January 8, 2007

Lyon College students planning to attend medical school now have access to a unique new prescription for success from one of the nation’s top medical schools.

On Dec. 6, the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Lyon College formally entered into an agreement called the Early Selection Program, designed to "encourage talented and committed second-year students at Lyon College who have achieved academic distinction to pursue a variety of undergraduate majors and gain a provisional acceptance to the medical school at GWU."

Two Lyon College graduates, Seth Purcell '05 and Chris Estes '06, are attending
The George Washington University Medical School. They are shown above
in front of the GWU Hospital in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jessica McConnell, GWU)

The agreement stipulates that acceptance is provisional so GWU can ensure that their medical students are of the highest caliber, both academically and personally. All Lyon students in the program must maintain a 3.3 overall GPA with a grade of B or better in all science coursework, and must obtain an BS of BA degree.

All applicants should also be in their second semester of their sophomore year, and have spent two years and 60 credit hours by the end of the semester during which they apply. Applicants with fewer than 60 hours will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as will coursework from other universities and AP credit.

Students transferring into their sophomore year at Lyon will not be eligible for the program.

Ideally, students should have achieved an SAT score of at least 1250, and those with scores below 1200 will not normally be eligible. Equivalent ACT scores will be accepted.

Applicants will be required to submit a description of their academic goals for their last two years of college work, and letters of recommendation from a Lyon faculty member and the Chief Academic Officer are also required.