I’m having trouble making a decision. At the moment, I’m debating between Miami of Ohio and Purdue (UCLA is likely too expensive for me but I’m in the process of negotiating. it sucks.) Purdue is in-state and Miami of Ohio gave me merit; With another scholarship that I got through a local organization, Purdue is about $5,000 cheaper. My family should be able to handle that extra $5000, and I’m hoping for more scholarships anyway.
I was accepted to both honors colleges. I hear people only stay in Purdue’s honor college for the dorms and priority class choice.
My emails to the people at Miami were responded to more helpfully; I’ve also been able to find stats on med school acceptance rates for Miami undergrads (which are significantly higher than the national average as of 2017-2018). This, however, includes DO and MD programs. I haven’t seen any clear stats from Purdue other than them briefly mentioning that acceptance rates are a little higher than the national average.
At Purdue, I would have a stronger support system in terms of friends if I attended. My best friend is attending for vet med, and I know it’s dumb to base a decision off something like this, but I do think it’s a little important.
Right now I’m worried that I’m missing something in my research. If anyone has anything helpful to say, please lmk, even if that means just giving an interpretation of my situation. Also, confirm for me that 70k per year is too much for pre-med undergrad, even if it is UCLA. I know it is, I just need to hear it from someone else.
Pul-eez! Colleges and universities manipulate their med school admission stats six ways from Sunday.
Here’s just a few way schools manipulate their data:
–using a committee letter to prevent weak(er) students from applying
–counting any health profession acceptance as a “med school” admission
–counting admissions to off shore medical schools
–including alumni who apply as many as 5 years post graduation in their accepted to med school numbers
I could go on, but basically you cannot take those numbers at face value.
And this doesn’t even consider all the freshmen pre-meds who never actually get to the point of applying to med school because they change their minds or their grades aren’t good enough or they simply get tired of being on the pre-med treadmill. (At D2’s undergrad, about 85% of freshmen pre-meds never actually applied to med school.)
My advice–take pre-med out of the equation. Which school offers you the best fit? The best opportunities (including the option for other majors in case you’re among the vast majority of pre-med who don’t apply to med school)? The best affordability?
And in your deliberations–don’t discount the importance of a strong support system. Anything that eases your transition to college and helps keep you on track in important.
If you’d like some reassurance, let me offer the examples of my 2 daughters: one went to a state university ranked below #200; one went to expensive private top 35 U known for its pre-med program. Guess what? Both had multiple med school acceptances. Both went to med school. Both are now doctors.
Getting into med school is really all about what you do and accomplish–not where you go.
Oof. Yes I’m sure they do manipulate their stats. I know the stats include DO and MD programs too and that they were averaged over the years 2014-2017, but I’m sure there’s some inflation there as you said. Miami also listed their average MCAT scores as 78th percentile.
Barring that, I’m left with Miami, a smaller campus with super helpful advisors and Purdue, a slightly cheaper, larger campus. From my exchanges with the advisors, it seems like Miami is more willing to help write recommendations, while Purdue has more research opportunities. However, Purdue expects students to arrange internships themselves, while Miami makes it seem like a more guided process.
I’m still not sure how to weigh those things against each other. I might have also forgotten to mention that I’ll know a girl from my school at Miami too; we’re just not as close but we’re friendly.
Money for both them. Both took the lowest or next to lowest cost option. (Also the one who stayed local–we were having a family crisis with one parent and her only living grandparent both with terminal cancer diagnoses. She actually transferred to the state U from OOS because she didn’t want to be that far away. But the full tuition scholarship didn’t hurt either…)
Big ouch!!
The median MCAT for accepted MD students is hovering around 511-12 (or above 85th percentile) and has been going up every year in the past 5 years.
Forget about UCLA. If you are hoping for financial aid if any kind as an OOS student…it’s going to be more than an uphill battle. The school gives ZERO need based aid to out of state students.
Purdue is an excellent university…and is less costly. I vote for that.
Yep, both options are right about the same cost for me. Sorry to hear about your family; that sounds rough.
Yeah, I still don’t think 78% is super bad considering that if you score in the top of your class %wise, you’re probably right around >85%. I at least like having that reference point as opposed to Purdue.
What’s the meaning of any school’s average MCAT percentile, or meaning of some “reference point” have to any one student’s success at getting into med school. Your chances of getting into med school will be determined mainly by your efforts, less the school attended, and what’s in your submitted application, not in comparison to what your school’s published stats are.
Ah the what “if you score……” Hypotheticals have no meaning in med school admissions. What ”is” in your application is what counts. Miami and Purdue will offer you the resources and opportunities you need to become a successful premed applicant. Consider where you think you’re more likely to be happy/fit in because if you’re happy/fit you’ll tend to do better GPA wise which is something med schools care, in part, a great deal about… Good luck.
@emwear If money was no object I would say UCLA. However, at 70k a year with little hope of financial aid it is cost prohibitive since you have med school ahead. After that I would go Miami of Ohio. Even at $5k more expensive you sound like you fit better there at a smaller campus, helpful staff and you feel you will get recommendations more easily. Go for fit when it is that close monetarily. Go and get the best GPA you can and you will be fine
@emwear Forget UCLA. Forget about all the school stats. Choose between Purdue and Miami@Ohio. And get to the job of attaining good GPA, test scores and line up good EC. It is not that you need to do super research to get in to MD.
Both your choices seem similar, both public, one bigger (around 30k students) and one 18k students and both are close by in Midwest. May be the intensity at Purdue may be harder since I heard many in CA going to Purdue but rarely heard any one going to Miami. If money is not an issue, choose which ever the one you will be happy and do well.
Purdue honors college has been much more than just honors dorm and priority scheduling The honors advisors are fabulous, the honors courses great, there are leadership opportunities and honors specific study abroad trips. And of course guaranteed research. My D is very invested in staying in honors and graduating with that distinction.
That said, you are talking very different environments. No hand holding at Purdue. Lots of supports but you need to initiate.
thanks for weighing in y’all