Smaller school with merit aid for Jewish girl B+/A- premed [really 3.95 unweighted HS GPA]

My 22 year old daughter got a B in honors English freshman year, the rest A’s. She got her second B freshman year in college in chemistry, she is SO proud of that B (her only college B) because she worked harder for that B than any other grade. She had a tutor in place before her next chemistry class. My other 4 kids were/are business majors, but being in 6 Facebook parent pages, I now know that chemistry can be a brutal weed out (but usually with a generous curve), many students decide pre-med, pre-vet are not for them. Having a strong chemistry background is a big plus.

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Another advantage to repeating is the ability to build a strong peer study group. My D had a difficult time building that social network at the school she attended because they did take all of her dual credits. She was far ahead of her freshman dorm mates and couldn’t take courses with them, but also unknown to her Junior and Senior classmates who had already formed tight knit study groups.

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Rhodes is my vote! 4 years is actually not a bad problem to have. She will likely be the top student, and professors will put her in leadership positions like being a TA and doing research etc. These experiences will help her if she goes to medical school, but also if she decides not to.

I also entered college ahead of the game, but since my high school only had honors and not official AP classes, I got no “credits.” The school did, however, let me take tests, and I was able to test into higher level classes in many subjects. Because I was ahead, I got a lot of opportunities. And in the end, I had multiple acceptances to top MD medical schools, including the Mayo Clinic at almost a full ride (in case your daughter decides to apply elsewhere than her already-assured admit.)

So, in my opinion, Rhodes’ policy may be annoying, but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

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Rhodes sounds like the best choice, given everything you’ve mentioned.
Gettysburg sounds like a fantastic choice, given everything you’ve mentioned.

Despite the difficulty in choosing, it sounds like this entire process has been a massive success for your family. Congratulations!

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THIS. In my opinion.

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Your daughter has many good choices. Sounds like it’s time for you to get off the bus and let her drive from here.

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@Quintan_Barnes if this screen name is your real name, I would urge you to change it asap. Here is how.

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It is another big problem with Rhodes. If I would know about it in advance, Rhodes would never be on the list. NEVER. However, at this point, we have no options. If she wants LECOM it is Rhodes or Junita. We cannot find Jewish kids in Juniata. I bet there are some, but their Hillel is dead…
So our choice is Rhodes with Bible (that she will treat like another textbook from annoying mandatory class - sorry no offense to Christians) but with active Hillel and plenty of Jewish kids on campus (some, unfortunately, are hiding their identity - we already discovered those too) and in the nearby University of Tennessee (they share Hillel events) or Juniata with zero Jews. That is a terrible choice… I would not advise anybody to be in our shoes.
I think Rhodes is very wrong in hiding their foundation curriculum. They understand that it is very inattractive for most contemporary students… Their approach is dishonest. They first lure students, make them fall in love, give them big financial aid, and then tell them, or by the way, now you have to study Bible. Sorry if you are not interested. It is the only option to attend. But do not worry, we will make it as least religious as we can, but you still will need to read from Bible, because your financial aid is coming from the religious fund that mandates religious study for everyone…
If she will choose Rhodes, she will choose the least invasive track. It is more like Bible and cultural values. She will not go for comparative religions. Here is an example AMS 110 Pathways to Cultural Knowledge I

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Sounds like a workable solution if Rhodes is her first choice with the LECOM option following.

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It is more like the reverse :). Rhodes is a choice because of LECOM. I bet she will be the only student on campus that would choose Rhodes that way. Most students at Rhodes are absolutely not interested in LECOM or DO. They all want MD and George Washington acceptance. And Rhodes acceptance rate to MD school is not the best. They again hide it… They report acceptance of MD and DO together. And then they report acceptance to DO separately. I asked (out of curiosity) what are number for MD only. They do not have them readily available… :slight_smile:

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Thanks so much for the detailed response.

I suggested Rhodes to you about 2000 posts ago so I’m glad it’s in the final 2-3 so I can take credit!! :crazy_face: :crazy_face: :crazy_face:

Best of luck to your D as she makes her descision.

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Thanks. And I myself put Rhodes on the list (I knew that school has a good reputation in the south since I used to live in Atlanta many years ago.) I just wished someone would steer me away from Rhodes and point to me their foundation curriculum since I clearly stated that we wanted to avoid all colleges with mandatory religious classes…
Actually part of the problem with LECOM list for Jewish kids is that many feeders have religious affiliations or religious classes.

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I was teasing about Rhodes being “my idea” 2000 posts ago. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I do remember PMg you my D’s thoughts about Rhodes when she considered it, but wow, that was so long ago… I can’t remember last week!

So I counted by now 3 times when Rhodes was not totally honest. Hidden religious classes -once, MD/DO lumping above - two, telling that they will take at least half of DD credits -3… Plus when DD had an interview - spending time on the phone and waking up only after she said that she is a Jewish leader in a local community… Upss. Should we avoid Rhodes? So many red flags.
I know, we have 0 choices, but under normal circumstances, a rational person would not choose school in that situation… Lets hope that teaching will be different…

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@momsearcheng, let’s fast forward in an imaginary way. Your daughter is in med school as a MS4 and applies to residencies. You,I mean she, will have little control to choose where she goes. It could be in a place with no Jewish presence, lots of Bible people, far away from home and possibly a place with little social life. Trying to control all factors is not only impossible, but frankly exhausting. Please trust in your daughter to make these decisions. You should trust that she has good judgment regarding her future, it will serve both her and you well to do so.

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Agree. Life is full of surprises :slight_smile:

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You’re not missing anything. It appears they want the perfect solution that fits 20 criteria. One of those criteria is for the college to accept all the DE courses.

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@momsearcheng Have you read this? I only highlighted part of @WayOutWestMom 's response. Her full response is upthread.

Also this.

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Have you considered contacting other LECOM schools? Many on the list are not ultra-competitive, and they will consider your daughter for the LECOM spot if all of their LECOM spots are not filled. Now that you have the LECOM acceptance, you can contact admissions and see if you can apply to the undergrad portion of the program.

We are Jewish (not religious at all) and when my daughter was in college she decided to take a Jewish studies class. To her surprise, several of her non Jewish friends decided to take this class with her. They were not planning to convert, they just wanted to learn something.

As somebody who knows nothing about the religious requirements that are taken at Rhodes, why can’t your daughter approach them in a similar manner? Nobody is trying to convert her. It might be interesting to learn something new, engage in conversation with students who may have a different upbringing, life experience etc.

As noted, you have no idea where your daughter will end up next. She may end up in a place where nobody has ever met a Jewish person before (this happens). She may end up in a rural town where there is no place to socialize except for the local church, etc. You will not be able to control any of this.

Being willing to grow, learn, expand etc does not mean giving up who she is as a Jewish person. As a doctor, she will have to treat all different types of people, without judgement.

I guess I am not understanding why any of this is an issue, including retaking the CC classes. She can always go to Gettysburg, but then she has to take the mcat, and she doesn’t want to do that either.

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