Check out previous results threads and also towards the end of last year’s BS/MD main thread. There have been many a student who gave up a so called overall top 10 seat (not just public) to choose any BS/MD, let alone something of UAB’s league.
But regardless, whatever you eventually choose, be firm that there won’t be any regrets later on.
My D got CWRU interview, does any one know how these interviews are or any info on acceptance criteria of these interviews ?
CWRU calls 60 for interview and 10-15 are selected.
Thank you ! ! can any one please give some info about the format of the interview process?
Thank You, it seemed like they gave lot of acceptances , just wondering
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@queenb2020 UF is a great academic public university as well as a college football powerhouse. UF has a EAP(Early Access Program) to their medical school which you can apply in sophomore year. If you got a scholarship from UF, you should consider it seriously. You can successfully get into a medical school via regular route MD, IMO. BSMD only fills 5% of medical schools seats, while 95% are filled via regular route MD. Make your decision wisely. IMO, many parent posters in this thread may have not attended a UG college or a graduate school in USA. Consider this important factor while reading this forum thread for advice on UG/Graduate School experience
UF campus has a lot more diversity than UAB and can give a very different experience than UAB campus, IMO. It has a good number of students of southeast Indian origin.
Don’t go by what others did, make your own self assessment. Issue here is very few students or parents wants to talk about their struggles/fears/anxiety/burnout during HS. All we hear is grades and scores and ECs in results threads.
You are received a number of diverse perspectives which should only help you in making your decision.
I would like you think about the following 2 things:
What dreams do you have as a physician (and post physician life) that you know you will achieve via the UAB route as the path to physician is, kind of, set? As there is more likelihood for you not achieving your medical dream via FL (since that will introduce more variables and more uncertainties), are you ok with some of your above dreams not materializing?
what dreams you are likely to forego by going to UAB undergrad versus achieving them by going to UF?
Dreams have value - it depends which ones you value more.
@queenb2020 IMO, many parent posters in this thread may not have attended a UG college or a graduate school in USA. Consider this important factor while reading this forum thread for advice on UG/Graduate School experience.
Here’s my $.02 about UF. And in the interest of full disclosure, we just left Florida because I wasn’t wildly enthused to stay living there.
It’s a phenomenal school in the middle of nowhere. Gainesville is the “paddle faster I hear banjoes” middle of Florida. Yeah other cities are only 90 minutes away but Florida transportation sucks and having a car on campus is pricey.
It’s huge so basic intro level classes are huge. But there’s a great spirit of collaboration in the students. There’s also a lot of competition and students drop out of the premed track like crazy. The EAP there is uber competitive.
There’s rooming and dorms issues and most dorms aren’t close to the action so prepare to hoof it- in the swamp of Florida heat.
A lot of kids have mopeds- seriously it’s a thing on campus.
Football is a god there and definitely provides some school spirit and basis for community
Ehhh on diversity. It’s still over 53% white and has a small portion of kids receiving Pell. So economic and cultural diversity isn’t super strong. I am going to be blunt- there’s a lot of Florida affluenza on that campus. But you can find other people if you look.
My kid got accepted to UF, would be tuition and fees paid, and won’t consider it. He disliked the area immensely. What works for one person doesn’t for others. This choice really does need to be about where you feel at home and want to spend your time and energy. For example my kiddo also hated Cornell but loved Rochester- some of this is about finding a new home. You are committing to the place and while change is possible, it’s not wise. My kid also wants name brand recognition but we a his parents are also having the discussion of fit and future.
Where do you, if you had to answer without a pause, see yourself as fitting?
@queenb2020 Debate on some of your own line of thoughts to guide yourself.
Here are few lines from your post after read twice every word of your post
(If you read that whirlwind of a story) .
applied to UAB solely for this program because of its success stories - Obviously a great planner you did narrow down 2 BS/MD of your liking and you know the strength and weakness of UAB.
because I wanted to leave the deep southern states for college - Unless you differ, in general any college town, especially in US, even 50 years back provides multi cultural exposure. It does not matter whether the college is in red hot college town TAMU or Wyoming/Montana college or Ann Arbor or Des Moines in Midwest or Dartmouth in NE area. Agree if you are going to live and work it makes difference. So thing twice about this point.
HS to work double-time to set myself apart from my peers - Pay attention to this point since only you can evaluate yourself. If you find HS tough and your worked twice, getting in to MD needs 4 times hard work if academic or test taking challenges you.
UF - public university with good academics - What does it imply and how does it match your expectation in both UF and UAB? Schools will have qualified Prof and all offer the same basic STEM curriculum in pre-med. Many times there are excellent profs and not great even in schools at Stanford/Harvard or at UF or UAB. How do you know UF better academics than UAB? Above all you need to excel more than what school has to offer.
UF I will be a part of a prestigious group of students - What exactly it means and how important to you? Did you assess how important this is now versus 30 years from now? What makes you to think only UF students are prestigious vs UAB or any other college? If you are of the type, prestigious students will inspire you more and take more challenging course work or projects, then this point is good. If no here is the counter point - Career success or job offerings look at who you are and what you did than who are your friends.
I just am overwhelmed that I may make the “wrong” decision and regret it later - Trust all of us including folks who are 70, 80s make wrong decisions. It is human nature but still few overcome by not regretting it and find the course correction and move on in life. I know this decision is tearing apart you, but it is one of the thousand decisions you will make, not necessarily all correct decisions.
Ultimately, all of us on CC can only provide what we think but the decision is yours to make. Look at what you will be happier at and what aligns with your end goals. I don’t believe that there is a wrong choice end it’s good that you have options! Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Can you please send the msg in this group so we all can be benefited. My DD interviewed for AMC from Union.
@mom2boys1999 Agree, UF UG may not stand any chance against Stanford UG for your son.
I was just curious and checked. 506 on MCAT corresponding to a 68% ile. As someone pointed out earlier, pretty modest expectation and easily achievable target for a med school of UAB’s standing.
Frankly the 3.5 GPA is perhaps a harder thing than this. Which by the way is also pretty modest compared to a typical regular route MD applicant’s.
I tried though 
At UF he would make money from his financial aid. He was intransigent.
This is me being brutally honest- getting Stanford REA definitely changed his outlook on the achievability of his dreams. It really made him see that he is competitive- I think he always kinda doubted it and saw all of this as a Hail Mary. But in turn it also made him less willing to discuss lower tier options. So like all other good news in life, it had a small twinge of bite to it.
He has been in love with Johns Hopkins since 8th grade- even knowing it’s a grade deflator. It will be interesting to see how that competes if he gets in. March 19th we will know! 
March madness is upon us!!!
Here is UAB medical school Age/GPA/MCAT score profile. Mean MCAT is 508 (74%). A low score for many aspiring applicants. This data is available at UAB website.
When do VCU BS/MD acceptances come out?
