<p>I'm a senior right now and trying to find colleges to apply to. I know I want to do premed and I've been reading through the threads and it seems like its better to go to a school you'd enjoy where you'd be a top student (w/ higher gpa) > a regular student (w/ lower gpa)at more well known school, correct? </p>
<p>My stats are 2250 superscore and a 100.5 weighted gpa (dunno how to convert to unweighted 4.0 scale) so a tougher school that i'd like to go to would be University of Southern California but it'd be more difficult to get a high gpa there so it would be better to go to say Syracuse and do really well there correct?</p>
<p>i understand that of course i'd go where i enjoy, but im talking about in terms of which would be better in terms of getting into med school. </p>
<p>is this thinking correct? thoughts from experienced people like bluedevilmike would be much appreciated. thanks</p>
<p>Another factor to consider: Where will you likely have better ECs after 3 years in college? Some students are very good at getting hold an opportunity even when the supply and demand ratio is not good. This highly depends on the drive of each individual. For example, one student from Florida State University built up a great EC (in football). He just had a great talent in that area and that is a good school for him. He then transferred to a top school to show his academic side while doing some great ECs in a rough neighborhood (where an “egghead” type student can not survive there, but an established football player may earn the respect from kids there more easily.) He ended up being a Rhode Scholar after only 2 years at this top school.</p>
<p>I suspect if DS went to a college where the EC opportunity is not as plenty, he would have a harder time to get his current not-so-great ECs. He is not not somebody who would actively try to hunt down a summer EC opportunity starting in December/January time frame.</p>
<p>well, I agree that the competition for A’s at 'Cuse will be a less than at 'SC (which has a LOT of premed gunners). However, I know nothing about the science curves at those colleges. If Frosh Chem at 'SC awards 50% A’s and B’s while 'Cuse is only 35%…(just making up numbers).</p>
<p>The point is that your choice is not so simple…</p>
<p>I strongly believe that EC’s opportunities, both medically related and otherwise are plentiful at any UG. Definitely, much more available for high GPA’s, like job might just land on your laps without applying (I am not joking, it does happen and I am talking about the best job on campus). All places have Medical Research labs, volunteering opportunities, sports, clubs of all sorts, bands, choirs, minors of wide range of interest and some (most) have greek life which is a great opportunity for leadership. Pre-med advisory could be better or worse. I can only speak about my D’s experience at state school, her pre-med committee has been top notch, which is crucial in Med. School application process. Another side of it - choosing the cheapest one which still will make you happy. There is no reason to spend lots of $$ in UG, unless you have unlimited resources, which very few do.</p>
<p>thanks for the insight miamidap, that stuff is def true.</p>
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hmmmm, i see your point. although in your example, it’d probably be harder to be 50% in USC than to be in top 35% at SU considering the different level of competition, correct? well i guess you cant know this for sure but you get the idea</p>
<p>do you agree with the idea that sakky often said where it’d be better to get a high gpa at a lesser known school than a lower one at a more well known school (not talking about ivies since those arent an option lol)? if this is true why would people want to go to say Emory where like half the school is premed and the classes are very competitive? wouldn’t it just be unnecessarily more difficult for one who goes there?</p>
<p>Someone might choose Emory over a lesser-known for a variety of reasons. Perhaps that person wants an additional challenge that he or she thinks can only be found at Emory–maybe like the choice to take all honors courses (assuming your school’s honors college is credible). The location might be better or the campus might be prettier. The student might fit in better with the student body at Emory better than the lesser-known. Maybe money’s not really an issue. Family could have gone there. Emory might offer some obscure club sport the person likes, or might have a research lab about the developmental effects of Wnt and its analogues in other vertebrates. </p>
<p>Point being: there’s more to college than GPA, and the experiences you have that shape your undergraduate career are of critical importance to your candidacy for medical school. You’ll figure out what’s right for you eventually though! Good luck!</p>
<p>I would think that, for most (but not all) students, it is better to go to a school they are reasonably challenged but not overwhelmed. Remember to set aside some time for ECs also.</p>
<p>DS went to a well-known school. In retrospect, one reason for him to choose to go there might be that he thought he might be able to do reasonably well on GPAs at that school (BTW, OP: his SAT 1 was 2340? and 3 X 800 SAT-II and maybe 8 APs are 5s.) Maybe SOME medical schools (with the exception of the top ones) may give him some slack on his not-so-great ECs, if he gets good grades at a better-known school. He tends to be “all muscles” at a test room, but has a harder time in building up non-numeric qualifications. He was like this even when he’s in high school.</p>
