<p>Hey all, I'm a HS senior obviously wanting some input on GCC. If anyone(especially those who have actually attented GCC) could help out with the following questions that would be awesome! I'm most interested in the pre-med field.</p>
<p>1- How is GCC pre-med/other science degrees in general? How hard is it to maintain a 3.7+ GPA in a science major?</p>
<p>2- I've read about how rigorous GCC is, and how it causes students to have lower GPAs (when at other schools they would have much higher GPAs). So some of the negative comments on GCC I've heard is that this hurts students chances of getting into grad school. How true are those claims?</p>
<p>3- Another negative comment I've heard is that GCC is not well-known outside of the Pennsylvania area, and this hurts students wanted to leave the area. How true is that claim?</p>
<p>These are really the only issues I've come across about GCC. I'm up for a challenge academically...but I don't want it to hurt my chances when applying for med school. </p>
<p>Right now it's among my top 3 (Along with Ohio state---haha funny how opposite these two schools are)</p>
<p>I’m in PA, but I’ll add that the students I know who have gone to GCC have loved it there. I don’t know any who were pre-med, but one who is starting this fall is (I think).</p>
<p>As for seeing how many they send to med schools, e-mail and ask them. Ask for numbers and which schools they went to or got accepted to. Don’t ask for acceptance rate as that can be deceptive. Ask for numbers and see if those numbers match what you get from your other schools (accounting for size, of course). If the schools others got accepted to are some you’d like to go to, you’re most likely fine at GCC. If they aren’t, compare with elsewhere.</p>
<p>Then, of course, it will be up to you to put forth the effort needed… Pre-med isn’t “easy” anywhere.</p>
<p>Consider Wheaton (IL) too. I know they have a good pre-med record and they are Christian.</p>
<p>Grove City is a very good school…have had a niece and nephew attend (one in computers one in education) both really enjoyed it. While it certainly has a Christian Culture, it is more conservative than overtly Christian…
As for Medical schools, you will likely find that getting into top medical schools are more a result of you MCAT scores than how “well-known” the college is to the general public.
Agree with Creekland…avoid simple “acceptance rate” questions…ask numbers and where…</p>
<p>Creekland- Thanks! Yea, I don’t trust acceptance rates on university websites. I hear they tend to leave out the fact that they only write letters(or whatever the school calls them) to their best students in order to boast a higher rate of pre-meds going to med-school.
I’ve looked at Wheaton, my only issue with it is the significant cost difference 
While I have a 4.0 GPA, my act is at 29. I’m taking it again…but the average scores at Wheaton are already pretty high, so I doubt it would help the cost enough. If finances weren’t an issue though, then I’d definitely be considering Wheaton!</p>
<p>Mortbert- Thanks! I figure that if the academics there are as good as they say, that itll prepare me well for the MCAT. My main thing I’m worried about is keeping up a high GPA. I’ve read reviews from students who said that the work was TOO hard and and killed their gpas. Then again, they could just be whiners who aren’t used to having to actually study for good grades. </p>
<p>I really really like GCC, so hopefully I find no problems with their premed program!</p>
<p>Another question, their acceptance rate is like 74%, but I still hear that’s its real competitive and selective to get into. How is that? 74% seems pretty good to me lol. Are my chances decent with a 4.0 UW gpa and 29 (may rise to 30-33 next time I take it) make me a good candidate? Other stuff I have is: Quiz-bowl team, Track 4 yrs, Reading Club, Pep Club, National Honor Society, National Beta Club, s.c.o.r.e.s. competitor, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (vice-president) and I’ll probably run for student government senior year. Oh, and my junior year, I took the majority of my classes on a local college campus for dual credit. And then for volunteer work I have probably about 60 hrs+ at church.</p>
<p>Regarding Wheaton, if you are looking for merit aid - they give very little. If you are looking for need based aid, I’ve heard they are rather good. Run a calculator and check.</p>
<p>GCC tends to be self-selecting. Only those who feel like they have a good shot of going there tend to apply. I’m not sure why. It could be part of why they are “competitive” with 74% - because the vast majority who apply truly thought they would get in and roughly 1/4th do not.</p>
<p>I think you’d have a shot.</p>
<p>FWIW, their class sizes tend to be larger than other LACs if that matters. They’re probably equivalent (or smaller) than state colleges.</p>
<p>Thanks! I feel like a good candidate, especially with my conservative political view points. I think that an interview there would also really help my chances also. It’s currently my number 1 pick (could change once I make visits). I’ve seen a lot of your posts on this site, you’ve definitely been a big help!</p>