<p>I am a little open to my major in college because I have a lot of interests. I would consider:
-biology-MCDB
-chemistry
-biochemistry
-economics
-computer sciences
-applied mathematics
-applied statistics</p>
<p>From that list, I like biology and chemistry the most.</p>
<p>I now want to pick my major based on GPA and MCAT. I've seen statistics from shady sources that say that biology majors get like 28 averages on the MCAT and their GPA average is around 3.5. Is this because most kids who want to go to medical school are biology majors and the non-serious students bring it down or something?</p>
<p>I really want to major in something where I learn a lot of cell biology and a lot of chemistry. I like the others but these are my top 2 choices. I was suggested a biology major with a chemistry minor but I feel the course work might bring down my GPA by having a lot of classes. I want to have a high GPA and great MCAT so what should I do?</p>
<p>I am confident that if I went with biology or chemistry then my GPA would be great. I'm not so sure about the others though.</p>
<p>Which are the pros and cons to each major in terms of coursework, MCAT, and GPA?</p>
<p>Note that you are citing the data for applicants, the other chart for matriculants is naturally higher.</p>
<p>The main pros and cons to different majors have to do with your interests and abilities, which dictate to a great extent how well you will do. Are you really going to base your major on statistical means of the general population rather than on your own personal academic strengths and interests?</p>
<p>Major in what interests you and where your strengths lie. It makes for a stronger GPA.</p>
<p>No one particular major is going to prepare you for med school. Or even for the MCAT.</p>
<p>My older D’s med school class has students whose majors include: Spanish, physics, applied mathematics, English lit, forestry, electrical engineering, sociology, history, and music theory & performance as well as the more common biology, chem and biochem.</p>
<p>Everything the mommas are saying is spot on.</p>
<p>Your intuition is right though that since biology is the most common/“default” major for many pre-meds that it’s going to best represent the “average” student whereas the pre-meds who are majoring in topics away from biology are more likely to be higher quality students because they are CHOOSING to study something different while also pursuing pre-med. </p>
<p>For example, Brown classics department has a 100% med school acceptance rate over a good decade or so of applicants (better than Brown’s cumulative 80-85%). It is 100% not that the Brown classics program is preparing its students in some way to succeed better in med school admissions, it is that the type of student who pursues a classics major while being a pre-med was already more likely to be successful than the type of student who chooses biology. Same thing with the school as a whole. Top schools have higher acceptance rates because their talent pool is better to begin with.</p>
<p>" I want to have a high GPA and great MCAT so what should I do?"
-You can have both in any major or combo of major(s)/minor(s). No matter what reasonable amount of work you choose in UG, it will not be any close to time requirements in Med. School. Might as well get used to some reasonably high time constraints. In Med. School they are pretty unreasonable. Some kids just interested in something and they are willingto take risk to gain experiences and skills. It pays off fo some and may derail others. You got to decide for yourself. Calculating your future in college based on you plan for Med. School should not be the focus. Yes, you should consider it, do not get me wrong, but do not be so afraid and limit yourself. You will never ever have these opportunities, the life will just get much busier and very limited in free time. Besides the goal of Med. School, keep in mind it is 4 years of your life. Live it!</p>