<p>I am a student in PA, I have a 3.89/4.19, and a few clubs, leadership positions, and community service hours. I am looking for good biology programs, mainly microbiology and pre-medical programs. I am having a hard time though. Does anyone have any suggestions on specific schools or good places to look for information?</p>
<p>I am not really sure what else I need to be doing... any advice in general? Especially for getting into competitive schools that have the programs I am looking for...</p>
<p>This question has been address numerous times on this board. There are many colleges of every description that have excellent Life Sciences departments. Do a search on CC, and by the way, search for a post by the poster ‘Warblersrule86.’ Most importantly, because there will be abundant options, select a college that has what you’re looking for in a wholistic way.</p>
<p>Hello trippedinahole, while it is true that there are a great many threads devoted to this topic on the forum boards, each case is different. What specifically are you looking for, perhaps we can help.</p>
<p>Microbiology can mean a great many different things at different places. If you are hoping to study medical mycology, for instance, your potential schools would be dramatically different than if you were interested in environmental microbiology or genomics.</p>
<p>No matter what you end up doing or what your goals are coming into undergrad, you need to understand the vital importance that research will play in your near future as well as your career in general. Picking a place that makes it easy for undergraduate students to get quality lab experience is of utmost importance. Lacking this kind of experience can mean the difference between a world of opportunities and working a series of go-nowhere jobs through your 20’s.</p>
<p>PM me if you want to discuss things in a little more detail. Best of luck in whatever path you choose.</p>
<p>If you want to stay in PA to attend a small LAC with an excellent pre-med program, and your SATs are at least as strong as your grades, then Haverford might be one good choice.</p>
<p>I am not looking to stay in PA. I will be needing financial aid though, so I am thinking that a private school is probably the way to go. I definitely need a school that is in an urban setting, and I have been looking at the San Francisco Bay Area, because there are many firms based there that do what I am hoping to develop a career in, so I would have a better chance of getting internships. Size of the college is debatable, I am very flexible and have little preference on that matter.</p>
<p>Biology rankings from Gourman Report
Caltech
MIT
Yale
Harvard
Wisconsin
UC San Diego
UC Berkeley
U Colorado
Columbia
Stanford
U Washington
U Chicago
Duke
Wash U St Louis
UCLA
U Michigan
Cornell
U Penn
Purdue
Indiana U
UNC Chapel Hill
U Utah
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Princeton
UC Irvine
Notre Dame
UC Santa Barbara
UVA
Brown
U Illinois Urbana Champaign
U Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt
U Oregon
SUNY Stony Brook
U Rochester
Tufts
U Minnesota
SUNY Buffalo
U Texas Austin
Florida State
Michigan State
USC
U Connecticut
UC Riverside
Rice
Iowa State
SUNY Albany
Case Western
Boston U
Ohio State
NYU
U Iowa
Penn State
Emory
Brandeis
U Kansas
Rutgers New Brunswick
Tulane
US Air Force Academy
U Missouri Columbia</p>