<p>Ok. So here's the situation. My GPA is a 4.2 on a 5.0 scale, I have a 28 on my ACT and I plan on doing a premed track in college but I'm not sure if I want to be a doctor just yet. That aside, I need help choosing colleges to apply to this year. I have my basic list: </p>
<p>University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Pittsburgh
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbana Campaign
Loyola University in Chicago
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Penn State
Michigan State
New York University
Boston University
University of Iowa
Indiana University - Bloomington
Purdue
and Minnesota </p>
<p>Long list right? Yeah, that's the problem. Now I'm not looking for someone to tell me where to go, but if I end up going to medical school, I want to be prepared, I want to have a great academic advantage (dont let my ACT score fool you, I work very hard, just not the greatest test taker), and, therefore, I want to know what schools are better from this list. I don't really have a preference to where I am, but the only thing I don't like is really small schools. ANY SUGGESTIONS are HIGHLY recommended. I need schools with strong science programs. </p>
<p>Any of the schools on your list will adequately prepare you for the MCAT and med school. None of the schools will confer any kind of “academic advantage” for med school.</p>
<p>Pick the school which offers you the best combination of fit, opportunity and affordability.</p>
<p>(Affordability because you want to minimize undergrad debt since there is precious little FA for med school other than loans.)</p>
<p>In the end, only you can prepare yourself for med school. You will need great study skills and self discipline as well as a strong foundational skills in reading and science reasoning. And you will need to improve your standardized eam test-taking skills. Med school requires students to take a large number of standardized tests. (NBME exams during coursework, shelf exams during clinicals and the USMLEs to determine if you will advance through each stage of med school.) Even after med school graduation, national standardized exams are required to earn and maintain licensing.</p>
<p>I agree that’s why im hesistant to apply to those schools, but i heard that they have excellent education in Boston (not just the main schools, but in general) </p>
<p>So if I successfully go through all the programs at those schools and a get a decent grades, will medical schools only look at the grades or will they look at the grades and the undergrad school I applied to? Obviously I’m not going to Harvard or Northwestern, but is there a difference if I go to madison vs. Iowa? and I know I have to be good at standardized tests, but it’s a struggle for me. I’m not sure how to get better at it other than constantly training for it, which I plan on doing. I feel like if I really put my mind to it ill be able to do it. I’m passionate about science. Again, though, I’m not sure if I want to become a doctor but a pre-med track gives me flexibility to decide to only stay in one science if I really wanted to. </p>
<p>Med schools care a great deal about GE grades, major related grades, “premed” course grades, MCAT scores (both overall and in each section), LORs, ECs, PS. Med schools give little weight to your major or name at top of diploma. </p>
<p>As to name at top of diploma, I can’t say they don’t care at all about it. Some weight might be given to the elite colleges, but as you said, you’re not going to Harvard</p>
<p>Yeah, and if I get decent grades, they wont really pay attention to the name of the school right? I guess im just paranoid that the right fit for me will end up somehow hurting me in the end, so I want to make sure that doesn’t happen. </p>
<p>Why do you think the schools you list are some lightweights no one has heard of? If I am not mistaken, everyone of them has their own medical school except for Purdue which makes them all major research universities.</p>
<p>Im just saying, if I don’t go take part of the UIC GPPA program (accelerated program for medicine) and I just go through normal classes (not the accelerated ones) because im still trying to figure it out, will I have a higher chance getting into medical school going to madison vs. if I go there because compared to madison it’s not better. </p>
<p>Frankly, I don’t think UIC GPPA will take some one with 28 ACT, a published minimum means nothing. There was one kid on CC who got in that program and UChicago and ended up choose Chicago over GPPA. Chicago’s ACT should be 33 to be competitive, 5 years ago my D got in with a 34 and she barely made it (off wait list), I won’t surprise now it is 35.</p>
<p>yeah… I know, I’m not really sure what I’m thinking. I know im not a genius, but I work hard. I’m very average compared to the kids that apply to those kinds of programs. I just want a school that can provide me with a challenge and still give me a good chance to get into medical school if I want to go there. Maybe im thinking too ahead, which I probably am. </p>
<p>If you want to attend medical school there are a few things you can plan on.</p>
<ol>
<li> Find the most economic option for undergrad, preferably a 4 year college.</li>
<li> Try to attend one that is not considered super competitive where you will end up with a low GPA. Your goal should be to optimize your GPA.</li>
<li> Work on ECs</li>
<li>Prepare for MCAT from the beginning, i.e., work on MCAT problems while you are studying related topics in college.</li>
</ol>
<p>this years UIC GPPA class had an average ACT of 34 with credentials getting them into ivy league caliber schools-the Honor’s college program offers excellent coursework so don’t discount the school if you don’t get into GPPA. It is all about fit for you-do well in coursework, pursue your interests with ernest and intent and score well on standardized tests-everything you need is offered at all the schools you listed. D is a freshman in GPPA & LOVES the school and campus-find an environment that feels right to you-the rest will follow!</p>
<p>What are your parents saying about COST? Will they pay the high OOS costs at those publics??? If not, then the question is moot.</p>
<p>Schools do not provide the “chance” to get into med school. It is ALL up to you. NOT THE SCHOOL.</p>
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<p>I am not sure what you are saying there at the end. Going to UW-M will not give you an edge for med school. Med schools don’t care where you go. There is NO NUDGE for going to UW or similar.</p>
<p>There is probably a 0% chance you would get accepted to an accelerated program. Those programs accept students whose stats are so high that the schools are convinced that the students would make it to med school ANYWAY if they went the traditional route. Your stats do not suggest that.</p>
<p>@esther111</p>
<p>And, again, how much will your parents pay for college? If you don’t know, ask them. That is important info.</p>
<p>Also…since you would be a rather weaker premed student compared to your peers, why do you want to go to school where you will likely get weeded out?</p>
<p>Here are two links. The one from Miami University, Ohio shows how many students got into any med school from this college 2010 -2013. The second link from UIC med school and is current class profile. The UIC link shows that students from schools on your list were accepted to UIC med school (e.g. UIC, UI Urbana, U Iowa, Penn State).</p>
<p>You should contact the schools you are interested in to see if they have a history of their students graduating and getting into med school. If yes, (and I’m 100% sure that all the schools on your current list will say yes), then I think it’s safe to assume that the schools themselves are not being discriminated against by med schools. Thus the burden shifts from the school to you and whether or not you can create a competitive med school application. Good luck.</p>