<p>I got a 3.5 oGPa and a 3.55 sGPA first year. I’m a fail.</p>
<p>That’s not a fail…</p>
<p>well…im a premed, so that’s considered a fail…it’s def below average</p>
<p>Is taking the MCAT the August before Junior Year a good idea? I was thinking about doing this because it “gets it out of the way” and the topics in the MCAT will still be fresh in my brain. Plus, I would have had an entire summer to study.</p>
<p>I transferred from a state school to an Ivy after my freshman year. At my first school, my GPA was 3.97 but during my sophomore year it was a 3.56. This is a 3.79 cumulative and includes all prereqs but one semester of organic chemistry. Will this drop look bad or will adcoms understand that I found the courses considerably more difficult at my new school? I also made the mistake of overestimating how many classes I could handle at the Ivy; they were much harder. </p>
<p>Ultimately, I learned to not take as many classes as at my state school, so I think I’ll at least be able to maintain this 3.8 GPA in my last two years with a reduced course load.</p>
<p>I know this is probably a silly question, but is this considered a “downward GPA trend”?</p>
<p>Also, I have been planning to take the MCAT during January after I finish my last semester of organic chemistry. I am also planning to take either cell biology or molecular biology during spring semester. Should I wait until after the other bio class to take the MCAT? Also, would you recommend cell bio (much harder) or mol. bio?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>I was wondering if I could get some feedback on my chances of being accepted to medical school and if I need to do other stuff to increase those chances.</p>
<p>So here it is…</p>
<p>I’m going to be starting my senior year at Virginia Tech this upcoming falling. I am coming in with a 3.92 Overall GPA, which should only improve over the course of my senior year. My science GPA is 3.88 and should top out around a 3.9. I have done an extensive amount of research in undergrad that has all been biomedically-based. In particular, I have worked in research labs for several years that focus on Diabetes, Muscle Mechanics, and Breast Cancer. I have also spent my summer as an intern at Yale’s School of Medicine doing Epithelial Stem Cell research with a professor in the Yale School of Medicine. I should eventually get a publication out of my research at Yale and, hopefully, another publication through my Virginia Tech research.</p>
<p>While at Yale this summer, I have also been shadowing a nationally-acclaimed clinical pediatric professor within Yale’s School of Medicine. I have also set up other shadowing opportunities with several prominent family medicine doctors in my hometown. I will be shadowing them some during the school year. Plus, I will be volunteering/shadowing at the hospital located near Virginia Tech. </p>
<p>I have not yet taken the MCAT, but plan to take it in the spring and apply during next summer’s cycle. </p>
<p>Other Info:
-I am a White Male, not exactly a minority in medicine…haha
-If accepted to med school, I would be a third generation doctor (Father and Grandfather + Uncle are doctors)</p>
<p>Thanks for reading this! Any feedback/info/advice that you can offer me would be fantastic.</p>
<p>Roughly 20% of all premeds who take the MCAT go on to medical school. No way to assess odds until you have a score in your hand.</p>
<p>“I am a White Male, not exactly a minority in medicine…haha”</p>
<p>-Actually, White Male is minority in medicine. You are good.</p>
<p>Hi! I’m a high schooler who wants to be a doctor. Currently I’m trying to figure out which school would be better for premed. Just from reading posts by bluedevilmike, sakky, norcalguy, etc. I kinda figured (please, correct me if I’m wrong) that going to a school with 1.) good premed advising, 2.) great grade inflation, and 3.) lots of clinical opportunities is good right? So right now, I’m stuck between two schools: NYU and University of Notre Dame. I feel like both schools are an awesome fit, but I’m not sure which one would be better for premed. Are there any thoughts on this? Also, what is more important to medical schools: Being a leader in different clubs (that are not medically related) or having a ton of community service and clinical experience (i.e. volunteering at a hospital, shadowing a doctor, etc.) or a combination of both? Should a strong applicant have mostly medically related extra curriculars or a good mix? Plus, does going to a LAC help because of more one on one time with the Professors? Does going to a large university like NYU put a person at a disadvantage for recommendations? Thanks ahead of time!</p>
<p>First, choose a school that you feel comfortable with. Happier student = better grades overall.</p>
<p>Second, choose a school that is going to cost you the least in terms of student debt. Medical school is expensive and there’s very little grant aid. You don’t want to add med school debt on top of undergrad debt.</p>
<p>Third, all med school applicants are expected to be well rounded individuals. You need to have clinical exposure–shadowing, hospital volunteering–probably some lab research, but you need to have other non-medical interests as well.</p>
