<p>Hi, I'm a sophmore studying in an International British-type school in India. I lived in Washington (STATE) for 13 years and came to India three years ago. I have a couple of questions, for anyone who has the time to give accurate answers.</p>
<ol>
<li>I really want to do medicine. What should I major in? Pre-med or Biology?</li>
<li>Should I not get into medical school (touch wood), what is a good minor degree that would get me a job straight after undergrad?</li>
<li>How many SAT Subject Tests should I do, to get in an Ivy League school?</li>
<li>What are the scores that I need to achieve in the general SAT test and the Subject tests?</li>
</ol>
<p>1) There is no set major for successful applicant to med school. “Pre Med” is not a major
2) Hmmmm… let me consult the list of “Majors for the impending unemployed” versus the list of “Majors for the soon to be successful”. Oops. Sorry I couldn’t find either list — because they don’t exist. One’s employability goes much beyond one’s choice of Major
3) Two
4) very good ones. (no actaul cut off exists since they evaluate holistically)</p>
<p>You are free to major in whatever you want, so long as you meet the requirements for medical school. Though there are no sure-fire degrees, a degree in a growing industry, biochem, biomedical engineering (or any type of engineering actually) can increase your chances of getting a job. On SAT II, you should aim for 700 or above at a minimum. As T26E4 said, evaluations are holistic, but you should still try to fall in the middle 50% for applicants</p>
<p>What is your immigration status in the US? If you aren’t a citizen, and you don’t have a green card, you will be an international applicant. That makes the whole med school thing MUCH harder. If you are international, you should go to med school in India, then come to the US for your residencies. Many med schools do not admit international students, period. Those that do often ask for the full four years of tuition and fees up-front - yup you would need to drop something like $300,000 into their bank before you could start your first med school class.</p>
<p>There are no majors that will get an international student a job straight after undergrad. The whole student visa to work visa transition is full of pitfalls. Canada and Australia are much more generous with work permits while international students are in school, and with working visas after graduation. If you are an international applicant, and you want to get out of India permanently, take a long hard look at those countries.</p>
<p>Whatever your immigration status, a good way to start the whole process is by reading through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) When you have done that, make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There are several in India: [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/India]EducationUSA”>India | EducationUSA) These counselors will be able to tell you which colleges and universities have admitted students like you in recent years, and if those students received any financial aid that they needed. EducationUSA is a not-for-profit organization. Any fees that they might charge for their services will be minimal.</p>