<p>Alright I'm a senior in high school so I know I've got time on my side as far as the MCAT is concerned but I'm having a tough time deciding on an undergrad school. I'm pretty sure I'll be admitted to WUSTL (early decision I'm thinking) or Northwestern (look at my other post for my high school info in regards to acceptance if you'd like). The dilemma that has just arisen is the fact that I've heard a lot of people say that undergrad doesn't matter and you just need a high GPA and MCAT score and you're fine. So this brings up the question, Should I try to go to a public school in state here in Illinois or maybe Iowa/Michigan and pay as little as possible and focus on my med school requirements and major in something useful for these reqs? Or should I go to a private school with a high average MCAT if you think they will better prepare me? I'm a hard working student but I'm driving myself nuts with the back and forth of being broke at a really nice school or going to a less respectable state school for little to hopefully no cost. WUSTL has the highest average MCAT (38) but this doesn't mean that I'm going to get a 38 by any means so any input you have here would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>You can go either place. Also, you can do MCAT prep, so this shouldn’t really be a concern right now.</p>
<p>being broke at a nice school…how is that nice? having let’s say 40K in debt before you begin med school, how is that nice? be reasonable. You want to go to med school. You’re hard working. You do well in school. You don’t need a school that increases your indebtedness just to go to a professional school where the debt will hang from you neck like concurrent prison terms. </p>
<p>I’m sure WashU or NU is an excellent school, but if you don’t have the exceptional stats that garner high merit at WashU, go some place that you can reasonably afford without incurring debt. You will not regret doing so.</p>
<p>When you graduate from college, med schools won’t care where you went to college, just how you did on the MCAT and in your courses, research, and interviews. </p>
<p>When you graduate from med school, no one will care where you went to college. See the similarities?</p>
<p>You can prep for the MCAT right now if you want. You don’t need to go to any college to do that. You’re the one doing the prepping, for crying out loud, not WashU or Northwestern.</p>
<p>You can prep for MCAT now, but don’t take the test. You haven’t studied the topics yet, so you probably won’t do well. And med schools expect you to take the test JUST ONCE. Retesting will hurt your application.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys! I know I can start prepping for the MCAT now but I have a strong feeling it will change again by the time I take it so I’m not going to invest too much time in it for now (I’ll probably start after my freshman year once I’m more familiar with some of the material.) Also thanks for the tip on not re-testing (I was actually thinking of taking it before I start college to get an idea for what it’s like and better prepare) so I guess I dodged a pretty big bullet there!</p>
<p>Also in regards to jkeil911, I totally agree with you about being stressed out about money and how med schools quite frankly couldn’t care less as to where you attended undergrad. I’m planning on putting myself through school because I want to proudly be able to say that I’m truly “self-made” so money is partially a concern. I just feel that I would have better connections with professors and better research opportunities at WUSTL (everyone is also really supportive and not out to get you like most other serious pre-med programs). I also feel that a better school with a slightly lower GPA (3.5-3.6) and more impressive ECs/Research (which WUSTL and NU both offer). My biggest fear is that I’ll get accepted ED to WUSTL but I won’t know on scholarships until later and then another school like NU, U Mich, or somewhere similar will also accept me and offer me more money (I know the chances are slim but hey a kid can dream right?) </p>
<p>I was being hyperbolic about the MCAT, but it is the case that you can teach yourself what you need to learn to pass the mcat. I didn’t say it would be easy or practical but the knowledge is available. I wouldn’t encourage you to do so, of course, but your college is going to do little to prepare you for the mcat. Avoid debt. Be happy.</p>
<p>Schools do not prepare students for the MCAT…not even H does that.</p>
<p>The material on the MCAT deals with lower division stuff which nearly all schools can teach quite well. Performance on the MCAT has little to do with the school and MUCH more to do with the student. </p>
<p>Go where it is affordable.</p>
<p>Going to an OOS public may be just as expensive or nearly as expensive as WashU. There are schools that give merit scholarships, but not much from the ones you mention.</p>
<p>What are your stats? How much will your parents pay?</p>
<p>mom2collegekids I know the undergrad school doesn’t matter in a sense of name but WUSTL has the highest average MCAT scores (probably due to the fact that all the kids are very intelligent) and very good research opportunities to make my med school app stand out with better ECs. My stats are mentioned in the only other thread on my profile if you’d like to see them, I’m a good, hardworking student and my dad has offered to help (not sure how much money yet or if I even want help as I’m considering just putting myself through school). </p>
