<p>I am a passionate, hard working person. I have not always been like this, I attended a rather difficult high school and got 3.35 and 3.4 in my Freshman and Sophomore year respectively. Junior and senior year were in the 3.65-3.7 range. My highest ACT score was a 28. The first time I took it in September of my junior year I got a 21, so in a year I raised it 7 points. I played varsity soccer for two years as well as being involved in many clubs around my school. I have always had a full schedule and taken a total of four AP classes (my school only offers nine, many of those I don't have the math or language skills needed to take them). So I applied to many schools and currently I have only gotten into MSU. I was deferred from UofM and UM, all other schools I applied to are much more exclusive than those two. So what I wish to know is with my newfound desire and passion to learn and succeed can I attend MSU get a good GPA start studying for the MCAT as well as do some volunteer work and clubs around campus and have a shot at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, or Hopkins medical school? More importantly, my question is will I be looked down upon four years in the future for attending a State school? Will the students who attended higher ranked Universities be favored for spots in exclusive med schools? Do I still have a chance to attend an Ivy League school?</p>
<p>Medical school admissions is highly selective; it will take great effort and academic success in college for you to be accepted to any medical school. Coming from a state school in no way precludes your opportunity to get in, though. </p>
<p>The most selective medical schools, like those you cite, are just so selective (they have very small classes) and, moreover, subjective in their admissions practices that no matter what college an applicant attends as an undergraduate, he or she is unlikely to get into any of them. Because of the caliber of student that gets into these top medical schools, you’ll find a highly disproportionate percentage of matriculants come from the most selective undergraduate colleges; others can and do get in, however. You will need MCAT scores, grades, research experience, and volunteerism that stand out even among an especially talented group.</p>
<p>Your goal should be to do your best to get into any medical school, not to focus at this point on which school it will be. You don’t need to attend a medical school with great layman prestige to be adequately trained as a physician.</p>