Hello, I am an incoming college freshman. I have registered for the University of Texas at Austin and after orientation i realized that this is not the college for me. I will be placed in supplemental housing, and the financial burden is heavy (a lot of loans). I figured that the University of Texas at San Antonio may be more suitable. The dorms are exquisite, tuition is less expensive and it is closer to home. However, I have always been told that going to UTSA will reduce my chances of making a Texas Medical school. Would anyone have any experience and advice on the matter ? Thanks!
Students want to go to the higher-ranked schools because they erroneously think they confer some sort of advantage. If one looks at statistics, that may appear to be the case, but what they most often are looking at is the effect of the kinds of students who go there in the first place.
Same thing in your case. Someone has concluded that a higher percentage of applicants from UT-A get in than from UT-SA. That thinking does not apply to individual students in the same way it applies to groups.
UTSA will prepare you just fine for your MCATs. Take the premed classes, do well (particularly in comparison to the other students) and get a high GPA.
Texas residents who do very well in college and who score well on the MCAT, have a VERY high chance of getting ino a Texas med school.
Go to UT-SA and be a stand out.
Thank you for all the feedback! Would anyone have any knowledge on how large the disparity in difficulty is between UT-A and UTSA science courses?