<p>I was accepted to Cornell College of Engineering. Tufts Engineering and Carnegie Mellon (Mellon college of science). Which is best for premed? I know I've already read Mikes 10 criteria for choosing the best med school and I'm having a tough time applying them! Each school has things I like/ don't like. However which of these is the best for getting into medical school? A lot of people on CC say that Cornell is, but I don't understand why!</p>
<p>Cornell has a premed acceptance rate into medical school of 67%
Tufts has a premed acceptance rate into medicals school of 75%
CMU has a premed acceptance rate into medical schools of 85%</p>
<p>All of these percentages came off their website.</p>
<p>I don't get this data! Cornell should have higher caliber students than the other two schools (higher caliber meaning overall better SAT scores/gpas/ecs so smarter overall) yet it sends the lowest percentage of kids to medical school! Why- because its academic rigor is just too rigorous and kids get low GPAs and high mcats but are unable to compete with kids from easier schools so they end up not getting accepted into medical schools?? And Why do people on CC say its a good premed school (or do they? Ive seen a couple of people say this I don't know the overall opinion, which is what im hoping to get in this thread, (strictly in the sense of getting into medical school not about how you like the atmosphere etc) ? What am I not seeing?</p>
<p>The choice seems obvious enough- go to CMU. But I feel like I'm missing something. </p>
<p>I just got off call and am too lazy to type out all of my reasons for not using medical school acceptance rates to judge how good a “premed” school is. Here’s one simple reason: look at the Cornell data again. Cornell only includes allopathic medical schools in its data while Tufts, for example, says its acceptance rate includes all US Med schools (likely including DO schools as well). All those 3.3/27 students from Cornell who can’t get into an allopathic med school would likely get into a DO school. </p>
<p>The more data a school puts out, the more I trust the data. A school that says, “our students have a 100% acceptance rate into med school” (which many LAC’s claim) means nothing to me. I need to know how you arrived at the data, what medical schools you’re including in the data, and what students you’re including in the data.</p>
<p>And to clear up another misconception: Cornell’s average GPA is 3.4. In line with most other top schools. Nothing that’s extra rigorous about it.</p>
<p>Ah ok! So it seems that “what am i missing” is that these percentages are totally irrelevant. Thank you for putting that into perspective norcalguy! </p>
<p>So now my next question becomes how do I compare Cornell CAS with Cornell Engineering? </p>
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<p>Now that GPA of 3.4 is for all of the schools? Just CAS or what?</p>
<p>Whats the mean GPA for the engineering school?
Do premeds at cornell’s engineering college have any advantages? What are their disadvantages (I think the obvious is lower gpa because of a harder course load and difficult classes, if this is true- can someone comment on this?)</p>
<p>How about the premed advising between the CAS and COE?</p>
<p>The CAS website has a premed advising website that seems helpful. The COE website doesn’t have premed advising listed on it (:S)</p>
<p>Is premed engineering worth it if your a math and science student who doesn’t do particularly well at English?</p>
<p>How do the numbers of premed engineers compare with cas engineers at cornell and what about the type of med schools that they go to?</p>
<p>Any information is appreciated. Thanks all!</p>
<p>1) The dean’s List cutoff for engineering is lower than for Arts. Assuming the intent is for similar % to make Dean’s List, this would suggest grades in COE are lower, overall, than CAS
2) that doesnt mean all majors in CAS are equally easy grade-wise
3) It doesn’t mean you personally would do better. How you would do depends in good part on your affinity for the respective subjects. For example if you are poor in liberal arts/ humaities type subjects, CaS has broad districution requirements that may actually be less favorable for you.
4) Cornell course grades are published, onecan find them
5) There would be an advantage for engineering if you are better in those courses than n the courses you would be taking in CAS. Otherwise, generally not IMO.
