Thank you for your kindness and your thoughtful reply. I am glad your daughters are doing great and found their lifelong passions. I can tell you are proud of them, and they have an amazing father. Since I learned (kind of the hard way) about course selection in college, I will definitely be as careful as I can with my 4-year plan and the way I manage my time. I appreciate your concern. I heard many pre-med take easy classes to keep a 4.0. I will try to limit my coursework to 1-2 rigorous classes per semester. Switching careers is an option, but since I decided on public health as my major, I don’t think I have as much freedom as others do to be honest. It will be hard for me to find a job. I have wanted to do med since I learned about macromolecules in 9th grade, and my passion for it still remains strong. I hope I will stay dedicated, but I can’t say for sure. Thinking about 13 years of school is intimidating, especially since I also wish to have a family in my mid-20s. I guess we will see. I know an undergraduate does not really matter for medical school. If you are someone who shines, you’ll shine everywhere, regardless of where you go. I have seen many examples of this before. However, I grew up in a family that placed emphasis on college. Even when I was in elementary school, I felt heavily pressured. I had wanted to go to UPenn, Columbia, etc., as I would grow up before finally settling on Rice. So I’m really determined to try my best to get in. Going to competitive schools has made it worse as well. I expect majority of the people from my current high school to go to a T1-T30. I know one day it won’t matter. But in the past, now, and for the next 4 months, it matters. So I will try. Rice fits many of the things I look for in a university. Small, private university, with an unjudgemental, inviting community that isn’t “party culture” and a beautiful campus while still being academically rigorous and providing challenges. If I don’t get into Rice, then I’ll still be happy with some other schools on my list, too.
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