Should I Stay In-State?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi! So I’m about to go into my senior year of high school, and I’ve been starting to look at where I want to apply for college. I want to do pre-med and go on to medical school. I’m currently a Florida resident, and I’ve been thinking of going to UF and, hopefully, their medical school, (mainly because of Bright Futures and because I’ve been told they have a great pre-med program). Is UF seen as a good school in the medical world? Will it hold me back from anything, such as my residency etc? Should I consider going to a higher-ranking school out-of-state?

Here are my stats if it helps:
GPA: 3.8 UW, 5.8 W
SAT: 1330 (taking it again in August though)
ACT: 25
I will have 100+ hours of community service by the time I apply to colleges
I’ve taken Anatomy 1 with lab, Intro to Chem with the lab at HCC, I’m planning on taking Anatomy 2 with lab, MAC 1105, English 1102 this fall, still don’t know what I’ll take for spring.
EC: Thespians w/ leadership position, and I’m starting a club this upcoming year for students interested in joining the medical field.

If you need any more information please let me know, and thank you so much for your help!

2

Congratulations on your hard work and success!

UF would be a great choice. It sounds like affordability will be key. Med school is expensive. So it’s best not to pay too much or take on too much debt undergrad if you will be going to med school. Med schools accept students from a broad range of universities/colleges. UF is certainly an outstanding national research university/state flagship, and it will not be a disadvantage to go there.

Here’s what’s important to med schools, in terms of admissions: GPA first and foremost; MCAT scores; science grades; service hours; and lab work and particularly strong recommendations. The university/college is not significant compared to all of these.

Now, it might also be reasonable for you to google “colleges that meet full financial need” to see if there are any appealing schools where you might secure a lot of aid, which would actually make them less expensive than UF. These include the wealthiest and most competitive schools, so it is difficult to gain admittance. But some might be accessible. I’m thinking of schools like Carleton, Colgate, and Holy Cross. All are excellent (and cold). But a school like Carleton, small LAC, would be a different type, if that appeals.

And they might not in the end meet your full financial need, as you and your family see it, or might still cost more. But there is some chance you could hit on one that was also excellent and even more affordable. I’m guessing in the end a Florida public will be the most affordable option. And, again, UF is a great choice, regardless of cost.

For med school, hit the ground running and study and work hard from week 1. Get to know your professors and get tutoring, especially for science classes. Profs want to help. You can learn a lot going to office hours and study/test prep sessions. We went to a pre-med info session at a highly ranked national university. The prof running it emphasized how challenging the intro science classes are. They said it is the top students who get tutors the beginning of the semester, not waiting until they’ve struggled on an exam. The prof said almost every one of their students who had made an “A” in organic chem the previous semester had gotten a tutor early. The students who made C’s and D’s had not. Getting tutoring is a sign of strength, not weakness.

The school also said they wanted pre-med students to accrue something like 1400 hours of service, which is a lot. But that’s what med schools are looking for more now. It recommended most in med-related areas, like working as a voluntary EMT (I’m sure you can get EMT certified at UF), but with significant hours in non-med areas (food kitchen, etc.)

So do all that. Med school is obviously very competitive. Going in Florida will probably make the most sense. But you’d probably also be looking outside the state–students often apply nationally (only so many in a state even as populous as Florida)–so keep that in mind. Good luck!

3

It won’t hold you back from anything. There are a lot of great schools in Florida, and UF is definitely no exception. The key is to get top grades and score well on your MCAT. If you can do that, you’ll be fine even in a “lesser ranked” school.

4

As to med school admission process, there’s a saying that one’s stats can get you to the door, but it’s the rest of the application that will get you through the door. One might have great stats, ECS, LoRs, PS, get interview invite, and then be rude, obnoxious, etc at interview and you can say adios to your chances at that school. The key is to have a competitive app in all respects. Until your holding an acceptance, you have nothing as to your desire to be an MD. Whether you have a competitive app will be much more due to your efforts, less about school attended. Most schools will provide the resources and opportunities you need to develop a competitive app. As most premeds change their minds, consider schools that have academics that you are interested in that could serve as a Plan B option should you change your mind. As med school is crazy expensive, trying to graduate with as little debt is important. Enjoy your senior year.

5

If think you should consider the finances. In-state will be significantly less expensive. Florida has great schools, so you’ll definitely want to think about how much you’re going to be paying for slighter higher prestige out-of-state.

6

Yes, UF would be an excellent choice.

If you want to go pre-med then think about:

  1. The cheapest reasonable college so you/your parents can use the money for med school
  2. The college needs to prepare you for MCATs but still allow you to get a good GPA
  3. Access to volunteering opportunities (e.g., near a hospital)
  4. Success in graduates getting into med school
  5. Options if you don’t go to med school
7

Yes, of course

Residency programs don’t give a hoot about you undergrad

No, in fact, with your stats, you should consider a lower ranking undergrad…such as UCF.

8

Where I come from a 5.8 weighted is not possible. However, I am interpreting the large difference between your unweighted 3.8 and weighted 5.8 GPAs as suggesting that you took very rigorous courses in high school. If this is true it makes me suspect that you will have a decent chance to keep up a “medical school worthy” GPA in your undergrad studies. Do note that premed classes are quite difficult at any reputable university. Premed courses will be a challenge.

With this, I agree that UF would be a strong choice for you. It is a great school and you could do well there. I don’t know UCF as well but @mom2collegekids is probably correct that it is another school that you should consider.

If you are seriously considering medical school, then pick an affordable choice for undergrad and try to avoid any debt at all for undergrad if you can. I agree with @mom2collegekids that residency programs won’t care where you did your undergrad.

9

UF is the #43 ranked university in the country and a top ten public by USNWR. Which isn’t everything but it’s not nothing either.

It’s not good. It’s great. And they hadn the second most number of students going to med school last year. Partly a result of the size of the school and partly the relative excellence of the undergrad students they accept now.

You have bright futures and your nm awards. you will have basically have a low to no cost education. Plus the Benaquesto shcolorships which makes it essentially free.

UF would be outstanding full pay oos. It’s off the charts in state. And free is hard to describe especially if you wouldn’t normally be receiving that level of aid at a meets full need “super school”.

10

I would also look at University of Miami which has a great Pre-Med program.

11

You need a higher ACT to get BF, so work on that.

You really can’t beat BF for keeping cost of undergrad down. If you don’t like UF, there is USF, FSU, FAU, FIU.

12

You should listen carefully to @mom2collegekids. You want a high GPA. There are going to be a lot of pre-med students at UF gunning for good grades, many with higher stats than yours. You odds of getting the needed grades may be better at a school like UCF.

Also, your test scores raise red flags for me. You will be competing on the MCAT against students with strong testing skills. You need to start building up your testing skills now if you want to compete well on the MCAT in 4 years when you are looking at taking it.

Many, many students start as pre-med, but don’t make it into med school, mostly due to grades or MCAT scores. Keep that in mind as you choose a major — have a backup plan. You can be premed with pretty much any major as long as you take the pre-med classes.