6) I doubt there is a pre-med advisor for the engineering college specifically.</p>
<p>One of my friends who is also deciding on Cornell called in and told me that a premed advising does exist for engineering (I tried talking to them but they are all busy). I know that Cornell’s CAS premed advising is supposed to be really good. Anyone have info on their engineering advising?</p>
<p>So the avg GPA for Engineering is probably lower than 3.4. </p>
<p>Where do the majority of premeds congregate CAS or CALS? </p>
<p>It really depends bcos they are different schools. (Yeah I know, ‘Doh!’) But what I mean is that any premed who is a New York State resident would be foolish to apply CAS bcos it costs more and is slightly more selective, even if that person wanted to be a humanities major. (New York residents receive a tuition discount at Cornell’s contract colleges.) Outside of NY, the math-science-only premed types gravitate towards CALS. Those desiring a more traditional liberal arts education apply to CAS. The HumEc program also has some premeds – they are everywhere with the exception, perhaps, of the Hotel School. :D</p>
<p>“But what I mean is that any premed who is a New York State resident would be foolish to apply CAS bcos it costs more and is slightly more selective, even if that person wanted to be a humanities major.”</p>
<p>I really don’t agree with that. The different colleges have different majors (with only a couple overlaps, eg Biology), different distributions requirements, and required # credits that must be taken in particular colleges (ie the one you are enrolled in). Many people care about what they want to, or have to, study and learn in college. I certainly cared.</p>
<p>I knew a CAS English major from NYS who went on to become a physician. I don’t think he made a mistake by not going to Ag instead and majoring in Animal Science, or whatever. He wanted to study humanities and major in English. and evidently the finances worked out for him to do it. And he did, with no evident ill effects. I don’t think he was foolish at all.</p>
<p>sry, poor choice of words. For someone who has the $$, it won’t make any difference, but for the vast majority of folks, the tuition discount is rather sweet and would be difficult to pass up. But equally important, I would suggest to NYS resident to apply to CALS, take the tuition discount for two years and transfer to CAS if their hume/lit interest could not be fulfilled by CALS electives. </p>
<p>And the fact is that most premeds major in the sciences. (They don’t need to, but they do.) Last year, ~50% of med applicants/matriculants were biological science majors nation-wide. Less than 5% were humanities majors.</p>
<p>But the broader point is still correct: premeds in every Cornell college, perhaps even a rare one in the Hotel school.</p>
<p>“the tuition discount is rather sweet and would be difficult to pass up.”</p>
<p>I think it would be easy to pass up, if it meant you had to take a program of studies, and multiple courses, that you didn’t want to take. If money is the sole issue I would rather attend school elsewhere which offered a program of studies I actually wanted, than be forced to take courses I wasn’t interested in at Cornell. There are other options. The SUNY schools are cheaper for NYS residents than the contract colleges are. Private colleges offer financial aid to those who qualify, and some offer merit scholarships. </p>
<p>“I would suggest to NYS resident to apply to CALS, take the tuition discount for two years and transfer to CAS if their hume/lit interest could not be fulfilled by CALS electives”</p>
<p>And by contrast I would suggest that the NYS resident matriculate in the first place to a college that actually had a curriculum they were actually interested in. I would not matriculate to a college that required me to take numerous courses I wasn’t interested in. YMMV. Intercollege transfer at Cornell is done by application, and cannot be guaranteed. Obviously ability to transfer is limited, otherwise CAS would be flooded by students who used the contract colleges as a “back door”. </p>
<p>"And the fact is that most premeds major in the sciences. "</p>
<p>And the fact is, typically only 1/3 of one’s college courses are in one’s major. Many people also care about the other 2/3, since that’s actually twice as many courses. Moreover, each college there has different, distinct majors, Biology is one of the very few exceptions.</p>
bluebayou, it depends on the parents income level — for middle class families, the finaid makes it really not much different between contract schools/SUNY and CAS. The family contribution can be 22-23k for CAS vs. 18-20k for CALS and SUNY for low 100k income families with one kid attending college. I also have a bias against CALS which I think brings down Cornell’s rank overall. CAS of Cornell is about equal to UPenn’s CAS, Cornell COE is better than that of Columbia and UPenn, etc. </p>
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johny, I thought the premed advising is university wide, the impression I got from their premed presentation for prospective students – I realize that the curriculum advises need be school specific, so, im not sure.</p>
<p>Hmm, it could be. I called the health and career services and they told me that engineering has a specific premed advising and so does CAS (they said they aren’t the same)</p>
<p>I think the advising is shared by all schools. But at the premed session they said at orientation week they do split you up according to your specific school.</p>