<p>Going to small LAC does not guarantee more face time with your professors, just like going to a big U doesn’t guarantees you better research or clinical experience options. Opportunities are what you make of them. That part is really up to you and not dependent on what school you go to.</p>
<p>*So right now, I’m stuck between two schools: NYU and University of Notre Dame. *</p>
<p>Those are very different schools. What do you like about each?</p>
<p>NYU gives lousy financial aid, so expect to pay all or nearly all costs.</p>
<p>Unless you have unlimited resource, I would advise to consider UG cost. You will have a great chance to pay huge Med. School tuition. There are Merit scholarships, but very few. Choose free or near free UG, if possible, unless you have funds lined up for the next 8 years.</p>
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<p>This is a big gamble, IMO. The problem with such advice is that only a really small proportion of matriculating Frosh premeds will actually need money for 8 years. The vast majority won’t even come close to qualifying for the application. Thus, they end up with a degree from free or nearly free college. It is a tradeoff: attend a cheaper undergrad and graduate from that college and look for a job, or attend a more expensive undergrad and then look for a job. For example, in these two choices…NYU has phenomenal contacts on Wall Street and the theater disctrict, so it is probably spending the big bucks to attend Stern or Tisch. OTOH, ND has a huge, national alumni network, and would be good for someone looking for job contacts everywhere else.</p>
<p>If the ‘free or nearly-free’ college is not a place that you want to live for four years, I would recommend going elsewhere.</p>
<p>^There is nothing wrong with free degree, absolutely nothing. It is still pretty much to a student. Out of 4 in my family (My H., S., D, me), we paid only for S’s UG. We are all just fine, all of us achieved our ultimate and very specific goals, including one at Med. Schools and others are doing what they have been dreaming about doing. I have very many examples of this, actually among my friends (all with limited resources, including many physician’s families). many more opted for free or very cheap vs. prestigious/expensive UG. Many also opted for free Med. School (because of parents positions) vs. prestigious Med. Schools.</p>
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<p>Actually, there can be, depending on personal goals. If you want to work on Wall Street, you need a name brand. If you want to obtain a federal clerkship, you had better go to Harvard (or Yale) law school. (Your local “free” law school won’t get you there.) </p>
<p>“Free” college may not have the major of interest. Free college may not have a backup major of interest, for the 80-90% of unsuccessful premed Frosh.</p>
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<p>Successful anecdotes are easily counter-balanced by the thousands of unsuccessful anecdotes.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against low cost education. But from a buyer’s perspective, to me it’s all about value. If,say, the college that costs $20k per year offers that much more value (however defined to the applicant and his/her family), it is worth seriously considering. In California, for example, the Cal States are nearly-free, but few students aspiring to grad/professional school would choose them over a UC at a whole lot more cost.</p>
<p>^I thought that this discussion is related to Med. Schools. While I have tons of examples of successful UG pre-meds and 100% sure that UG name did not influence future failure/success, I also have many examples of non-pre-emds. Too many to consider anecdotal (since I, my H, my S. my DIL, and our friends) are all went to no-name schools with exception of one (he had it free or very cheap at his time at Harvard). We do not have friends at Wall Street becuase we live in Midwest. However, I know one guy who got his Bio degree from??? and ended up being very successful CFO (after his job paid for his MBA at whatever school (definitely not Harvard). How many people could Wall street have? I bet the goal of being specifically on Wall Street is very limited. If you have a dream of being such and such and do not limit yourself too much and do have very limited resources (this will cover vast majority of college applicants), obtaining free/cheap UG degree (or in my case, it was mere CC - Associate degree) will open up lots of opportunities and better financial position to be in Grad. School.</p>
<p>However, it is a very personal choice. Different people will have different opinions based on their personal experience. So, there is no argument. I am just stating my opinion based on my story and many hundreds around me.</p>
<p>Go to the best school that meets all your needs including affordability. There is an experiential difference in UG’s that, imo, has value. I very much disagree with going to the cheapest alternative for UG or med school, just because it’s cheapest. Had we been financially able my kid would have had a unique experience at Yale College. We weren’t. </p>
<p>edit: Would that unique experience, once lived, have been “better” in her opinion? We’ll never know, will we? 
