<p>My son is trying to decide between Middlebury and some other schools. He is planning on becoming a doctor. His stats for the entering class are just slightly above middle. He has been accepted at schools where he is near the top, statistically, that are very good schools but not the reputation of Middlebury. I know that medical schools look mostly at MCAT scores and a student's overall and science GPAs. I am sure he would have a higher GPA at the other schools, but he LOVES Midd. He is also an athlete, so will be spending alot of time training and will be doing work study. He wants to enjoy his college experience and is worried that he won't be able to because it will be difficult at Middlebury. Also, the other schools have offered him nice sized merit scholarships which may enter into the final decision...Also, I read somewhere on CC that for graduate business schools, Middlebury is on the top tier list and a multiplier is used for GPA's because of the school's rigor which boosts the overall GPA figure. Is this true and does it apply also for medical school applicants? Should he go to a school where he'll probably get a lower GPA or to one where he will be one of the top? Thanks for your comments.</p>
<p>Just to answer the ONE question - that of the title. Higher GPA trumps everything. </p>
<p>(However, you presume that he will have a lower GPA at Middlebury - on the whole, and with exceptions, top prestige privates have the most grade inflation, and perhaps less in the way of med-school weed-out. So I don’t know why you are so sure about the GPA question.)</p>
<p>(But !! If he is truly the top student at a lower ranked school, he is likely to get more research opportunities, more individualized attention, more internships, and better recommendations.)</p>
<p>One needs to consider cost. Medical school is going to be about 200K above the cost of an undergraduate education! High GPA and MCAT scores and some ECs are all that really matter to med schools.</p>
<p>More like $275k when he gets out. Does he love Middlebury more if it means $275k in debt, and heavy restrictions on his career opportunities as a physician?</p>
<p>It is not certain that a student will get a worse GPA at a top school, since top schools often have the most [url=<a href=“http://www.gradeinflation.com%5Dgrade”>http://www.gradeinflation.com]grade</a> inflation<a href=“at%20the%20bottom,%20there%20are%20various%20schools’%20average%20grades%20listed”>/url</a>.</p>
<p><a href=“But%20!!%20If%20he%20is%20truly%20the%20top%20student%20at%20a%20lower%20ranked%20school,%20he%20is%20likely%20to%20get%20more%20research%20opportunities,%20more%20individualized%20attention,%20more%20internships,%20and%20better%20recommendations.”>quote=mini</a>
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<p>I’d like to see the evidence of this…</p>
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<p>Please don’t believe everything you read on CC.</p>
<p>You sound like a student, not a parent. </p>
<p>Oh wait, yup…another student pretending to be a parent. I was going to give you some advice but changed my mind.</p>
<p>As a physician who went through the medical school application process I have concluded that the prestige of the undergraduate college only begins to matter if two thresholds are met: A GPA of at least 3.4 and an MCAT score of at least 28. unless you are a URM, no matter where you went to school as an undergraduate unless you meet both these minimum GPA and MCAT thresholds you will not even be considered by any U.S. allopathic medical schools. To have a reasonably good shot at acceptance somewhere the thresholds are probably a GPA of 3.5+ and an MCAT score of 30.</p>