College Search

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm going to be a senior in high school in NJ this fall so that means I must begin my college research. Now I have already decided on a pre-med track (probably a biology or biochem major). I have been having some trouble trying to find good pre-med schools. I have done HOURS of research trying to find schools on the east coast or midwest that offer good pre-med programs. However, anytime I search for good pre-med schools I always get the ivies and other top schools which, of course, I expected. Only, odds are I'm not going to Harvard. I just want to know some decent/good pre-med schools that are more practical for me, but I am having trouble finding them. I'm not really sure that my research has brought me anywhere. Anytime I read and discussion on this topic on CC, I always see mixed opinions and questionable statistics that people seem to make up. As of now, I am completely discouraged and confused. Any tips or ideas would be great. Also, if you know any good schools, please let me know. By the way, by good pre-med school I mean a high acceptance rate into med school and high MCAT scores. </p>

<p>4.21 weighted GPA
3.8 unweighted GPA
2360 SAT 800 Math, 760 CR 800 W (12 Essay)
SAT Subject Scores: 800 Math II, 790 U.S History, 760 Chemistry</p>

<p>P.S On my list so far, I have Rutgers, Johns Hopkins (Reach school), and Boston U.</p>

2

<p>Med school is obscenely expensive. Med school admission is heavily numbers based, and the college/university name on your diploma barely matters. Go to the college/university that will leave you with no (or the very least amount of) debt, that will leave your family in the best position to help you pay for medical school, and where you are likely to earn the best GPA overall and in the pre-med sequence. You are in-state for Rutgers, so it is likely that it will be the least expensive option of the ones on your list. For more economical options, see the various threads on merit-based scholarships in the Financial Aid Forum.</p>

3

<p>I was also looking for some great undergrad schools for pre-med students. During this search you will come across a lot of Ivies in your suggestions, but I think for pre-med a liberals arts college is absolutely the best (I’m probably a little bias). Even though I was accepted to Yale, Columbia, UPenn, and some of the larger universities I ultimately chose Pomona College, and I have no regrets. Acceptance rates into medical schools are phenomenal for LACs like Pomona, Swarthmore, Amherst, and Williams. Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, and Boston U are good schools too. No matter where you attend though, you will have to study hard and an incredible amount though. Good luck in your search!</p>