<p>I want to major in Cell Biology and/or Neuroscience and go to medical school, not really interested in ivies...it's difficult to get undergraduate program rankings. What are good public universities for these programs? I have about a 3.87UW and will be in the 2100s on SAT and from CT. I know UIUC, Michigan, Vermont are pretty good...what do you guys think? Also how's Maryland-College Park for this?</p>
<p>[Neuroscience</a> Undergraduate Program](<a href=“CAS - Undergraduate Neuroscience Program | UAB”>http://www.unp.uab.edu/) UAB has an excellent neuroscience undergrad program OOS costs are 20-24K but with your stats you would qualify for the blazer elite at 15K per year so out of pocket will be around 5-9K per year (great for saving money for med school)</p>
<p>UAB has about 11K undergrads, tier 1 university, urban campus. Very strong for sciences or any thing health related. Wonderful premed advising. Check out the rankings on uab med school too…ranks quite high for various specialties</p>
<p>Look into the sci/tech honors program …research from freshman year.</p>
<p>At an info session for the University of Evansville, the prof said that the med school acceptance rate for neuroscience majors has been 100% for the last 25 years. It’s also a relatively low-cost private (COA just under $40K) and gives significant merit scholarships. It’s not a highly rated school, for those who are deluded by ratings, but might be worth at least a look.</p>
<p>Wisconsin. One of top bio schools in the world.</p>
<p>^complete nonsense</p>
<p>Complete fact. Sorry Illinois does not compete either. Michigan is closer.</p>
<p>^nonsense compounding nonsense</p>
<p>(1) Most people who consider themselves pre-med do not go to medical school. Only half of those taking the MCAT apply to med school, and only half of those are admitted. That doesn’t even account for the pre-meds dropping out before that point.</p>
<p>(2) Biology as an undergraduate degree does not have particularly good job opportunities.</p>
<p>(3) Public universities are expensive for out-of-state students and rarely give them good financial aid.</p>
<p>(4) Medical school is extremely expensive.</p>
<p>In short, you need to keep your costs down.</p>
<p>Your best options are the few publics who meet financial need for OOS students (UNC, UVA, maybe others) and publics with good merit aid for OOS students (Alabama, Clemson, etc.). U Pittsburgh has an outstanding neuroscience program and gives decent merit aid; it may be worth a look. U Minnesota is quite cheap for an OOS public and would also be worth a look.</p>
<p>What is your problem man, seriously. Everyone in the science world knows UW has among the best and deepest bio sciences faculty and majors in the US which means in the world. Do a little homework. Stem cells, vitamins, warfarin, plant sciences, UW has been a leader in life sciences for 100 years. And nothing you can say changes that. Most of UW’s NAS members are in life sciences and they have a lot more of them than Illinois or Michigan.</p>
<p>"Madison: The Little Isthmus That Could</p>
<p>Midwesterners are furiously networking to improve their region’s status in the biotech sector. During the Chicago convention, Wisconsin was one of the largest delegations - three hundred delegates, who gave themselves a down-home name, “Main Street in Biotech City.” Industry leaders joined Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle in a high-spirited clan that rolled into Chicago like the Merry Pranksters of economic development. There were real estate brokers ready to make quick deals in private, and a platoon of white-coat types, disciples of world-renowned stem-cell pioneers James Thomson and Gabriela Cezar, who were wearing uncomfortable-looking suits.</p>
<p>John Wiley, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), was quoted in the Wisconsin press this spring as saying that Madison was “the epicenter of biotechnology and life sciences research in Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the nation.” A few months later, Wiley laughed, after being reminded of his bombast. “That’s a pretty bold statement,” he says. “I don’t remember saying anything like that. But, you never hit higher than you aim, so I’ll stand by the substance of the statement.”</p>
<p>He stands by it because he, like many others, believes the roots of biotech have been planted in Wisconsin. For starters, the state takes very good care of its university system. UW ranks third in the nation among public universities in research funding, and half of that research has been in life sciences. In late 2004, the state announced that in the next several years, it will invest $750 million in biotech development, including more than $500 million in new facilities and direct research support for university scientists. The figures are astonishing, considering Wisconsin’s relatively small population (just five and a half million people). Another significant university resource is the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). According to its website, WARF boasts the “oldest, biggest, and richest” university patenting and licensing offices in the nation, with $1.5 billion in annual revenues generated by technology invented in University of Wisconsin laboratories.</p>
<p>For years, the Madison campus has been a patent powerhouse. It is a cluster of colleges, together offering almost every academic discipline imaginable and a highly collaborative environment - one that has enabled university researchers to invent everything from Vitamin D milk to the Social Security system. It’s no accident that stem cells were pioneered in Madison, according to Wiley. It was a conscious, strategic decision, made possible by a rare confluence of people and resources that make Madison among a few places where these types of discoveries can occur. If he’s right, Wiley’s city is running on the right track. There’s powerful evidence of this “cluster economy” phenomenon happening in coastal regions with tremendous biotech success. The main ingredients necessary to prepare a prosperous biotech sector include a strong research foundation, venture capital firms, scientific entrepreneurs, and a workforce that can support biotech businesses. A potent regional economy and high quality of life doesn’t hurt either, since the biotech workforce is highly skilled, highly paid, and highly mobile.</p>
