<p>Hi Cat</p>
<p>I’ll try to explain some myths and truths about Northwestern HPME, as a current student in its 7-year process (in Feinberg now). When I was choosing between colleges (HPME, PLME, Harvard, Yale, Princeton), I did exactly what you did: researching, visiting, and contemplating. In the end, however, the greatest deciding factors for me were 1) How much does a medical school guarantee mean to me? 2) Can I see myself at this college for 3 or 4 years? The former is probably the most important with eliminating almost half (if not all) of your selections. For me, I loved the fact that HYP gave me full-ride and I had a ton of friends there already. However, I could not give up the guarantee of the #19 medical school. The guarantee essentially meant that I had reached a certain milestone in my dreams. I wanted to be a doctor, and this was promising that if I worked minimally, I could achieve it. Second, I could actually see myself at Northwestern, while at other colleges I did not feel that my modest background fit in with many of the other personalities there. With a more laid-back approach, the aggressive atmosphere was not what I was looking for at the Ivy League schools.</p>
<p>To explain more about HPME: It is a rigorous course load, especially on the quarter system. It is not in fact 4 years worth of work in 3 years. Instead HPME students have modified requirements. First, you only need to maintain a certain GPA (I’m not sure what it is now because it could have changed, but for my class it was a 3.0 (B) overall GPA with a 3.2 science GPA). Second, you only need to fulfill 36 credits in 3 years (4 courses per quarter for 3 years) instead of the 4 year’s requirement of 45. This, however, means you do not get the 3 course dropping leiway of normal students. So, to compensate, third, Northwestern allows each HPME student to waiver 3 class, which include 1 freshman seminar. This means that while in other colleges you MUST take upper level courses for your major, at Northwestern you do not necessarily have to take them. Thus, if you do not want to take a 380 Cell Biology course, you can waive it and have it count for your diploma. </p>
<p>Many HPME students come to Northwestern primarily because of the extra time that they have outside of studying. Most students will, in fact, complete most of their science and HPME requirements by the end of their 2nd year and will essentially take the last year off to do what they want. The course load is difficult, but not different from anywhere else. While at other colleges you MUST maintain a 4.0 (A) average, HPME gives you a buffer so you don’t need to try as hard as normal pre-med students. Next, as long as you keep up with the work, the courses are fine. The people who have trouble are those who gets a multiple C’s (3 or more) their freshman year in science courses and must get A’s in other courses to reach the science gpa. The program has additional HPME sciences courses that one can take to reach this goal as well if you are having trouble. More than 50% of the students that I know in my program have had plentiful amount of time to work at least part-time at a research facility in Evanston or at the Medical School Campus. This speaks tenfolds to the free time that one can have here to pursue what you are passionate about.</p>
<p>Furthermore, HPME does not mandate you to be a certain major. While at other colleges, it is highly suggested you will be a science major (Chem, Bio, Physics) or something conductive to medical school admissions (liberal arts); Northwestern will allow you to essentially choose what you want. I know of students who have majored in Philosophy, English, Classics, Dance, Psychology, etc because it is something that excites them outside of medicine that they would not have been able to do in high school. While Princeton’s 90% admittance rate, 3.3 average GPA, and 33 MCAT score looks impressive and relaxed on paper, you need to still realize that these are not the same statistics for those admitted to top 20 medical schools. In order to boost their images, colleges will include ANY pre-med student going to ANY medical school related program, including those over seas and less prestigious ones in the rural areas. While they do not lie, it does not convey the reality of the situation. I would suggest for you to research the medical schools you want to go to and look at what THEY want from you as a future applicant. Can you get the 3.8 GPA with a 39 on the MCAT? Then consider going the traditional pre-med track and apply to an assortment of colleges.</p>
<p>On a personal note, I enjoyed Northwestern and hated it. I loved the freedom, but sometimes questioned whether it was the right choice (especially my freshman year). However, as I got older and realized what the process of applying to medical schools entailed (by watching my good friends go through it), I realized I made the best decision in my life at such a young age. In today’s tough economy, there is no such thing as a secured future. Medical schools are tightening up and getting more competitive. What was once a good GPA/MCAT combination are now considered mid-tier. Lastly, I came to NU/Feinberg because I was so sick of constantly working in High School. I worked my ass off to get to good colleges, and realized I had nothing else. I had a close group of social friends, but beyond that my experiences were so limited. At college, I was able to do and experiment with what I’ve always wanted to. I joined a Fraternity, tried out for a sports team, explored religions, traveled the midwest (somewhere I never was before), etc,. </p>
<p>Still, after all of this, the biggest questions that you should answer are the first two. Do you really want to be a doctor/guarantee? Can YOU picture YOURSELF living and interacting at a specific college for THREE/FOUR YEARS? It isn’t so much about the colleges; it should be about you.</p>