Soka Pre-med

Colleges and Universities A-Z Soka University of America
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1

Hi!

I’m very interested in Soka university and I genuinely believe that this is the type of school I would do very well in. My only concern though is that Soka isn’t as well established as other schools and may not carry much weight when it comes to applying for opportunities such as internships and research programs. I’m not really sure if Soka has more of a reputation in California. Reputation isn’t everything to me, but there are situations where it would definitely be helpful.

If I attend, I plan on concentrating in the life sciences. Can anyone who attends Soka give me more information on the pre-med counseling? I know that it’s pretty new, which makes me a bit unsure. Also, if you know anything about how many people end up going to medical school from Soka, that’d be great.

I know Soka isn’t really known for pre-med at all. But there are a lot of factors that lead me to believe it could give me a lot of great opportunities. It’s a liberal arts school where I’d get a liberal arts degree, which would already set me out from the crowd. The financial aid is great and I would save A LOT of money on undergrad, which is of the utmost importance to me. I’ve heard that the classes aren’t too difficult, in that you get grades that reflect the quality of your work (meaning it won’t be too hard getting a reasonably high gpa). Also, Soka provides a lot of opportunities, like alternative spring break, for students to take initiative to create an impact. From the perspective of someone who actually attends Soka, do you think it would be a good idea to go there for pre-med?

Final question: how big is research at Soka? It doesn’t seem like a heavily research-oriented school, but I have heard that many students end up working with faculty on research projects. Is there lots of funding for research?

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Hello! I am also a senior who is applied for the Life Science major at SUA. Though I do not go to the school, I have read and spoken to the staff at the university regarding the major. The major is extremely new, opening next fall. This means that they are not known for pre-med, have pre-med counseling, or a trend of graduates attending medical school since the major is new. If you get accepted for the 2024 class, you will be among the first people to experience their new extension. AKA there aren’t really any of the stats you are looking for.

I am not too sure about the research projects, but I know about the Capstone project, where students design a project for the school year. From what I understand, that might be your opportunity to do your research. Not sure of the finances but you would definitely have the school backing you up on it.

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My daughter is considering attending SOKA among other schools since her recent acceptance into the Life Science Major. I think it is a hidden treasure with many opportunities, but students must be self-starters, with loads of initiative, and be unafraid to blaze new trails. It seems promising enough. My daughter is on pause because of the distance to travel to home.