<p>A “pre-med” student is a student who majors in whatever he/she wants, but also includes a list of required “pre-med” curriculum courses…often that list includes some bio classes, some chem classes, organic chem classes, physics, and calculus.</p>
<p>“My top 3 schools are: University of Miami, Georgia Southern University and Penn State. I’ve been living in CT for 3 years and I do not want to spend my college years here.”</p>
<p>Most students go to college within 250 miles of their home. For most students, their in state public universities provide the most affordable educations.</p>
<p>While you may not wish to spend your college years in Conn., that may be what you’ll have to do based on finances. Your grades are OK, but not exceptional. You lack the grades to be able to get into the colleges like Harvard which offer the best need-based financial aid in the country. Most colleges can NOT meet the demonstrated financial need of all of their students. </p>
<p>When it comes to public universities, only UNC and UVA are able to meet the full financial need of all of their students. Most students go to in state publics, however, because those tend to be the most affordable colleges they can go to.</p>
<p>" University of Miami, Georgia Southern University and Penn State. "</p>
<p>All of these schools are likely to be unaffordable unless your parents can afford to spend $30 k a year on your education.</p>
<p>Your idea of “not needy” may vary from your parents’ idea of “not needy.” Unless they are wealthy, they probably can’t afford to write checks for $30 k or more each year to fund your education.</p>
<p>You seem to be considering colleges all over the country, but that’s not practical for most students due to transportation costs and other considerations. Realize that if, for instance, you go to college in Miami, that may make it too expensive for your parents to attend family weekends at your college, and it may also make it difficult for you to return home for family celebrations, Thanksgiving and other things. Your parents also may not be able to transport you to college at the beginning of the school year, something that many parents do for students who don’t have cars. </p>
<p>If you want to be a doctor, it’s vital that you have a very strong background – and excellent grades – in math and science, including in high school. Students who end up going to medical school typically have done well in high school courses like AP chemistry and calculus. Without a strong background in those subjects, it’s virtually impossible to get the kind of excellent grades in the courses that medical schools require of their applicants.</p>
<p>Pre-med is what I wanted to do all along. I want to just major in what I’m interested in and take the required classes.</p>
<p>I have never said I wanted to go to Harvard, I am quite well aware of the reality of myself not being accepted into colleges like that. (Hence why they’re not on my list). But if my parents had a problem with the tuition of the schools I have listed, I wouldn’t still have them listed. They know each and every single college I am considering. If they had a problem with one then I would eliminate it. I am going to try everything in my power to go out of state, because I want to be away. My grades aren’t that bad where I’m stuck here. I’ve lived in NYC for my entire life until 3 years ago, so it would not be a problem if I’m accepted into a school that is on my list over there, either. Both of my parents are well established. </p>
<p>They understand my want of being away and they have made it clear that if I screw up senior year (Which I won’t) I have to stay local. Also, road trips to them are apparently cheaper than having everyone packed into an airplane. I’ve never been on a road trip like that either, so it could be fun. I’m quite sure I can be transported to school at the beginning of the school year. If they couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t have the college on my list at all. I appreciate everyone’s advice and concern about the finance part, but I believe at the end of everything, it’s what my parents and I discuss together when the time actually comes. Until then, I am going to do my part of the job by preparing for my SAT, focusing on school work, finding reasonable scholarships, and enjoying my last year of high school. Granted, I’m not filthy rich with money coming out everywhere as I walk, but I’m okay. My parents are big believers on education (and yes they’re very upset on my grades from junior year) but they have said many times that if a college promises me a bright future and helps me with what I want to be in life, they will send me there in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>I have to stay on the east coast. Colleges out in California are very expensive.</p>
<p>Oh and the only two colleges that are pretty far are University of Miami and Georgia Southern. That’s it. The rest are relatively close (Penn State, Hofstra, Pace, Rensselaer, University of Pittsburgh and, JUST in case, I’m applying to U Conn.) The benefit of Hofstra and Pace is that I will know the area perfectly. (The benefit of living in NYC for 14 years) If I’m accepted there, I will be quite happy, as well. UM and GSU are risk takers in my eyes. I want to challenge myself of being far away from my parents, and still thrive. Also, my best friend is planning to go to FL for her college and my other best friend lives down there already. I also want to know what it’s like to live in warm weather.</p>
<p>Rensselaer is very heavy on science and attracts students extremely strong in math and science, and based on your grades, I don’t think it would be a good match for you. I am black and from near that area. The town where it is in is one of the ugliest in the country, and there are very few black students in that area. I would be surprised if you would be happy at that school. While it’s great that its president is a black woman who is a renowned scientist, I don’t think that would be enough for it to be a place where you’re happy.</p>
<p>Since U Conn. is your state’s flagship and your grades aren’t tippy top, I don’t think that would work as an admissions or financial safety for you. I suggest applying also to a lower ranked public school in Conn.</p>
<p>Many people change a great deal while in college, and no longer have much in common with people who were their best friends, so don’t assume that if you go to college in Florida, you’ll be able to rely on your current close friends.</p>
<p>One can grow a great deal by going to college within 250 miles from home. I went from Upstate NY to Boston, and found the differences between those regions to be enormous. I also had to develop a lot of independence. Still, I was close enough to home for it not to be difficult or a hardship for my parents to take me to and from college at the beginning and end of the year or for me to go home for Thanksgiving and spring break.</p>
<p>Check out the financial aid at the schools you’re considering. If they don’t guarantee to meet 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need (keep in mind the college, not your family determine your financial need), you are unlikely to get the financial aid you may need unless you’re at the top of their admission pool or, for instance, they are desperate to recruit URMs. However, you may not wish to attend schools that lack many URMs.</p>
