<p>I'm a junior at a private catholic high school in texas. I have a 4.16 cumulative gpa (im not sure if this is uw) and by senior year ill have taken 5 AP classes. My PSAT score is 217, and I should have a 2200 SAT or over by the time i graduate (ive taken practice tests, but dont have my official score yet). Im looking for a school with a good reputation so i can get into med school. (I'm thinking of majoring in biology or biomedical engineering). Im looking for a school with a smaller environment where i can be a very successful student. I also want to get a considerable scholarship, although finance is not really a problem. I just want some ideas that i can research. Help?</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins University, Rice, Duke, Case Western for BME.</p>
<p>Generally, great colleges are great pre-med colleges. You know the list: Ivies plus Hopkins, Wash U, UMich, Northwestern, Georgetown. BUT if you want to ensure getting a strong GPA, plus get scholarships, you may have to step down a rung on the undergraduate ladder. </p>
<p>Colleges give you merit money when they think they are lucky to get you—so a “reach” undergraduate school will not give you merit scholarships. Also, if you’re just treading water in a competitive school that is equal to or slightly above your skill level, you will not have a great GPA to show to medical schools four years from now.</p>
<p>Where do you want to have the prestige, undergrad or medical school?</p>
<p>i would much rather have a solid gpa as an undergrad than to go to a school with a big name</p>
<p>*My PSAT score is 217, and I should have a 2200 SAT or over by the time i graduate (ive taken practice tests, but dont have my official score yet). </p>
<p>Im looking for a school with a good reputation so i can get into med school. (I’m thinking of majoring in biology or biomedical engineering). </p>
<p>Im looking for a school with a smaller environment where i can be a very successful student. </p>
<p>I also want to get a considerable scholarship, although finance is not really a problem. I just want some ideas that i can research. Help? *</p>
<p>Will you likely make NMSF? What was Texas’ cutoff last year?</p>
<p>If you think you might make NMSF, then you should look at the National Merit scholarship list that Keilexandra put together… <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-14.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-14.html</a></p>
<p>*i would much rather have a solid gpa as an undergrad than to go to a school with a big name *</p>
<p>And save your money for med school. Go to an undergrad that is strong in Bio, Chem, Math and Physics that won’t be too expensive. Med school will take all of your money! :)</p>
<p>*I should have a 2200 SAT or over by the time i graduate *</p>
<p>You’ll need your best score before then. 
You’ll need your best score within a year. :)</p>
<p>Tufts, Holy Cross, Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>I would definitely check out Grinnell which is well known by med schools for outstanding sciences, and by those who know LACs for generous financial and merit aid. The student body is unpretentious, hard-working, quirky and tolerant. Their exceptional endowment also supports state of the art facilities, student research, and exceptionally small (25 or less) classes even in the intro science courses (which even at LACs tend to be 50-70 students). S is a student there and loves it.</p>
<p>Davdison/William & Mary are two schools that match what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Remember…ANY decent college that is strong in Bio, Chem, Math, and Physics can prepare a student for med school.</p>
<p>A high GPA, a strong MCAT, and A’s in Organic Chem classes will get you into med school. (I doubt a med school is going to care if you get a B in a Fine Arts class, but don’t get B’s in your Organic chem classes.)</p>
<p>Don’t waste money on pricey undergrad schools if you’ll need your money for med school. Don’t take out loans for undergrad, because you’ll likely run out of borrowing power for med school. And, of course, if you borrow for both undergrad and med school, your loan payments will be huge.</p>
<p>Do take a look at schools for which your scores would be at the top of their range because they may be happy to get you and give financial aid (#15ish and higher in U.S. News for LACs) but you should also have a few Ivies on your list so you can really weigh your options at acceptance time. Also check out which Ivies have more grade inflation and options for pass/fail courses (Brown?).</p>
<p>*Do take a look at schools for which your scores would be at the top of their range because they may be happy to get you and give financial aid (#15ish and higher in U.S. News for LACs) *</p>
<p>Do you mean scholarships, instead of financial aid? I don’t think LACs would give him much, if any, financial aid because he said that finances aren’t a concern. Sounds like he has a high EFC.</p>
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<p>A’s in Orgo are nice, but not 100% necessary. I believe BlueDevilMike got C+'s in his orgo classes and I believe he’s at a top 20 med school. As long as you have a high overall and BCPM GPA as well as a strong MCAT, you’ll be able to get your foot in the door as far as med school admissions.</p>
<p>BDM says he got a C+ in one of his orgo classes, this is was the convo…</p>
<p>*
As someone who got **a C+ in first semester orgo **during my sophomore year at Duke, it’s not going to be gamebreaking. It’s a big deal, and it “uses” up any margin for error you might have had. </p>
<p>A C will not wreck your app. BDM had a C in Orgo and did very well for himself during the application process. *</p>
<p>BDM quote: *Well, that’s not the most important point here. The more important point is that I also did very well on the MCAT, including not missing a single organic chemistry question–</p>
<p>I managed a very high MCAT score
*</p>
<p>So, altho BDM got into a top med school with a C in his first orgo classes (he doesn’t say what he got in the second one), it seems that his High MCAT and no wrong answers in the organic section managed to overcome that one C.</p>
<p>I still would recommend getting A’s in organic. Even BDM says that it was a big deal…</p>
<p>*The C does have some “shock” value to it, and certainly you’re going to have to find a way to make up for that.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to comfort you too much. This C+ is a big deal. It’s not gamebreaking. Especially given the B’s there as well, you certainly cannot afford to repeat this. You need to bring up the BCPM GPA. You will need to present a no-hits application (i.e. no other negatives) in every other regard, and at least one of your other factors is going to need to be very strong (i.e. a point strongly in your favor). *</p>
<p>As someone who has been on several medical school admissions committees, I seriously hope that you get most of your pre-med advice somewhere besides this board.</p>
<p>Please share your opinions so that we can know how you differ. :)</p>
<p>Holy Cross-very good pre-med program and nice campus near Boston.</p>
<p>Trinity University in San Antonio is excellent for Biology and meets your small campus requirement.</p>
<p>I second Trinity and would also suggest Southwestern and Austin College if you are looking in Texas. With your stats you would be offered generous merit aid at any of these schools. Additionally, you would most likely be one of the top students.</p>
<p>i actually have been looking at austin college. what kind of reputation does it have for med?</p>