How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Medicine Undergraduate Programs at Rutgers University–New Brunswick: Separate Admission to Arts and Sciences, Environmental and Biological Sciences and Nursing, Declaring the Biological Sciences Major After General Biology, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

At Rutgers University–New Brunswick, life-science and medicine-related undergraduate programs belong to different schools: Biological Sciences, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Genetics and Genomics, and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry are in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS); Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Nutritional Sciences and similar majors are listed under the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS); Nursing is in the School of Nursing; Public Health is in the Bloustein School. Applicants apply to a school. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and pre-health advising is handled by the university’s Health Professions Office (HPO). This guide follows Rutgers’ website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Biomedical Engineering is in the School of Engineering and is not covered here. SEBS’s own website could not be read, so SEBS information comes only from the admissions pages.

1. Degrees and programs

• School of Arts and Sciences (SAS): the SAS list of majors includes Biological Sciences (BA), Cell Biology and Neuroscience (BA), Genetics and Genomics (BA), Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (BA), Biomathematics (BA), Chemistry — Chemical Biology (BA) and Exercise Science (BS). Biological Sciences shares a core curriculum with the three department-based majors in the Division of Life Sciences.
• School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS): the admissions majors page (the part we read) lists Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Nutritional Sciences, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Marine Sciences, Entomology, Animal Science and Plant Biology under SEBS at New Brunswick; Biological Sciences is also offered through SEBS. We could not read SEBS’s site, so check it for course requirements.
• School of Nursing: the traditional four-year BS in Nursing at New Brunswick, 126 credits, full-time with fall entry; graduates are prepared for the NCLEX. The school reports a 96% first-time NCLEX pass rate for Newark and New Brunswick students who tested in 2024, and runs an honors program (beginning sophomore year) and an Educational Opportunity Fund program.
• Public health and health administration: Public Health (BS) and Health Administration (BS) are in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
• Pharmacy: the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy offers a 6-year Pharm.D. that first-year applicants can apply to directly; it is not covered here.
• Joint degrees: the majors list shows SAS joint programs in Physical Therapy (D.P.T. 4+3) and Physician Assistant (B.A./M.S.); medical combined degrees (BA/MD, BA/DMD) are covered in Section 3.
• STEM designation: the pages we read do not say which majors are STEM-designated.
• Research and honors: the biological sciences advisors’ listed specialties include acquiring research, research and honors in biology programs, study abroad in the life sciences, and internships and career planning in healthcare and life sciences; independent research requires a minimum 2.8 GPA. Lab placement capacity is not described on the pages we read.

2. Admission: apply to a school, then declare a major; Nursing is direct

• Choosing a school: first-year applicants choose the school(s) they apply to. For fall 2027, full-time first-year applications at New Brunswick show “Open” for SAS, SEBS, the School of Nursing–New Brunswick, the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the School of Engineering. The decisions page describes a Maximum Admission Consideration program under which applicants not admitted to the school they chose are automatically considered for another Rutgers school.
• How to get into a biology major: the biological sciences advising page says the major is open to students from SAS and SEBS. To declare it, you must have earned a “C” or better in both semesters of General Biology lecture (01:119:115, 116 and 117; formerly 101 and 102) or have transfer or AP credit for the series. Students request the major through the SAS or SEBS MyMajor system, selecting 119 Biological Sciences, and are approved after meeting a Biological Sciences advisor (drop-in Zoom sessions are offered). The pages we read do not state declaration conditions for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Genetics, or Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.
• Rules inside the major: life-science electives cannot include 100-level courses; independent study, research, honors research or other approved out-of-classroom experiences count for at most six of the 24 elective credits; courses taken pass/fail cannot be used for the major; and enrolling in independent study or research requires a minimum 2.8 GPA.
• Nursing (direct): the School of Nursing says the traditional program can be taken at New Brunswick or Newark, starts in the fall, and takes applications through undergraduate admissions. The review considers the transcript, coursework, SAT scores, extracurricular activities and personal statement, with no single deciding factor; minimum academic requirements are in Section 4. The first-semester plan of study lists 705:101 “for direct entry students”; the pages we read do not explain how direct entry works.
• Not stated on the pages we read: enrollment caps for biology majors, GPA thresholds for majors other than Biological Sciences, and conditions for moving between schools inside Rutgers.

