I am considering UW Madison for college, but I want to take a neuobiology/neuroscience major with a minor in English, with all the pre-med reqs. What must I do to not take a gap year, which is from what I hear the usual thing for students out of big, non-private schools.
To avoid a gap year you must be accepted at medical school when you apply as a senior. And it has nothing to do with graduating from a private versus a state school. It has to do with what you accomplish in college and your MCAT.
Get a high GPA and a high MCAT among other things.
@TomSrOfBoston Okay, I have no idea what med schools want me to accomplish. I plan to do research, and I want to start fencing in whatever college I go to. But what else is a med school looking for? Especially prestigious med schools that offer full tuition scholarships.
To avoid a gap year apply to some less prestigious medical schools. Of course all medical schools fall in the reach category for most applicants.
Why bother wasting a year between undergrad and medical school? If you still want it and do not get accepted then you plan your strategy for applying again and improving your credentials. Do NOT count on any free money (scholarships) to ANY medical schools. The pool of applicants will be those who are at least your academic peers, you will not be special. You will find this out when you take your first semester college courses.
Your strategy should include going to a school that accepts you and you will enjoy being a student at. Once in college you will take classes that lead to medical school admissions, those for your proposed major (it can be anything, do not try to game the system in your choice- choose something you actively enjoy) and others for an education regardless of your future profession. In college you should look at the premedical information available- it is an intention, not a major. Your current questions will best be answered once you are in college and see how things work.
Do not be premature in planning your future. So much will happen between now and any gap year et al planning. Relax and be open to changes as you continue to grow/mature- you will refine your future plans based on knowledge obtained while in college.
btw- the truly exceptional student will not be posting these questions so my statement about being an average student in the pool of applicants is true. A wonderful thing about attending a top tier school like UW is that there will be so many top HS students. Be sure to plan on taking Honors courses whenever possible.
@wis75 I was asking this question so I can get the most likely chance of getting a scholarship, really. I already decided on what I want to do, neuroscience/neurobiology and english, which are things that I feel are enjoyable things to learn and master. Regardless, I understand that college is an experience, and plans do not go as they should most of the time. But I want an outline, some idea on what to do.
Do NOT even think about gaming the system for medical school scholarships. I doubt you would improve your admissions status with a gap year to put you among the elite students who possibly get any scholarships to any medical schools. You count on future earnings to pay off loans in general. This is not like undergrad years or PhD grad programs.
@wis75 I am just curious, but what do you mean by gaming the system? Because my hope is to do good at school and have fun still, not prepare a meticulous resume for scholarships. I already know medical school needs requirements, such as mcat scores and gpa. I will just see where college takes me, and that will be all.
I mean planning your courses et al not because they are best for what you want educationally but just because you think it will improve your chances at something(getting into medical school). Be true to yourself. Once you are in college you will have access to true information and not just hearsay.