<p>Enter the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, a $150 million interdisciplinary research facility that brings together scientists and engineers from various fields to explore human biology. Think of it as your all-purpose human health research facility. Carl Gulbrandsen, Managing Director of WARF, believes the new institute will be celebrated for advancing “synthetic biology,” the active collaboration of the biologic and computer sciences. The new facility won’t be completed for ten more years. But boosters hope it will serve as the anchor institution for a vibrant biotech province. "</p>
<p>OP, before you give any credibility to barrons’ posts, check out his other posts. He trolls these forums, making claims for UW-Madison that far exceed any semblance of reality. It’s really quite sad.</p>
<p>
I’m all for LACs and private universities, but I’ll definitely side with barrons here. Wisconsin has FANTASTIC offerings in the sciences – few schools can claim to be tops in such diverse areas as microbiology, agriculture, atmospheric science/meteorology, limnology, chemistry, ecology, geology, astronomy…to name only a few.</p>
<p>Additionally, Madison is a great college town with a lot of school spirit. If one likes large publics, which the OP seemingly does, what besides cost is not to like?</p>
<p>No annasdad, what sad are your issues when it comes to UW and your distance from reality.</p>
<p>UW-Madison is a decent flagship, on par with most other flagships, a half-step behind Michigan, Berkeley, and perhaps a few others - nothing more. Many students get excellent educations there - but not appreciably better than many other fine schools.</p>
<p>
+1. I have no affiliation with Wisconsin and recognize its strength in biological and chemical programs.</p>
<p>Barrons does not ■■■■■. His post is legitimate.</p>
<p>At an info session for the University of Evansville, the prof said that the med school acceptance rate for neuroscience majors has been 100% for the last 25 years.</p>
<p>Yes, some schools can say that 100% of their X majors have had 100% admittance to med school. My kids’ school says that 100% of their pre-meds who majored in The Classics have been accepted to med school.</p>
<p>It’s not really the major that provides that boost; I think it’s more of self-selective groups of smarty-pants 
that choose those majors. Those same kids if they had majored in regular Bio or some Humanities (if that were their interest) would still likely get into med school. </p>
<p>Back to the OP…</p>
<p>Is Cell Bio a major or is it an emphasis track within Biology? </p>
<p>What is your budget? Your budget along with your actual test scores will likely determine where you should apply. OOS publics can be quite expensive unless you can snag some merit scholarships. I think you’d need higher scores to get any or much merit from UMich or UIUC. </p>
<p>Do you know how much your budget is? </p>
<p>If your goal is med school, that should be the focus. Some kids get distracted by harder to find majors. Your goal should be strong academics in pre-med pre-reqs, good pre-med advising, a school that writes Committee Letters, a strong MCAT, good LORs and medically related ECs and research opps.</p>
<p>Take a look at Clemson University! Science programs here are fantastic. Let me know if you have any questions!</p>
<p>MORE INFO:</p>
<p>So, tuition isn’t a huge issue as long as its under like $35,000…I’ll probably get a little need-aid (parents make ~200,000 w/ 3 kids, Dartmouth would give aid), and I’ll probably qualify for some merit if the school gives it out. UW-Madison is $26,000 OOS, I could swing that…it’s about what Uconn charges instate. </p>
<p>My scores are just shots in the dark. My school does GPA strangely so according to them I have a 5.731, and, for reference, the average GPA for people accepted to Harvard from my school is 5.74 (I think it’s only 2 people though). As for the SAT, I’m taking it in Nov…I got a 219 on the PSAT as a soph, retook it yesterday. On practice SATs, I get around 2300, but they lack the stress/pressure which is a factor on the SAT. Other than that, I have decent ECs (4-year varsity crew, Model UN, Math Team, Ski Club, Amnesty International, Volunteer at a hospital, Student Senate, started a non-profit org.) School doesn’t rank, but I’d guess top 5%, its a competitive public. Also I’m Hispanic.</p>
<p>I’m not completely ruling out private schools, it’s just the cost factor. UConn is pretty good, but my HS is literally on the Uconn campus…deterrent.</p>
<p>Wisconsin is particularly strong in the bio sciences and in psych, the major components of Neuroscience. Wisconsin is also reasonable for OOS. Also look at Pittsburgh where you are likely to receive merit money. However, I’d suggest a private college if you can obtain aid. At $200k income, need-based aid might be a possibility with multiple siblings in college at the same time. With your stats and a hook, Dartmouth & Duke are good possibilities, as is Emory, & Rochester, all of which are strong in Neuro. For LACs, look at Amherst, which started one of the first undergrad Neuro programs. Note, however, if you lean towards the CompSci side of Neuro, consider MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and UCLA. (OOS price ain’t worth it, IMO.)</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> of graduate programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison — PhDs.org Graduate School Guide](<a href=“http://graduate-school.phds.org/university/wisc/university/rankings]Rankings”>http://graduate-school.phds.org/university/wisc/university/rankings)</p>
<p>*I’ll probably get a little need-aid (parents make ~200,000 w/ 3 kids, Dartmouth would give aid), *</p>
<p>On another thread, you’ve posted that they make 220k</p>
<p>If only you will be in college then I highly doubt Dartmouth would give you anything with a family income of $200-220k…certainly not the difference between its $55k cost and the $35k your family will pay. (BTW…have your parents said that they will pay $35k per year? If not, ask them.)</p>
<p>UW-Madison is $26,000 OOS, I could swing that…it’s about what Uconn charges instate.</p>
<p>??? UW-M costs about $37k per year to go there from OOS. UConn does cost about $26k per year instate.</p>
<p>Yeah just guessing income. We did the aid calculator on Dartmouth’s website and they would make us pay $37,000. My parents have said the can pay ~20,000 ish…I’m probably going to take loans. And UW is just over 30k paying full cost.</p>