Before coming into Pitt I was already planning to re-apply to my waitlists from college admissions bc I wasn’t satisfied with going to Pitt, but then after a semester I loved it here at Pitt. However, I do want to consider the long-run and go for the option that is more beneficial in applying to med school. Would transferring to a more prestigious undergrad be better or staying at Pitt?
-currently in Pitt honors w a work study at UPMC in neuro genetics and going abroad to a Himalayan hospital w Pitt in the summer so that’s what was holding me back from applying for transfer this year (about to apply for volunteer this semester and lab next semester)
-considering applying for hopkins, cornell, nyu, umich, rice, emory, washu (from my waitlists these were my favorites w good pre-med resources)
-not considering financial factors as much just whatever is better for premed
-some concerns: gpa-wise I feel like Pitt isn’t as easy as I thought it was to maintain a high gpa (like I feel like some of my friends at other more prestigious universities have an easier time due to gpa inflation there); Pitt’s med acceptance is also only 68% (or so I heard) and due to guaranteed admission students Pitt Med doesn’t take as many Pitt students actually.
Also, a big thank you to anyone who is reading this; I’ve been contemplating this for a while.
None of these schools have grade inflation. Many people believe that JHU, Cornell and WashU have grade deflation, but it’s very difficult to get actual, comparable data. Wherever you go to school, achieving a high GPA in pre-med will be challenging.
Pitt has good pre-med resources, and it sounds like you are getting good opportunities…but you do need patient facing experience no matter where you go to school. If you have to choose between research and patient facing experience, choose patient facing. Bottom line, you need to have a solid academic reason for transferring and I don’t see one right now.
Pitt is excellent for pre-med and you are set with the activities you’re doing. Stay put.
Btw get in touch with Alex Bourcier at Penn State (tumbler afrenchie36) the president of RAM, which would be a worthwhile expansion at Pitt.
Thank you for your advice! Out of curiosity, what is considered a solid academic reason for transferring?
I’d say stay but if you if think things are greener on other side of pasture, skip the Himalyan trip and transfer as this trip will not wow med school adcoms as much as volunteering in US.
Academic reasons are often centered around the current school not having a major or minor that the student wants (schools know students change majors often). Certainly students transfer for valid non-academic reasons like lack of opportunity to do required ECs (like a hospital or research opps for pre-meds), wanting to be closer to family, or not fitting in socially at the current school… but the academic reasons are generally stronger especially when looking at highly selective schools.
Trying to figure out schools that have grade inflation in pre-med is like trying to catch a falling knife, or maybe spotting a unicorn. And unless your stats are in the top half of the student body, you are unlikely to even benefit from that elusive grade inflation.
The grass will NOT be greener on the other side. Unless you are not happy for non-academic reasons at pitt as described above post, transfer to a higher ranking school will NOT increase your chances at med school. Stay put at pitt is the best policy, based on what I saw.
Seems like you are doing well at Pitt & that you are taking advantage of several resources & opportunities. My suggestion is to stay at Pitt.
Sounds like you’re making good use of the opportunities afforded by Pitt, so stay there. Nothing wrong with the school.
Cornell, Hopkins, and WashU are considered grade deflators in some circles. I can speak for WashU since my son is a sophomore there. He has mentioned some horror stories about Biology and Chemistry and even though he has a pretty high GPA there, he’s hedging his bets between med school and grad school for a masters/PhD.
Among your choices, I have only heard of Rice graduates with a GPA higher than 4.0.
Switching to a more prestigious university does not make it easier to get into a medical school, only makes it easier to get into higher rated medical schools if you do very well. Conversely, if you go to a harder undergrad, you may have a lower GPA, reducing your chances of getting into medical school at all.