I am currently in the process of applying to colleges, so I haven’t been accepted yet. However, my top choices are Wake Forest University and Bucknell University. I know that the two are considered to be similar, but I am curious to know how they differ. If anyone has any information on either school, or have had to make a similar decision, I would love to know! I plan to major in Biology following a pre-med track. I am a female from PA. I am also interested in greek life and going to a school that has plenty of activities going on! Thanks!
I have visited and seriously considered both (Am a senior in HS right now). Both schools have crazy big greek life which I like and you said you like as well. I am applying ED to Bucknell and probably not applying to WFU at all.
First off, Bucknell’s campus is actually the best. WF’s campus is very nice, but I wouldn’t compare it to the beauty of Bucknell. The main issue that drove me away from WF was the nickname “Work Forest” and the fact that they have grade deflation. This basically means that students get a lot of work (not a big deal) and even if they do it all diligently, they still get lower grades. This is very tough on GPA’s, so if you’re trying to get into med school, a low GPA is not something that will help you.
I know it sounds like I’m trying to sell you on Bucknell, but I’m not. I’m just telling you how I ended up choosing Bucknell. WF is a really nice school and I’m sure you (or I) would have a fantastic time there. Overall, both are awesome schools and you are lucky that you can choose from either of them considering their difficulty and high price tag.
I have definitely heard the Work Forest reputation. However, I have also heard that medical schools are well aware of this and take into account that a student from Wake’ GPA means more and was harder to earn, which can work in an applicants favor. Lots to consider!!!
For reassurance regarding the appropriateness of both of these schools for pre-med students, both are mentioned in an online list: “The Experts’ Choice: Colleges with Great Pre-med Programs.”
4mm, congrats on being able to tell the two campuses apart. I’ve visited both, liked the way both looked, but they look so similar that I would be surprised if most people would claim one is significantly better than the other.
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have also heard that medical schools are well aware of this and take into account that a student from Wake’ GPA means more and was harder to earn,
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who told you that? I doubt that’s true.
@haleyb1997 What are your latest stats? You also have some pricey OOS publics on your list. How much will your parents pay?
Nope, med schools don’t care where you go. They are not interested in prestige and your MCAT will clearly indicate whether you mastered the material they are interested in or not. You will get absolutely no boost from attending WF over Bucknell or vice versa. Grade deflation is something to consider, as are schools with policies about weeding out the pre-meds in their intro bio and chem classes. Talk to the pre-med association at each school and find out how good the pre-med advising it, how supportive the pre-meds are of each other (vs. competitive), and what kind of opportunities there are for research and medical volunteering.
Sorry the above is not correct. They do care, why wouldn’t they?
A quick look at medical school acceptance rates at a given data set tells the story.
At a 3.5 GPA and 30-32 MCAT the national acceptance rate is about 40-45% depending on the demographic.
At some schools, the acceptance rate for this combination is 80% - 100%.
This is just fact not opinion.
Since you are from PA, why not Pitt? It has significant amount of Greek life and there are plenty of activities to participate in.
mom2collegekids, what I said about medical schools considering the place an applicant when for undergrad was not referring to wake Vs. Bucknell. What I meant was any nationally ranked university having an edge over a low tier state school. Thanks, AStern!
Visited PITT and just couldn’t get over the urban setting. It’s just not what I always pictured in a college campus. I guess I shouldn’t rule it out just because of that!
A Stern, the numbers you cite are merely evidence of ways that schools lie with statistics. There are many threads on CC about how schools weed out their pre-meds with steep curves in the early chem and bio classes which produce the 80-100% acceptance rates among those left standing. Most students would be better off at schools where the acceptance rate to med school is somewhat lower, but they don’t face sharp elbowed competition and weeder classes that produce the ‘high’ rates of acceptance. In fact, your state of residence is much more important that the name of your school, given that many state medical schools accept few or no out of state applicants - that is where you get students with lower grades and test scores (that 40-45% you cite) being admitted. I could go on about how the data is manipulated, but as I said, it’s been analyzed ad infinitum elsewhere.
If you talk to people on the admissions committees at medical schools (we have), they will tell you that an MCAT of 32 from U Chicago isn’t doing any better in the admissions process than a 32 from State U if they both have a 3.8. The tip towards one candidate over the over will come down to other factors long before they get around to the schools’ relative prestige.
if interested in pre-med programs might also look at Holy Cross-very good pre-med reputation with beautiful campus 1 hour from Boston.
Bump