Higher-ranked University for Premed? (UW Madison or Vanderbilt?)

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hi everyone! I'm a rising high school senior and aspiring physician & I have to decide which undergrad institution I will be attending after I graduate high school. My ultimate goal is to get into a top 20 medical school. So my question is: would it be better to go to a more middle-tier school where I could excel or a higher-ranked institution where I wouldn't be the top of my class? I'm aware that the UG name carries little weight in medical school admissions process, but could my decision be important for the rest of my medical career? (I'm fortunate enough that money is not a huge factor, and I don't care about weather too much)</p>

<p>Middle-tier school (UW Madison*)
Pros:
I would be one of the "smarter" students (75+ percentile for ACT/GPA)
Less competition
Better grades- could maintain a higher GPA (since in many courses, sciences especially, grades are determined based on the performance of other students in the class)
Less stressful
Cons:
Doesn't have the same recognition as a higher ranked school (which won't necessarily make much difference for med school acceptance, but it will always be on my resume for future employers and potential patients to see)
Larger classes, less individualized attention
Harder to get to know professor/get a good med school rec</p>

<p>Higher-ranked school (Vanderbilt U)
Pros:
Smaller classes
Greater opportunity to get to know teachers/get good rec
Motivation to work harder
Has greater recognition as a top institution
I would have a higher likelihood of getting into Vanderbilt's med school (UG bias), which is in the top 20 med school
Cons:
I would be one of the "dumber" students (25-50 percentile ACT/GPA)
More competition
Would most likely have a lower GPA than at Madison (but will the reputation of the school account for that in the admission process?)
More stressful</p>

<p>Both schools have copious research/extracurricular opportunities, so I should be fine at either school in that respect.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

<p>*I know UW Madison isn't exactly middle-tier, but you get what I mean.</p>

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<p>Patients do not care where their doctors went for undergrad.</p>

<p>You can’t generalize about the test-score percentiles unless you know they are for premeds only.</p>

<p>Premed at UW is not necessarily easier than premed at Vandy.</p>

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<p>I never heard of pre-med being easy at any place. There are many among even those valedictorians who got derailed. The good program will place the killer weed out class in the first semester of the freshman year, so the ones who are not making it would fall out right away without wasting too much time.
Couple things that are important and could be different from school to school, forget ranking. First, pre-med committee will make a big difference in your general support and more so during application process. Another factor is price. Go for the cheapest option that still fits you personally. Forget the rest, ranking is irrelevant. Do not think that you will get you As automatically. EVERYBODY, every single top kid, have to adjust upward at college, ANY COLLEGE, the lowest of the lowest, unknown place. If they do not, they will not make it. Do this right from the start, do not make mistake that many make, do not assume it might be easier at some place, it is NOT. My own D. and her pre-med frineds in Honors program (currently at various Med. Schools) graduated #1 from the most rigorous private HS in our area. She attended public state school and she said that she had to work very hard adjusting her working habits up and those who did not were not pre-meds in the second sememster any more.
Other than that, choose school that you personally like the best, not the one that we like more, not the one that you friends like more or even your parents. You will be there for 4 years, you will have to make those grades, meet new friends, and, yes, even have fun.</p>