<p>Actually John Hopkins is just an example of a top school. It’s not that I want to go there but it’s on the top. mom2collegekids, what do you mean by concentrating on being in the top 2000? How will I know if I am part of the top 2000 in the nation?</p>
<p>Her point is that the medical school pool is very small, and the pool of people attending “top” medical schools is even smaller. MCAT score will give you a rough idea of where you stand.</p>
<p>limabeans, According to your post,
It appears you do believe that the same GPA from different schools could be interpreted differently by med schools.</p>
<p>But I think we are splitting the hair if we overly focus on whether there is some difference here. This is because the difference, if any, is relatively small. No matter which college you attend, it is more meaningful to focus on becoming one of those X or so students from your major at your school, no matter what X is (say, X could be the top 20-25 out of 100 students in your major.) This is because med schools expect an admitted student to be a top performer no matter which your school is, and no matter what your major is.</p>
<p>I think that the number X as used in the context of the previous paragraph could be college-dependent. Suppose that a student is in a very large major (say, bio) at a very large school, and there are, say, 500 students in his major. Is it generally good enough to be among the top 100-125 students out of 500 students from such a large major? I do not know.</p>
<p>IWBB is right. What I was trying to get to is what your motivation for a top school is. Some thoughts to consider:</p>
<p>1) It is relatively easy for anyone to see that going to a more prestigious undergrad could theoretically open more doors for you down the road. After all, “who you know” is very important in just about every field. However, this is not necessarily the case for med schools–they vary considerably by curriculum style, program size, location, etc and (in my opinion) by the “flavor” of doc they train. Eg: IWBB is interested in research, and is part of a program well-known in that field; I’m interested in practicing clinical medicine in my home state, so it makes sense to go to school there so I can hit the ground running in a few years. I don’t think one of us will be “better” than the other (no offense, IWBB) and I don’t think I’d like his program very much (I love mine!). </p>
<p>2) It is relatively easy for top high school students (you sound like you would be among the top at your school?) to gain admission to competitive undergraduate universities. When I was applying a few years ago, even the top schools had admissions rates of around 10-12%. </p>
<p>3) Once in college, I personally believe it is relatively easy (or at least, not extraordinarily difficult) for top students to continue being top students, assuming they continue to be diligent workers.</p>
<p>4) As a result of the above, I personally believe many young college students (and HS seniors) mistakenly believe the med school admissions process is analogous to the undergrad admissions process, using their previous experience with applications (for admission, scholarships, societies, whatever) as evidence that they will, once again, be successful in gaining admission to top programs.</p>
<p>5) I also personally believe that many young college students (and HS seniors) mistakenly believe that the things that theoretically make an undergrad school better than another one also apply to med schools, when that is simply not the case. </p>
<p>This is what I was wondering in your situation–are you gunning for JHU because you are under the false impression that the most elite med school will make you the best doctor, and are you also operating under the false impression that you have a reasonable shot at admission? (Now, this isn’t to say that JHU is overrated or that it is not the right school for you. I think it’s a fabulous place and the right choice for those who go there.) </p>
<p>The point I’m trying to make is that med school admissions is an entirely different different animal than undergrad admissions. Elite programs are not necessarily better than others. Probably for the first time in your life, you will not be among the top of the pool and you will not be among the small percentage that is accepted (the most generous admissions rates you’ll find will still be <30%)–this is why it is important to apply broadly and intelligently, and not become fixated on admission to one or a few particular programs. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to insult you or discourage you by spelling this all out. I want you to have a realistic view of this process early on, so you know what’s going on and have some control over it. I personally was unaware of most of this until I was applying to med school, and I wish I had realized these things sooner. </p>
<p>My advice to you would be to choose a school for undergrad that fits you well and has an environment that you enjoy and where you can thrive. If there are a few schools that fit this bill, choose the least expensive one because you will be taking on at least a hundred thousand dollars in debt to go to med school–and that is no small sum. There’s a sticky at the top of the page about how to choose a school, and I think Mike did a great job writing it.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>