I was admitted to MIT in the Early Action cycle but am not sure if I want to attend. Part of me has reservations, because I feel like everyone who is admitted is an insanely intelligent and I am not as intelligent. A coach at MIT recruited me, even though it’s not official there, but I don’t feel worthy of being admitted. I want to major in neuroscience and probably go to Med school afterwards. I know a lot of people don’t attend MIT in hopes of majoring in neuroscience or attending medical school, but I would really like to do research in college and Cambridge/Boston is an amazing place. However, I also visited amherst which I fell in love with and applied regular decision. I loved how close knit everyone seemed to be, the smaller class size, the one on one attention there seemed to be, and obviously how good their neuroscience program is. My parents think I’m insane for even considering Amherst when I have been admitted to such a prestigious school. I’m quite conflicted. Any advice is appreciated!
You’re not insane at all–Amherst isn’t much of a step down from MIT (if at all). Obviously your parents should be involved in the decision, but it sounds to me that Amherst would suit you better. (and as a Williams alum it pains me to type that)
Amherst is small and provincial. Not much to do on the weekends off campus. Alcohol is big. MIT is urban, lots of opportunities on and off campus in Cambridge. If you got accepted, you can do the work. I may surprise you, but lots of seats at Amherst were filled in the ED round. It seems Amherst wants more diversity of any kind than scholars. I would not be surprised come RD, if your decision is MIT vs. MIT.
@marvin100 Thanks. I hope my parents may turn around. They say that Amherst is easy compared to MIT and I’m trying to take the easy way out. I know that MIT is extremely difficult, but Amherst is not easy.
Indeed!
Amherst is not “easy”…at all. that is just crazy. An Amherst is not a “step down”.
MIT premeds can have a difficult time getting med-school worthy GPAs.
If you seriously considering med school, then I don’t think MIT is the right choice.
Do your parents support your goal of going to med school? if so, ask them how they’d feel if you went to MIT and ended up with a GPA that med schools will reject.
MIT has an extra math req’t to graduate doesn’t it? Does it require all to complete Calc II? Not necessary as a premed, at all.
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They say that Amherst is easy compared to MIT and I’m trying to take the easy way out.
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are your parents immigrants? Or perhaps don’t understand the med school app process here in the US?
Setting aside the crazy notion that going to Amherst as a premed would somehow be easy (no friggin’ way), it is totally wrong-headed to purposely take a harder route if you want to go to med school. Med schools do NOT give MIT students “a pass” if their GPAs are lower than other applicants. no way.
Let’s assume MIT is more work than Amherst. Do you want to play your sport in college? Might be easier to do it at Amherst if it’s less of a grind.
Amherst is as prestigious as MIT for those who know, and being where you feel you fit best is important.
But since you haven’t been admitted to Amherst yet (though your chances are good if you were accepted at MIT), I suggest not agonizing over this decision until you know exactly what your options are.
If you are pre-med and are able to get into MIT, I think Amherst would be better. But given how difficult it is to get into Amherst, hopefully you applied to other schools like Amherst so – if Amherst does not accept you – you will have other strong schools to weigh vs. MIT.
Amherst is small and therefore has fewer spots, and its ADCOMS are focused on something other than scholarship for the most part. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Also, my Anatomy lab partner in med school was an MIT grad. Premed at MIT is a stand out in med school apps. I think it helped her rather than hurt her get in.
I would not assume it’s easier to get into med school from Amherst than it is from MIT. Yes, everybody is smart (at both) but MIT has grade inflation. I think it’s as easy to get A’s at MIT as it is to get A’s at Amherst. You have two wonderful schools to choose from, and either one will prepare you very well for med school. There are fantastic neuroscience research opportunities at MIT (my D is in one) and everyone is very nice. Don’t be intimidated–they would not have admitted you if they did not think you could do the work. Congrats! You’ve applied and should table this worry until you find out if you even got in to Amherst (not easy!). Good luck.
https://slice.mit.edu/2011/10/13/grades
http://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/blogs/thenextgreatgeneration/2011/10/whats_in_an_a_grading_policies.html
/https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-distribution-of-MIT-GPAs-look-like
“It seems Amherst wants more diversity of any kind than scholars.” "its ADCOMS are focused on something other than scholarship for the most part.
Oh please, this is ridiculous.
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Also, my Anatomy lab partner in med school was an MIT grad. Premed at MIT is a stand out in med school apps. I think it helped her rather than hurt her get in.
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When did you go to med school? Unless you applied to med school within the last 10 years or so, things are much different now.
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MIT students say they also experience the frustrations of grade deflation
Our grades are oriented toward the brightest students in the world. Those that get As are those who are the smartest and hardest workers in the world," said MIT sophomore David Couto. “If you are not extremely smart or working very hard, you simply will not get an A. An A is a grade reserved for a master of a subject, unlike high school where you could semi-know a subject and get an A.”
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This is a real problem.
Things have changed with med school admissions. There may have been a time (and I think there was), when “school name” mattered more for med schools. And maybe the premed competition for very high GPAs wasn’t as crazy as it is today.
Maybe because nowadays more diversity is desired, and not just ethnic and regional diversity, but also school diversity, med schools will often list that their incoming med school class hailed from 50+ different undergrad schools.
I know plenty of more-seasoned doctors who got into med school with lower GPAs and MCAT scores than what is needed today. Also, many of the “older” doctors are surprised at the rather current expectations that premeds should have research experience, shadowing, and medically related ECs and volunteering.