I’m a auto-admit senior, just submitted the main UT Austin application, waiting for UT EID.
I plan on majoring in Neuroscience (1st choice major) or Biology (2nd Choice Major). I have a 35 ACT, top .5% of class and have a solid set of extracurriculars but no lab based research experience, although I am conducting research right now.
After I get my bachelor’s I want to go to medical school.
Currently, I’m writing the honors college specific essays and am a bit indecisive on what to apply for. I’ll just number my questions.
1.) Should I do Plan II honors? I have a very limited understanding of it. I gather that it is a seperate major that you can do concurrently with any other major? Is it worth it? Especially if I end up pursuing one of the honor’s programs below, would it be too much to handle?
2.) Main question from title: Should I apply for Dean’s Scholars or Health Science Scholars? Which is more selective? Are they impossible to get in without prior research experience? Which is better in terms of Medical School acceptance rates? Will they wreck your college GPA?
3.) I guess lastly I would ask just given my circumstances and my ambitions, what is the honor college combination you recommend? (ie. Plan II and Dean’s or just Health Science, etc…)
My understanding to get into medical school you need a high GPA, a high MCAT score, taken and aced the required premed classes and have good ECs. Your undergraduate work does not have to be all about medical school. Actually, they look for some variety. Plan II might be a good choice because it does give you a well rounded education. That being said, Plan II is one of the harder honor programs to get into and you do need to be make sure you keep a high GPA.
I have a nephew that was majoring in bioeng at A&M with the intention of going to med school. The adviser highly recommended changing majors to history, in his case, just because of the GPA. He did and got into med school with no problems. He had strong leadership ECs that also helped him.
I know this doesn’t actually answer your question but don’t overextend yourself. You know what you are capable of doing and Plan II would be great for you but not at the expense of your GPA.
Deans is more selective than HSS. And both have a 100% acceptance rate into med school in case you were wondering. Plan II is a major and an honors program and your supposed to do a double major that compliments it with your interest since it’s part of COLA. For some people, they actually do Plan II and Deans and for deans, you can pick from almost every major within CNS except for textiles and medical laboratory science. If you are looking to keep a high GPA I would do Plan II or HSS since Deans is a very strict on courses, for instance, bio and neuro majors have to take honors calc for engineers, while HSS and plan II can claim AP credit or take a different calc class. But in the end, all three can get you into med school. HSS also gets a BSA while Deans get a BS, which is part of the difference in degree plans even though you would still be the same major.