<p>I'm going to be a junior in high school in the fall of 2009. I currently have a weighted gpa of 4.2 but after I graduate with IB it can be up to a 6.0...I've recently decided that I want to attend a florida college because it's close to home and will save me a lot of money. I'm just trying to decide on which college I really want to attend. Its definitely between University of Miami, University of Florida, Or Florida State University. Which college do you think will have a better chance of getting me into a Medical school such as Harvard or Yale or something like that.. Does it even matter?</p>
<p>I found this old link which I believe will be helpful </p>
<p>I say U Miami hands down.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-miami-florida/320368-uf-vs-miami-pre-med.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-miami-florida/320368-uf-vs-miami-pre-med.html</a></p>
<p>I think one of the best colleges academically in the state is New College of Florida. Which is not to say you can’t get into a good med school with a strong record from another Florida school. But, if you are a Florida resident and you want to save a lot of money, New College is worth a look.</p>
<p>According to the Princeton Review NCF:</p>
<h1>2 Gay Community Accepted</h1>
<h1>5 Reefer Madness</h1>
<h1>15 Least Religious Students</h1>
<h1>4 Most Liberal Students</h1>
<p>Depending on what your beliefs are, this could be good or bad.</p>
<p>UF has an 81% graduation rate; NCF is only 56% (easily found in the news archive at ncf.edu)</p>
<p>UF or UM, I wouldn’t even consider anywhere else in Florida. If you get a really good SAT score consider going out of state to Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn, or Washington U. They have the best med schools, maybe if you do undergraduate work at one of them it will improve your chances of medical school admission.</p>
<p>You won’t save a lot of money with University of Miami – it’s a private college, and thus it will cost the same amount of money for you as it would for someone from California or New York. Unless you live close by and can stay off campus.</p>
<p>Where you go to undergrad doesn’t really matter for medical school admissions. What does matter is your grade point average (so select somewhere you can achieve to the fullest and enjoy yourself), your MCAT scores (which have a lot to do with the quality of your pre-med courses, but biology is pretty much the same everywhere), and some limited extra-curriculars like shadowing physicians and doing research in medical or biological/chemical/biochemical labs. You can do any and all of those things at Florida State, University of Florida, or Miami.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think your best value is going to be at those large flagship university – UF and FSU, and also the New College of Florida as someone suggested (which is Florida’s public honors college and is probably good for someone who wants a really liberal, relatively freethinking approach to college and doesn’t mind going to a small school).</p>
<p>I like Flagler College in St. Augustine and it’s so beautiful and a good safety. You may also like Rollins. I’d also suggest New College of Florida, though I know that area well and there isn’t much to do in Sarasota.</p>
<p>The University of Miami awards Fantastic merit scholarships! </p>
<p>Scholarship
Estimated Amount*
Minimum Criteria for consideration**</p>
<p>Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholarship </p>
<p>Full Tuition
$34,000 annually
$136,000 total for four years</p>
<p>Top 1% class rank
A+ average
1500 SAT I or 34 ACT</p>
<hr>
<p>University Scholarship
$24,000 annually
$96,000 total for four years</p>
<p>Top 5% class rank
A average
1400 SAT I or 32 ACT</p>
<hr>
<p>Dean’s Scholarship
$16,000 annually
$64,000 total for four years</p>
<p>Top 7% class rank
A average
1350 SAT I or 31 ACT</p>
<hr>
<p>Trustee Scholarship
$11,000 annually
$44,000 total for four years</p>
<p>Top 10% class rank
A average
1300 SAT I or 30 ACT</p>
<hr>
<p>Collegiate Scholarship
$8,000 annually
$32,000 total for four years</p>
<p>Top 10% class rank
A- average
1300 SAT I or 30 ACT</p>
<p>SVMMom, do you know if Brightfutures counts for Florida private schools? I’m pretty sure I read that it does but I may be mistaken.</p>
<p>Save your money for grad school. </p>
<p>A degree from either FSU or UF, assuming the necessary GPA, MCAT, interview and so on are in order is all you need. Plus, strive for a state med school as the tuition for in-state is around $18K/year while at a private or OOS school can easily be $50K year.</p>
<p>My D1 is a med-1 at FSU Med. You can read a little about what it is like [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/686848-sneak-peek-inside-fsu-college-medicine-1st-year-student.html]here[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/686848-sneak-peek-inside-fsu-college-medicine-1st-year-student.html]here[/url</a>].</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal ranked New College of Florida #31 of 50 of the nation’s top “feeder schools” for placement into a set of 15 elite law, business, and med schools. No other Florida school made the list.
