<p>Attention current General Studies students:</p>
<p>Honestly, do you think a pre-medical education at Columbia is worth the debt? Are chances of one attending a top tier medical school greatly enhanced if your BA is from Columbia? (assuming great gpa and ec's) </p>
<p>How is the biology department at Columbia? Are the professors good? </p>
<p>Any other information would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I have no less than five friends headed to medical school in the fall. And Columbia routinely sends it’s graduates to top med schools. Doing exceedingly well here and on your MCATs and you’ll be golden.</p>
<p>Also, it’s worth mentioning that Columbia outshines a lot of schools in the sheer amount of extra-curricular work that pre-mess have access to. I have buddies who do work in the genetics lab and volunteer with CAVA, the on-campus ambulance team.</p>
<p>That said, you shouldn’t go into much debt for any undergraduate degree. At least, that’s my opinion.</p>
<p>hellojan,</p>
<p>You’ll be a good dad, one day. Putting the whole, delicious chocolate cake right in front of your son’s or daughter’s nose, with a little note attached, “Dear son/daughter, remember, sugar is very unhealthy for you.”</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Thank you Hellojan.</p>
<p>I think I can cover the cost of the BA, however; I am thinking that maybe I should save that for medical school.</p>
<p>lol @ Patrick.</p>
<p>Haha!</p>
<p>Wait. I was going to respond but I’ve lost my train of thought. And, by that I mean, I could really go for some cake. Mmmmm.</p>
<p>Are you interested in GS pre-med as an undergrad, or GS pre-med post-bacc? That being said, every single pre-med student (regardless of undergrad or post-bacc) I have met has been among the most intelligent and hard-working of people I have ever known. The administrative support, advising, research opportunities, and volunteer opportunities are also pretty ideal. From what I understand, med schools are aware that Columbia’s pre-med hoops are among the most demanding, so I would wager that you’re better off graduating from here.</p>
<p>Thank you, ComaPrison. I am interested in pre-med as a GS undergrad. </p>
<p>Are the science professors generally good?</p>
<p>Let me put it this way. Everything will be hard and exhausting. How well you do comes down to how good you are compared to your pre-med peers at Columbia, most of whom are not only brilliant, but also incomprehensibly hard working.</p>
<p>What constitutes brilliance? </p>
<p>I am not a genius but I am pretty bright and I am willing to put the extra effort in to make my dreams come true. Will I survive/excel?</p>
<p>You will survive. Excelling will require that you push yourself to the limit, and perhaps even redefine new limits so that they’re beyond what you previously understood to be your limits.</p>
<p>Thanks, one more question.</p>
<p>Do you recommend I get an apartment near campus?(I live an hour away by subway)</p>
<p>If you’re willing to have roommates and/or a shared room, you can probably find living arrangements within walking distance (5-15 minutes on foot) for ~700 bucks a month or less (depending on how many roommates, how many bedrooms the apartment has, etc.)</p>
<p>I pay ~950 a month for my own bedroom at a University Apartment Housing dorm building. It is 5 minutes walk from campus and I think the extra cost is justified. I know people that commute, but I don’t personally think it’s worth it unless the extra few hundred bucks a month is a serious consideration for you.</p>
<p>Oh wow, thanks so much for the info.</p>