@MYOS1634 what is your recommendation on PSU vs Upitt for science Premed. My D is accepted for PSU Dus at university campus and awaiting upitt decision. what are the pros and cons as far as academics and research opportunities at both.
I’d say it’ll really depend on whether she gets into Schreyer/Pitt Honors, or not.
“regular” PSU v. “regular” Pitt, I’d go with Pitt: access to medical facilities is very easy even for non honors students, non honors students can enroll in some honors classes.
If she’s admitted to Schreyer, I’d probably go with Schreyer (especially because the Hershey summer program is awesome and Schreyer students have access to research labs right off the bat, they can look up research done at the Millenium campus and go interview with Pi’s. In addition, the Schreyer Leadership class in the Fall is both relatively easy and a good way to start getting things done: there’s also RAM.)
It’ll be hard at both and she’ll need to be ready for hard work, no distractions during the week.
Have her look at the tumbler by AFrenchie36, he’s a premed and started PSu’s RAM branch.
While they are both large state flagships in PA that is about where the similarities end. Does she want city or rural campus. Is she interested in Greek life? For almost all pre-med I would recommend Pitt, but of course I don’t really like State College and I love Pittsburgh. Your daughter may be the opposite. The proximity to the medical centers would put Pitt ahead for me as well but @MYOS1634 has a strong point about Schreyer. I think that Pitt seems to have a stronger student body and at least for our area of PA (across the state in the East) is a HOT school right now. To their surprise, several average excellent class of 2017 students from our area who were accepted to PSU main were not accepted to Pitt with 3.8+ and 2,100+ (old SAT)/30+ ACT.
@sulu, if your daughter is for sure in the premed track for medical school or medicine related career, there’s no argument that Pitt is the choice. Good luck
I do not agree whatsoever that Pitt “has a stronger student body”. I know several students accepted at Pitt and not at PSU. Neither anecdotal evidence is proof that either has a stronger student body. Pitt focuses more on test scores and Penn State more on GPA. I’d argue that Penn State’s way is the better indicator of academic success, but that’s beside the point. Since each school’s admission focuses on different things, different kids will get into each. Kids with both higher GPA’s and higher test scores will get into both. But if they are lopsided on either, they will likely get into one and not the other.
I live in Pittsburgh and the medical facilities here are really good. I love the city of Pittsburgh. I despise Pitt’s campus however and I’ve taught several classes there over the years. It’s very urban, hard to navigate, huge hills and mixed use with no defined ‘campus’. It’s not for me. Plus not a lot of football school spirit - not that that matters to everyone. The stadium is in the city and nowhere near the campus (which is in Oakland) and the students have to be bused in which is why attendance is embarrassingly low for everything but high impact games. However, a city environment may be what your daughter likes and if she doesn’t care about the athletics then it may be for her.
Be cautious majoring in Pre Med because if they change their decision as 80% of students do, there is nothing you can do with a Pre Med major than go on to Medical or grad school. A lot of students major in Neuro Psychology or biology or even Kinesiology with the intention of going to med school for just that reason.
I think both schools are really good academically. And that is coming from someone who has two degrees…one from each. (spoiler alert: I’m a PSU gal through and through) The campus feel is vastly different and I think that would skew a decision one way or the other depending on her likes and dislikes. Academically, I don’t think you can go wrong at either. Lifestyle and campus feel will be what you likely have to decide in my opinion.
Thank you all for the great input which will help my D to make decision .Finger’s crossed this week waiting to hear from pitt after her senior grade is sent this week.I agree I see few kids around accepted in upitt but sent out to psu and reverse is also true.
sulu
sulu what you may not know is that Pitt’s medical school only accepts a few of Pitt’s undergrad students. Possibly 1-3.
@sulu: any update?
@MYOS1634 No update from Pitt yet.Senior grades were sent by school on Wednesday but Pitt does not have it till Friday.school did send via naviance and I believe it will take a few days to update.so still waiting.Hopefully will hear this week.we did visit PSU acceptance day today and my D was happy and loved the overall campus feel at UP.
@MYOS1634 Still waiting on Pitt. I was told we should hear back early next week and it is up for review.
I’ve had a kid graduate from both schools so I like to think I’m fairly objective. They’re both good schools, but if you’re serious about the health sciences, Pitt is the way to go. The opportunities you have on campus or within walking distance for research, jobs, internships, etc are phenomenal at Pitt.
D1 is the Pitt pharmacy grad, She had two paid medical research jobs, paid internships, published in peer-reviewed journals, presented in national conferences, traveled to Central America on a medical mission, was a named Fellow in two national medical programs. She worked directly with medical doctors, dentists, nurses, psychiatrists, and other medical professionals in an interdisciplinary environment. All of which happened because she was at Pitt, and, for the vast majority, all her opportunities took place there in Oakland.
Penn State has very good academics, but their health science opportunities outside the classroom don’t come close to what Pitt can offer.
@MYOS1634 @jlhpsu .Now that my D got waitlisted in pitt( After a stressful six month wait). PSU ,has become her first choice Now.I am disappointed and sad but coming to terms slowly that PSU is the school for her. Thanks for great inputs I received here. Does PSU provide internship or research opportunities for health science aspirants or it is not existing.I am doubtful that she will be getting into shreyer ,but she would take the patrano aspirant track to get in during later years.
Has she been admitted for Fall or Summer?
If she takes the Paterno Fellow Aspirant track, all she needs is register as such, take some Honors classes (the ENG/CAS seminars and other possible classes in her field. I recommend the special Leadership seminar, which is selective, aplication available in August.)
@MYOS1634 My D will be starting in summer.