3. Pre-med at Rutgers: what the Health Professions Office says

• Health Professions Office (HPO): the office says it serves all students and alumni of the Rutgers–New Brunswick schools interested in careers in medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, podiatry, optometry and other health professions, giving advice and support through the application process. Incoming students may open an HPO file once fall classes begin in September; the office offers virtual walk-in hours and online chat.
• Courses required by medical and dental schools (HPO’s “basics,” not a template for every student): two semesters of General Biology with lab (119:115, 116 and lab 117); two semesters of General Chemistry with lab (160:161, 162 and lab 171); two semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab (160:307–308 and lab 311); two semesters of General Physics with labs (750:203–204 with labs 205, 206); two semesters of college-level math, one including statistics (not necessarily calculus); two semesters of college-level English; one semester each of psychology and sociology; and one semester of biochemistry. All New Brunswick students take College Writing (355:101), and premedical students should add a writing-intensive course.
• Major: the office encourages students to major in what interests them most; students outside biology should add science courses and meet an HPO advisor.
• AP credit: the office warns that accepted AP credit goes on the Rutgers transcript and that virtually all medical and dental programs then expect upper-level coursework in the same discipline — for example at least two upper-level biology courses if you accept AP Biology credit (such as Genetics, Essentials of Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Intro to Biochemistry or Systems Physiology), while after accepting chemistry credit you will in any event take at least two semesters of chemistry (for example Organic Chemistry I and II and Biochemistry).
• Summer: as a general rule the office does not recommend taking required science courses over the summer, because medical and dental schools prefer to see performance during the regular semester.
• Letters: letter writers complete the HPO evaluation form and send the letter and form directly to the HPO, never through the student.
• Combined degrees: the HPO special-programs FAQ says high school seniors may apply to only one BA/MD program — the Rutgers–Newark New Jersey Medical School BA/MD (not run by the HPO; contact Newark); the other BA/MD, BA/DMD and 3+3 physician-assistant accelerated programs are open only to students who have spent at least one year at Rutgers–New Brunswick and earned at least 30 credits. The admissions testing page adds that applicants to the Newark 7-year BA/MD and the Camden BS/DO programs must submit an SAT or ACT score. Whether international students can apply to these programs is not stated on the pages we read.
• Medical school admission tests and the medical school application itself: outside the scope of this guide.

4. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses (16 academic courses): SAS — English 4 years, one foreign language 2 years, math 3 years (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II), science 2 years, 5 other academic courses; SEBS — English 4, no foreign language required, math 3, science 2, 7 other courses; School of Nursing — English 4, no foreign language required, math 3, 1 year each of biology and chemistry, 7 other courses (precalculus recommended, not required). The Pharmacy school lists English 4, one foreign language 2, math 3, biology and chemistry 1 year each.
• Biological Sciences major (core): R1 General Biology I, II and Biological Research Laboratory (119:115, 116, 117; 10 credits; first year); R2 General Chemistry I, II and Intro to Experimentation (160:161, 162, 171; 9 credits); R3 Organic Chemistry I, II and lab (160:307, 308, 311; 10 credits; second/third year); R4–R5 General Physics I, II and two labs (750:203, 204, 205, 206); R6 Calculus I (640:135 or 151) plus Calculus II (640:136) or statistics (960:401 recommended); R7 Genetics (447:380; 4 credits); R8–R10 24 credits of life-science electives, 18 of them at the 300–400 level, including three laboratory requirements.
• Nursing prerequisites: the plan of study lists Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology for Health Sciences with lab, Chemistry of Life (160:128), Statistics, General Psychology and College Writing, all with a C or higher; Nutrition, Life Span development and Health Assessment need a C-plus or higher.
• AP and credit: the admissions pages we read give no AP credit table. The biological sciences page says AP credit for General Biology is enough to declare the major; the HPO’s advice on accepting AP credit is in Section 3.
• English placement: students enrolling with an SAT EBRW of 650 or higher or an ACT reading score of 28 or higher are exempt from the English placement exam, if scores were sent to Rutgers.

