<p>Somebeast, what is the actual number of college credits, excluding alternative credits like clep, that you will have when you apply? Will you be transferring with an associate’s degree? Four year schools often do not consider clep credits at all during the transfer admissions process and they are not required to accept those credits later on. So, if you’re not actually taking courses of sufficient rigor, the schools are going to see and consider this in their admissions process. If you don’t have the minimum number of credits from college coursework, they’ll likely require your HS records and SAT scores. I’m not sure how the transfer scholarships you’re looking at are worded, but you should not assume that you can include clep credits to meet scholarship requirements.</p>
<p>Are you trying to transfer into a specific major and will you have met the prerequisites for that major at each of these schools? Colleges are often not willing to grant credit for courses required for a particular major unless they are actually taken in college and then only if the course closely resembles the course that they require. For example, although there may be a course articulation for a certain clep exam, say calculus, the school may still require you to take calc if it’s part of the major course sequence - this is especially true with math and science courses. Or they may award only elective credits for clep exams, like English, and still require you to take the actual courses to meet their gen ed requirements.</p>
<p>On the subject of “safeties”, I would not assume that UB is a safety for you (other than financially) and also would not recommend it if you’re interested in keeping a high gpa in order to apply to med school later. As a research university, UB is very strong and competitive in the sciences and is notorious for having “weeder” courses, especially in the bio and chem series. There are few courses with curves and the profs almost universally expect a very high level of effort. I would imagine the same is true for Binghamtom and Stony Brook. My D is a pre-health major at UB and gets very irritated that the “same” classes her friends take at smaller schools actually have a much lower level of content/requirements and are so much easier to earn an A in. I have to keep reminding her that she’s really getting a better education, and isn’t that really the point of it all?
Instead of worrying so much about the overall undergrad rankings of schools, or student reviews, big name sports, etc. you might want to look at the pre-med topics on this site and on Student Doctor Network and concentrate on schools that have good pre-med advising and who can offer you solid opportunities to round out your resume while maintaining your gpa.</p>
<p>Instead of worrying so much about the overall undergrad rankings of schools, or student reviews, big name sports, etc…</p>
<p>Very true…</p>
<p>Since this student is a transfer student, his main concerns should be…</p>
<p>1) Getting his BS at some decent school that will prepare him for med school (any decent school can do this)</p>
<p>2) Getting a high GPA and high MCAT score</p>
<p>Acquiring the least amount of debt as an undergrad. Relying on loans, money from relatives, etc, is not a wise route. </p>
<p>My parents may pay up to 25 k a year (loans or help from family).</p>
<p>Exactly how much “free cash”(not loans) can you get from your family that you won’t have to pay back?</p>
<p>BTW…I don’t know how affordable Ole Miss would be as a transfer OOS student. Would it give you a scholarship? Miss St might be more affordable and is strong in math/sciences. UA-Birmingham is strong in all pre-health programs and isn’t very expensive for OOS students. Also has a very good med school.</p>
<p>Miss St for transfer students…</p>
<p>Community College Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship
Top of Page</p>
<pre><code>* Award: 100% scholarship for the non-resident portion of tuition
<p>*May be awarded in addition to the Phi Theta Kappa and Community College Recognition Scholarships.</p>
<p>I think that would lower the cost to around that of a SUNY (if he has the 48 credits to qualify) and perhaps less if he got a PTK scholarship with the tuition waiver. Idk what this kid really is doing and wants though…UB is a Tier 1 school and I think Miss State is Tier 3 so I have to wonder if UB is not good enough, would Miss State be?!</p>
<p>UB is tier 1 as University Masters (I think) for a region (not the entire country), so I don’t think you can compare like that. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that UB wouldn’t be as good or better (UB might be better). I’m just saying that I don’t think you can compare tiers like that when the schools are in different groupings (Miss St is being ranked within national universities in the entire country).</p>
<p>I think the OP is saying the UB is not “good enough” because he wants out of NY and may want the “flagship big sports” school experience as well. Certainly, objectively, UB is good enough (altho the weather would certainly be worse! LOL )</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of the whole overall ranking thing, nor am I an expert on the subject, but it looks like UB is Tier 1, #121, for national universities and #60 for top public schools in the 2010 USNWR rankings. My point is that the OP is making some pretty vague and subjective statements about NY schools not being as good as schools in the midwest or Florida - and it’s really unclear what the basis for that is (other than perhaps ignorance). But, if he is a ratings hound type of person or is just using that to make some superficial judgements, I’m guessing he’d want to go up in the rankings, not down. If he’s ranking by weather other schools make alot more sense, lol!</p>
<p>I agree that the student is being vague.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that UB was in the National category.</p>
<p>If it is, I don’t think there is a big difference between#121 and third tier, since there isn’t a second tier anymore. </p>
<p>I only mentioned Miss St as an option since he listed Ole Miss and LSU. I would think the Miss St is just as good as those two.</p>
<p>I was not ranking new york schools based on academics .</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>What were you ranking them on?</p>
<p>I can understand that some don’t like the looks of some of the SUNYs, and therefore desire campuses that have more of that traditional “this is how a college should look” appearance. If that is the case, then Miss St and Ole Miss would do that. Both are very pretty, red brick/white columns, traditional college-looking schools.</p>