Early Acceptance Programs
Do you want to kick-start your graduate studies and secure your place early in selective law, health professional and medical school programs? With Iona University’s Early Acceptance Programs (EAPs), you can get ahead of the competition!
Contact Us
Visit our Admissions & Financial Aid page to learn more or contact us at admissions@iona.edu.
What Is an Early Acceptance Program?
Early Acceptance Programs — also known as Early Assurance Programs — are programs designed to allow highly qualified high school students and incoming freshmen and sophomores to obtain conditional admission to competitive graduate programs and facilitate a smooth transition from undergrad to graduate school. Often, these programs are in health-related fields or law school.
Health Professional Early Acceptance Programs
Interested in pursuing a career in the health care field? If you are a freshman or sophomore at Iona, you have the exciting opportunity to apply for early acceptance to medical professional programs at one of our four partner institutions:
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
- New York College of Podiatric Medicine
- Northeast College of Health Sciences
- University of St. Joseph School of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Studies
Through these partnership programs, you can build a strong foundational education during your undergraduate years and work toward earning your doctorate in medicine, dental medicine or pharmacy.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
Iona University is proud to partner with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) — the largest medical school in the United States — and provide a direct pathway to graduate school and to becoming a doctor, dentist or pharmacist.
LECOM’s Early Acceptance Program offers provisional early acceptance to high school seniors and college freshmen and sophomores who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and passion for pursuing graduate education, enabling them to begin their professional training before finishing their bachelor’s degree.
To qualify for conditional acceptance to LECOM’s EAPs, students must meet the following criteria:
- Minimum SAT score of 1240 (only for dental school) or
- Minimum ACT score of 26 (only for dental school)
- Students without SAT/ACT scores will either have to complete our MMS program with a 3.0 GPA or higher, or score a 500 on the MCAT for the medical program
- Students with low SAT/ACT scores can opt out of the MMS program or MCAT, if their AIS is a 115 or higher for the medical program
- All podiatric medicine students must complete the MCAT, as required by AACPM policies
- DAT requirement for dental students of an 18 average on the science section of the exam
Review LECOM’s eligibility requirements and the overview of their admissions process here.
Ready to get started? Register with LECOM now.
If you have further questions, contact Dr. Yourha Kang, Iona’s health professions advisor.
Earn Your Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Ambitious high school seniors and freshmen and sophomores can earn their bachelor’s degree from Iona University and accelerate their graduate degree path toward obtaining a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from LECOM.
Through LECOM’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program, students receive comprehensive clinical training, preparing them to take a total-person approach as they provide quality patient care.
Medical school campuses are located in Erie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Bradenton, Florida.
Earn Your Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
The EAP for LECOM’s dental program enables incoming students to obtain their undergraduate degree and seamlessly transfer to the School of Dental Medicine. Here, students study for four years to earn their Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
Once students have secured provisional acceptance into the program, they must submit an Associated American Dental School Application Service (AADSAS) application and score at least a 19 on the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Students must fulfill these and several academic requirements to gain admission into the DMD degree program.
LECOM’S dental school campus is located in Bradenton, Florida.
Pharmacy School (PharmD)
Incoming freshmen and sophomores at Iona University can complete their bachelor’s degrees and begin working toward their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from LECOM through the EAP program.
With both didactic and experiential learning opportunities, the PharmD degree program offers students a thorough education in how to provide pharmaceutical care and serve diverse populations. Highly qualified students can participate in an accelerated 3+4 program — three years at Iona University and four years at LECOM. The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is required for 3+4 students and recommended but not required for other students.
LECOM offers three program tracks; however, not all tracks are available at all institutions. The PharmD program is offered at LECOM’s Erie, Pennsylvania, and Bradenton, Florida, locations.
New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM)
Students who want to work as a podiatrist can obtain their Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree through Iona’s partnership with the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
Located in NYC, NYCPM is the oldest and largest podiatric medical school in the United States and offers students unrivaled educational experience and clinical training. Students are immersed in a comprehensive graduate program and deepen their medical science knowledge through traditional coursework and hospital-based clerkships in emergency medicine, internal medicine, general surgery and other specialized practices.
An accelerated “3+4” program — 3 years at Iona University and 4 years at NYCPM — is available for highly qualified applicants.
Northeast College of Health Sciences
Through our educational partnership with Northeast College of Health Sciences, undergraduate students obtaining their BS in Biology at Iona can participate in the EAP and gain automatic admission to Northeast’s graduate chiropractic program upon graduation.
