Hi I’m a high school senior from New Jersey who is trying to narrow down my college list. I am interested in applying to Temple University and University of Pennsylvania (I can’t apply to both). I have very high standardized test scores, grades, and strong ECs, I would definitely get accepted into Temple’s honor program and maybe UPenn.
I am leaning toward Temple because I know I would be higher ranked there and would probably have a higher GPA (I plan to apply for Med. School) but I am worried I won’t have the same access to research as I would at UPenn. I also know that UPenn is a lot closer to CHOP (my dream job/hospital) than Temple.
Any advice on highly ranked at State School vs. Average at Ivy when applying to Med School?
You might not get into Penn at all. What is stopping you from applying to both?
Too many colleges on my list and application fees (I don’t qualify for fee waiver)
How many schools are you applying to? Why not just remove another school from your list, since it seems that Temple and Penn are your top 2 choices?
If for whatever reason you don’t/can’t apply to both, go with the opportunity to be in the honors college at Temple, and be a big fish in a smaller pond. You should be able to find undergraduate research opportunities there – or make your own. Then, work hard to get good grades at Temple; do well on the MCAT; and get good recommendations.
Don’t choose a college based on what hospital you might want to work at as a physician at some indeterminate time in the future, assuming that you even go to medical school.
Exactly. Who knows where you’ll get into med school or where you’ll get matched for residency.
Who knows. You might have better research opps at Temple.
Why not the probably less expensive NJ publics?
I would investigate whether Temple has access to Research opportunities at CHOP. I think your plan to go for the sure thing is probably the right one.
Note: Penn isn’t just close to CHOP. CHOP is part of Penn.
For premed I would favor Bryn Mawr or Haverford over either one. They’re only a 20 minute train ride outside the city, so you could go for all the same volunteering/shadowing/etc opportunities.
I wouldn’t assume you’d get a higher GPA at Temple, or would be higher-ranked there. Many elite schools have more grade inflation than some very good public schools. Some students also may find that the environment of a very elite/competitive school may push them in a different way than the environment of a great, but perhaps not as competitive, school like Temple. I mean, chances are you have the potential to do better at Temple than Penn, but anything can happen.
In your case, I’d apply for the one that appealed to me the most. Temple is a Research 1 university, meaning the highest tier of research productivity and spending. As an undergraduate, you don’t have to worry about which university has the most cutting-edge research - just where you can actually get involved and find professors willing to teach and mentor you in the craft, and you can do that at either Penn or Temple. You could also volunteer at CHOP if you wanted to from either Temple or Penn.
CHOP actually isn’t part of Penn; it’s an independent entity. (https://www.research.chop.edu/careers/working-research/relationship-childrens-hospital-and-university-pennsylvania) That said many CHOP physicians are on the faculty at Penn and the pediatrics department is a shared department between the hospital and the University.
Why is @Much2learn saying chop is part of upenn? They are separate entities, and upenn clearly does not oversee or manage chop.