<p>I got into UAlbany with a $3,500 scholarship, and have gotten into their honors program.</p>
<p>I'm intending on majoring in biology, and go pre-med to become a pediatric ER doctor. Or something like that.</p>
<p>Which school do you think would be better and why?</p>
<p>if your goal is pre-med, you really have to examine the schools carefully with that in mind -- which is a "better school" or which has a "better bio dept" is not necessarily the same thing as which is better for getting you into medical school.</p>
<p>pre-med can be very competitive. intro bio and intro chem courses can be notorious for weeding out students who thought they were going to be pre-med. i hate to say this, but this can especially be true at large schools where there are just so many pre-meds entering each year.</p>
<p>don't just ask a school "what percentage of your med school applicants get accepted?" -- because that only tells you a very small part of the story. also ask if they provide med school recommendations for all students who want to apply -- some school don't -- they only give recommendations for the kids they think most likely to get admitted -- it can artificially make their admittance figures look better. </p>
<p>and then, go beyond that and try to talk to pre-med students at each school -- ask them how many people who ENTERED thinking they're going to be pre-med are still pre-med by the end of freshman year, or by junior year. ask what distinguishes the pre-meds who make it thru until med school application time with those who fall by the wayside. and don't just assume that if you are "smart" you won't be one of the casualties. being smart will get you into the colleges, which is where you will be with an awful lot of other smart kids who all think that they won't be casualties either.</p>
<p>also, i assume you are aware that you do not have to major in bio, or even a science, to end up in medical school -- as long as you take the necessary science classes. some people specifically choose other majors to try to avoid some of the pre-med craziness.</p>
<p>bottomline --try to visit both and talk to students -- they're the ones who will give you the best flavor for which school will be better for you.</p>
<p>iamhere - First off, I do know I could major in something else. I have contemplated about majoring in psychology, but I feel I'm a biology person at heart and I can always take some psych. courses. And if I really wanted to, and didn't have the time, do a summer session to get them in.</p>
<p>I know somebody going pre-med at Binghamton, and they love it there. I'll have to ask him more about the other pre-meds, and how they do recs/etc. But as far as I know, it has a pretty good pre-med program and some kind of advisory board/group.... MCAT prep/medical school interview prep..etc.</p>
<p>As a student who has attended both universities (I transferred from Albany to Bing) I can safely say that the bio course I took at Albany was much easier that the one here. My friend said chem at Albany was also easy while I'm hearing a lot of unhappy students taking chem here. However, as far as I know, there are a lot of medical schools accepting students from bing, I don't hear as much about it at Albany. Now you'll get people who say undergrad really doesn't matter too much, as long as your grades and test scores are very good. So while Bing is probably better preparation for pre-med, it takes a little more work to do well, as it is more competitive. And the campus is much better here!!</p>
<p>Pigs55 - Did you originally get accepted into both, and decide later on to transfer to Bing? Or did you go to Albany with the motivation to transfer to a better school, ie. Bing? What about social life at both of them? Or any information in general that you have would be lovely. </p>
<p>It's so beneficial that you have attended both. Most people commenting are going merely by what they have heard. But your opinion would be great considering you have a first person experience.</p>
<p>I originally got deferred from Bing, then got in for the spring semester and needed to go somewhere for the fall. I had planned on leaving Albany after a semester.</p>
<p>Albany is a huge party school. If you're like me and are truely serious about grades, Bing is better. I met a ton of people at Albany that didn't care about school at all and just partied all through the week. So far, I'm not seeing that here. It's very different, and I feel a much greater sense of community here.</p>
<p>pigs55 - Does Binghamton still have an active social life? And what is your major?</p>
<p>And, I am like you in the sense that I am going to college primarily for an education. Everything else (partying/social life/etc) is secondary.</p>
<p>Binghamton students still go out. Thursday nights, usually. It's just a much lower priority here. I am undecided.</p>
<p>pigs55 - Any more information you have regarding Binghamton would be so appreciated.</p>
<p>Bump Bump Bump.</p>