So while I’m still confused about what I want to major in, I know I want to follow a premed track. I was thinking of applying to several private liberal arts colleges (smith, bc, Bowdoin, maybe even shooting for the stars with yale) so that I could have an interdisciplinary premed experience. however, I’m worried about actually passing premed classes. I’ve heard that even at liberal arts colleges the hard science are, in fact, ridiculously hard with a huge dropout rate. I’m thinking that since I go to a college prep school I won’t be as unprepared and drop out of premed, but I’m also just worried about getting a low gpa and not getting into medical school especially as the chemistry at my school is extremely challenging for me (in a fun way!). I’m not the top science student at my school or in the most advanced classes, so obv. I will be doing even worse in college. I wouldn’t say I’m below average in the sciences at my school, but I’m still worried.
additionally, there’s always the fact that I’m going to be in huge amounts of debt at the end of medical school, esp. after going to a private undergrad. should I just apply to my state school? I could save money that way, but I’m worried about the lower medical school acceptance rate out of state schools.
I was thinking it might be best to have a “backup career” and just go to one of the liberal arts colleges I’ve been thinking of and hope for the best.
No matter what college you attend the pre-med classes will be extremely challenging. Many students who start college on a pre-med path ultimately change directions.
You can be premed from almost any school in the country. As long as you have a few safety schools that you like and can afford, you can apply wherever you want. I would speak to your family about a budget.
FYI: Bowdoin also has a single digit acceptance rate, and BC acceptance rate is under 20%. Your HS guidance counselor will be able to talk to you about acceptance rates at your particular school.
It is smart to have a plan B, but it is not something you need to decide on today. Keep in mind that many plan Bs come with their own prerequisites etc. Some people add a minor to make them more marketable (ie biostats).
And…it is very true that you may change your mind about medical school as you discover new interests.
I suggest you go to the right college for you - it may be “elite” but it may not be.
The required classes will be brutal anywhere. The MCAT will be difficult anywhere - and yes, either you or the medical schools may decide, it’s not the career for you.
Many who major in sciences - don’t have a career per se in mind. They major in what they do - bio, chem, etc. or even not a science for pre-med and hopefully pick up internships or jobs or volunteer experiences that help them identify opportunities in life. College is about exploration - so you needn’t have a decision or struggle now.
If you want an assured medical school option, then maybe look at LECOM and its affiliated schools. This way you take much of the uncertainty away - although you’ll still have to do well in pre-med classes.
Re the courses for applicants to medical school…you can take those courses at just about every four year college in this country…arts conservatories excluded.
I would suggest you take pre-med out of your equation right now. You need an undergrad school that you like, is affordable without loans (see number 2), where you feel confident, and where you are happy. Happy students do better in college than unhappy ones. Where do you want to be for the next four years?
Have minimal to zero undergrad loans if medical school is remotely on the horizon. IF you eventually get accepted to medical school, costs will likely exceed $100,000 a year, and will be funded with loans, loans and more loans…and/or help from the bank of mom and dad.
If you are interested in other health careers, I would urge you to look at this site:
Second to having a plan B in case medical school doesn’t work out.
The courses you will be taking as a premed student (the required ones for medical school admissions) will be the same level of difficulty no matter where you attend college. For example…I don’t think you will find an “easier” OChem course at some college.
My daughter hog her second B in her life in chemistry freshman year, said it was the hardest B. 74% acceptance rate at her university. She powered through and graduated with a 3.9, but those science classes were so time consuming. She had a tutor lined up for her second chemistry class and continued with office hours, practice exams, study groups…. She was my only science major, her siblings business, but based on Facebook groups it’s a similar situation everywhere. It would’ve been better if she knew about weed out classes ahead of time, at least mentally.
There are many schools, both public and private, generous with merit aid- but not the few you mentioned.
In general, a student may do best at their home state school but not always.
And some schools have special programs. This is just one - I’m not suggesting the school - but it’s an example of a school that buys in smart kids (and they attract them from all over the country) - more than just about any other college. You may find other publics (or privates) that have a similar program. I believe U Delaware, as an example, has a program like this too - but doesn’t buy in kids to the same level.
