<p>Given that Medical Schools require a fairly high GPA in addition to MCAT, when applying to undergrad school would it be better to apply to a difficult school such as Cornell (where GPA could suffer), or an easier school (where GPA could be higher)? Which way are the chances of eventually getting into medical school better?</p>
<p>For medical school admissions, top grades from a mediocre school are usually more successful than mediocre grades from a top school. And you need a good MCAT score no matter where you went.</p>
<p>med schools know about grading policies at top schools, so they'll understand why a person got a 3.2 at cornell. a 3.2 at harvard will look much worse.</p>
<p>Thanks, coureur and Clendenenator. More specifically, say, a 3.2 from Cornell vs. a 3.5 from Case Western. Which one works better for Med schools?</p>
<p>this has been debated heavily on <a href="http://www.studentdoctor.com%5B/url%5D">www.studentdoctor.com</a> check it out</p>
<p>i dont know much about med school placement rates, but at Cornell, for instance, the acceptance rate to med school for student with at least a 3.4 GPA was around 88% I believe. Somebody correct me if I have the wrong number but I do know Cornell's placement is way above the national average into med schools and not many people have 4.0's.</p>
<p>Any Ivy is going to have great placement, because the things that allow one to get accepted to an Ivy (intelligence, motivation, good standardized test taking, time managment, etc.) are the exact same things that help med school applicants. </p>
<p>Don't read too much (if anything) into high placement rates at med school that anyone or any school boasts about (I suppose that really dismal rates would be telling). At the prestigious schools, what I just said applies, and at many smaller schools with great placement rates, they have pre-med committees that actually pre-screen students wishing to apply. The committee will only allow those students they deem sufficiently competitive to actually apply and help their application by writing glowing "committee letters" for those students. Students who don't meet the standards of the board are strongly discouraged from applying, and effectively suffer from the lack of a great letter of rec. Some college committees even discourage faculty from writing letters of rec for med school applicants thus making their decision even more effective. Basically all it is a manipulation of their placement rate and not a true measure of how well they might prepare you.</p>
<p>The bottom line though is that choosing a college based on how you think it will appear to med school admission committees is the worst way to choose a college. For one, many, many people who start out as pre-med never even apply to medical school - the attrition rate is astounding - they find it's too hard, you really do have to deal with blood, they don't like science as much as they thought, or develop a new passion. Two if you are successful in undergrad then it doesn't matter where you went. You should find the school that is the best fit for you, that will allow for you to be successful in all facets of undergraduate life - academically, personally, socially, and so on. You need a school where you can get the courses you need, find the opportunities to get involved on campus, be a leader, get clinical experience, hopefully a meaningful research opportunity, and great chances to volunteer. And you should be happy at the school. If you're happy then you're much more likely to be successful.</p>