<p>So I have yet to decide what school to go to for undergrad. I am torn between USC and University of Denver. I have recently taken Emory out of my top 3. Should I go to DU where it will be easier to pull off a 3.9+ or should I go to USC where the bar will be higher? USC costs about 12k more a year and I live close to DU. I want to go to the school that gives me the best shot at med school. Thanks!</p>
<p>If you like DU, then go there. </p>
<p>Who/how will you be paying for undergrad? loans? parents? </p>
<p>Will parents help you pay for med school if your undergrad costs less? </p>
<p>I have to tell you though, don’t think that DU will be easy. Pre-med pre-reqs are weeders everywhere.</p>
<p>Parents will pay and can afford undergrad and med school…
I talked to a proffesor that has been teaching there for 27 years and was the pre-med head and he told me that pulling off a 3.7+ is not a problem at all… and this is for the average student at DU. This is why I am heavily considering DU.</p>
<p>I don’t know what that prof is smoking, but I highly doubt that the “average student” at DU can pull off a 3.7 as a pre-med student. If he truly had been the head of premed advising, then he would have seen a large number of students dropping out of pre-med within the first two years because of GPA…and many would have been better than average students. In the end, those who went on to apply to SOMS may have largely had that average GPA, but they were not the average student.</p>
<p>Regardless of what he said about the average DU student, he said that students like me who have near a 2300 on the SAT, perfect GPA, tons of APs, etc. will be fine at DU (and by fine, I mean Harvard/ Johns Hopkins med school). That is the key thing, not what he said about the average student at DU. I DO KNOW that DU will have competition. But I also know that it wont be close to the level at USC… I assume that you believe the same? Thanks</p>
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<p>If money is not part of the equation, then I would not hesitate to choose USC. I just couldn’t see myself at a college just slightly larger than the high school I attended. But if that’s the environment you need you should pick DU.</p>
<p>lol “I dont know what the professor is smoking”</p>
<p>If he really implied Hopkins/HMS (as you said) I would not believe a word he said. </p>
<p>NO advisor anywhere should imply that and you are deluding yourself if you believe him.</p>
<p>*Regardless of what he said about the average DU student, he said that students like me who have near a 2300 on the SAT, perfect GPA, tons of APs, etc. will be fine at DU (and by fine, I mean Harvard/ Johns Hopkins med school). That is the key thing, not what he said about the average student at DU. I DO KNOW that DU will have competition. But I also know that it wont be close to the level at USC… I assume that you believe the same? Thanks
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<p>Ok…now I’m thinking that you’re either reading way toooooo much into what this guy said or he’s crazy. There is no way that a prof can tell by looking at high school stats that a kid will be “fine” to get into JHU med or Harvard med. insane.</p>
<p>He said that top students will get a high GPA quite easily at DU (again, COMPARATIVELY) and will invariably do well on the MCAT (and, of course, will do ECs). As a result, he said it comes down to the interview— something schools cant prepare you for…Thus, in his many years of experience, he has said that students who are well focused, determined, and intelligent at DU have gone to the top med schools in the country… I dont know if I am making any sense at all…I obsiously dont think I am a lock to get into Harvard med school, let alone med school. The thing I got out of the conversation with him is that it will be better to go to DU than USC b/c of the GPA factor…</p>
<p>There were 6 USC grads in my son’s class at a top 20 Med school and no DU grads. Attending USC certainly didn’t hurt their admission chances.</p>
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<p>No, no, no. Absolutely high GPA’s, MCAT’s and extracurriculars give you a good chance at a med school. Notice I said A med school. Assuming that one can get into Harvard Med School or JH Med school based on high school stats is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. Even the most accomplished students get rejected from the top med schools. That professor needs to dunk his head into reality.</p>
<p>If that prof told you all that, I wouldn’t trust his advice about the school. Again, YOU should decide which school is the best fit for you. This “best fit school” is the school where you will invariably succeed more. Based on what he’s saying, it makes his words slightly less valid, in my eyes.</p>
<p>TL;DR? Don’t listen to profs on crack. Go to best fit school.</p>
<p>As a result, he said it comes down to the interview</p>
<p>That’s the problem…only a tiny % of high stats kids get an interview at top med schools. </p>
<p>I think that either you “heard what you wanted to hear” or that prof is full of it.</p>
<p>He said that top students will get a high GPA quite easily at DU</p>
<p>Not true. Many “top students” don’t do well in pre-med pre-reqs for a variety of reasons. Being very smart does NOT equal a high pre-med GPA…at all.</p>
<p>and don’t let a school tell you that they can’t prep you for interviews. That’s what the pre-med and career offices are for. Going into interview season without prep is foolish.</p>