How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at MIT: Apply to the Institute Rather Than a Major, Declare in the Spring of Your First Year, Course 7 Biology and Course 20 Biological Engineering Among the Options, Biology Recommended for Pre-Meds, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT calls majors “Courses” and numbers them. The life-science and health-related undergraduate degrees include Course 7 Biology, Course 5-7 Chemistry and Biology, Course 6-7 Computer Science and Molecular Biology, Course 20 Biological Engineering and Course 9 Brain and Cognitive Sciences, all leading to the Bachelor of Science (SB). MIT’s Department of Biology says Biology is a good fit for students who want to become doctors and suggests all pre-meds major, double major or minor in it. Below, using MIT’s websites, are the key points for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Many admissions pages print no year, so confirm dates are for fall 2027.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Course 7 Biology (SB): offered by the Department of Biology. The catalog says it prepares students for careers in the biological sciences, that many graduates go on to a PhD, and that the curriculum is “also excellent preparation for students who wish to continue their education toward an MD, particularly if their career plans include laboratory investigations bearing on human disease.” The department also offers a Biology minor, and joint degrees 5-7 (Chemistry and Biology) and 6-7 (Computer Science and Molecular Biology).
• Course 20 Biological Engineering (SB): offered by the Department of Biological Engineering, emphasizing quantitative, engineering-based analysis, design and synthesis in biology from the molecular to the systems level, for careers from pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to materials, devices, ecology and public health. Restricted electives fall into six thematic areas: systems biology, synthetic biology, biophysics, pharmacology/toxicology, cell and tissue engineering, and microbial systems; there is also a Biomedical Engineering minor. This is an engineering degree and is only touched on here. Its FAQ says the difference from biomedical engineering is scope: BME applies engineering principles to medical problems, while BE works at the molecular and cellular level for many applications, not only medicine.
• Course 9 Brain and Cognitive Sciences (SB): offered by the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. The catalog says it prepares students for advanced degrees or careers in artificial intelligence, machine learning, neuroscience, medicine, cognitive science, psychology, linguistics and more, and it has a research requirement; there is also a joint Course 6-9 (Computation and Cognition).
• Nursing, public health and kinesiology undergraduate majors are not listed on the pages we read. Whether these majors are designated STEM, and whether any BS/MD program exists, are not stated on the pages we read; ask the admissions office or the Biology Education Office.

2. How admission works: apply to MIT, declare later

• You apply to the Institute: the Biological Engineering FAQ is blunt: you do not apply to the department; you apply to MIT through the admissions office and enter undeclared, then choose a major after arriving. The department plays no role in undergraduate admissions and makes no recommendations; there is no application process to join it, and you declare at the end of your first year.
• When to declare: the Registrar says most students declare in the spring term of the first year, and those who do not must decide by the end of sophomore year. You meet your advisor and declare by the spring Drop Date of the first year; the declaration takes effect at the beginning of the summer term and you are assigned a new advisor in that department. The Office of the First Year says all first-year undergraduates have the chance to declare in spring, or may remain an undesignated sophomore for more time.
• The field on the application: the first essay asks you to choose from a drop-down “the field of study that appeals to you the most right now” and reflect on it. The pages we read do not say whether this choice constrains your later major.
• Conditions to enter a major: the Biology, Biological Engineering and Registrar pages we read state no GPA threshold, cap or required course grade; not stated. Contact the Biology Education Office (room 68-120) or the Biological Engineering academic office. The Biology minor is declared after the first year through the Biology Education Office.
• Double majors: the Biology department says Course 7 is flexible enough to double major, and that Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering share many requirements with Biology.