<p>I don’t think that any colleges on your list guarantee to meet 100% of students’ financial need. Out of state publics are even less likely to meet your financial need than would out of state private schools.</p>
<p>Did you take the PSAT? If so, what was your score?</p>
<p>Are you taking an APs.</p>
<p>One college that is excellent for premed is University of Maryland-Baltimore County. It particularly is known for having many graduates go on to medical school and graduate schools in the sciences. The president is a black male. It has some excellent scholarships for students with high stats who wish to go into the sciences. </p>
<p>One of the top colleges in the country for producing black doctors is Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans.</p>
<p>Actually, I think I’ll be perfectly fine being in a mostly white area. I’ve always been in a setting where I’m around more white kids anyway. </p>
<p>I know kids with worse grades than me who have made it into U Conn actually. It was just junior year where my grades dipped. My GPA is still a B.</p>
<p>Friend wise, I knew my best friend since I was 8. We met at karate school and I left NY 3 years ago. We have been doing a long distance friendship ever since then (one or twice coming to each others’ houses). Our friendship is still strong. My other best friend who lives in FL already, I have a long distance friendship with her, too. We’ll be fine, lol. I know when a friendship will not last long, I see it already in my high school. But I do make friends quickly, it would be cool to make a new friend that is originally from FL and has live there all their life. While I am originally from New York City who moved to CT but realized that they hated it there and wanted to go to FL for a different setting. I’m young, and I like traveling to places I’ve never been. (I’ve been to FL but not Miami)</p>
<p>I’m happy everything worked out for you when you went to college, but I would like a different experience. But I appreciate you telling me your experience. Remember only 2 schools are far away. The rest are closer to me.</p>
<p>My PSAT was pretty bad, honestly. I didn’t break 1000, yet it was before I took many required classes that were on the exam. </p>
<p>I am taking 3 AP classes for senior year. AP English lit, AP Physics and AP Calculus. I am also taking Honors anatomy, because I was dieing to since I was a freshman. I had an AP class last year and I did so so. The teacher was teaching it for her first year and it was chaotic. Chaotic is the only word I can find that can describe how the class was like. </p>
<p>I was actually thinking about looking at the University of Maryland. New Orleans is too far for me, unfortunately. </p>
<p>I would just say right now that since I am black it would be very nice to have a school with more black teachers. Students I don’t quite care. I’ve been around white teachers, white students for as long as I remember. I went to catholic school in NYC in a predominately Italian and Asian area. Now in CT, there are more black people, yes, but many are not like me. I have found a few that are, but not many, unfortunately. I’m quite unique and clean cut as well. I would like to find clean-cut black people in my college, but I do not mind at all the predominate percentage of whites, since I’m already used to it.</p>
<p>Any other Universities that are known to produce black doctors? This is great information.</p>
<p>Considering going to an historically black college. A high proportion of their faculty will be black, d your wanting to go to med school would make you stand out and probably help you get extra attention from faculty including information about programs designed to help black students go to med school.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke is, I think, known for its science programs. If you’re interested in med school, it might be a good school to consider. </p>
<p>Link to info about black faculty at liberal arts colleges: [Ranking</a> the Nation’s Leading Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges on Their Numbers of Black Faculty](<a href=“http://www.jbhe.com/news_views/65_blackfaculty.html]Ranking”>Ranking the Nation’s Leading Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges on Their Numbers of Black Faculty)</p>
<p>"For each undergraduate institution listed there is the total number of Black medical school applicants along with their percentage out of all students who are applying to medical school from the particular undergraduate institution:</p>
<p>Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA 120 (94%)</p>
<p>Howard University, Washington, DC 85 (75%)</p>
<p>University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 62 (10%)</p>
<p>Spelman College, Atlanta, GA 57 (98%)</p>
<p>University of Maryland-College Park, College Park, MD 46 (16%)</p>
<p>University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 45 (6%)</p>
<p>Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 41 (20%)</p>
<p>Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 38 (12%)</p>
<p>Duke University, Durham, NC 37 (9%)</p>
<p>Hampton University, Hampton, VA 37 (100%)</p>
<p>Baylor University, Waco, TX 34 (14%)</p>
<p>Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 34 (6%)</p>
<p>SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 33 (16%)"…
[Colleges</a> Producing the Most Black Medical School Applicants](<a href=“Black Medical School Applicants Please Attend These Premed Colleges”>Black Medical School Applicants Please Attend These Premed Colleges)</p>
<p>"avier’s Premedical Program is #1 in the nation in placing African-Americans into medical school. And, we also do very well at placing students into related health professions such as osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic, and public health/health care administration. In the fall of 2009, there are 575 Xavier graduates enrolled in such fields. This includes…</p>
<p>315 students enrolled in medical school,
15 students enrolled in osteopathic medical school,
53 students enrolled in dental school,
3 students enrolled in veterinary medicine school,
9 students enrolled in optometry school,
5 students enrolled in podiatry school,
10 students enrolled in chiropractic school,
55 students enrolled in public health or health administration school, and
122 students enrolled in biology or chemistry graduate school.
More than 95% of these students are African-American."</p>
<p>[Xavier</a> University of Louisiana](<a href=“http://www.xula.edu/premed/index.html]Xavier”>Premedical Office | Xavier University of Louisiana)</p>
<p>Thank you so much. This is very exciting. I have room for 1 more college on my list. I’m definitely not sure about Xavier just because it’s all the way in LA. That seems very far. But I will check it out with my parents. </p>
<p>Do you know of any scholarships for black female students by any chance? Or black students wanting to study pre-med?</p>
<p>Try Googling "African american " Scholarships science</p>
<p>There are some scholarships for black science majors, and also there are some colleges that try to recruit them.</p>
<p>Okay thanks.</p>