<p>I'm a junior in high school and would like to be in the pre med track in college. USC is towards the top of my list, but I've heard some not so great things about its pre med program. I heard there is a big grade deflation and it is super tough to get an A. It seems as if grade inflation/deflation seems to be one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a school. Any thoughts? </p>
<p>Could someone post whether the following schools have grade inflation or deflation and how good their pre med programs are?
Tulane
U Miami
Emory
Vanderbilt
NYU
Lehigh
UNC Chapel Hill
Carnegie Mellon
Any others?</p>
<p>Thank you for reading! Any input is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Premed prereqs are difficult at every college. It’s hard to get A’s everywhere because those are the weeder classes for both premed students and STEM students. STEM and premed students take many of the same classes: Bio I and II, Gen Chem I and II, Orgo I and II, Physics I and II (or Physics with Cal I and II), and Calculus. </p>
<p>you’re best chances are at schools where your stats are very high for the school and you’re strong in the sciences. If your stats are somewhat average for the schools, then too many of the other premed and STEM students in those classes will be more likely going to get the limited number of A’s.</p>
<p>I know this isn’t exactly the answer you are looking for but UMiami has a 7 year med program that you should look into.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids I am considering Tulane and U Miami as my stats are above average for both schools, but I am concerned with Tulanes pre med program in general. I know the program isn’t as popular as it is in other schools. Also, Tulane MD school is unranked by USNWR, which makes it look unattractive (do MD schools care?).</p>
<p>@A227227 Yes, I looked into that… If i get in the program, that means I don’t need to take the MCAT, right?</p>
<p>Emory has pretty extreme grade inflation. I’m not sure if it’s an anomaly, but the average graduating GPA in 2009 for the College of Arts and Sciences was about a 3.35. It’s almost certainly gone up since then.</p>
<p>But Emory will provide you with a wealth of opportunities for premed study. It’s up to you to take advantage of them.</p>
<p>Emory’s average GPA in 2008 was 3.38</p>
<p>For comparison:
NYU’s average GPA in 2002 was 3.41; I would assume it’s gone up since then
Harvard was at 3.45 in 2005
Duke 3.44 in 2007
Lehigh at 3.15 in 2007
Berkeley at 3.27 in 2006 </p>
<p>I wouldn’t consider a 3.38 ‘extreme’ grade inflation, it’s actually pretty average and near the lower end.</p>
<p>A difference of .03 isn’t a big deal but in 2009, the graduating gpa was a 3.35 [Profile</a> of Emory University Graduates | Emory University | Atlanta, GA](<a href=“http://shared.web.emory.edu/emory/news/releases/2009/05/profile-of-emory-university-graduates.html#.UZNqYbXCZ8E]Profile”>http://shared.web.emory.edu/emory/news/releases/2009/05/profile-of-emory-university-graduates.html#.UZNqYbXCZ8E)</p>
<p>But wow, that’s surprising. I assumed that a 3.35 average was considered high. Perhaps I’ve hung out with engineers for too long</p>
<p>Has the average gpa at Emory gone up a lot since 2009? Emory is actually tied with USC for me and would love to go there, I just don’t know about its pre med track and how grading over there works.</p>
<p>@NYU2013 I assume you’re at NYU. If so, hows the pre med program? Do students get individual attention from profs?? I have a cousin who goes there and she’s pretty much on her own.</p>
<p>I believe it has, although I can’t say for certain. If you head over to the Emory subforum, you’ll see some of Bernie12’s posts. He graduated in 2012 as a bio major and I believe is currently pursuing a phD in the field. Much of what he writes about applies to premed. </p>
<p>I went to Oxford College of Emory which is the liberal arts college branch of Emory. My experiences with the sciences (very positive) are almost certainly different than what a student at the Atlanta campus should expect.</p>
<p>Also note that the sciences will be difficult at any decent school. The reality is, over half of all Emory students start out as premed and a good majority never make it to med school. Is that the fault of the school? Absolutely not. Emory provides every resource for a premed to succeed, but because it requires such a laser like focus on GPA as well as a willingness to work very hard (much harder than you probably had to in high school). Many students eventually realize that even if they could be a doctor, they just have no interest in it, and go down another path.</p>
<p>Ugh, typo!@!@! you’re best chances… Should be “your best chances…” </p>
<p>Anyway, the point isn’t just to be above average at a school. The point is to be a top student at a school, which usually means well-within the top 25%. </p>
<p>You keep mentioning “pre-med track” as if the classes are somehow unique. They’re just regular classes that STEM majors take. Schools use the same textbooks and teach the same concepts. </p>
<p>The classes tend to be largish (50-100+ students), even at smaller schools. The labs tend to be smaller.</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>I’m not sure if they teach the same concepts. In comparing Emory’s second semester chem with that of UC Irvine and University of Oklahoma’s second semester chemistry, it appears that Emory requires a greater deal of independent thinking as well as a stronger mastery of the material. Students in Chem 142 (Emory’s second semester chemistry course) are required to design their own experiments to figure something out. I don’t believe this is the case at either of the two schools I just listed.</p>
<p>I’m talking about the concepts that would be needed for taking the MCAT. Certainly at various univs, profs will do some of their “own thing”. Even at the same school, one prof may do something that another prof won’t. (who knows if every Emory Chem prof does what you described. And, who knows if UCI or UO profs don’t do something similar.</p>
<p>My stats:
I am waiting for the May SAT results…definitely will be above a 2100, and hopefully 2200, but I can’t be too sure. I am taking the ACT in June.
GPA: (not including junior year) 95%/100 W. my school doesn’t do unweighted
I am in clubs that interest me, including Film club, french club, mural club and multicultural club. I have leadership positions in two of them.
I will graduate with 9 AP’s.
Many volunteer hours at hospital, library, and soup kitchen.</p>
<p>Sorry for the vague stats, but I don’t really know what to post since I don’t have scores to any standardized test yet.</p>
<p>USC does have a specific premed track and advisement. If you struggled at all for excellent grades in high school chemistry or biology, it will be tough.</p>
<p>*USC does have a specific premed track and advisement. *</p>
<p>Virtually all schools list a premed track. The point is that the classes aren’t unique. The track lists regular classes that other students take as well.</p>
<p>Also, many/most schools have a premed advising office. One thing to look for is whether the school write Committee Letters and whether there is competition to get such a letter.</p>
<p>@orangeish </p>
<p>I actually graduated last year (I spent only 3 years in college). The only comments I can provide on pre-med at NYU is that they have their own advising center, part of the pre-professional advising center, located next to the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center. You can join the list-serve which will send you information about MCAT testing, prep, internships for pre-med students, opportunities available for networking, etc. etc. </p>
<p>I studied philosophy, politics and psychology so I never had any involvement with anything pre-med nor did I have any friends doing pre-med, so I cannot offer any information about grading, class sizes, difficulty, etc.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: I have a child at USC and no the classes are not unique and separate, never said they were. The point is there are 2 difficult lab science courses you will take every semester, which is not what a student who is not specifically premed will likely choose to put him or herself through.</p>
<p>My point that premed classes aren’t unique was really to the OP as well as to your words that USC had a “specific premed track” which might be construed by the OP to mean that there was something unique about those classes. </p>
<p>The point is there are 2 difficult lab science courses you will take every semester, which is not what a student who is not specifically premed will likely choose to put him or herself through</p>
<p>What are those classes? Sounds like they could be classes that some STEM majors would be required to take even if they’re not premed.</p>
<p>@Snowdog: How competitive is the pre med atmosphere at USC based on your child’s experience? How happy is your child there? Just curious…</p>