<p>Hi, I need an undergrad college with a good PreMed Program; preferably something at least a bit prestigious. </p>
<p>Background: I'm a Pakistani living in UAE. </p>
<p>GPA: 4
Class Rank: top 1%
SAT: 1810 (redoing; expecting 2k+)
SAT 2: waiting for result</p>
<p>EC: </p>
<p>Volunteer work (recycling, certain major volunteer events)
IT (HTML, Adobe softwares, etc.; also won some competitions)
School magazine and year book (articles + design)
Trilingual
Sports (Note: there's no varsity in UAE)
Work Experience </p>
<p>All constructive suggestions will be appreciated.</p>
<p>I think even with about a 1950+, the rest of your stats would give you a great chance at an acceptance at UMiami being a match. (just so you have a little wiggle room lol)</p>
<p>If your family will pay that much per year, then it’s likely you won’t qualify for much/any aid at the limited number of schools that give aid to int’ls.</p>
<p>Why do you want to go to the US for pre-med? Are you aware that you won’t likely get accepted to a US MD med school since many/most do not accept int’l students who aren’t from Canada?</p>
<p>Unless you get your SAT above a 2250 (unlikely at this point), the chances of you getting into a “prestigious” school that gives int’ls need based aid is low.</p>
<p>@ mom, well I’m not going to get PreMed in UAE, I don’t think they even have it. Anyways, a PreMed from US means that: (provided I don’t get into a Med School in US) I can get into a Med school anywhere else because US schools are acredited internationally. Anywhere else can be, for example, England (I know many who studied not even in UAE but Pakistan who went to Med School in England; an education in the US won’t hurt my chances).</p>
<p>At a cost of 45k, I’ll be taking some loans. (Luckily, if you try hard enough, you can get loans in UAE at decent rates; better than the ~6.8% offered in US for international students).</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>One question: What does SAT have to do with med school? Isn’t college performance and MCAT score the deciding factor here?</p>
<p>The SAT has to do with getting into Undergrad. Top colleges tend to like top scores. Your best bet may be to wait until you have your new scores, then apply. Or, look for less selective colleges.</p>
<p>What major are you interested in? (Pre-med is not a major - it’s a set of classes med schools tend to require. You’ll need a separate major (any major - make it one you like), then add your pre-med classes.)</p>
<p>My youngest is potentially on a pre-med path (also considering research as a career) at the University of Rochester and loving it. There are quite a few internationals there. But your current SAT score would be on the low side for getting accepted there.</p>
<p>Many public universities cost less than $45K even for non-residents (out-of-state or international students). Very few grant aid to internationals.
[Best</a> Values in Public Colleges, 2011-12](<a href=“http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/]Best”>Best College Values, 2019 | Kiplinger)
Public universities with OOS costs below $45K and 75th percentile M+CR scores no higher than 1400 include:</p>
<p>University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Maryland - College Park
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Pittsburgh</p>
<p>Some more expensive colleges and universities grant enough aid to internationals that they might be affordable (if they accept you, that is). The most selective ones probably are out of reach with scores much below 2100 or so. Any of the schools I’ve listed above can be expected to offer decent pre-med programs. Within each group, I’ve listed them from higher to lower SAT averages. I’ve only included schools that show up on the Kiplinger “best value” lists. I would characterize these as “match” schools for the OP’s stats and budget (although a couple, like UNC-CH, might be more selective than their averages suggest.)</p>
<p>Very roughly, leaving cost out of the equation, your high “reach” schools might start around #50 (USC etc.). At that level (75th percentile M+CR = 1450) your scores currently are not too competitive (in fact, they are below average), but your GPA/rank is quite high, so you might have an increasingly realistic shot as you work back from about that point. </p>
<p>By #100 or so (Beloit, etc.) your scores are into the median bands (25th - 75th percentile). Given your good grades, and the higher acceptance rates of these schools, I would think they’d be realistic “matches” (and in some cases their costs do fit your budget).</p>
<p>@ Pandamic, I’ll have a look at it, thanks. </p>
