Looking for schools for pre-med CA boy

Parents Forum
21

<p>I must admit the boys in my intermediate family seem to have problem getting good grades at the UCs, but the girls are NOT having this problem so maybe LACs are better for boys in general.</p>

22

<p>I also know a student accepted through the early program at UCR and given a 10k per year Regent’s scholarship. Got no scholarship (except great need based aid ) at UCI, UCLA and Berkeley where she was also accepted. UCR isn’t the most exciting location, but they seems to have reasonable health advising, they are trying to supply healthcare professionals for the Inland Empire. And now that they have a School of Medicine it appears there are some good pathways. I don’t know all that much about it either, but this is something I’ve noticed.
<a href=“http://hpac.ucr.edu/”>http://hpac.ucr.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>At least he could have that as a possibility for someone seriously interested in medical field. </p>

23

<p>^ I read from somewhere recently that boys are losing the “battle” to girls at many schools in many fields, to the extent that they almost need “affirmative actions for boys.” The aptitude test like SAT-1 could be boys’ last “defense”. (I may have exaggerated it a little bit here.)</p>

<p>Since OP is interested in premed, let me share an anecdotal experience here. In sophhomore year, DS went to the very first TA-led lab section at the beginning of the semester. When he stepped into that room, he saw the room full of girls. He thought he went to a “wrong” place - maybe some female students had some activities for woman only! The “girl’s power” could be easily felt on the premed track. They tend to be more focused, diligent and resilient as a group. (There are of course some exceptions.)</p>

<p>Luckily, just like the SAT-1 test, there is MCAT which comes to rescue these boys who are occasionally lost in their focus (like wasting their time in playing some hot video games.) I may have exaggerated it a little bit here, for the fun of it.</p>

24

<p>^yep, nephew did better on MCAT than his sister. </p>

25

<p>From the mom, the C was due to poor time management. Water Polo and swimming along with everything else took its toll on him. I don’t think he can pull it up to a B. I know a C isn’t a total death march, though. I know a girl who was admitted to Stanford with at least one C on her transcript. It’s not great, but he pulled up his other grades and I suspect next fall’s grades will be back to their normal excellence.</p>

<p>He took the AP bio last year and got a 3. Also took AP Euro and got a 3. This year’s classes were: APEL, AP Stats, AP Music Theory, Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, Honors Chem (thought it was AP; not sure now which it is), and Honors US History. I <em>think</em> he took 3 APs.</p>

<p>Next year, he’s slated to take AP CS, Advanced Physics and college Poly Sci, but I don’t have the rest of his schedule.</p>

<p>I like UCD, UCI and UCR. Gotta see what the f. aid calculator says. </p>

<p>When do kids know about scholarships? April?</p>

26

<p>Feb for some UCs.</p>

27

<p>Dr Google, what LAC might you recommend for this student given his stats and willingness to look at other parts of the country? This is what I’m trying to figure out-what LACs might give good merit for someone like him.</p>

28

<p>I don’t know much about LACs, other parents have much better knowledge. My kids didn’t apply to any LAC.
But I remember one in NY, I think 5boys’ son got admit. Let me find the link, it was pretty good for premed.
I found it, Hobart William Smith and St Lawrence</p>

<p><a href=“Hobart and William Smith vs St. Lawrence - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Hobart and William Smith vs St. Lawrence - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;

<p>Last time I looked it was pretty nice and green
<a href=“http://www.hws.edu/about/index.aspx”>http://www.hws.edu/about/index.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.stlawu.edu/”>http://www.stlawu.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

29

<p>

</p>

<p>New biology bachelor’s degree graduates are majority female these days. Chemistry is about evenly split between female and male. Other sciences are still majority male these days.</p>

30

<p>5 Boys son is at St Lawrence. My own DS is at Wabash with a 3.9 going into jr year and pre-med. Midwestern LACs may be a nice way to go for merit aid. They like geographic diversity. </p>

31

<p>

</p>

<p>Sonoma State</p>

<p>As a CSU, its in-state list price is $23,655 (including $1,364 in personal costs and $1,390 in transportation costs, so there may be some cost-cutting opportunities here): <a href=“http://www.sonoma.edu/finaid/cost_of_attendance/1415_costs.html”>http://www.sonoma.edu/finaid/cost_of_attendance/1415_costs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Truman State</p>

<p>Starts out fairly low cost, $22,920 to $26,720 (depending on travel and personal expenses that are estimated at $3,800 that may be cut with frugality): <a href=“Tuition & Costs - Truman State University”>http://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/tuition-costs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Then it has some automatic scholarships that he likely qualifies for with his stats: <a href=“http://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/automatic-scholarships/”>http://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/automatic-scholarships/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>University of Minnesota - Morris:</p>

