<p>I'm a high school senior who has applied to 7 schools (Ohio State, University of Minnesota,University of Florida, University of Miami, Case Western,University of Oklahoma, and Washington University in ST. Louis) My top 4 choices are Ohio State, Minnesota, Miami and University of Florida. I really like Ohio State but I'm not sure how good their pre-med/ biochemistry department is. Should I go to a school with a better programme (if so any suggestions from the ones I've applied to) or should I go to a school I like more. Also take into account I'm a musician and Washington University doesn't have a marching band (I play trumpet). I also want to experience college life with a lot of social events, although I can just as easily fit into a quieter campus.</p>
<p>Ultimately, you’re the only one who can answer the question. It’s going to be a balancing act between what you like best, what school is best for your major, overall school reputation, what is the net cost to you, whether you can afford that cost, etc. Each of us weight things in that formula differently. Some value overall prestige above all, others look to program prestige, other will be locked out of their favorite school by cost, etc.</p>
<p>To simplify the problem, try to figure out your priorities without considering the schools in question. Then, when acceptances arrive, you can start to rank them. Consider throwing out any school with a deal killer, like marching band, and return to that school only if nothing else seems to be working out. Doing a strict numerical calculation is likely to give you an odd result, but if you consider each tradeoff, an answer should start to merge. Or, you can go with gut instinct, as the brain has a way of cutting through complex problems and telling you the answer - if you happen to buy into gut instinct.</p>
<p>Ultimately, most people are satisfied with their choice, regardless of how they get there. Whether that is because we would have been happy with any of the choices or we just instinctive pick a good one is anybody’s guess.</p>
<p>There is no pre-med dept. Pre-med is a set of classes you need to take. You have public Us from four different states which means paying OOS rates. Is your family willing to do that?</p>
<p>Well Im a resident of Oklahoma and my mom is in the military so I can qualify for instate fee in Florida although we have taked about it and they said we’d work it out.Additonally Im appling to a lot of scholarships which I hope to get some money from. If Pre-med doesnt have a department who or what handles it?</p>
<p>You might start here to learn more about what it means to be “pre-med”. Bottom line is that any of the colleges on your list can probably prepare you well for medical school if you get excellent grades and do well on the MCAT.</p>
<p>[Pre-Med</a> Topics - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/]Pre-Med”>Pre-Med Topics - College Confidential Forums) </p>
<p>It is hard to get enough in independent scholarships to make much of a dent in OOS tuition. You really need to take a look immediately at the cost picture for the colleges on your list. It sounds like you have one (possible) in-state option in Florida, and all the rest are OOS or private. Have you run the net price calculator at each school? You can usually find it on the financial aid page of their website. You probably want to do that to get a more realistic picture of what it may cost you to attend everyplace on your list.</p>
<p>You also may want to see if you can add another in-state option or two…</p>
<p>On the marching band side, it pains me to say this because I was in the U of Michigan marching band, but Ohio State is pretty amazing at marching band these days… not sure if you have seen this clip yet, but I watched it recently and it blew me away.</p>
<p>[The</a> Ohio State University Marching Band Performs their Hollywood Blockbuster Show - YouTube](<a href=“The Ohio State University Marching Band Performs their Hollywood Blockbuster Show - YouTube”>The Ohio State University Marching Band Performs their Hollywood Blockbuster Show - YouTube)</p>
<p>You will be considered IS for FL if your military parents are FL residents. Is that what pertains in this case?</p>
<p>Yes my mom established residency in Florida before joining the military</p>
<p>Is Florida the only state where you can get in state?</p>
<p>There are other schools you should apply to like University of Central or South Florida which are good Academic schools.</p>
<p>Run the Net Price Calculators. Don’t trust your parents when they say “they’ll make it work somehow”. Many parents have no idea how much college costs these days. They know it’s a lot but almost all of them have a shock when they see their EFC.
Outside scholarships won’t make a dent into OOS tuition costs.
Remember that the majority of financial aid comes from the institution itself. And out of state public universities keep most of their financial aid for in-state students.
If you’re a truly gifted band trumpet player, you may somehow get preferential packaging or a music scholarship at some schools on your list, but right now you should be looking for in-state schools with good bands and out of state private schools with good bands (since this is almost a deal breaker for you) or at least out of state private schools with good music programs for a trumpeter. (OoS private schools actually appreciate applicants from far away).
So, right now, UF, Case Western, and Wash U are all possibilities financially, plus OSU if you are good enough to qualify for their marching band.
Premed is not a major, it’s a set of course requirements which can go along any major - math, literature, etc. You’ll have to have excellent grades in biology, physics, calculus, chemistry, biochemistry, plus take classes and do well in English (freshman seminar, writing…), psychology, sociology, a diversity-focused class and a globally-focused class (schools such as Harvard also recommend foreign language proficiency), plus research experience, internships/shadowing. Private school GPAs tend to be higher but some schools are really cut throat for premeds (like Wash U or Holy Cross). You’ll have to take the MCAT and do very well. In Florida, if you have the stats, look into the Harriett Wilkes Honors College (separate campus from FAU - it’s in a medical/research area so it’s very good for premed) or New College. Outside Florida, a small college that has excellent med school placement compared to its selectivity is Juniata College in PA. A Christian college that’s good for premed is Hope College in MI.</p>
<p>In response to Texaspg question, no I also qualify for instate tuition in Oklahoma</p>