<p>I have read/heard multiple comments about what the pre-med students are like at Cornell, implying an aggressive attitude toward school and grades. I'm sure whatever it is happens at other schools too, and I'm sure it doesn't apply to every individual involved int he program. it's just if there are so many little mentions of it from different sources, I am assuming there is some truth to it.
currently, when I tell people that I'm going to study biology, they often bring up something about being a doctor, and I have to explain that my interests lie elsewhere.</p>
<p>so, at Cornell, is it going to be difficult or unusual to be a bio major (in CALS) who doesn't have any medical aspirations? will I have to be in "competition" with those intense pre-med student? the school must have bought my explanation of how I really don't know what I want to do with the bio degree yet, since they let me in, but now I'm hoping I will not be some sort of academic outsider.</p>
<p>Most bio majors will be "premed" at some point in their academic careers. But, keep in mind, the vast majority of bio majors won't get into med school so you'll be in good company.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that you are in competition with the premeds. Premeds need A's. You, if you're going to grad school, need B's with a few A's sprinkled in. Let the premeds kill each other over the precious few A's. You can just chill and get that B+. It's not very hard at all to get a B but much harder to get an A.</p>
<p>Regardless of what college you attend, as a Bio major you will be in class with premeds (and some future engineers and chem majors), at least for your first two years of sciences. If a ~3.5 gpa is the mean for med school acceptance, grad school just has to be lower.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Yay someone who is just like me! I came into Cornell (biological sciences major in CALS) with no intention of going to medical school and found myself surrounded by crazy premed students. I stuck it through and found that the competition really made me a better student and prepared me well for 5+ years of a PhD program. I settled with Bs or B+s in the premed classes, and got As and even A+s in the science classes that I found interesting and that I wanted to study in the future. For graduate school, a 3.4 or 3.5 GPA is considered competitive at the top 20 schools. I don't have much higher than that and so far I have interviews at 4 of the 6 schools I applied to. Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>thanks, these are really encouraging posts. I have never been the one to get caught up in grades, but then again, my high school really isn't competitive like that. I'm fine with trying my best and letting other people do the stressing out. I figure I'll be going to go to graduate school, but don't have my sights set towards some exclusive program or anything, so Bs and B+s wouldn't bother me.</p>