<p>I live in Nashville, TN I'm not sure of which type of medical profession I'd like to pursue, but I love science, and I'm a good student. I'm a sophomore, please someone help me and tell me when i should start pursuing college, what i should do. And, most importantly, a list of premed schools that should help me as most as possible to get into med school. Also, I wanna enjoy my university and WANT to stay and study there. I will retake my ACT in June. I've taken it once and made a 30 (I'm a sophomore) and I have a. 4.0. Thanks I would love to have some great and lengthy responses thanks again in advance!</p>
<p>Vanderbilt
Rice
Dartmouth
Hendrix</p>
<p>If you want an MD, the best school to go to is one that allows you to save the most money while still offering a rigorous pre-medical education. Med school is expensive and you need to minimize your debt; moreover, where you go isn’t really important to med school admissions. It’s more about the GPA you get and what other things you do to get admitted.</p>
<p>If you’re just interested in the medical profession more broadly, and would consider a range of different career choices, then look for schools that have good career advising and perhaps a closer, more tight-knit atmosphere so you can get that kind of mentoring. Smaller liberal arts colleges and small private universities may be the place for that. You may also want to go to places that are known for their biomedical science/med/health focus. Vanderbilt is a great choice, but so is Sewanee-University of the South, Johns Hopkins, Emory, and Duke.</p>
<p>There are no colleges or universities that are “best for pre-med.” Go someplace where you’ll get a great GPA, where you’ll be happy and academically focused and motivated to do your very best as an undergrad, and where you won’t rack up a ton of debt or deplete your (or your parents’) assets. Med school is expensive, and they won’t care so much where you went to college or even what you studied, so long as you meet the basic curricular requirements for med school admission. They will care about your undergrad GPA and MCAT scores.</p>
<p>Bottom line, only you can determine which schools are a good fit, and which ones work for you financially.</p>
<p>You should also consider whether or not you’d be happy with the school if you decide that you don’t want to pursue the premed track. The overwhelming majority of students that go in as premed don’t end up applying to med school.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-14.html#post15330528[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-14.html#post15330528</a> may give you some low cost safeties. Some states’ in-state publics may also give big scholarships.</p>
<p>I think at least the first post in this pre-med forum thread needs to be required reading for potential pre-meds looking for schools:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1122176-bluedevilmikes-ten-step-guide-picking-premed-school.html</a></p>
<p>Then start reading on the pre-med forum. There are oodles and oodles of schools. Start listing what you want for a fit (including finances) and then you can get more of a directed list.</p>
<p>Do you want a Research U? LAC? Urban/suburban/rural? Large/medium/small? Full pay or need merit/need based aid? (IF full pay, consider merit aid anyway unless wealthy enough to also be full pay for med school.) What region of the country? Religious/secular? Greek/non-Greek?</p>
<p>If you haven’t considered any of these before, start visiting colleges around you even if you don’t think you want to attend there. They’ll give you a feel for different types, sizes, etc, and you’ll begin to get an idea of what appeals to you without spending a ton of money or time on visits.</p>
<p>Pretty much any college can provide you with the classes and experience to get to med school.</p>
<p>There are no colleges or universities that are “best for pre-med.” Go someplace where you’ll get a great GPA, where you’ll be happy and academically focused and motivated to do your very best as an undergrad, and where you won’t rack up a ton of debt or deplete your (or your parents’) assets. Med school is expensive, and they won’t care so much where you went to college or even what you studied, so long as you meet the basic curricular requirements for med school admission. They will care about your undergrad GPA and MCAT scores.</p>
<p>This ^^^</p>
<p>After having just gone thru this process with my younger son, as long as you go to a school that has good science classes (and many colleges do), and you do well, that’s good enough as far as undergrad goes.</p>
<p>After reviewing many “student profiles” on that “other” premed forum, it’s obvious that it doesn’t matter. I see kids from TOP schools having no acceptances or maybe only one from some lesser known (but very good) SOM. I see kids from a regional state school getting into a top SOM. </p>