5. Deadlines, materials and fees (fall 2027 entry)

• Plans: Early Action (non-binding) is due November 1, 2026 with decisions by January 31, 2027; Regular Decision is due December 1, 2026 with decisions by February 28, 2027; the candidate reply date is May 1, 2027. Applications must be in by December 1 to be considered for honors and merit scholarships. Later applications are reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis for schools still open. Early Action results are admitted, not admitted, wait list or deferred to regular decision.
• Platform and fee: the Rutgers Application or the Common App, one only; the application fee is $70 (non-refundable). Fee waivers go to National School Lunch Program participants, current U.S. military, veterans and military dependents planning to use GI Bill benefits, and applicants with official College Board, NACAC, ACT or EOF waivers.
• Materials: an essay (Rutgers Application: up to 3,800 characters; Common App: 250–650 words, with no supplemental essays; a short statement is required to be considered for honors); extracurricular activities entered in the application itself, not as a separate list; a self-reported STARS record for current U.S. high school seniors; and letters of recommendation, which “are not used for admissions consideration.”
• Testing: at New Brunswick, SAT/ACT scores are optional (the admissions page says Rutgers keeps test-optional and test-blind policies through 2027, while the School of Nursing page says “through 2026”; check the latest admissions page). Scores must be sent by the testing agency (SAT code 2765, ACT code 2592); writing is not required, and scores sent to Rutgers are reviewed as an additional credential, so do not send them if you do not want them considered.
• Admitted profile (fall 2026, middle 50%): SAS — SAT 1380–1520, ACT 30–34, high school GPA 3.7–4.2, class percentile rank 75–95; SEBS — SAT 1360–1500, ACT 30–34, GPA 3.8–4.2, rank 75–95; School of Nursing–New Brunswick — SAT 1320–1450, ACT 29–33, GPA 3.9–4.2, rank 83–95. Rutgers stresses holistic review. For the first-year class of 2025, SAS received 51,155 applications and enrolled 4,168; SEBS 17,842 and 974; Nursing–New Brunswick 7,255 and 275.
• What is considered: primarily academic promise — required high school subjects, strength of program (honors, AP), grades and trends, weighted GPA, rank, optional SAT/ACT and English test results when required — plus the essay, college-preparation programs, extracurricular and community activities, honors and awards, special talents, employment, family obligations and socioeconomic background.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost (2026–27, New Brunswick): New Jersey residents — tuition $15,381, fees $4,008, food and housing $6,060 commuter or $21,943 on campus, totaling $25,449 commuter or $41,332 on campus; non-New Jersey residents — tuition $36,831, totaling $46,899 commuter or $62,782 on campus. The page points to the finance office’s rates for each school or college, which we did not read; check them for nursing, pharmacy and others.
• New Jersey tuition eligibility: the admissions site has a separate residency page, which we did not read.
• First-year scholarships: New Brunswick uses a single scholarship award process for fall first-year students, aligned with the academic interest indicated on the application; no separate application is needed. The Scarlet Guarantee gives first- and second-year students a “last dollar” award covering in-state tuition and eligible fees.
• Financial aid: the pages we read do not describe the aid application; see Rutgers’ Scarlet Hub financial services.

7. International applicants

• Application: the same Rutgers Application or Common App and the same dates as domestic applicants. For fall 2027, F-1 international first-year applications show “Open” for SAS, SEBS, the School of Nursing–New Brunswick, the Pharmacy school and Engineering. Applicants in international education systems self-report courses, grades, GPA and rank through STARS and send official documents for admitted students to enroll; documents not in English need a translation verified by a language professor or professional translator on the translator’s letterhead. Do not send sport or craft certificates or letters of recommendation.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is optional at New Brunswick (see Section 5).
• English: required, regardless of residency status, if your secondary schooling was in a country where English is not the principal language; scores must be from the past two years and sent by the testing service. New Brunswick minimums: TOEFL iBT (through January 21, 2026) 79 and (from January 22, 2026) 4.5; IELTS 6.5; Michigan English Test 56; SAT EBRW 550; ACT English 21; PTE 53; Duolingo 115; Cambridge B2. The School of Nursing and the Pharmacy school require more: TOEFL 100 (before January 2026) or 5.5 (from January 22, 2026) and Duolingo 130. Students from English-medium schools are evaluated for a waiver case by case (RUinternational@admissions.rutgers.edu), and a B or better in a college English Composition course at an accredited U.S. college waives the requirement (ESL, non-U.S., online and correspondence courses do not count).
• Proof of funds and the I-20: the I-20 is issued after you accept the offer. On the Rutgers Global portal you upload a passport photo page, a completed International Student Financial Statement (ISFS) and supporting documents; sponsors provide a bank letter or statement showing funds at least equal to the amount on the ISFS for the first year, and documents must be signed no more than six months before the I-20 application is received. The amount on the ISFS is not printed on the pages we read. F-1 students pay the out-of-state rate plus a $500 SEVIS administration fee and other costs.
• International scholarships: all admitted international students on valid non-immigrant visas are automatically considered for Rutgers international scholarships ($5,000–$16,000 per year); applying by the Early Action or Regular Decision date is encouraged, since early applicants are more likely to receive awards.
• Nursing and limited programs: the School of Nursing welcomes international students to the traditional BS (Newark and New Brunswick) and says that program does not require an international transcript evaluation; its English requirements are higher (above). Clinical-placement limits for international students are not described on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages we read do not mention the Gaokao and have no China-specific page; contact RUInternational@admissions.rutgers.edu to ask whether it may be sent as supplementary information.
• Transcripts and diploma: applicants in international education systems self-report through STARS and later send official documents from the educational authority; the examples named (SSC, HSSC, WAEC, GCE, Bagrut and others) do not include a Chinese graduation certificate or huikao, and no credential-evaluation agency is named. Chinese-language documents need a translation.
• English and testing: an English test is required if your secondary schooling was in a country where English is not the principal language (Section 7); SAT/ACT is optional.
• International curricula: the pages we read set no separate requirements for IB, A-levels or AP.