Students are enrolled in the 3+4 track to earn their Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree at an accelerated pace, saving time and money. The Doctor of Chiropractic program equips students with critical hands-on training, research and clinical skills and professional development to prepare them for fulfilling careers.
University of St. Joseph: School of Pharmacy
Highly motivated students can earn their bachelor’s degree from Iona and begin working toward the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the University of St. Joseph: School of Pharmacology.
The 3+3 PharmD Program enables students to accelerate their graduate studies by a year and save on tuition and other expenses. Students undergo comprehensive experiential learning to ensure their clinical and pharmacological knowledge is well-developed and that they are ready to pursue various career paths.
Pursuing an MD/Ph.D. degree
"Dr. Sunghee Lee made a positive impact not only on my success at Iona but on my future as well.
Dr. Lee was not just a research mentor while I was under her guidance as a member of Project Symphony, she also challenged and supported me in attaining the goals I set out for myself.
She was always there to guide and help me, and I would not have achieved what I have thus far - or decided to pursue an MD/Ph.D. degree - if it was not for her leadership and guidance in both the classroom and the laboratory. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Project Symphony and the doors it opened for me."
Seton Hall Law School Dual Degree Program
Want to study the U.S. legal system and pursue a career in law? Iona University offers a dual degree program with Seton Hall University Law School, empowering incoming Iona University undergraduate students to earn their Juris Doctorate (JD) degree in an accelerated or traditional format.
Through this EAP, students earn their bachelor’s degree from Iona and their JD from Seton Hall, located in New Jersey. We offer an accelerated six-year (3+3) course of study where students study 3 years at Iona and 3 years at Seton Hall.
Communication Sciences & Disorders Early Acceptance Program
Designed for students who want to work as a speech-language pathologist, Iona’s Communication Sciences & Disorders Early Acceptance Program helps you earn your Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology and secure a spot in the Master of Arts in Communication Sciences & Disorders program.
To be considered for the program, applicants must:
- Maintain a 3.5 GPA during undergraduate studies.
- Have an unweighted high school GPA of 3.5.
GRE scores are not required for Iona's MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Additionally, students in good standing are automatically considered for Iona’s highest graduate scholarship.
Occupational Therapy Early Acceptance Program
Designed for students who want to work as an occupational therapist, Iona’s Occupational Therapy’s Early Acceptance Program helps you earn your Bachelor’s degree and secure a spot in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program.
To be considered for entry into the program, applicants must:
- Major in Health and Wellness, Psychology or Neuroscience
- Have an overall high school GPA of 3.3
- Complete 4 years of math and science coursework with a grade of a B or better
To continue into the MS in Occupational Therapy program, students will need to meet specific criteria to progress, including successful completion of their bachelor’s degree, completion of all required prerequisite courses, documentation of participation in Iona’s Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) as a junior member, community service activities and observation hours in two different Occupational Therapy settings.
Connect With Iona Advisors
If you are an incoming student interested in our Early Acceptance Programs, our admissions advisors are here to help. They can answer any question, refer you to student resources and provide guidance during your time at Iona.
Current students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with our advisors in the Center for Advising and Academic Services for assistance.
How Iona University Prepares You for Dental School
Learn how Iona’s faculty and curriculum helped prepare Gabriele Thornton ’22 for dental school, equipping her for academic and professional success.
Receiving Mentorship & Opportunities
"Dr. Sunghee Lee has guided me so much throughout my college career. She invited me to join her laboratory group, Project Symphony, at the end of my freshman year, and I became deeply involved throughout my sophomore year and ever since.
She has given me opportunities to travel, present research, and attend conferences. She has also shown me how a professor can do more than just teach you about a given subject such as chemistry, they can also give impactful advice based on their experience about how to go about finding internships, writing resumes, and things as simple as how to talk to people in certain fields/positions.
Dr. Lee has truly been a mentor and been very good and patient with me and I appreciate the opportunities she gives me as well as the guidance and support as a student and as a person.
Through her, I have seen how to strike a balance between being a student/employee and being a person."
-Shakinah Silverberg '24, Biology Major, Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration
Get a Jump Start on Your Graduate Education Through Iona’s Early Acceptance Programs!
Ready to begin your graduate studies early? Apply to Iona University today! If you have questions about the application process, admissions requirements and more, request information.