I’m a finance major transferring into my junior year who wants to pursue a top PhD program in medical science, particularly at Columbia, Harvard, or Stanford.
My dilemma is choosing between University of Rochester (top research school but cold & more expensive) vs. CUNY Baruch (unknown in science but great location, cheap, & good for my major). Apparently there’s a controversial consensus on this forum that your undergrad school doesn’t matter, but what if it’s from an unknown CUNY? Would I have any realistic shot at the above 3 grad schools coming from Baruch?
A degree from a CUNY school is not going to stop you from being admitted to a great PhD program ( there are several CUNY alums in my program). What you will need is solid research. Since your finance major will keep you very busy (internships?) you might consider a masters program to give you the proper scientific background. Will you be able to enroll in classes at other CUNYs, such as Hunter? What area in the medical sciences interest you?
Cell biology & neuroscience. A masters does sound like a good idea if research experience is actually weighed that heavily for a non-science major. Baruch doesn’t have a formal advising/support program for premeds, but it does offer the required science classes. Is there really any advantage in taking premed classes from Hunter vs. Baruch?
Why are you doing a finance major if your goal is a PhD in cell bio & neuroscience? Unlike medical school, your actual transcript does matter for bio PhDs. They expect advanced level courses in the sciences along with a strong research background. As of now, being a finance major sounds like a bigger hurdle to clear than being a CUNY Baruch graduate. One adcom member in my program thought my classics major (I was a biology and classics double major) was an indicator of a lack of commitment to science. Can’t imagine what he would think of a solo finance major.