Nervous Freshman in High School

Gumbymom
Sun, 14 Jun 2020 14:13:40 +0000

Word of advice if you plan on pursuing Pre-Med and the UC’s.

1. As an OOS student for the UC’s, they offer little to no financial aid so expect to pay full fees at $65K/year (currently). Add this to the cost of Medical school, this makes no financial sense.

2. Only a few Medical schools care where you go for Undergrad and your best chance at an acceptance is within your home state.

3. You want to attend a school where you have the best chance for a High GPA in the Medical school pre-req courses, access to medically related EC’s and a school with good Pre-Med advising. You also want to keep undergrad costs at a minimum. In general you need a place where you can thrive as student–academically, socially and personally. Medical schools are looking for students who are not just top students academically, but also interesting, well rounded individuals with specific social competencies and leadership skills.

4. California is a highly competitive environment for “pre-med” students. Too many qualified applicants for the few seats available so most will end up going OOS if they are lucky enough to be accepted to Medical school.

5. Mom advice: continue to work your hardest but also enjoy your time in HS. Do not worry about college yet, plenty of time for that in the coming years. This is the time to explore your interests.

Best of luck.