<a href=“WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights”>WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights;
<p>It also has the highest 75th percentile cumulative (M+CR) SAT scores in the state.
Tuition and fees are what, $4K for in state? I’m curious to know what would account for a low graduation rate.</p>
<p>From the stateuniversity.com article on New College:
</p>
<p>Given its high stats and low cost, it may at least be worth a visit if it is not too far away and has any trace of appeal.</p>
<p>I toured New College with the highest hopes. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its rankings as far as campus beauty goes… the grounds, buildings and dorms were a MESS. The atmosphere is VERY BOHEMIAN, to put it nicely, and I found the barefoot, dreadlocked, hippy image overwhelming.</p>
<p>Gekko, BF counts at most private schools, here is the site and they will tell you.
[Bright</a> Futures Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/]Bright”>http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/)</p>
<p>Anyways I’d go w/ Miami</p>
<p>I am waiting for the Gator Nation people to start posting in this thread about how UF is the best school in the state. 3.2.1…</p>
<p>I’d go with U Miami, depending on finances.</p>
<p>Bright Futures can be used at private FL schools but will contribute only the going rate for public school tuition. Every little bit helps though! Any thoughts on U Miami being a fit for a girl who isn’t really into the party scene?</p>
<p>A lot matters where you go for undergrad…without a successful undergrad career, med school won’t be obtainable…P2N mentioned “saving money for grad school” but if you don’t get the grades to get there, it is for not (props to P2N’ D, great to hear of her success).</p>
<p>OK, the Common Data Set thread is really hard to get through and find the info. How about we put the three schools you mentioned together and everyone can look at the cold facts as reported by them, without Bernie Machen’s input (maybe that is where the Gators are…still trying to explain his ratings).</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Institutional Research - Florida State University](<a href=“http://www.ir.fsu.edu/surveys.cfm?ID=common_data]Office”>http://www.ir.fsu.edu/surveys.cfm?ID=common_data)</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Institutional Planning and Research - UF Factbook](<a href=“http://www.ir.ufl.edu/OIRAPPS/CDS/data.asp]Office”>Office of Institutional Planning and Research - UF Factbook)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www6.miami.edu/planning-research/CDS0809.pdf[/url]”>http://www6.miami.edu/planning-research/CDS0809.pdf</a></p>
<p>Please pay attention to a couple of things regarding UMiami</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Admission stats. UM admission rate is lower than UF/FSU. SAT/ACT 25/75 scores are higher than the state schools. UF gives a “GPA range” in its average GPA which doesn’t say if it is higher than UM’s 4.2 since the top end of their given 25/75 range is 4.3. UF boosters will point to the GPA averages and class rank, but 57% of UM’s students are OOS, most notably from the Northeast. UF/FSU are over 90% in-state. I would, with Bright Futures and UF’s top 5% preference expect this. </p></li>
<li><p>Student to faculty ratios: At 11 to 1, UMiami’s is almost half the state schools, who are in the 20-20.5 students to faculty ratio</p></li>
<li><p>Class Size: Over 50% of UMiami’s classes are 2-19 students…the state schools have the opposite, over 50% or more in the 20+ range, especially UF</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Use all this data to make your own decisions…poster will have their own opinions, but absolute, unsupported statements of the “XXX is more selective or XXX Faculty is weak” wilt under analysis.</p>
<p>I really don’t think UMiami is the only school of the three where partying is going on…look at the Greek stats in the CDS…UMiami’s is more off-campus, more house parties on campus at UF/FSU</p>
<p>Anyone here have any info/impressions of Rollins College? Can it even be held up against the above mentioned 3?</p>
<p>Rollins is located in the upscale Winter Park suburb of Orlando…don’t think Disney, think more New England/Mid-Atlantic. In the eighties, was known as the most “preppy” school in the country. Knew some grads, a little more of the artsy type, but the Crumer school at the MBA level is quite renowned. Sure it holds a candle to the other 3, depending what you want. Rollins does not have the easiest web site and could not find the CDS, but take a look:</p>
<p>[Rollins</a> College Admission - Admission](<a href=“http://tars.rollins.edu/admission/admission_and_financial_aid/admission/index.shtml]Rollins”>http://tars.rollins.edu/admission/admission_and_financial_aid/admission/index.shtml)</p>
<p>I’ve been meaning to tour Rollins, I’m kind of interested in their MBA program. I’ve been to Winter Park a few times and it’s a really charming city…</p>