<p>I really love these two institutions and I am planning to apply for MIT, but I have heard that it is more difficult in terms of academics as opposed to berkeley. Which one would be better for a person who is doing pre-med?</p>
<p>I've heard Berkeley has better records than MIT has for sending students to medical schools. As to how significant the lead of Berkeley to MIT in this area, I have no idea. I suggest that you visit both campuses and talk to students and faculty.</p>
<p>In 2007, 84% of MIT undergraduates who applied to medical school were accepted. The rest of MIT's data can be found [url=<a href="http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/preprof.html%5Dhere%5B/url">http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/preprof.html]here[/url</a>]. I would be surprised if Berkeley's numbers were higher than this.</p>
<p>MIT is a tough school, and it's definitely not a place to go if you don't want to work hard. But if you want to go to MIT and pursue a premedical track, it's definitely a viable option.</p>
<p>Are you applying as a California resident?</p>
<p>If Berkeley has a high number it's because they weed out many, many who start as pre meds. Frankly, if I wanted med school I would not necessarily go to either of these 2 as they are both places hard to get the high GPA needed for med school. If you're an amazing student and score high on standardized teststhis doesn't matter as much.</p>
<p>If you're a california resident, the tuition/cost difference would be significant enough to make you choose Berkeley, assuming of course that you're not poor(in which I believe you'll receive a lot of financial aid from MIT) or extremely rich.</p>
<p>MIT its honestly a better school</p>
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If Berkeley has a high number it's because they weed out many, many who start as pre meds.
[/quote]
Overconfident premeds...think they'll get the same grades they got in high school...then experience their first Chem 1A midterm and their dreams are dashed...</p>
<p>Hmmm, honestly both are great schools, but I think even as a Berkeley student, I'd just select the one which gives more undergrad attention, which I think is MIT. But honestly, I would agree with whoever says that these aren't my top choices when considering being a premed (note - I am far from a premed). </p>
<p>I think we're splitting hairs when we consider which is harder to get good grades in, because they're both tough schools. Berkeley's pretty awfully competitive.</p>
<p>Since neither school is really stand out for premed, it depends on which one you like better, I guess. Both will give you a great education and the preparation you'd need for med school.
I guess it'd also depend on which ones you get accepted to...</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you're a california resident, the tuition/cost difference would be significant enough to make you choose Berkeley, assuming of course that you're not poor(in which I believe you'll receive a lot of financial aid from MIT) or extremely rich.
[/quote]
Surprisingly, this doesn't seem to be true. I have data from one year of MIT admits (class of 2010) and where they chose to go to college; only 4 of the 1500 admitted students that year chose Berkeley over MIT. California is one of the largest suppliers of MIT students, and many MIT-caliber applicants apply to Berkeley, so I don't think it's an issue of there not being many cross-admits. Many more students choose schools like Michigan or Georgia Tech over MIT than choose Berkeley over MIT.</p>
<p>i'd say berkely...</p>
<p>I'd say neither. However, if you have to pick the lesser of the 2 evils(as far as grades are concerned), pick MIT because you don't have to worry about your freshman year grades.</p>
<p>i would never go to either one of those for pre-med because my GPA at either would SUCK.</p>
<p>MIT definitely has a more math/science focused environment. Berkeley is also on the west coast which is dramatically different from Cambridge. Academics are close to a tie so you really have to see where you'd be happiest (if you're happy, you'll study well and earn good grades!)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Surprisingly, this doesn't seem to be true. I have data from one year of MIT admits (class of 2010) and where they chose to go to college; only 4 of the 1500 admitted students that year chose Berkeley over MIT. California is one of the largest suppliers of MIT students, and many MIT-caliber applicants apply to Berkeley, so I don't think it's an issue of there not being many cross-admits. Many more students choose schools like Michigan or Georgia Tech over MIT than choose Berkeley over MIT.
[/quote]
My comment was made in respects to cost. If one is going to attend Medical school, there's no need to pay a higher price for undergrad education that is comparible-that is assuming that one doesn't get enough financial aid from MIT.</p>
<p>If I'm from California, I would also rather attend MIT than Berkeley as I wouldn't want to be closer to home. But like some people here have suggested, both schools are not the best places for premed. If you're smart enough to get into MIT and Berkeley as OOS, you should be smart enough to get into any school that has an excellent record for sending graduates to some of the finest medical institutions anywhere in the US. I'm thinking of JHU, Duke, Dartmouth, Brown, Williams, Sharthmore, Rice, Princeton, Yale and, of course, HARVARD.</p>
<p>Do you want honesty? MIT is much more difficult academically speaking;however, most medical schools honestly could care less from where you got your under grad studies. They really look at your grades and hospital experience and your interview more than what school you go to. If a student from MIT with a C grade point average applied for med school and is competing against a person who graduated from the University of Georgia that has maintained an A grade point average, then the person from UGA will get in before the MIT person. BUt its whatev...just whatever you wanna do</p>