If you ultimately decide to seek affordability, you will have many an option (at different levels) - is the point - once you determine what it is in a school that you want.
You should figure that out first - what is important to you in a school - whether cost, size, environment (city, rural, suburban), weather, and other factors.
With respect to your premed science requirements, colleges may offer a choice of courses. Introductory physics sequences may appear in three variations of orientation, for example.
I love challenging science classes—I’m known for being the huge biology nerd at my HS, and my high school’s science classes are notoriously hard. But chem…
You will need to take organic chemistry. But…that could be true even with a plan B.
If you really want to be a physician (at least right now) then go for it! Maybe you will end up in med school, maybe you won’t (you are young).
In the meantime I would come up with a list of affordable schools that you would be happy attending, and include some safeties (your GC can guide you).
I think this is an important part of you selecting a college. Be honest with your abilities and try to pick a college where you will be in the top25% academically, or at least the top half. Premed courses are hard, Chem (intro as well as orgo) and Physics tend to be harder for most. They are graded on a curve at most colleges, with the average grade set to a B , depending on the college. You need mostly As to get into med school, ie you need to be above the mean. While APs and SAT scores are debated endlessly on this site, IMO they can be used as a basic assessment of the general student pool at a college. AP scores are hard to know without inside scoop, but since you mentioned an ivy: ALL the ivies and similarly ranked schools will have the vast majority of premeds who scored 5s on most if not all the AP stem courses they took, or the corresponding success on IB tests. For SATs, pre-Test Optional, the “average” ivy student had 1500ish, the top25% 1550+. Do you want to be in a pool of students like that, trying to get above the means in all your premed classes? Bowdoin and BC had medians of 1420-30 SATs , 75th%ile 1490-1500.
It is not whether the premed classes are “hard” or “easy”–they are almost never described as “easy” even for the students who do get well above the mean on tests. The question is whether you can compete against peers and score above the means to get As in almost all of them. I am not aware of any school that grades such that the average in premed courses is set to an A.
I do not see Bowdoin as a “back up” college….? Do you attend a private HS where that is the norm?
You also said maybe you will have a “backup career” and “hope for the best.” A backup career still requires an interest…among other things. And…taking the time to do your research and explore will lead you to what you enjoy…and then you will not have to “hope for the best”!
You are wise to consider the financial aspects of both undergrad and med school. Minimizing debt should be one of your main priorities.
Do you know if your family will qualify for need-based aid? Have your parents given you a budget? I suggest running the NPC for Bowdoin and letting us know if your parents say it is affordable without loans.
If you qualify for need-aid, it is possible that some privates will be less expensive than your in-state public. If you do not qualify for need-aid (or enough aid), you will want a balanced application list that includes in-state options as well as schools with the possibility of merit. Let us know more about your financial situation and we can make suggestions.
I have a 1540 SAT, and I have all As (except for a B+ in advanced chem) from a pretty small private school with really hard STEM classes. Do you think I will be able to succeed at schools like BC or Bowdoin?
I would say financially I’m pretty upper middle class. I’m on a huge financial aid grant for HS, but I would’t say my family didn’t have to hassle for it. That’s also the other thing; after 4 years of private school, 4 years of private undergrad, and then 8-12 more years of grad school which my parents said they are sort of willing to pitch in on, I’m scared of how much debt I will be in or really of asking my parents to help.
If you’ve got a slid academic backing (and it seems you do) and a great work ethic, there’s probably no school you can’t succeed.
But you also can’t just waltz through any school - so it will be up to you - how hard you want to work, how committed you are, etc.
Again, there are many private schools with huge need aid coffers or merit aid opportunities that will often be more affordable than public school…it depends on your need profile and the type of schools you apply (schools like Bowdoin have great need aid but no merit aid). If you are on need aid for HS, you likely will have need for college.
When you get closer, your parents can fill out a net price calculator to get a better idea of cost.