Hi! I’ve begun the application process, and am trying to decide which cal state’s I should apply to since I want to do pre-med with a focus on biology. I have a 3.96 weighted G.P.A, and a 3.89 unweighted G.P.A. My SAT score is 1320. I do not have AP’s on my record for the school year of my junior year, however, am finishing an AP Psych course I took over the summer. I currently have a 97.5%, so unless I really screw up on the final, I’ll likely end the class with an A. I also have been self-studying for the SAT Biology test next Saturday, so the results for that are still pending. I would like to know which Cal State’s are best to apply to and if you know my chances for getting in? Thank you!!
As student with an intended Pre-Med track, you want to find a school where you have the best chance for a High GPA, access to Medically related EC’s (Hospitals/Clinics near by) and good Pre-Med advising. You also want to select a Major that will serve as a backup since 60% of Pre-med students never make it to the application process and Biology majors are a dime a dozen.
That said, you have competitive stats not only for the Cal states but a few of the UC’s. Do you have any geographic preferences?
My list would include UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona. I would also apply to your local Cal State as a possible Safety school.
I would apply to UC Riverside, especially if you fit into some of their health profession schemes, as well as UCSC.
Dont major in Biology (low ROI) - why not chemistry, bioinformatics, or biostatistics?
UCR is particularly interesting to pre-meds, because it has this program where you can apply a year earlier than you would normally apply to medical school: https://somsa.ucr.edu/thomas-haider-early-assurance-program . If admitted, you get to skip the expensive and stressful process of applying to 20-30 medical schools in hopes of getting 1 admission. You are expected to “express a commitment to practice in Inland Southern California.”
S looked into this a couple of years ago. During a Highlander day visit, I recall UCR medical school admits about 50 students a year. Of the 52, about 1/2 is reserved exclusively only for UCR student applicants or 26 spots. The selection process is very competitive and I recall the MCAT test is not required. Also, I recall that if you are an under-represented minority, you’ll have a higher chance of being admitted to the spots reserved for UCR applicants.
I love the CSUs for a lot of personal and professional reasons, but just be aware that only 7 of them had more than 40 MD school applicants last year, and 16 had acceptances in the single digits (2 others had none - not counting the Maritime Academy). Obviously, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s going on there, but only 2 CSUs had average applicant MCATs above the national applicant average, and only 1 had applicant GPAs above the national applicant average. Obviously CSU grads do get into MD schools (and I know one), and I suspect they are the students who thrive as the “big fish in the little pond.”
It would not be surprising if this were a selection effect. CSUs are mostly only moderately selective, so they may not have a high density of top-end students with the academic strength to earn top-end college GPAs and top-end MCAT scores. In addition, CSUs get many students from low income families, so they may need more time working at paid jobs in competition with time needed to earn A grades in school and do the expected pre-med extracurriculars. Also, students from low income families may not be able to afford the many thousands of dollars it costs to apply to medical schools.
Obviously, these disadvantages do not necessarily apply to every individual student, so an academically top-end student without heavy financial pressure may be more likely than the average CSU student to be successful as a pre-med (but note that pre-meds in general face steep odds – many decide not to apply due to low GPA or MCAT score, and fewer than half of those who do apply to US MD schools get admitted to any).