Can anyone comment on which is the best choice for premed track? Pitt Honors vs UConn honors vs UF and Miami regular admission? Would love any kind of feedback out there!
Med schools will be ok with any of those choices. It will depend upon what you do at the school of your choice. If you haven’t yet, check out the Pre-Med topics Forum here on cc.
Will do! Thank you!
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What’s your net cost at each (cost before any loans are taken)?
I’d say Pitt Honord, if affordable, would be my pick, but it’d really depend on costs.
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With merit Pitt honors is about $40,000 and UConn is about $30,000. And finances are definitely a factor! State schools are looking good right now LOL
When applying to med school, a high GPA overall, a high GPA in your premed science classes, and a high MCAT are all important. UConn is a well-regarded institution. If you can achieve this at UConn, you’ll be able to get into med school. The other schools you’ve mentioned are also well-regarded, so I think that the choice should come down to cost, unless you have specific research interests that can only be indulged at one of the other schools.
Good advice! Thank u!
That’s a big cost difference. How would it be funded?
The main difference is that Pitt is in a cool neighborhood in a fun city with hospitals and medical labs within walking distance, whereas UConn is in the middle of nowhere. So, you need to find pre health advisers at UConn and ask whether they help freshmen find medically related placements, if there are clinics on campus or n town that welcome their volunteers and specifically how many, if there are special medically related opportunities for honors students.
At both, ask how many students are in the Honors Bio and Honors chem 1st year classes and what the median grade is, and what a typical first year Honors student thinking of a natural science major would take during her first year and what among those have honors sections.
If you can find a current or previous pre-med student (preferably one - or five - who got into med school), they’re often better to ask. As with anything, those who have BTDT are usually willing to spell out pros and cons of their place as they experienced it (which is why more than one can be helpful).
You can ask the school if they can put you in touch with these students. My current med school lad often gets referrals from his U (not one you’re considering). I doubt his school is the only one that offers connections for questions.
Otherwise, I agree with folks on here that cost should be a factor if everything else looks good. Med school is expensive and all of your schools are good for getting into it if you do your part.
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Thank you all! We just learned that my daughter got into the Virginia Commonwealth University early assurance medical program! So now we have more to consider LOL! But great advice and considerations! Cost is absolutely a factor but quality of life is important. Lots to figure out in a short amount of time🤦‍♀️
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That would be really difficult to turn down if it’s a guaranteed acceptance into their med school with reasonable terms. Med school is tough to get into anyway, pre-Covid, but chatter I’ve heard says there have been far more applicants since (time will tell) making odds even worse.
We used to tell students if they were “good enough to get accepted into a guaranteed program they can be good enough to get accepted into med school if they apply themselves” so shouldn’t worry about it. We’re a bit hesitant to say that lately.
Best wishes to you as you work through all options.
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Thank you so much! I agree with everything your saying. Visiting schools is key now, and so tough during Covid…
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can you list her conditions (especially, science GPA, college GPA, and MCAT score) for her to retain her place at VCU med school?
Honestly my head is spinning from all of this, and I haven’t reviewed everything in detail. But I do know that she would need to get a 508 on the MCATs. From what people tell me that’s reasonable.
508 is relatively high for a “guaranteed” program but relatively reasonable (top 25%): not guaranteed but doable. (“guaranteed” programs used to have 505 or 506 but this has shifted).
Look at the GPA required, both overall and in science courses, or any other restrictions. (Some “guaranteed” programs have so many restrictions they end up being impossible.)
Great feedback. Thank you so much. I really like UConn very much, and I hope she ends up going there!