<p>I'm a junior at a competitive college-prep private school with a 3.8/4.0 unweighted GPA. The first time i took the ACT i had a composite of 27 but i didnt manage my time well so i had to completely guess on the parts i didnt get to. I retook it in February and i think/hope i got a 30 or above. I want to stay pretty close to home (Illionois area) and am determined to become a doctor so i'm looking for any good pre-med programs that'll help me get into medical school. Any suggestions on which college is right for me?! I'd prefer a medium to large school with lots of diversity. Thanks!</p>
<p>You’ll want a school with:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Courses which will provide good preparation for the MCAT and fulfill pre-med school course requirements. (No specific major is required.)</p></li>
<li><p>Enough [grade</a> inflation](<a href=“http://www.gradeinflation.com/]grade”>http://www.gradeinflation.com/) so that you can get a medical school acceptable GPA.</p></li>
<li><p>Lowest possible net cost after non-loan financial aid and scholarships.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>UCB is right on…read and reread his post.</p>
<p>I’d like to add:</p>
<ol>
<li> Ask your parents how much they can contribute towards college. Your state isn’t that great with aid so many find they can’t afford what schools expect them to pay after merit and/or need-based aid (which is why many Illinois kids flock elsewhere.)</li>
</ol>
<p>Your state schools have tuition rates that are quite high…which is why many find that getting a merit scholarship to an OOS school can mean lower overall costs…of course you need good stats and a good-sized merit scholarship for that to happen.
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Some of your instate privates do give merit, but few “meet need” and therefore you still could be expected to pay a lot more than you think.</p>
<p>2) Have you and your parents run some Net Price Calculators on a few Illinois schools to determine what the FA situation might be. If your family determines that they can afford whatever schools expect them to pay, then great! If they discover that they can’t afford the cost, then you need a good strategy.</p>
<p>3) Virtually any “good school” can prepare a student for med school…however, some schools do a better job with advising and some do Committee Letters which help with admissions.</p>