3. Degree requirements (per the catalog)

• General Institute Requirements (GIRs): every degree includes 17 GIR subjects: 6 Science Core, 8 Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS), 2 Restricted Electives in Science and Technology (REST) and 1 laboratory, plus a Communication Requirement and a Physical Education requirement. The Science Core means two semesters of calculus-based physics (mechanics, and electricity and magnetism), one semester of chemistry and one of biology; everyone must also take, or receive credit for, single-variable calculus (18.01) and multivariable calculus (18.02).
• Course 7 required subjects: 7.002 Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology (6 units), 7.003[J] Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory (12, communication-intensive), 7.03 Genetics, 5.12 Organic Chemistry I, 7.05 General Biochemistry (or 5.07[J]), 7.06 Cell Biology, thermodynamics (5.601 and 5.602, or 20.110[J]), the capstone 7.19 Communication in Experimental Biology (12, communication-intensive), and three 12-unit restricted electives; 126 units in the major, 90 unrestricted elective units, and 180 units beyond the GIRs.
• Course 20 required subjects: Tier I 5.12, 6.100A, 6.100B, 7.03, 18.03 and 20.110[J]; Tier II 5.07[J] or 7.05, 7.06, 20.109 (a 15-unit laboratory), 20.309[J] and 20.320; Tier III 20.330[J] and 20.380 (Biological Engineering Design); plus 33–36 units of restricted electives; 180–183 units in the major. The catalog encourages prospective majors to complete the Biology GIR in the first year and says Physics II may be delayed to the fall of sophomore year if necessary.
• Biology GIR: the Biology department says every undergraduate must complete it by taking 7.01x (several versions each term with the same core content and different specializations; over-enrolled classes may be decided by lottery, and first-years must register by the fall registration deadline, the last Thursday in August before Labor Day, to be considered) or by passing the Biology Advanced Standing Exam.
• Research: the Biology page says almost all biology faculty are interested in hosting Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) students: contact a faculty member first, then apply formally to UROP. An undergraduate research symposium is held at the start of spring semester for students in Courses 7, 5-7 and 6-7. Biological Engineering says UROP is an MIT-wide program offering research for credit or pay.

4. The pre-med path

• The Biology FAQ answers “Is Biology a good fit if I’m interested in premed?” with: “Yes! The Biology Department is committed to educating premeds in aspects of Biology relevant to the molecular basis of disease … We suggest that all premeds major, double degree/major, or minor in Biology.”
• The catalog description of 7.002 says it satisfies the biology laboratory credit for pre-health professions; a full list of other courses medical schools require is not stated on the pages we read.
• The Biology career-development page says many seniors go to graduate or medical school and that the department and the Biology Undergraduate Student Association hold information sessions; MIT’s Career Advising and Professional Development provides resources on preparing for and applying to graduate and medical school.
• The Biological Engineering FAQ says that department has over 650 undergraduate alumni, about half of whom continue to graduate and medical schools, about 10 percent go directly into industry and about 20 percent into consulting and finance.
• Whether MIT provides a committee letter, medical-school acceptance statistics, separate pre-health advice for international students, and any limits on international students applying to U.S. medical schools are not stated on the pages we read; contact Career Advising and Professional Development.

5. High-school preparation

• MIT says it has no required high-school classes, for domestic or international applicants, though students need to show minimum competence in fields they will continue at MIT.
• Calculus: other quantitative fields depend on calculus, and all students take or receive credit for 18.01 and 18.02. Admissions says students are more likely to succeed with at least some exposure to the foundations of calculus (differentiation and integration) before graduating; a class called A-Level Mathematics, Higher Level Mathematics or Pure Mathematics can count, as long as you are prepared for 18.01.
• Science: most well-prepared students have taken some physics, chemistry and/or biology. MIT recommends at least introductory coursework in all three because it prepares you for the Science Core, but says it is possible to succeed without prior exposure, so there are no specific science course requirements; it also notes that some curricula such as the IB limit how many science courses you can take. Chemistry or math placement levels are not stated on the pages we read.
• Humanities and social sciences: take some challenging courses in English, history, economics, music or languages; none specified.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit (policies for the Class of 2030, entering fall 2026; MIT says they may change for later classes and are posted in April–May of the entering year): no credit for AP Biology or AP Chemistry; Calculus BC 5 earns credit for 18.01, Calculus AB 5 allows the accelerated 18.01A/18.02A, and 5 on both Physics C exams earns credit for 8.01. IB Higher Level: no credit for Biology or Chemistry, 7 in Mathematics earns 18.01, 7 in Physics earns 8.01. A-Levels: no credit for Biology or Chemistry, A* or A in Mathematics earns 18.01 and in Physics 8.01. The Biology department adds that it does not give credit for biology courses taken in high school, including AP.
• First- and second-year sequences are in section 3; Biological Engineering encourages completing the Biology GIR in the first year.

6. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Action (EA): due 1 November, decisions in mid-December. Regular Action (RA): due 4 January, decisions in mid-March. You may apply only once per entry year, and applicants denied in EA cannot apply RA; reply date 1 May. The pages print no year, so confirm they are for fall 2027.
• Materials: MIT application and a $75 fee (fee waivers available), two teacher recommendations (one from a math or science teacher and one from a humanities, social science or language teacher are recommended), the Secondary School Report (SSR) with transcript, and SAT or ACT scores. Deferred EA applicants and admitted EA and RA applicants submit a February Updates and Notes form with midyear grades (if available) in mid-February. You may be offered an interview with an Educational Counselor; if none is available the interview is waived without penalty.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is required (not the ACT writing or science sections or SAT essay; paper and digital SAT accepted), taken before 30 November for EA and 31 December for RA. There are no cutoff or recommended scores; scores are read in context, the highest section scores across sittings are considered, and self-reported scores are verified on enrollment.
• Essays: for 2026–2027, four short essays of about 100–200 words (a field of study, doing something different in your educational journey, how your experiences shape the problems you want to tackle, an unexpected challenge), four short responses of 40–50 words, and an activities form with room for four activities. Students in U.S. school systems also fill in a self-reported coursework form.
• Transcripts: your school counselor submits the SSR and transcript, which should include three years of grades; if you have no counselor, another school official can do it.

7. U.S. applicants

• In-state versus out-of-state tuition: MIT is private and its cost page lists one tuition figure; the pages we read describe no in-state/out-of-state difference or home-state preference.
• Costs (2026-27): tuition $66,720; student life fee $420; housing $14,090; food $8,104; books, course materials, supplies and equipment $930; personal expenses $2,496; total $92,760 (travel is estimated separately by address and not included). Students are automatically enrolled in the MIT Student Health Insurance Plan and may submit a waiver if they have full coverage. No extra fee for biology or health majors is mentioned on the pages we read.
• Aid: MIT says it is need-blind and meets 100% of demonstrated need of admitted students who apply for aid, with aid based entirely on need, not merit. Beginning in 2025–2026, students whose family income is under $200,000 a year (with typical assets) attend tuition-free, and families earning under $100,000 are not expected to contribute. The median annual price paid by an undergraduate who received an MIT Scholarship was $10,268 in 2024–2025. Domestic students apply with the CSS Profile, FAFSA and parents’ tax or income documents through the College Board’s IDOC, by 30 November for EA or 15 February for RA.

8. International applicants

• Who counts as international: MIT treats anyone without U.S. citizenship or permanent residency as international, wherever they live; those still obtaining a green card are international. International and domestic applicants apply in the same way and at the same time.
• Evaluation: admissions staff are trained in educational systems worldwide, do not convert grades to the U.S. system, and have no country caps or quotas. The transcript should include three years of grades and results of any external examinations required for university entrance in your home country (such as IB, A-Levels, the French Baccalauréat or CBSE); send predicted grades if final ones are not yet available, and only admitted students must send final grades.
• Testing and English: the SAT or ACT is required. If you have used English for fewer than five years, or do not speak English at home or in school, MIT strongly recommends an English proficiency exam (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1/C2 or Duolingo). Minimum and recommended scores: TOEFL taken before 21 January 2026, 90 and 100; TOEFL on the new 1–6 scale, 5 and 5.5; IELTS 7 and 7.5; PTE Academic 65 and 70; Cambridge 185 and 190; Duolingo 120 and 125. RA applicants may take English tests through January (by 31 January). MIT does not describe waiver conditions; not stated.
• Aid: MIT says whether you are domestic or international does not affect the financial aid you are offered; it is need-blind and meets full need for admitted students who apply. International applicants submit the CSS Profile and parents’ tax or income documents through IDOC (if parents live outside the U.S., the tax return from that country with an English translation); the FAFSA is not required. Deadlines are 30 November (EA) and 15 February (RA). Proof-of-funds requirements are not described on the pages we read. MIT says its aid is based entirely on financial need, not merit.
• Limits on international students in labs or clinical placements are not stated on the pages we read.
• MIT recommends EducationUSA and its local advising centers for learning how to apply to American universities.

9. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not explain how the Gaokao is used. Not stated; contact the admissions office.
• Transcripts and exam records: MIT gives no China-specific instructions on the pages we read. The general rule for international applicants is in section 8 (a counselor-submitted SSR and transcript including the external exams required for university entrance in your home country, with predicted results if final ones are not yet out). Whether a credential evaluation service is needed is not stated.
• Testing and English: the SAT or ACT is required; English score minimums and recommended scores are in section 8.
• Math and science expectations specific to the Chinese curriculum are not addressed separately; follow section 5 and confirm with admissions.

10. Transfer

• Eligibility: you must have finished high school and completed at least one year of college; at the time of entry you must have completed at least two terms of full-time study (the earliest you can apply is during your second term of study), and those with more than five terms (2.5 years) may be ineligible because of residency requirements. MIT does not award second bachelor’s degrees. Only one application per entry year.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 March 2027; spring entry (February) 15 October 2026, open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Aid applications are due 15 February; the enrollment reply date is mid-December for spring entry and late May for fall entry, and decision dates are not listed on the pages we read.
• Materials: transfer application and $75 fee, secondary-school and all college transcripts, two letters from college instructors (one from math or science), a School Official Report, and the SAT or ACT (taken by 31 October for spring entry and before 31 March for fall entry).
• Preparation: MIT recommends single- and multivariable calculus, calculus-based physics, introductory biology and introductory chemistry before entering. There is no minimum GPA; competitive applicants generally have 3.5 or above with mostly A’s in math and science.
• Credit: assessed only after admission by the relevant departments, for subjects substantively equivalent to MIT subjects; transfer students typically lose at least one semester and most enter as sophomores, and MIT cannot give credit assessments in advance. The Biology department says transfer requests must be pre-approved before you enroll in an outside course (including summer and Harvard/Wellesley cross-registration), that it gives no credit for high-school biology including AP, and that if credit for Introductory Biology (7.012) is not approved you may take the Biology GIR Validation Exam, which is not recorded on the transcript.
• Specific course requirements for transferring into Biology or Biological Engineering, beyond the admissions recommendations above, are not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• EA 1 November or RA 4 January; SAT or ACT required; two teacher recommendations
• Check the tuition-free policy if family income is under $200,000; the Biology department suggests pre-meds major, double major or minor in Biology

International applicants (including China):

• English reference scores: TOEFL (new scale) 5 / 5.5, IELTS 7 / 7.5, Duolingo 120 / 125; strongly recommended if you have used English fewer than five years
• Aid needs the CSS Profile and parents’ income documents, 30 November (EA) or 15 February (RA); confirm with admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Fall entry deadline 1 March 2027; at least two terms of college first; calculus, physics, biology and chemistry recommended

Sources: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, First-year deadlines and requirements; Tests and scores; International applicants; Academic foundations; Essays, activities and academics; Transcripts; First-year eligibility; Transfer eligibility; Transfer deadlines and requirements; Transfer preparation and credit; Cost and affordability; How to apply for aid; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Biology (Course 7) degree chart; Biological Engineering (Course 20) degree chart; Catalog: Biology; Catalog: Biological Engineering; Catalog: Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Biology: majors and minor; Biology: Biology GIR; Biology: transfer credit; Biology: research; Biology: career development; Biological Engineering undergraduate FAQ; Registrar: declaring a major; Office of the First Year: choosing a major; Credit policies; AP credit; International exam credit. Most admissions pages print no year, so confirm dates are for fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27. Check MIT’s website for the latest.