<p>@ tk, I’m pretty sure average is around 1550. I’m pretty sure though it’s below average on these forums. But my 1st attempt was based on no study, so I can imagine a better score if I opened the book next time. </p>
<p>Since I’d be leaving the country anyways, I’m not too choosy about location. And I’m not aiming for 75th percentile, rather I aim to buckshot colleges where I match at ~25th percentile. A safety and a few matches are an obvious given.</p>
<p>I was referring to averages for the schools I cited (not for the entire population of all test-takers).</p>
<p>As for aiming at a bunch of colleges where your stats match the ~25th percentile …
I suppose it depends on the number of applications, admit rates, and your tolerance for risk. Suppose you bring your SATs up to 2000 or so, and you apply to schools where that total score is at the 25th percentile mark. That puts you among schools that are into the top 40 for test scores on the stateuniversity.com list I cited. The #25-#40 range includes Cornell, Emory, JHU, Bowdoin, Haverford, and Middlebury. Some of these schools have admission rates of 20% or less. As test score averages go up, and admit rates go down, the standards also go up for other parts of your application such as extracurriculars and essays. It’s going to be very hard to stand out enough in these areas to compensate for lower-than-average scores. </p>
<p>For small classes, good pre-med, and relatively good admission chances for an international student with below-average scores, consider some of the small liberal arts colleges in the ranges we’re discussing. Adding warmer weather into the picture, I suggest you look at (from more to less selective):</p>
<p>Haverford
Washington & Lee
Davidson
Wake Forest
University of Richmond
(With overall SATs of 2000 or less, as well as the grades and ECs you listed, I think these would be reach to high match schools).</p>
<p>This is seldom a good idea for a pre-med student, though I’m not so sure how your heading to an international med school will factor into the equation. In the US, med schools want a high college GPA. It’s helpful for prospective students to be in the higher academic proportion of students. Those on the lower end tend to struggle more (at least at first). This can change some if they pick a non math/English dependent major, but for pre-med, you NEED the science classes (and usually Calc).</p>
<p>I tend to advise those going pre-med to try to be in the top 75% at the school they choose. It’s no guarantee of anything (esp since the SAT doesn’t test work ethic vs partying, etc), but it’s helpful. A good number of the successful pre-meds will be among the top students at the college.</p>
<p>Not so many colleges will accept someone in the 25th percentile if they know the student wants pre-med. Those slots tend to be for students with hooks of some sort or those in majors less traditionally dependent upon math/English.</p>
<p>There’s a big difference between 1810 and 2000+. When will you get your new scores? What was the breakdown of your 1810 scores? M + CR count higher for admissions.</p>
<p>Again, what major (or field of study) would interest you?</p>
<p>Search the “college search” feature on here putting in your scores, school size preference, and a desired major and see which schools come up.</p>
<p>Haverford and Wake Forest look impressive (I was also looking at Rochester). As Creekland stated “med schools want a high college GPA”. So do these have very strict grading systems. For example, I read several times that grading at JHU, UChicago, and Cornel is quite harsh. Are grades deflated at Haverford, Wake Forest, and Rochester? </p>
<p>“I tend to advise those going pre-med to try to be in the top 75% at the school they choose.”</p>
<p>Well, I’m thinking of UFlorida, I hear it’s good and I like the weather. But, since it’s a state university I expect classes to be extremely large. What’s your opinion on it? Should I go to it (or UMiama as suggested on the first page). </p>
<p>O and the only reason my SAT score even made it this high was because of math, I get murdered in English (Writing and CR). So I don’t mind calc. As long as med schools don’t require anything like literature, I’m fine. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys, really appreciate it!</p>
<p>You won’t likely be admitted to top schools if your test scores are in the lower 25%… Those admits are athletes, URMs, donors kids, Talent Students whose SATs don’t need to be high.</p>
<p>UFlorida doesn’t admit many OOS students. I don’t think you’d be admitted.
Alabama would accept you and they have very strong science courses and good pre-med advising.</p>
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