<p>Cost is $23,206 (including $500 transportation, $1,600 miscellaneous, and $40 loan fees): <a href=“http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/costofattendance/”>http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/costofattendance/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Has scholarship programs: <a href=“http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/scholarshipswaivers/”>http://www.morris.umn.edu/financialaid/scholarshipswaivers/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>However, if he wants to major in math, he may want to check the course offerings carefully to make sure that he does not run out of math courses at a smaller LAC, given that he is very advanced in math already.</p>

32

<p>Thank you, MizzBee. I will check out Wabash and St. Lawrence. </p>

<p>Not sure I like Sonoma State; seems he could get into a higher ranked Cal State for the same money, ucb. But, I don’t know anything about it, other than its mid-50%ile SAT scores.</p>

<p>I have heard of Truman State but don’t know anything about it. </p>

<p>Yes, I think we need to look at colleges that have deep math offerings in the event he goes that route, assuming he’ll be able to transfer all his math in (which would automatically happen if he went to a UC or Cal State and that probably would happen with a mid-tier college).</p>

33

<p>Sonoma State claims to be more LAC-like than most CSUs, and is more residential (as opposed to commuter) than most CSUs. Both it and Truman State have about 8,000 to 9,000 students, which is on the large side for a LAC.</p>

<p>Math seems to be one of the subjects that is hard to find deep offerings at LACs other than Harvey Mudd and perhaps a few others. Perhaps this may be because the math faculty are “used up” offering small frosh calculus service courses to non-majors, and math departments have to compete with non-academic employers for math PhDs when trying to hire faculty. In addition, it is more common for entering frosh to be far ahead in math than in most other subjects (other than heritage speakers in foreign languages).</p>

34

<p>Wabash? Really?
I hope he is aware that it’s an ALL-MALE school. Pre-med at Wabash is no better than Pre-med at any other LAC, besides, their placement claim into prestigious med-schols an Graduate programs is wayyyyyyy overrated, when less than half of the student even consider going to grad school.
I am thinking more of the Reed, Carleton, Tufts even Tulane etc.</p>

35

<p><<<<
CPSLO has separate biology-major / pre-med courses in physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and calculus, compared to the harder ones that students majoring in those subjects (or engineering majors who need those courses) take. This is not all that different from most colleges.
<<<<</p>

<p>yes, it does seem that some/all calif publics allow their premeds to take the sciences for non-STEM majors. (and they dont do Committee Letters). I do not think that is the case for 'most colleges". since the Calif publics have a lowish acceptance rate for med schools (too many applicants), I dont know if an applicant is handicapped by taking the easier sciences.</p>

<p>of course, the Calif premeds who are majoring in Chem, bio, engg, etc, may be required to take those sciences for STEM majors as they would likely be the reqs for their major.</p>

<p>my son, as an engineering major, wouldn’t have had a choice, but at his undergrad the sciences for majors was required for premeds, and likely the Committee Letter would have had a negative aspect if an applicant presented with the lesser science classes.</p>

<p>if the OP’s friend’s child gets merit from UCR, that would be a good choice since that lower-UC seems to have put in place better pre-med advising and claims to have a good acceptance rate to med schools for qualified applicants. I am guessing that they help their premeds come up with an app list that includes Midwest SOMs which seem to happily accept calif premeds.</p>

36

<p>So I read at the OP again, this kid seems to be good in math and not bio, it’s a mistake to think one should major in biology for pre-med. I know some students that graduate with math major and are in medical school. For this student, it might be best to take it enough courses to satisfy the bio portion of pre-med. From his score in bio, he might not do well in bio, and should major in math.
D1 knew such student at USC, he was accepted to BS/MD program, he would have done well had he studied engineering, but nobody in his family was in this field, so he was a pre-med. Did great with physics and math, bio was his downfall and I think the reason he is not in medical school probably because he couldn’t meet the minimum GPA for BS/MD and not high enough GPA to apply to cheaper medical schools.</p>

37

<p>Based on low HS grades/scores in Chem and Bio, realistically, the kid has little chance at a California med school. Strongly suggest OOS.
(Do not recommend the Cal States. Very few unhooked grads are accepted into med schools.)</p>

38

<p>^But the OP is looking for undergraduate not medical school at the moment.</p>

39

<p>Truman State (actually, Kirksville and small-town/rural midwest, in general) might be a major culture shock to someone from southern California. </p>

40

<p>

</p>

<p>Right, but searching for an undergrad program with the intent of med school is a real long shot, based on past performance. Thus, just search for an undergrad school, period. (And when med school is no longer a realistic target, a Cal State maybe the most economical choice for undergrad. OOS schools require unreimbursed travel and clothing
)</p>