Hi, I´m currently a high school senior who has done running start both junior and senior year. I was super involved throughout my high school years, I have done more than 30 community service hours. I´m the first in my family to go to college. I applied to several colleges including WSU, UW, UWB, PLU, UO, Eastern, Gonzaga, Central, SPU, and SU. I really want to go into medicine or dentistry so I want to major in biology. I want a backup college as UW is my first choice. What are anyone´s suggestions as I´m really stressed? Thank you so much!
The first thing you need to do is look at your financial aid letter and look for the line that reads NET COST.
If they don’t list it, you can calculate yourself for each:
(Tuition,fees,room, board) - (grants, scholarships)=
Second, Biology is not the best major. There’s an oversupply of them on the job market and since most students don’t make it to med school, their professional prospects are really bad.
Look into biochemistry or something else.
How do you know most don´t make it to med school? What do you think for pre-dental?
The stats for getting into med school are pretty grim. Many, many students start on a premed track, but drop off it because they don’t get high enough grades or can’t get the needed MCAT scores. You need to research tips for being successful as a premed before starting college (Google, you’ll find plenty of advice), and be prepared to work your tail off. But also consider a major other than bio so you have a backup plan. There is a glut of bio majors who don’t get into med school.
@ak5678
For year 2018-2019: 52,777 applicants, 21,622 matriculants, meaning only 41% of those who actually applied started med school. Most who start as premed change their minds for many reasons before applying (eg grades, different interests, learning that there are facing 4 years of college, 4 years of med school, minimum 3-5 years of residency training before they can actually practice as an MD in their chosen specialty, etc).
@ak5678
About 40% applicants who made it through the gauntlet of premed classes get into med school. About 75% would be premeds never make it through.
If medical professions interest you, look into the PA profession. It’s 2 year post-bachelor’s. Highly selective, too, with a very high clinical/volunteer hour number that requires you to be involved in health care right from the start of college, but you start earning a salary 6 years after you started college, not 12-15 years afterwards.
You thus need to balance 1° what college that will be the best if you don’t make it into med school (as most don’t, you plan B needs to be solid) 2° is the best value (as little debt as possible, with the federal loans the absolute maximum) 3° will not take you out of contention from premeds right away (ie., you need to be in the top 25% and preferably top 10% of the entering class to have a fightng chance since being premed means ranking top 10-20% in every single class you take).
Well, I´m very determined so I´m sticking with med school and every person is different. Thank you!
Sounds like you have some good back up schools as UW is easily the most difficult admit of the schools you listed from an academic perspective.
Not sure of your budget/financial situation but UO, Gonzaga, SPU, Seattle U and PLU MAY be financial reaches.
I think UWB is very underrated.
People on this site have had experience with med school applicants. Determination isn’t the only factor in getting into med school. Yes every person is different, but that doesn’t mean that youre getting into med school.
You application has to be perfect. What if your application doesn’t fit the school’s needs? They have to like you, not the other way around.
**Your grades have to be perfect. ** What if you have a professor in your non-bio classes that is tough on your grades?
Your MCAT’s need to be perfect. What if your scores aren’t perfect?
Your experiences need to be what the med school wants. What if you can’t get the experience you need?
Your funding has to be perfect. If you or your family don’t qualify for loans, are you going to be able to pay? You have to pay upfront.
My dd graduated from her UC within the School of Biological Sciences. She graduated with 999 other graduates, most of whom were applying to schools of medicine and professional graduate studies. That was one semester. Add that number up every semester, over the years. Multiple that by the number of UC’s and CSU’s with biological science programs.
Most of her classmates had determination and are “different”, but that didn’t increase the number of seats that each med school has. Ask @WayOutWestMom and @mom2collegekids, what the reality is.
For now, stick with your original idea. Just keep the numbers in mind.
The best school for a premed is cooperative and has a lot of support, excellent advisers and tutors; you also need the best value school, that’s affordable without loans if possible.
We can’t tell you what the best value is for you until you tell us net cost at each. Generally speaking, private colleges weed out less and have more resources to help students succeed but costs are a HUGE variable.