<p>Seriously, it’s almost kind of funny to see a student from a tippy top undergrad thrilled to death at his one acceptance to a rather unknown SOM. Such a student is exactly right to be happy…he’s going to be be a MD.</p>
<p>If you have a high GPA and a strong balanced MCAT, and you apply early and broadly (and reasonably), you’ll likely emerge from the app season with at least one US MD acceptance. And, one is all you need since ALL US MD schools are excellent.</p>
<p>I’m looking for urban/suburban. Uppermedium/large. I’d like for it to be near my home. I’m just kinda looking for a list of colleges that you’d suggest and why. Thank you guys I’ve had some pretty great responses.</p>
<p>Any more suggestions?</p>
<p>Any more suggestions?</p>
<p>Since you live in Nashville and you want to be close to home (how close? 4 hours? more? less?)</p>
<p>Vandy
UTenn
Middle Tenn St
Rhodes College
UKentucky
Alabama
Miss State
Ole Miss
Indiana
Emory</p>
<p>these are all within about a 5 hour radius from Nashville ( I think…lol). If you want to be further from home, there are more schools to consider. </p>
<p>Since you already have an ACT 30 and likely will score higher, you’ll have a number of good choices. </p>
<p>You’ll qualify for HOPE in Tenn right? Does that pay for any Tenn public tuition? </p>
<p>However, what are your parents saying about paying? The amount that they will pay for will largely determine where you should apply.</p>
<p>I am willing to go to school further from home if I get a good offer. And my parents would probably be willing to help me out as much as possible [20k for 4 years?] anyways the money isn’t really the issue as I will always be able to pay loans off easily if I do join the medical field</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>High debt is likely to restrict your options as a physician. For example, if you really want to go into a lower paid specialty (e.g. the primary care ones), having high debt (from both undergraduate and medical school) may make that option financially difficult, putting pressure on you to choose a specialty mainly for the pay level.</p>
<p>In any case, the amount you can borrow as an undergraduate without a co-signer is limited. The Stafford loan limit is $31,000 for all four years, of which $23,000 may be at subsidized interest rates.</p>
<p>Don’t forget med school is likely to rack up a bit of debt too - not quite so easy to pay off that one even with physician salaries.</p>
<p>Mom’s list is a good one. If willing to look further, consider Case Western in Ohio. They tend to be fairly good with both pre-med and aid. You might also consider Pitt. You won’t get merit aid there, but they are less expensive overall even for OOS.</p>
<p>And my parents would probably be willing to help me out as much as possible [20k for 4 years?] anyways the money isn’t really the issue as I will always be able to pay loans off easily if I do join the medical field</p>
<p>Ha! No. Med school is going to rack up $200k - 300k in loans, so racking up loans for undergrad is a very bad idea. You could end up with $400k+ in loans. Newish doctors aren’t earning enough to make those kind of payments. </p>
<p>besides, your parents would have to be willing and qualified co-signers of those undergrad loans that exceed the low federal amounts. </p>
<p>Are you saying that your parents will pay $20k each year? or $20k total? Don’t guess…ASK them. Students often do not have a good handle on how much their famlies will pay without having the actual conversation. Ask them. :)</p>
<p>I don’t think I can honestly depend on financial support all too much from my parents. What are some schools that I should be happy at and get a good education relatively cheap for pre-med</p>
<p>I don’t think I can honestly depend on financial support all too much from my parents. What are some schools that I should be happy at and get a good education relatively cheap for pre-med</p>
<p>How much did your parents say that they could pay per year? $2k? $5k? more? less? </p>
<p>Are you low income? </p>
<p>How would you pay for a “relatively cheap” school.</p>
<p>You can only borrow the following amounts:</p>
<p>Frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>As you can see that won’t cover much. Certainly not tuition, room, board, books, fees, etc. </p>
<p>Will you qualify for HOPE in Tenn? </p>
<p>Once you have new SAT and ACT scores, we can better advise you about schools that would give you large merit.</p>
<p>I will be attending Dartmouth College and have started to write about my Pre-med experience. From what I know so far, it is a great place to get a pre med education with the highest undergraduate focus in the country.</p>
<p>[The</a> Pre-med Path | Here’s to the coming years of sweat, tears, and joy.](<a href=“http://boutthatpremedlife.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/]The”>http://boutthatpremedlife.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/)</p>
<p>The best one is the one the will enjoy the most, be able to get a great GPA, have medical opportunities, and most of all…the one you can afford.</p>