Temple or Pitt?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Pretty basic question here:</p>

<p>In terms of medical school admissions, I know that it doesn't matter where you go for undergrad to an extent.</p>

<p>But I have noticed based on another thread that undergrad does seem to matter to a degree:</p>

<p><a href="https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/adm...ls-represented%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/adm...ls-represented&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Undergrad from Temple Represented: 0
Undergrad from Pitt represented: 3
Undergrad from UPenn represented (just for reference): 12
Undergrad from Columbia represented (just for reference): 2</p>

<p>And just for reference:</p>

<p>Pitt (25 - 75 percentile SAT)
SAT Critical Reading..........570 - 680
SAT Math.........................600 - 690<br>
SAT Writing......................560 - 660 </p>

<p>Temple (25 - 75 percentile SAT)</p>

<p>SAT Critical Reading..........500 - 600
SAT Math.........................510 - 610<br>
SAT Writiing.....................500 - 600 </p>

<p>Clearly there is a difference between the two schools in terms of student caliber.</p>

<p>However at Pitt, it will cost about 40,000 per year. And at Temple, approx. 30,000 per year. And after talking to my parents, they might be willing to give me about a fifth of the COA.</p>

<p>Understanding the differences in cost of attendance and undergraduate representation at a medical school like Vanderbilt, which school would you suggest I attend Pitt or Temple?</p>

2

<p>Are these your only choices?</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>Obviously, it’s not so ‘clear’ bcos you have to ask the question. (Hint: mcat is arguably more important that gpa in scoring an interview at a top med school. And mcat score depends in part on test-taking ability. And since Pitt has more strong testers…)</p>

<p>Also, there might be a geographic bias in play. Perhaps some folks just don’t wanna leave the East Coast and go ‘south’.</p>

4

<p>More useful than “students with better high school performance perform better in college perform better getting into med school” would be to compare what support and advice is available for pre-med students. And talk to the the pre-med office, and some pre-med students.</p>

5

<p>@HereWeGo2, thanks, I will try to look into both schools pre-med office and ask some of my friends doing pre-med what they think of the advising.</p>

<p>@plumazul, I do have a couple of other choices like Drexel, Penn State, and UMD-College Park but from my parents’ friends I figured Pitt was just a better school for pre-med and plus some of the other schools like Drexel would be even more costly for me.</p>

6

<p>@free2rhyme,
When money is an issue, your in state flagship is always going to be a top pick. Are you PA in-state? At Maryland, if you have a SAT over 1400(without W), you have a shot at merit $$ and/or the Honors College. Also, I’m not sure about Penn State, but Maryland has higher mid 50 percentile SAT scores than Pitt.</p>

7

<p>It can go beyond MCATs and GPA too. A major component of getting in to a good med school is the other “stuff” that sets you apart from other good test takers and students…showing a seriousness for medicine through volunteerism and medical research.</p>

<p>Pitt is a much more medical and health-science focused university than anything else in Pennsylvania, with the exception of Penn in Philly. On its undergrad campus, it has, according to US News, the #14 Medical School (ahead of Vandy), the #12 Medical Center (ahead of Vandy), and bioscience and health research infrastructure that brings in the 5th to 6th largest amount of National Institute of Health bio and health science research dollars in the nation…which essentially means that is the national rank of it’s collective bioscience and health research. BTW, Vandy is #15 in NIH funding. What that speaks to the quality, variety and availability of opportunities for medical volunteering, physician shadowing, and undergraduate research that can be done around class schedules without having to leave the campus.</p>

<p>Temple also has a medical school and hospital right next to campus, but it is not as renown (#45). Penn State, the other state research flagship, has an unranked medical school just over 100 miles away from its main undergrad campus. Neither school’s affiliated hospitals are nationally ranked, and Temples NIH funding comes in at #100, while PSU-University Park comes in at #96 (combined with its med center 100 miles away in Hershey, PA, it would rank 62nd).</p>

<p>Your SAT ranges are from 2010. Here are 2011’s for the Pitt and Penn State, however Temple’s 2011 numbers are not yet released…</p>

<p>Pitt (25 - 75 percentile SAT)
SAT Critical Reading…570 - 690
SAT Math…600 - 690
SAT Writing…560 - 660
Top 10% of high school rank: 54%
GPA: 3.94</p>

<p>Penn State (25 - 75 percentile SAT)
SAT Critical Reading…530 - 630
SAT Math…560 - 670
SAT Writing…540 - 640
Top 10% of high school rank: 45%
GPA: 3.54</p>

<p>Pitt generally is better know for awarding merit and need-based scholarships. That is why it is most often ranked as a better value compared to the other two (Kipplinger’s, Princeton Review, US News). Although you already know what it may cost so that may be a moot point.</p>

<p>Visit the campuses, the settings are all pretty different. Penn State has the typical large sprawling rural campus, Pitt’s is urban but adjacent to a large park, Temple’s is even more urban, perhaps gritty would be a way to describe it.</p>

<p>Go to the place that best fits you, no matter what the rankings say. Make sure you enjoy your time as an undergrad, be productive, and the rest will follow.</p>

8

<p>I would strongly reccomd visitting, get familiar with student body, then decide which one fits you the best. Pitt is very highly ranked Med. School. Itis also known for waitlisting many applicants. D. was waitlisted at Pitt. Med. School, but withdrew despite of high ranking because she felt she did not belong there.<br>
Do you have much cheaper UG options though? The cheaper the better, free is the best, unless you absolutely hate the place, then it is not going to work.</p>