ChuntiBeans

I'm an incoming freshman to Cal Poly. I stupidly did not apply to UCI, otherwise I definitely would have gone there. I have hopes of going to Med school, but I know that cal poly Pomona is mostly known for Engineering. What are my chances of going to a good medical school if I stay at CPP?

Lemaitre1

Medical schools have no preferences as far as undergraduage major. While most applicants are Biology or Chemistry majors many others are also represented in medical schools, including Engineering. The most important thing is not what you major in but how good your GPA is. You want to have a 3.7+ GPA and a score of 30 or better on the MCAT to have a good chance of getting accepted somewhere. Because of the very limited number of spots in California relative to the population you will need to have a 3.9 GPA and 35 MCAT score to have a good shot at staying in California for medical school.

mom2collegekids

Cal Poly P is a good STEM school. The fact that they're strong in eng'g suggests that they're going to be strong in the pre-med pre-reqs as well.

I think going to CPP has some advantages over UCI. UCI is super crowded with med-school wannabees. At CPP there will be less. Use that to your advantage by getting to know your profs, assisting them in their labs, getting research experience, gathering excellent LORs, etc.

And for fun, work on the float!!

bluebayou

Lem is correct in that if you want to attend MS in California, you will need outstanding numbers from any Cal State. For proof, head over to the premed advising office -- if they still have one -- and ask how many non-hooked applicants got into any of the UC med schools.

Hooked = URMs, non-traditionals, top varsity athletes in D1 sports, applicants who have overcome serious disadvantages (grew up in a homeless shelter), etc. I'm guessing that the answer will be less than a handful.

btw: CPP is also known for biz and architecture.

mom2collegekids

>>>>>> What are my chances of going to a good medical school if I stay at CPP? <<<<<

The question should be, "what are my chances of going to a medical school if I stay at CPP."

Your question suggests that some med schools in the US aren't "good". They are ALL very good. The US doesn't have any "so so" med schools. They are all worth attending and all are respected.

You didn't say that the SOM had to be in Calif, so that's good. As mentioned above, the competition to get into a Calif UC med school is unbelievable. If you do stick with your med school plans AND have the stats to apply, then keep an open mind and apply to privates that are OOS.

Right now, NO ONE can tell you what your chances are. We don't know anything about you (grades/test scores), we don't know how you'll do in the premed prereqs, we don't know what kind of ECs you'll do.

The truth is that most freshmen premeds never end up applying to med school. After the first year of Bio and Chem, a large number change their minds. Then after Ochem, more kids change their minds. Then after taking the MCAT, more kids change their minds.

Lemaitre1

As I said before, the best medical school in the country is the one that accepts you.