Pre-med at Chapel Hill? How is it?

<p>I will. Thank you so much! I’m visiting Chapel Hill in April–hopefully I’ll get the chance to talk to some pre-med students and stop by their med school to ask med school students what they would suggest. Thanks everyone!</p>

<p>As a physician who has been through it all, it really depends what it is you want to do with your career. If you really are intent on going into private practice, then it really doesn’t matter where you go to medical school. However, if you’re really looking for a highly sought after residency or want to go into a highly academic type program, then academic pedigree definitely matters</p>

<p>Ugg, something else to think about!! But it makes sense too!</p>

<p>Right. I guess going to a school with a good name has its perks too. From what I heard, state schools are actually quite competitive now, with the economy’s current state and the fact that not everyone can afford a private university. So maybe I’m better off going for Johns Hopkins or Emory, since both state universities and private ones are going to be competitive now? And I think state schools have more deflation? I think I’m having second thoughts…</p>

<p>As a parent, I say look at your choices and go where you think you will be happy. Enjoy your four years, work hard, get a good education and if med school is meant to be a part of your future, trust that it will happen for you.</p>

<p>“I don’t think most people in New York have heard of Chapel Hill…”</p>

<p>Actually people from the NY area are much more likely to know Chapel Hill over Wash U. Many in the NY area do not know what Wash U is.
Though I will imagine all medical schools will be familiar with top pre-med and undergraduate programs. </p>

<p>You keep referring to the Ivy League schools. Have you been accepted by one? From what I am reading, it sounds like an Ivy is not a choice right now? So don’t waste your energy agonizing over that. </p>

<p>You have worked hard and now have some wonderful choices!</p>

<p>What is going to be one of the most important factors re: getting into your desired medical school is the MCAT and your GPA. </p>

<p>Once you are talking about the tier below the Ivy leagues I don’t a school ranked #15 can be that much great than a school ranked #30. </p>

<p>I think you can’t go wrong here. You have great choices and if you work hard you will do well wherever you go!</p>

<p>Also, Chapel Hill is highly regarded in the NY area as it is exceptionally difficult for OOS students to gain admission. As hard to get in there as some of the Ivy Leagues and other top tier schools.</p>

<p>@divertoo Every time I mention Chapel Hill, I keep getting weird looks from all my friends, and it makes me slightly uncomfortable. Yeah, I doubt they know what WashU is either, but I know we’ve had students attend WashU in the past. But anyways, would med schools see Chapel Hill in a positive light? Like if a student from SUNY Binghamton and a student from Chapel Hill were applying to the same med school and the one from Chapel Hill had a slightly lower GPA, would the Chapel Hill ‘name’ help give a boost at all? I’ve heard from several people that Hopkins’ accepted GPA and MCAT scores for med school are quite below the national average because med schools ‘recognize’ Hopkins. Would that work for Chapel Hill too?</p>

<p>Yes, I’m aware Chapel Hill is tough; my counselor personally told me about it before I applied. I made the Honors Program at Chapel Hill, which is definitely nice because I love smaller classes! I heard Honors is more lenient when it comes to giving A’s, but I was also wondering if the students there are going to be super super smart and competitive, thus making that A hard to get…</p>

<p>WashU and Hopkins are also ranked #14 and #13 respectively, which is actually higher than Cornell and Brown. I also did get accepted to Cornell, but I don’t prefer the cold weather as much, which is why I replaced it by Hopkins (as one of my top choices, since they have around the same ranking and Hopkins has much more prestige when it comes to med school).</p>

<p>By the way, would anyone here know how hard it is to get a 3.7+ at Chapel Hill as a premed (so science classes included)? I’m also visiting Chapel Hill this upcoming Monday for the Explore Carolina Day for admitted students, which I hope will give me the chance to ask someone about the pre-med life at Chapel Hill and the percentage of premeds from Chapel Hill who are accepted to med school. Hopefully that will be able to help me decide.</p>

<p>DreamsAreReal, You are very obviously very bright and have worked hard and are putting a great deal of thought into your future. I think it’s understandable to want name recognition after all your hard work. I would not like weird looks from people either regarding my choice of school and kinda have to explain to them “no, really I am in a great school!!”.
I can’t answer your more details questions about medical school admissions. I would just find it hard to believe the medical schools would not be familiar with the better pre-med programs in the country. I am gonna guess they all know what Wash U and Chapel Hill are. But that’s just my guess.
Your parents must be so proud of you. You have gotten into some awesome schools!! Honors at UNC? Excellent!
I hope you obtain the information you need to make a solid decision you feel good about.
It honestly sounds like you can’t go wrong with any of your choices though.
Wishing you all the best for a wonderful future!</p>

<p>@divertoo You’re so nice, thank you! I’m trying to put in as much thought as possible because I know exactly how hard it is to get into med school, and I guess you can’t truly start thinking too early when it comes to your dreams :] I myself respect Chapel Hill a lot, but I’m just not sure if others share the same view, which is why I’m a bit more hesitant about going to Chapel Hill. Hopefully employers and med schools will know that Chapel Hill is indeed a wonderful university. I’m looking forward to talking with Chapel Hill students soon; I’d love to hear what the experience is like. Thanks so much for your support!</p>

<p>My dear DreamsAreReal: again, as a parent, I have to say: go elsewhere! Your comments reflect that you are so highly conflicted … my gut tells me you would be so much better off at another school. And i am sure they will feel lucky to have you.</p>

<p>@mamae Thank you; that’s sweet! I’m just hoping I can ‘survive’ at a school like Hopkins without destroying my GPA, which is like my ticket into med school. I think most people are very in love with the Hopkins name (like family friends, adults who’ve asked me where I got into, etc), so maybe it’ll mean something after I graduate as well, which is why I think you might be right. I’m conflicted with both my two top choices, so any decision I reach will probably be a tough one. Thank you for your support!</p>

<p>Conflict is normal, wait until your visit next Monday and see if “it feels right”!!</p>

<p>@bagirl24 Yes! I’m so excited! I can finally get a chance to see the place and decide for myself soon :]</p>

<p>Your question is hard to answer. Go to an elite university where everyone is as smart as you and you have a higher risk of being weeded out and a lower GPA or go to your state flagship where you are the smartest kid in all your classes and have less risk of being weeded out and a higher GPA.<br>
Is a premed better off at JHU with a lower GPA (and a note saying they don’t inflate GPA’s) or at Yale and Brown where the average GPA is 3.63 (0.4 higher than JHU)?
UNC only takes 18% OOS. Are you better off at your state flagship where med schools in state know the rigor of UG work and how students from the school perform? Or are you better off coming from UNC where there are few students in their med school so they are not familiar with how UNC students perform. Will you be lumped together with 10,000 other apps from state schools with high GPA’s? I Don’t know.</p>