Sending students to Med School

[goodluck1]

<p>My son got in to YALE and Princeton. Which one is good for pre-med?</p>

[shades_children]

<p>You are asking the wrong question. The correct question to ask is, “Which of the schools is best for my son in terms of academics, environment, school culture, and finances?”</p>

[apumic]

<p>I think I just wasted my breath… Either that or GL you’re making a joke. Please read the discussion before you post. The whole “what school is better for premed?” crap question has been asked (and discussed/answered) ad nauseam.</p>

[MyOpinion]

<p>

The UG institution only plays a role in the sense that students attending, say, Yale, had the merits to begin with. In other words, if the 20th percentile at Yale is equivalent to the 50th percentile at U-Mich, then it would make sense that while you have to be in the 70th percentile at U-Mich to get into med school, you only have to be in the 40th at Yale. The populations are different overall. However, a student in the 99th percentile of the population attending U-Mich would also be in the the 5% or so at Yale. For that student, the difference does not matter at all. Likewise, a student who would be in the 30th percentile at Yale but is above average at U-Mich (say, the 60th) is still going to fall short of the line to get into med school. The name wasn’t what got the student in. It was the student’s own achievement level.

</p>

<p>This is the traditional logic used to explain the high percentages of top students coming from top UG institutions that end up being admitted to medical school. However, you can not ignore the * subjectivity * that is also involved in the admission process. If only computers were involved, I would buy your argument wholeheartedly. However, adcoms may have a very personal bias in favor or against certain schools based on their own personal experiences, etc.</p>

[bluedevilmike]

<p>The boards are taking the whole “you are more important than your institution” thing a little too far when people keep saying that it doesn’t matter at all. </p>

<p>It does matter, some. And for a few people – not very may, but a few – it can matter an awful lot.</p>

[MyOpinion]

<p>Agree with you.</p>