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bb, wouldn’t it be more correct to say that one-half will end up being in the bottom half of the pre-med students at that “best” college? That still may put them in a higher position relative to the rest of the student body.</p>
<p>I wonder if the larger issue isn’t that being in the bottom half of the pre-med students at a great rep school still is a bad place to be when it comes time for rec’s and lab opps and school-wide awards, and nominations for nation-wide awards, and…it’s just not an optimal place to be IMO. </p>
<p>The advice given for $20K is akin to the advice often given about high school classes in UG admissions- Q: Which is better a B in the harder class or and A in the easier class? A: An A in the hardest class.</p>
<p>Go to <insert prestigious=“” school=“” name=“” here=“”>. Be at the top of your class. Ace the MCAT. Garner national awards. Volunteer widely. Gain meaningful, long-term clinical experience. Apply early. Apply widely. Apply to all your state schools. Know the mission of the schools where you are applying and apply wisely. Turn well-written secondaries around promptly. Be an engaging interviewee. </insert></p>
<p>That’ll be $20K please. Ka-ching. ;)</p>
<p>oopps, yes, cur you are correct and that is what I was thinking when I wrote it. Of course, even that is not entirely true since a lot of those matriculating Frosh will change from premed to humanities after they receive C’s in Chem and Calc. Thus, the premed denominator will change, drastically. :)</p>
<p>Well, if resources are unlimited, go to the best and get the top GPA / MCAT, EC’s…
For some with limited resources, it just does not make sence to enter Medicals School which is very expensive no matter where you go, with whole bag of student loans and/or burden you family with exessive UG expenses. For them, it makes more sense to go where they are offerred full ride or full tuition, get GPA=4.0, get MCAT as high as possible and all EC"s and other experiences and look for ANY Med. School that accepts them with these stats. The path should be clear beforehand, not after you spend $45,000 for tuition / year in UG and hear that you family has spent all resources allocated for your education and you are on your own. I have real life examples of both.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP, you know that I agree with you that money matters. I wasn’t completely serious about my advice. I was just trying to get in on some of that $20K action. They’ll get a lot more in my $25K package. ;)</p>
<p>Hey. In the gullible but wealthy group that would pay anyone other than God $20k for med school admissions advice, little things like tuition are of no consequence. To the other 99.99% of us, yeah…it changes things.</p>
<p>Harvard Medical School grad, here, UC Berkeley undergrad student. There were students in my class from every tier of undergrad. school. What matters is your undergrad performance (and MCATs and research/health-care related activity showing ingenuity and commitment).</p>
<p>So, maybe, you want to consider picking a school with an eye to what is a good geo-socio-intellectual-academic-religious-etc. match for you instead of which undergrad is most likely to launch you. It’s really pretty irrelevant.</p>
<p>And, one thing I do hear redundantly, if anything will help re: the undergrad school choice, is that if the school is perceived as having grade deflation (e.g. CAL, Reed, Cal Tech, MIT), and you do well at such a school, medical schools will take note.</p>
<p>The year I applied Brown and Stanford were perceived as having grade inflation, and I know some applicants from both schools who did not do as well as I in terms of acceptance.</p>
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Nah. That’s waaay too hard. It takes thought …and stuff. ;)</p>
<p><p.s. i’d=“” add=“” “economic”=“” to=“” your=“” list,=“” too.=“”></p.s.></p>
<p>Harvard grad:</p>
<p>But you forgot the big Kahuna in Cambridge, also known for as much grade inflation as Stanford…from everything I’ve read, the largest tranche of students in Harvard Med atended that local, grade-inflated Cambridge college, were they not? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Wait, I want to do this. $20K, right? I have quals!</p>
<p>You can’t charge me retroactively, bdm. Don’t even think about it. ;)</p>
<p>I mean, this entire discussion clearly lacks subtlety. We keep pingponging between “it doesn’t matter” and “it’s really important,” when obviously neither is true.</p>
<p>1.) Obviously it’s a plus to excel at a top institution.
2.) Conversely, it’s a plus precisely because it’s kind of difficult.
3.) If you have to pick one, it’s more important to have high grades than a strong school. MUCH more important.
4.) High grades, MCAT scores, and the right extracurriculars are all more important than what school you went to. Essays and interviews might be, too.
5.) There are some prestigious schools that get PENALTIES even though they’re prestigious. MIT is one of them.</p>
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<p>Fine, I’ll just have to think of something else I might want.</p>
<p>Hmmm. Let the bargaining begin. What about : If she ends up in New Haven… you’ll eat dinner free when I’m in town for the night.</p>
<p>bdm, other than that …my offer list is rather short.</p>
<p>Do you : hunt, fish, ride motorcycles or horses, have a pending criminal or “baby mama” case in Texas? ;)</p>
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<p>Well, this isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but…</p>
<p><lol. i=“” knew=“” shouldn’t=“” have=“” gone=“” there.=“” made=“” it=“” too=“” easy.=“”></lol.></p>
<p>^ bdm and Curm…luv yah guys!!! 
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<p>Just stay around CC for at least 5 more years…pretty please…</p>
<p>Curm, maybe you owe Bluedevilmike your first grandchild, but then all the parents who owe you lots would have to respond in kind. It would rain babies in dry ole Texas, and babies are not nearly as easy to raise as goats!</p>