<p>"but WUSTL has the highest average MCAT scores (probably due to the fact that all the kids are very intelligent) "</p>
<p>yes, this is due to the fact that their med school applicants were all very high stats kids to begin with…likely a bunch of ACT 34+. Those kids would have the same MCAT regardless of where they went.</p>
<p>Many schools have excellent research opps…most established univs, flagships, etc have very good research opps.</p>
<p>HOW THE HECK would YOU put yourself thru undergrad? YOU can only borrow $5,500 for freshman year.</p>
<p>Ask your dad how much he CAN pay each year. YOU need to know that.</p>
<p>@jackdmoore97 </p>
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<p>Your ACT 32 is very good, but you would be one of the weaker premeds at WashU. That doesn’t translate into YOU getting a high MCAT by going to WashU. There is a correlation between ACT score and MCAT scores.</p>
<p>The TOP 25% of students (where many WashU premeds are), have an ACT 35+</p>
<p>The middle quartiles at WashU is ACT 32-34. So an ACT 32 is at the bottom of the mid range…around the bottom 26% of the school. If you went to WashU, you would be one of the weaker students.</p>
<p>The TOP 25% of students (where many WashU premeds are), have an ACT 35+</p>
<p>The middle quartiles at WashU is ACT 32-34. So an ACT 32 is at the bottom of the mid range…around the bottom 26% of the school. If you went to WashU, you would be one of the weaker students. I would not recommend a premed going that route. Not only would that be a challenge for you to emerge with a med-school-worthy GPA, but getting great LORs would be more of a challenge. </p>
<p>I’m in agreement with mom2collegekids on this one - and I also don’t think you can count on admission to WUSTL even ED.</p>
<p>Pre-med is ferocious and kids I’ve seen who have done well have almost always gone to schools where they are in the Top 25% stats wise when they enter. It’s now my suggestion to anyone who asks. There are several good schools out there to choose from, both state and private. Find some that fit you to apply to, and be sure that choice minimizes debt.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help everyone, and @creekland what good schools are you referring to? I just can’t justify spending $20k at U of Illinois instead of WUSTL where the quality of life is much better. I’m extremely open to cost effective schools that I could excel in for med school admissions and get good LORs so if you have any suggestions I’ll look into them for sure. Oh and in financial regards I think between my dad and grandma $20k a year is looking like the number.</p>
<p>Have you run the NPC for WashU to confirm that it is affordable? If it is not affordable, you should not apply ED, regardless of anything else. </p>
<p>@butterfreesnd yes I ran the NPC, it’s $20k</p>
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<p>I just can’t justify spending $20k at U of Illinois instead of WUSTL </p>
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<p>I think UIUC is about $31k per year instate.</p>
<p>And you need to mentally set aside WUSTL…it isn’t likely that you will get in. As an IL resident w/o a hook, it is doubtful that they would accept your stats. If you were from maybe South Dakota, maybe…but they get plenty of IL apps from kids with higher stats. WUSTL is know to be test score whore. Assume that you won’t get in so that you can come up with a more realistic plan. </p>
<p>Find some schools that will be affordable and where you will be well within the top 25%.</p>
<p>If your ACT comes up at least one point, try Pitt. They are a good pre-med school with plenty of hospitals right on or next to campus to get experience shadowing/research, etc.</p>
<p>Also try Case Western. I’ve seen kids with your stats do well there with aid (not always, but enough to try). Again, there are plentiful options for pre-med students.</p>
<p>If you like a smaller school, Juniata is well known for pre-med prepping - or Muhlenberg.</p>
<p>If your NPC came out at 20K for WUSTL, you’re likely getting need based aid. This means it ought to be similar at many good need-based aid schools (but try theirs just to be certain). This could put schools like Emory, Wake Forest, and U Rochester on your list too. Franklin & Marshall is pretty good with need-based aid too. If you don’t mind Florida, the University of Miami could be worth a shot.</p>
<p>What you really want is to look at the stats of their incoming freshmen and be sure you AREN’T in the bottom half. The higher up, the better, but if you go too high (ACT of 32, top 75% of school is 25 or less), then I’ve seen kids get super bored and wonder what the academic thrill of college is all about. Note though, they often still do well… and doing well with your GPA and MCAT + extra curriculars is what counts for med school. You sound like you’d prefer to be with your peers if it works out financially, so I’d have a couple of the latter as safety schools if you don’t have others, but I’d try others to see what happened.</p>
<p>St. Olaf sends 40-50 of its students on to med school each year (on average). Not bad for a student body of 3000. With your 32 ACT, you would be in line with those receiving their top scholarship. They are also a “meet need” college. It’s not a super conservative/religious school, if that’s a concern.</p>
<p>@MOMINWIS I’ll definitely look into it! And yeah I’m not looking for a conservative school by any means. I want to be able to “let loose” on the weekends (workload permitting).</p>