That’s just the way this life thing works. </p>
<p>She chose , in her opinion, her next best choice and loved her UG and her time there. Her choice and her efforts gave her the ability to attend the med school that best suited her. She played her hand well but that doesn’t mean she didn’t give up something valuable. She did and we recognize that.</p>
<p>^My D. also has chosen her #2 as UG (for non-financial reason, she got great Merit packages at both with package of much greater $$ at #1). However, looking back and being at her #1 at Med. School right now (which she greatly appreciates), we all agree that her experience at her free UG (#2 on her list) was exactly what she was looking for while it went well beyond whole family expectations. She is still continue visiting there. </p>
<p>But you are right, how we can tell what she has missed if she went to Yale (she had no intentions applying there though). One thing for sure, she was a star at her UG, a big star, she was able to polish her many leadership skills there (in addition to having fun). Would she had had these opportunities at other place? Again, we cannot tell.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP, from what you are saying, are you implying that there is only a trivial difference between attending a private prestigious UG vs. a no name/state UG? If that were the case, EVERYBODY would be attending the no name/state UGs instead of HYP and the other top UGs. After all, if there is only a petty difference, who in their right mind would want to spend that extra 40k per year? Harvard would have 0 students.</p>
<p>However, in reality, Harvard has one of the largest applicant pools and an increasing number of applicants are applying to Harvard. The same thing applies to all the other top UGs. If what you said was true, then why are all of these parents of students who are applying to top schools willing to pay that tuition? Even if these parents were rich, NO FAMILY WHO EARNS LESS THAN 500k/year IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD SELECT HARVARD OVER STATE U IF THERE WERE ONLY MINOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SCHOOLS because that will be basically throwing away 40-50k a year. </p>
<p>So, there has to be some potent reason why students choose top UGs and are willing to pay that high tuition rather than go to a state school/no name school and pay little or no tuition. This advantage, so to say, might weigh into med school admissions, law school admissions, future employment, research opportunities, connections, who knows, but it does matter and the amount that it matters is worth the extra tuition dollars you are paying to go to a top UG. </p>
<p>The college system is sorta like the economy in that you get your fair share of value for what you pay. Going to top UG has it’s benefits or else nobody would pay the extra tuition and the top UGs would be vacant. It’s simply a matter of logic. Of course, there are exceptions, numerous exceptions in fact, where students like your children or your friends’ children go to state/no name schools and end up very successful. However, for every 1 student like your son/daughter, I guarantee you that there are at least 10 other students who also go to state/no name schools and end up doing something that they don’t like. Top UGs, however, will have something like for every 1 students who ends up successful in life, there are 3 students who ends up not so successful.</p>
<p>“MiamiDAP, from what you are saying, are you implying that there is only a trivial difference between attending a private prestigious UG vs. a no name/state UG?”</p>
<p>-What I am saying is to repeat my D’s words: “I grabbed opportunites where others were passing by”. I am saying that opportunites are everywhere, it is up to a student to “grab” them. Yes, D. did not go to prestigious private college, she went to state UG. She ended up at that prestigious private place at Med. School anyway with very awesome UG experience that she will always remember. </p>
<p>Again, IT IS UP TO A STUDENT, NOT THE NAME OF UG.</p>