<p>Hi! I'm planning on majoring in biology and being pre-med. I'm trying to decide between Boston College and Holy Cross (i was accepted into their pre-med program). I know that Holy Cross has a fabulous pre-med program, but Boston College might be a better, more well-known school with better connections. I visited them both (and will visit again before my final choice) and loved both campuses. I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on the subject. Thanks!</p>
<p>From 2004-2009, 82% of Holy Cross applicants were accepted on average each year into at least one medical school. In 2005-06, 73 percent of the Boston College seniors who applied to medical schools were admitted. Given that HC just opened a brand new 60 million dollar science complex in January 2009, I would give the edge to HC. More than 10 percent of the living alumni of Holy Cross are physicians and dentists.</p>
<p>[Frequently</a> Asked Questions](<a href=“http://academics.holycross.edu/healthprofessions/questions]Frequently”>http://academics.holycross.edu/healthprofessions/questions)</p>
<p>What about Villanova for premed vs. Holy Cross?. A lot of these premed applicants stats are stacked based on the pool. Villanova has the Mendel Science Center</p>
<p>I have the same question only it is between BC or Stonehill. son was accepted in the Honors program at Stonehill and they are known for some great pre-professional planning and guidance. Love BC and was estatic when the letter came! He has always wanted to go to BC and thought it would be a no brainer, but after visiting Stonehill, and not sure if he would get in to BC he started to look at Stonehill very seriously. </p>
<p>I keep thinking that BC is a better school with more notoriety; but does that really pan out in the medical schools? I actually called Med. school and they said it is more important to have the GPA than the school name; as they accept students from all over.<br>
Just wondering if the experience all the way around will be better at BC? He wants to have the ability to talk with professors if he needs to, and on a social note, he wants to play club sports, enjoy a good group of friends, without the emphasis on partying ALL the time, and he does not want to go somewhere where they are snobby. Will BC professors be accessible? Also, because he intends to go on to medical school, he wants to go somewhere where there are opportunities to get involved both in social clubs and community service. BTW: he is a Die hard Sox fans and Boston is his city! Any thoughts?</p>
<p>My daughters have a good friend at Stonehilll but in business not Bio. I know Stonehill has a good honors program and internships, but I don’t know how many are accepted into medical school and how prepared they are. GPA is very important and my daughter has heard some at Holy Cross saying "I wish I went to “fill in the blank” because I hear from my friend it’s easier. The point is to be ready to take the MCAT and be ready for the rigor of med school.
I know my dentist who went to Holy Cross said, that many students at Georgetown Dental School came from all over, but the work there, although very hard, didn’t crush him as it did others, he was used to being buried and that way, he found it easier to handle.That might be the same at BC.
Stonehill though is a very warm and nurturing environment and the small classes are great for interaction with professors.
I would in the time you have, found out as much as you can about pre-med especially if you think you son will stay on that track.
<a href=“http://www.stonehill.edu/x12344.xml[/url]”>http://www.stonehill.edu/x12344.xml</a>
This mentions schools but not percentages.</p>
<p>Those stats about the % that got into med school need to be taken with a grain of salt, as different schools weed out the pre-meds more than others. Both schools are good for pre-med, and have produced a ton of future doctors. The other factors (size, location, sports) are much more different than the quality of their pre-med educations.</p>
<p>I wondered about that also, and thought it was unfair to weed out students that weren’t above a certain GPA. I then spoke to a few doctors I work with, one that went to a college that wouldn’t give recs to lower GPA’s (so applying was much harder) he told me they don’t just do that for higher stats, it’s that they know what gets most students in from experience year after year and why have that “30% didn’t get in” when you knew they probably didn’t have a chance. He also said certain colleges have a rep for only sending students that have a good chance of getting in and that makes them more selective, the med schools know they are sending strong appllicants.
So I saw both sides, still say it doesn’t sound 100% fair, but I understand it better.
Also ask it not stated, how many recently have gotten in. Some sites will say in the last 2 years, 5 years, some just say, “Our grads have gotten into” and that could be over a longer period of time.</p>