<p>^^21,000 is over three times the size of the number of undergraduate students enrolled at Harvard College. That’s a respectable turn out for a game against a non-conference opponent and belies the assertion that Harvard football fans care only about the Yale game.</p>
<p>All these schools have basically told me I could get in. And I’m still deciding on my major.</p>
<p>[Fight</a> Fiercely, Harvard! - Tom Lehrer (Lyrics and Chords)](<a href=“http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/fightfie.htm]Fight”>Fight Fiercely, Harvard! - Tom Lehrer (Lyrics and Chords))</p>
<p>Re Harvard vs Holy Cross: it is also true that Holy Cross is an hour’s drive or so away. I wonder how many of those fans were Holy Cross students and alums?</p>
<p>For those interested in Ivy football–especially those who remember the era of Brian Dowling and Calvin Hill at Yale–I recommend the extremely entertaining film “Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29.” It’s a hoot.</p>
<p>Holy Cross has a large alumni base in Boston and HC had a lot of fans at Harvard Stadium as this is a big rivalry game.</p>
<p>*All these schools have basically told me I could get in. And I’m still deciding on my major. *</p>
<p>Did the schools or the coaches say this?</p>
<p>Well I guess the coaches, not the schools. But unless they are all lying to me and wasting their time by calling me I am guessing I probably can.</p>
<p>MDuncan,</p>
<p>If Dartmouth, Penn, and Brown all want you to play football with their teams, you must be a talented player who would make a significant impact on their programs. I say, go for it! Don’t pay attention to the naysayers above. Your SAT and GPA are within the acceptable range for those colleges. Expect to work very hard, both on the field and in the classroom. You will meet a variety of smart, talented people. Learning to get along in the challenging environment you will find at these colleges will prepare you well for life.</p>
<p>One of the great advantages of the Ivy League is that you will be expected manage your academic work satisfactorily, as well as perform on the football field. Many of the big name football powers do not care about their football players as students and many of them do not graduate. In the Ivy League you are most likely to earn your college degree. They will have lots of support to help you achieve that goal.</p>
<p>As for Dartmouth vs. Penn vs. Brown, pick the one you like best.</p>
<p>Fifty- I agree with everything you are saying, but a pre-med path will be difficult as a football player. I would be prepared to switch majors if I were the OP.</p>
<p>At D, the frat associated with the football team is reportedly the only one put on academic probation in recent years. Their GPA was reportedly below 2.0. (Obviously not everyone in the frat is a FB player, nor are all FB players in that frat. But still…)</p>
<p>This doesn’t mean that a football player can’t succeed in a pre-med program at D, but it does mean that, as fifty says, you will have to be prepared to work hard. And it may mean that you would need to separate yourself from some of your harder-partying team mates.</p>
<p>Well, a 2.0 will not cut it for medical school admissions. I believe that the OP is capable of doing considerably better at Dartmouth, Brown, or Penn. One can earn a decent GPA at these colleges if one manages ones time effectively and devotes reasonable effort to studying. He will have to stay focused and resist the temptation to let partying interfere with his academics. That would be true at virtually any college in the Ivy League, NESCAC, ACC, or Patriot League.</p>
<p>Well what do you need for medical school admissions?</p>
<p>Check this out:
[Brown</a> University: Program in Liberal Medical Education](<a href=“http://bms.brown.edu/plme/index.html]Brown”>http://bms.brown.edu/plme/index.html)</p>
<p>Well i got a 1820 SAT not great and a 3.5 GPA and still am going to take my SAT II.</p>
<p>*Well I guess the coaches, not the schools. But unless they are all lying to me and wasting their time by calling me I am guessing I probably can. *</p>
<p>Do Ivy coaches get to offer admission, or do they need approval from Admissions? Does the school just rubber-stamp whoever coaches want?</p>
<p>*Well what do you need for medical school admissions? *</p>
<p>When I looked at GPAs for med school admission, it seemed like those who had a 3.7+ had the best chances. It seemed like as GPAs headed towards a 3.5 admissions weren’t as strong.</p>
<p>I wish I could find that chart now. Anyone know where it is online?</p>
<p>And…it’s not across the board for all subjects. They may not care about a B in history, but they may care about a B in your Organic chem classes.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine having time to play football and also get the grades for med school especially since the OP doesn’t seem to be one of those kids who can get A’s without putting in the work.</p>
<p>The following document shows the median college GPA for applicants accepted at most of the U.S. medical schools.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/downloads/gpamcat.pdf[/url]”>http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/downloads/gpamcat.pdf</a></p>
<p>Since the median is the middle GPA, there will be higher and lower GPA’s in the mix. My guess is that you would need a 3.5 or better in college to make you competitive for medical school admission.</p>
<p>Looking at that chart, I would say you need a 3.7+ to be competitive…especially if you’re not an underrepresented minority (URM).</p>
<p>Agreed. The vast majority of the scores were in the 3.6-3.8 range.</p>
<p>Not that its fair but as the football prospects for these schools go I am not very low. Out of the 4 bands, 1 being lowest and 4 being the highest, I am in the 3rd band but I did pretty good on my SAT II’s that helped me. The coaches have a lot of say with the admissions. Well thats what they say. But just so I am not confused a 3.8 at a state university is better for getting into medical school than say a 3.3 from an Ivy League?</p>
<p>“But just so I am not confused a 3.8 at a state university is better for getting into medical school than say a 3.3 from an Ivy League?”</p>
<p>Lots of people on CC argue that medical school admissions are purely number-driven and that it does not matter where you went to college. I disagree. There may be thresholds for GPA and MCAT to get the attention of the admissions committee, but once you have met those the committee will consider your entire application, including your activities in college and any work you have done in the health care field. Earning a good GPA at an academically rigorous college will be a plus. That rigorous college could be member of the Ivy League or it could be a flagship state university.</p>
<p>*But just so I am not confused a 3.8 at a state university is better for getting into medical school than say a 3.3 from an Ivy League? *</p>
<p>Yes. (all things being equal…such as a white kid with a 3.3 from an Ivy vs a white kid with a 3.8 at another good school.</p>