<p>I was wondering if anybody knew what undergradeate college had the highest acceptance rate for med school. (I heard Swathmore's undergrads have an 88% acceptance rate to med school)</p>
<p>top schools are all comparable.</p>
<p>i believe its low 90s/high 80s for quite a few schools.</p>
<p>I know that Furman U is at 77%</p>
<p>I've heard that JHU is really good...</p>
<p>with or without screening?</p>
<p>Going to the best premed school in the world won't do you any good if your powers of observation aren't strong enough to spot a stickied thread on a pre-med forum.</p>
<p>haha low 70s 80s lol...it's literally lower than 40% for even the top 10 undergrads schools, so many people just simply give up b4 applying b/c they know they have no chance...</p>
<p>Thanks Goldshadow For Your Stupid Compliment! Nice! Make Fun Of People!</p>
<p>If you can't appreciate a little humor and just take my post for what it is (a link to the existing, proper thread), that is not my fault.</p>
<p>"I heard Swathmore's undergrads have an 88% acceptance rate to med school"</p>
<p>True. But the breakdown looks like this:</p>
<p>In 2005, Swarthmore had 7 graduating seniors applying to medical school (all 7 accepted) and 36 alumni (86% accepted) for an overall rate of 88%.</p>
<p>The 7:36 ratio is extremely abnormal and puzzling. Why are so many Swarthmore applicants taking time off after college?</p>
<p>I would say the best premed school is where you personally will get the best preparation and be able to be most successful. It will differ for different people. For some, a competitive LAC or top university may be the place, for others a state university -/+ honors program may be the place. Additionally, the support and academic environment of a particular school can make a huge difference for an individual student. As an example, the intense and somewhat competitive environment at JHU where students are graded on a curve, may be very discouraging to some. On the other hand, for others, it is exhilerating to be in class with exceptionally bright students and have the opportunity to do cutting edge research with professors given the school's strong research focus. For some other students, being a top student at a state school or a small less competitive LAC may be the best option. I am a big advocate of LACs for premed preparation as they provide close interactions with profs, a supportive premed advising environment, and more interactive classes. However, they are not for everyone. Even at a challenging but supportive place like Swarthmore, some outstanding students fall through the cracks and give up on their career goal of medicine. I personally know an outstanding student from one of the top high schools in her state who attended Swat. Unfortunately, she did poorly in her premed courses despite having a strong high school science background. She plans to take some time off after graduation, and work before possibly applying to medical school, if at all. </p>
<p>One more point in response to the question mentioned earlier about the discrepancy between the number of undergrad and alumni applicants. It seems that many colleges are encouraging students to work for 1-2 years to strengthen their application. Students who are applying directly from college tend to be the strongest ones.</p>
<p>
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It will differ for different people.
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</p>
<p>Definitely.</p>
<p>it seems that the general consensus here is, "wherever you see yourself happiest"
if you go to the best premed school in the country, and you're miserable, chances are it will reflect in your grades. so go somewhere you know you will enjoy being for four years.</p>
<p>MikeF,
I would say go where you think you will be most successful. In most cases, it will be where you will be happiest. Like later in life, you need to determine what is the best professional or educational environment for you. This often is, but may not always be, the best social, recreational, personal, geographic(etc) environment. So one may have to compromise on, or balance, these factors. </p>
<p>Part of the college search is learning about how you best learn. It may not necessarily be at the place with the absolute highest reputation. Another factor that comes into play. There is virtually no financial aid for medical school. Many students attend schools that offer merit scholarships or state schools in order to save money for medical school tuition. So financing a medical education down the road, may also be an important consideration in choosing which college to attend.</p>