<p>Hey guys, I've been lurking the forums for a few weeks now (mostly to figure out when decisions were out --- excellent list you guys had going on there).</p>
<p>Anyway, I got accepted to Emory and placed on the Northwestern wait-list and the infamous Wash U wait-list. I also got into UC Berkeley and UCLA, but seeing as how I'm from California and I want to go to school in a different area, I'm probably going to choose one of the other 3.</p>
<p>I want to study something in the sciences, exactly what, I'm not sure. Probably Bio, Chem, BioChem, something of that sort. I do know that I want to do pre-med and if possible, do some research/internships at medical institutes (CDC would be an example for Emory).</p>
<p>But I also want the whole college life / awesome college town experience. I'm planning on visiting Atlanta this weekend (April 7-9), flying over to Chicago on Tuesday (10th), and going to St. Louis on the 11th, to visit each and every campus (I've already been to all of them, but I just want to make sure since it's obviously a very important decision).</p>
<p>Also, I want to know if there's anything I can do to possibly get myself off those wait-lists. I'm interested in each of those schools and I really want it so that I can choose one of them instead of being forced into going.</p>
<p>Any advice? Anything and everything would be appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>If I also wanted to take business/management classes, which school would be the best (if I would like to minor in one while still majoring in a life science with a pre-med focus)?</p>
<p>well one thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to decide on a school to go to before getting off those waitlists. So if you don't want to go to the UC's, you're pretty much left with going to Emory until you get off a waitlist in mid-may to mid june. WashU I think would be your best bet for Premed focus in life sciences and also minor or double major in business/management classes at Olin.</p>
<p>WashU is extremely flexible with taking courses across schools, so you could do pre-med/major in a lifescience and minor in business with no problem. You probably would have enough space to take whatever electives you want as well.</p>
<p>Pre-med curriculum is not really something one just dabbles in. If one is seriously interested in medical school, he/she must recognize that those with whom he will be competing for admission are generally quite focused on that goal from freshman year. Medical schools demand a serious load of sciences regarless of one's major and, with the mcat in mind, more is better. That said, all of your choices are going to provide satisfactory preparation in the sciences. You are not choosing PhD programs here. The advantages of one bio dept. over another for an undergraduate pre-med are fairly inconsequential. The flexibility that Wash U's cluster system provides will also not be a major advantage to you. By the time you finish the pre-med science curriculum for your chosen medical schools (and a little more biochem./cell bio if possible) you will not have much space for extra majors in any case. Choose solid science preparation across the board and a focused major in an area that interest you and you will be fine at any of these institutions. Beyond that, choose a place where you feel happy and try to enjoy your undergraduate years as much as a pre-med can.</p>
<p>actually, to go to medical school you don't even have to major in the sciences. a growing percentage of students accepted to medical school had a non-science major in undergrad. you just have to take a lot of science classes in the process.</p>