<p>I'm a High School Junior and have me eyes set on a career in medicine. NW is definitely one of the universities I'd love to attend. </p>
<p>Does anyone know what pre-med at NW is like? Is it harder, easier, than other universities of NW's standards/prestige? Also what about grade inflation/defaltion, what classes are like, and if it is hard to maintain a high (>3.7 GPA)?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>The abbreviation is NU ;)</p>
<p>Yes to the last question. It is very hard to get over a 3.7 in a pre-med track. If you are 100% certain you want medicine, you may be best off going to an easy undergrad. NU is not an easy undergrad. A case could be made for it being one of, if not the most, rigorous in the country.</p>
<p>If you want to do premed at NU and are 100% sure about medicine, you should apply for the Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME). It’s an amazing and experience. Definitely ask me if you have any questions.</p>
<p>premed here is really hard</p>
<p>I believe the stat is something like 2/3rds of all those who enter as a pre-med drop out of the track.</p>
<p>So is it recommended to turn down NU if accepted? I recently visited my State school, and I felt like it was a horrible fit for me. Although NU seems like it’d be a better fit, since I’m 100% sure I want to go into medicine, should I just go to my state school?</p>
<p>^No. Going where you’ll be happy and will flourish is ultimately more important, as you won’t do well where you won’t be happy. If cost is an issue that’s a different matter, but the point is that grades are the most important thing. Your UG matters slightly in comparison.</p>
<p>Arbiter’s stat is pretty accurate for pre-med students regardless of where they go to school. Choose a school that is right for you in all ways not just for pre-med and grad school.</p>
<p>Medical Schools adjust the GPAs depending on where the undergrad degree is from, so a GPA of 3.5 from NU will carry greater weight than a 3.9 from a “not so well regarded” state school. D did her undergrad from Cornell and her GPA of 3.5 (in Pre-Med) got her more interviews and admittance to medical schools than her friends with GPA of 3.9 and higher from state schools.</p>
<p>I am a parent of an NU undergrad who happens to be friends with some pre-med students. From what I have heard, they are intelligent, work super hard, and the coursework is also super hard. The degree at NU appears to be worth the effort - a high quality degree.</p>
<p>I called up a physician who did her undergrad at Northwestern. She said it was hard but if you survive, you’ll fare much better in medical school than people from other schools.</p>
<p>NorthwesternDad’s sentiment is right but the numbers are wrong. A 3.5 will not, in 90% of cases, fare as well as a 3.9 from another school. Generally NU is worth a .1 boost in both UGPA and SGPA. Bear in mind that those are different numbers- a 3.9 in English with your science GPA as a 3.1 (possible) is not as good a 3.5 in English (or anything else) with a >=3.5 Science GPA.</p>
<p>arbiter213…u r right; let me clarify. The GPAs 3.5 and 3.9 pertain to SGPA as such; having said that .1 boost (in my view) is too conservative. Going by D’s experience (actually her UG degree was in Econ from Cornell, though she had completed her pre-med track earlier) and some of what she heard from the Doctor interviewers, the medical schools factor in the school name (i.e., the prestige factor), the grade deflation/inflation at the particular school, recommendation letters, and the MCat score.</p>
<p>The prestige factor is subjective but that is the reality of this era.</p>
<p>Given that NU and Cornell are considered to be on par, a GPA of 3.5 in SGPA will definitely get the students quite a few interviews (assuming other factors mentioned above are good).</p>
<p>^Could well be- I was just reporting what I had learned through my girlfriend over her application years.</p>
<p>(I’m an NU undergrad, in Ithaca for grad school btw 
)</p>
<p>You are indeed blessed to get into two wonderful schools, arbiter213. The very best to you.
BTW, D spent a week with S in NU last quarter (S used to visit D at Cornell every semester when he was in MS/HS) and each considers their school to be “better” than the other :-)</p>