Hey all! I got accepted to Carnegie Mellon University Mellon College of Science off a waitlist, and I had already committed to Rutgers SAS Honors Program but can now change my decision because of this new acceptance. I plan on going on the pre-med track, majoring in biological sciences, and I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the best decision to make (where to go). Money is not a factor at all.
Which is best for me to thrive?
would truly appreciate it for some of your thoughts. thank you so much btw!
Make a spread sheet listing pros and cons. Have a row for the following questions: Where do you like the social atmosphere more? Do you care about sports (if so, probably that row for Rutgers)? Do you want to be in a city? Do you really value being hopping distance from NYC? What extra-curriculars do you plan to do, and which school has better opportunities in that realm? etc. No one can tell you which college is better, because we don’t know you.
Also keep in mind that most people who start out premed, change their mind along the way. So, if you changed your mind, which place would you rather be?
What is the cost difference? I have to think Rutgers is way cheaper. Save the money from UG and use it for Med school.
If you want to go pre-med then think about:
idk much about rutgers but CMU is in pittsburgh which has the whole UPMC complex. I feel like the connections to UPMC would be a definite plus for CMU premed. However, CMU is also known to be a hard school, so I would also check out what the average GPAs are at CMU’s biological science programs. Ultimately GPA + MCAT are probably the most important thing for med school admissions, as well as Work/Research/Volunteer Experience. I think CMU would prepare u well for MCAT and Experience, but check about GPA as Im not sure how the GPAs fare in CMU’s bio program.
I just want to mention on CC there are all kinds of assertions that there is severe grade deflation at CMU. While that might be true in some departments, I do notice that there are A LOT of people on the deans list at MCS. I believe that indicates a GPA over 3.5. You can look for yourself at the CMU website for the list of people on the deans list.
You may read many discussions on CC regarding the high GPA requirements of Med School admission. Many of these discussions talk about the GPA penalty paid by studying in a traditional STEM environment such as CMU because these “deflated” grades will hurt med school admissions.
Some things things to keep in mind:
1. Wherever you go, by the end of your sophomore year, the pre-med advisor will be able to give you a very good reading on your chances for Med. School admissions;
2. If you are a biology major, what is your ALTERNATIVE game plan if your “B” average does not get you into med school?
Some students select Biomedical or Chemical Engineering instead of Biochemistry or Biology majors because they offer serious career paths which are not usually available to the Biology or Chemistry majors without a PhD in their field.
Check to see Medical School placement by undergraduate major at both Universities. Don’t be shy, call the placement office or the pre-med advisors offices.
It was a long time ago, but I had a roommate with a honors level BS in physics/premed from a very highly ranked college and he could not get into Med school. He obtained a MS in Biomedical Engineering at a lessor known school and was admitted to three out of three of the medical schools.
As long as you are confident of your math skills, take a look at the biomedical engineering offerings AND your ability to change majors at the university.