I’m going to be applying to colleges next year(yikes) and I’d like suggestions about goal/safety schools for premed. Basically schools with good advising, admission into med school stats, research programs, etc. Bonus if there’s a semi decent engineering program.
I’m currently a junior.
GPA 4.28/4.0
SAT 1560
ACT 35
I’ve taken/taking AP Calc BC, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics 1 and 2, AP World, AP Lang, AP Compsci; 5s on all tests that I have taken so far
I’ve done a few science competitions and had a brief internship over the summer. Hoping to do the same thing this year.
Location doesn’t matter, hoping for tuition to be under 40k. I currently live in California so I’m considering UCLA and UCB. Other than that, I’m not really sure where else to look.
What about costs?
Have you determined your Expected Family Contribution, and if so can your family cover the amount?
Your GPA and MCAT scores are likely to be the biggest factors in med school admission. But then, once you’re admitted, you’ll face enormous costs with little or no prospect for aid (other than loans). So it’s in your interest to minimize college net costs (and debt). Depending on your situation, the lowest net price for a college you like might result from need-based aid, from a merit scholarship, or from in-state sticker prices.
The UC or Cal State system may well offer your best options for quality and price. Or not. For top students, private schools sometimes offer lower net costs (as well as other benefits such as smaller classes). Run the net price calculators for a few selective private schools (such as the Ivies or small liberal arts colleges such as Pomona). Then compare the results to what you get for UCLA/UCB.
Do you like east coast small colleges? If so, good colleges with well-known pre-med programs might include Franklin and Marshall for a match (or high safety, with your scores; need based aid only) and Muhlenberg for a true safety (and possible merit aid).
Have you determined your Expected Family Contribution, and if so can your family cover the amount?
Your GPA and MCAT scores are likely to be the biggest factors in med school admission.
But then, once you’re admitted, you’ll face enormous costs with little or no prospect for aid (other than loans). So it’s in your interest to minimize college net costs (and debt).
Depending on your situation, the lowest net price for a college you like might result from need-based aid, from a merit scholar
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^this
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admission into med school stats,
hoping for tuition to be under 40k
Semi decent engineering
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Do you mean “total cost - tuition, room, board, books, etc” to be under $40k …so about the total cost of a UC?
Admission into med school stats don’t mean much to any one student. All applicants aren’t equal. If a school posts a 75% admit rate, the med school applicant with inadequate stats does NOT have a 75% chance. And, the applicant with top stats usually has a 85-90% chance (as long as his app list is sane and he doesn’t apply late)
The only serious issue for you is that Calif has too many premeds with very high stats so many of them either get rejected or must go OOS. So it may be helpful for you to create a tie with another state whose med schools will accept OOS students with a tie to the state.
Med school is crazy expensive. It’s not just the tuition and living expenses, there are just a bunch of other expenses that few know to expect…pricey Step I exam. Pricey Step II exams (each of the step II exams is pricey…one is 1800!). Oh and the cost to apply to residencies ! Whew!!! And the crazy travel costs for each residency interview. My son’s residency-related expenses this current school year will easily be more than $10k…obviously not including the COA of the med school. And next week he takes the second part of that $1800 Step II.
^ isn’t there for form of financial support to pay for STEP?
It seems like if society has invested in training a doctor, we wouldn’t want to block them and waste their dedication and talent because they don’t have the enormous fees for STEP.
form of support? All med students are low/no income. If they don’t have parents who’ll pay, they have to add these costs to their loans…
I don’t see any “financial support” on the website.
Correction…1550 for that second part of Step II (but then had to pay an add’l reschedule fee)
900 for Step 1
900 for first part of Step II
That nasty second part of Step II is only held in 5 locations in the US
Atlanta, Georgia.
Chicago, Illinois.
Houston, Texas.
Los Angeles, California.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
So, if you don’t live near one of those cities, you also get to add travel expenses! Fun!
Well, not all medical students have access to the bank of mom and dad, or they would but the parents can’t afford that.
And such amounts are to high for a student budget.
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It seems like if society has invested in training a doctor, we wouldn’t want to block them and waste their dedication and talent because they don’t have the enormous fees for STEP.
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While tax-payers do help subsidize the education of doctors (direct annual education cost is $150,000 per year per med student ), and there are generous loan amounts, I think that the thinking is that these future docs will eventually be earning high salaries so if they have to borrow a bit more, then do so.