<p>He is still in the application cycle, so he does not know how this will play out. It appears he could get invites, but will he get accepted when adcoms look at his whole application package? It is hard to tell at this stage. Some may say that the stats can only get you an invite, but other qualifications like ECs can really get you accepted. (This is the reason why I said one need to set aside time, actually a lot of time, for the all important ECs.)</p>
<p>Well, again based on D’s and few of her friends’ experience, all of whom have been very top kids at HS, be prepared to be overwhelmed no matter where you go for pre-med. It is somewhat easier for those who went to most challenging local HS’s, but I never heard that college was easy for any of them. They all had plenty of AP’s with top grades and repeating the same classes in college (sometime using the same textbook) was pretty overwhelming. Yes, some classes might be somewhat easier but most likely you would have at least 2 / semester that will completely drain you. Do not want to scare you off, but be prepared to work very hard at any place, including school that is off the charts that nobody heard about (like our local college).</p>
<p>The best combination of ensuring excellence plus getting a good educational environment is usually to shoot for a school where you’re a little bit above the school’s median SAT, but hopefully not above their 75th percentile.</p>
<p>If you’re in a school where everybody has much higher scores, you’re at risk for getting outcompeted. If their scores are much lower, it’s going to be lonely.</p>
<p>^Do kids with low scores even thinking about medicine? In post 11 I was talking about kids with ACT=33+. There is no much diff. between kids with practically perfect GPA’s and tons AP’s who got ACT=33 - 36.<br>
There is a “luck” factor also.</p>
<p>One other extremely important variable is your true interest in medicine. For a whole bunch of reasons, the vast majority of diehard, premed Frosh do not even take the mcat nor apply to med school. They find other majors and interests while in college. If you happen to be one of those, would you rather spend four years in upstate New York or four years in Southern California (where it topped out at 113 yesterday, before the theromometer broke.)</p>
<p>For those desiring to find a job in SoCal, the ‘Trojan Family’ is HUGE. Alumni connections are plentiful. Of course, if you desire a life in NY City, then 'Cuse would make more sense.</p>
<p>I generally agree with bdm, but being above the 75th might bring merit money into play. Also, being above the 75th could mean an honors program or other college perk (UC Regents?) that makes it easier to get noticed, particularly at a public. Faculty need student researchers, and they’d rather have the best that they can get.</p>
<p>Again, there is no one, right answer for everyone.</p>
<p>OP, I’d suggest not picking a school “for pre-med.” Pick it based on where you are most happy. Sure, go w/ a competitive school if you want or go for financial savings (the latter is probably the wiser). It is notable that VERY few students at your pt are going to actually apply to take the MCAT and only around 1/4 of those who take the MCAT will actually get into any medical school. Your chances, therefore, of going to med school are probably somewhere around 3-5% for a large variety of reasons. With that in mind, why choose a UG just “for pre-med”? Pick it for other reasons. Make sure it’s got good relationships with surrounding hospitals and clinics, etc. and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>thanks for all the responses, i really appreciate them and they’re def helping me out.</p>
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thats another reason id want to go to a less competitive school. id have more time for ecs and the like compared to at a harder school where id have to study extra hard and not have as much time. i know i will be challenged wherever i go since i will be striving to be the best i possibly can be regardless of the level of everybody else tbh. </p>
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yeah, im aware i will have to work my guts out regardless of where i go. at the less competitive school i just think id have more time for ecs and other stuff since the competition to get the top grades wouldn’t be as difficult.
im about slightly higher than 75th for USC superscored but i dont think id even consider any schools more difficult than that. i feel as if id get demolished if im only averageish (i know sat scores dont exactly mean that people will be smarter/harder working than me but its usually got a strong correlation i think)</p>
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i understand the whole ‘go where you’d be happy’ thing. I’m sure wherever I go I’ll be satisfied. Whether it’d be syracuse or usc, theres going to be things to do and people to meet so i dont really worry about that part that much tbh. i will be happy regardless of where i go. its just a matter of being motivated and taking advantage of opportunities that will be available anywhere tbh</p>
<p>but if im doing poorly in terms of grades, i know that would dampen my spirit and hope for the future. if im doing well in terms of grades and happy then thats the win-win plan im going for.</p>
<p>thanks again for all the help. i really appreciate all this.</p>