<p>When trying to choose a school for undergrad with the intentions of someday going to medical school, would you say that good grades (and possibly graduating with honors) from a less selective, more unknown university or graduating from a more respected and selective school (still with decent grades, just no honors) is better?</p>
<p>Birds of a feather flock together. Consider quality of life. Consider a holistic approach. Rankings matter only for top tier med schools but even then, if you don’t have the numbers…you’re no good.</p>
<p>Also, you may change your mind about med school. Look for the best university with the best options for the cheapest price.</p>
<p>AAMCAS offers a chart listing of colleges with most APPLICANTS to medical school by race. That may help you gauge the pre-med community at a university.</p>
<p>What makes you think you would get better grades at a lower ranked school?</p>
<p>Medical school admissions, as often discussed in these forums, is heavily numbers-based. Your GPA and MCAT scores will matter much more than the name of the university/college on your diploma.</p>
<p>If money is an issue for you, and you’ve got a decent but not “top” place that will be free (or at least dirt cheap), follow the money. Save your debt for med school.</p>
<p>Halcyontimes, I realize I might change my mind in med school, but I still want to keep that future in mind as I choose a school for undergrad. </p>
<p>Baark, I am pretty sure I would get better grades at the small, in-state, private because their average ACT and GPA for even the Honors College is quite a bit lower than what I have now. No garuntees, just a little more likely, I think.</p>
<p>Why don’t you explore the med school applicants section of this website to see previous thread of this much discussed topic.</p>
<p>[Pre-Med</a> & Medical School - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-medical-school/]Pre-Med”>Pre-Med & Medical School - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Baark, I am pretty sure I would get better grades at the small, in-state, private because their average ACT and GPA for even the Honors College is quite a bit lower than what I have now. No garuntees, just a little more likely, I think.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes being a big fish in a small pond can induce laziness, whereas being surrounded by peers challenges you to accomplish more than what you normally would. Sometimes the lower-ranked school has grade deflation. And top schools are pretty noted for their grade inflation.</p>
<p>You can’t predict what your GPA will be or whether you’d get a higher GPA at school A than school B, so the best way to make this choice is to go to the college you really want to go to. Physicians come from all kinds of schools - from East Podunk State to Harvard - so you can go to medical school from anywhere if you work hard and get good grades. So perhaps you need to ask yourself what other qualities of these colleges you value and which one you would prefer to attend.</p>
<p>Students who have passed through our ranks and done well at med school admissions usually went to a school where they were in the top 25% of stats.</p>
<p>However, some did choose schools where they were super high in those stats (without many peers). The couple I’ve heard from were rather bored with the classwork and wished they had chosen other schools that were more challenging (while still staying in the top 25%). The content of the coursework IS usually different - the depth at which they go to, etc.</p>
<p>Sit in on classes if you can and see which school fits you better.</p>
<p>Either will get you in to med school IF you put forth the effort needed and still decide you want to at that point.</p>
<p>Higher level schools tend to have kids who aim toward higher level med schools FWIW. Any med school produces doctors who end up in residencies and employed, so this matters to some and not to others.</p>