<p>Hi im a NJ senior in highschool. Ive been accepted to Rowan University as a Biology major with a small scholarship. Ive also been accepted to Penn State- University Park, to the school of Health and Human Development as a nutrition sciences major.
Im not 100% sure but I am very interested in going Medical School after undergrad. That might change after I take a few college classes and realize its maybe not for me.
I kind of slacked in highschool and got a 3.35 and a 1920. But in college I WILL work REALLY hard and try my best to achieve a high GPA. Even though Im a bit confused about what I will end up studying, I am ambitious and also want to have a high paying career.</p>
<p>Which one would u go to?
Does the name of the institution matter?
Pros & Cons?</p>
<p>THANK YOU so much for taking the time to give your input/opinions!!</p>
<p>If you plan on possibly going to Med School from an overall perspective Penn State would probably be the better choice. While college GPA and MCAT scores are the most important factors in getting admitted to Med School the academic rigor of the undergraduate college can play a role. Penn State has a highly structured pre-med advisement Program for students that has been around for some time and is highly respected within the academic community. Rowan certainly is an up-and-coming school but it does not yet have the academic standing right now that Penn State has. You will probably also find that the competitiveness amongst students at Penn State will be a tad higher so this could be an additional factor to help motivate you to perform to the best of your abilities. The bottom line to all this is that if your GPA and MCAT scores are low to borderline for acceptance to Med School your chances are greater to be accepted if you have an undergraduate degree from Penn State. Good luck in whatever choice you make. </p>
<p>I defer a bit to Mwallenmd since I assume that he’s a medical doctor, but I strongly disagree with what he says. And, after all, being a doctor is “practice”.</p>
<p>If you produce at any college, you’ll find a grad school. If you do well at grad school and pass the boards, they will call you “doctor” no matter what schools you attended.</p>
<p>There’s a lot of cash and political careers being staked on Rowan’s medical school succeeding. Rowan has done so with engineering, so there’s no reason to doubt that they will do the same thing in medicine. You can be a groundbreaking person who helps to builds a brand or you can be just another Penn State medical student. </p>
<p>It comes down to your production. And you are most likely to produce if you go to a place where you are happy and will get involved. If Penn State feels right, go there. If Rowan does, go there. Another consideration is that most people end up making careers not far from the schools they attended.</p>
<p>And don’t neglect the debt you will be accruing which might affect your happiness and well-being when you graduate and for at least a decade later. The less debt, the more options.</p>
<p>The two schools you mentioned are both good, and have very different cultures. Penn State is bigger. You’ll probably bus to class. It’s a school for spectators. It has a big, loyal alumni community, mainly due to Joe Paterno. But, in my young years, before Paterno, it was an agricultural school. Rowan is smaller (but still 10,000 students). You can stand out more. You’ll be taught and advised by professors, not student assistants. It’s a club school, not a frat school. The big football games might draw a couple thousand, not 100,000. Again, it depends on what you want and where you can see yourself succeeding.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>