9. Transfer students

• New Brunswick recommendations: the admissions office suggests 24 or more college-level credits by the expected semester of entry, a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, no grade declines (no D or F in the last 24 credits and a most-recent-term GPA of at least 2.7), remedial coursework completed before the deadline, and English Composition I completed or in progress; required STEM courses may not be more than 10 years old; AP scores of 4 or 5 can be used to meet school-specific recommendations.
• Dates: fall entry — February 1, 2027, decisions by April 15, 2027, reply by May 1; spring entry — October 1, 2026. After the deadline, applications are reviewed on a space-available basis.
• SEBS: recommended Biology I and II (taken at the same college), Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus or higher math; the transfer page lists no specific courses for SAS.
• Life-science transfer limits: the biological sciences page says the Division of Life Sciences requires all semesters of introductory life science coursework to be done at a single institution; the Biological Sciences major accepts at most 16 transferred credits among General Biology, Genetics and life-science electives; a minor accepts at most three courses from other institutions; non-life-science courses (chemistry, physics, calculus) are evaluated by the relevant Rutgers departments; and most New Jersey community college courses are listed on NJ Transfer.
• Nursing: the transfer recommendations list only the RN-to-BSN degree, open to registered nurses; the School of Nursing site also has an internal school-to-school transfer page and a 2+2 program, which we do not cover.
• International transfer: F-1 transfer applicants can apply to SAS, SEBS, Engineering and others; the Nursing–New Brunswick RN-to-BSN program is marked “Not Eligible” in the F-1 column. Transfer students with fewer than 24 college credits send an official secondary school transcript; one is recommended for those with more, and a transcript from every college attended is required.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 1, 2026 (Early Action) or December 1, 2026 (Regular; honors and merit also use this date); choose the school (SAS, SEBS or Nursing); SAT/ACT optional
• Complete 16 academic courses in high school; nursing applicants need a year each of biology and chemistry
• For the Biological Sciences major: earn C or better in both semesters of General Biology, then declare; open an HPO file after fall classes start

International applicants (including China):

• Same dates as domestic applicants; self-report through STARS and send official documents after admission; translations for non-English documents
• English test (New Brunswick: TOEFL 79 or 4.5, IELTS 6.5; Nursing and Pharmacy: TOEFL 100 or 5.5, Duolingo 130); after admission, ISFS and bank letters
• The Gaokao’s role is not published, so ask the international admissions email first; ask the School of Nursing about clinical placement for international students

Transfer students:

• 24 or more credits and a 3.0 GPA; apply by February 1, 2027 for fall; finish introductory life-science courses at one institution

Sources: Rutgers University, First-year required credentials; International required credentials; New Brunswick dates and deadlines; How we make decisions and admissions profile; Tuition and fees; Scholarships; Majors list; New Brunswick transfer; SAS list of majors and minors; Biological Sciences major; Why Biological Sciences; Life sciences transfer questions; Biological Sciences advising; Health Professions Office; HPO: academics FAQ; HPO: special programs FAQ; School of Nursing: undergraduate admissions; School of Nursing: curriculum; School of Nursing: international applicants. The dates page is labeled fall 2027 and the cost page 2026–2027. The website of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) could not be read when this guide was prepared, so SEBS information comes only from the admissions pages; check SEBS’s own site.