Pre-med Biology College Choice

[mikemac]

I am looking for a college that will help me to be the most competitive med school applicant.

That’s your problem right there. In the end, colleges don’t “help you”. You help you.

There is an excellent online handbook at Amherst I recommend to get an understanding of the process and what really matters

What does elevate a student’s chances is to go to an institution (1) that energizes and challenges that particular student academically, while providing good teaching and academic support so the student can meet the challenge satisfactorily; and (2) that provides opportunities for accomplishment and leadership in extracurricular areas. Of course the student must take advantage of these educational and extracurricular opportunities - in the end it’s the student’s accomplishments that count, not the name of the institution.
[Amherst College Guide for Premedical Students](Amherst College Guide for Premedical Students)

Now maybe you call those things “help”. I think of them as providing opportunities.

One thing to avoid is placing any importance into acceptance numbers. Some schools boast incredible rates, but it boils down to one of two things. Either they start with great students (think Stanford, etc) or the school weeds out students. Look out especially for the “committee letter” which small schools with average students coming in wield like an axe to prevent all but the strongest applicants from applying right out of college; to no surprise, they often boast 90% or better med school “acceptance” numbers for their undergrads. Soon a regular poster will chime in to recommend one such school, Holy Cross.