boys sat at one table and the girls at another. But soon they were all like one big family. The boys became like brothers to us."

Yes. The staff in the Office of Admissions is here to help you. Feel free to contact us at any time at admissions@qatar-med.cornell.edu or at +974-4492-8500.