<p>Alright, here is my situation. As you can tell from my screename, I have absolutely had it with Florida! My experience tells me that a quality education is important, but the quality of life and where you attend college are even more important. After all, how can anyone be willing to work hard in an area they despise and where they have little opportunity to be around the people and things that interest them?</p>
<p>So, I am trying to find a great college in or within 100 miles of the NYC area that offers a BA/MD program. My parents are not the type who force me to go to a certain college, but they do not want to pay too much, especially for an unranked or overrated school. In my desire to go to college near NYC, I am trying the shot-gun approach…applying to just about any decent undergrad school and BA/MD school. However, I also plan to apply ED to Columbia. Although I find the school tolerable, I do not know what it would be like to live around so many activists and artists (I’m applying there because its a quality school that I’ve visisted over the summer; ivy leagues can be worth the expenses). Anyways, could any of you list the BA/MD programs within 100 miles of NYC, and if so how hard they are to get into compared to Columbia? My hope is to get into UMDNJ’s accelerated program, but I don’t know how selective it is. And if I get accepted to Columbia ED, I guess I could opt out and write as an excuse that my parents are having financial problems or do not feel the campus is safe (in other words, making BS excuses), right? Besides these competitive schools, what are some decent safety schools near NYC?</p>
<p>I appreciate any advice and sincerely thank anyone who responds.</p>
<p>Here’s the AAMC list. <a href=“http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section3/degree2.cfm?data=yes&program=bsmd[/url]”>http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section3/degree2.cfm?data=yes&program=bsmd</a></p>
<p>From the AAMC list, here’s some in New York State (don’t know what their proximity to NYC is)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/AMC
University of Rochester
I think Stony Brook is in NY, but I’m not entirely sure.</p>
<p>In general, BA/MD programs are extremely competitive. There was a thread here a while ago, that said that some of the students in the BA/MD programs turned down offers from Ivy League schools. I don’t know about these specific programs though.</p>
<p>By the way, it is pretty difficult to get out of and ED agreement, and it’ll put you on bad terms with your GC. He/she will be less willing to help you with your other applications, because you pulling out of ED reflects badly on your school and your GC.</p>
<p>Stony Brook is about 60 miles from NYC, but there is a commuter rail station on campus that will take you to NYC in about 1- 1.5 hours.</p>
<p>Rochester is a good 6 hour car ride from NYC! Maybe more. New York is a big state!</p>
<p>How important are EC’s for BA/MD program admissions? Will a lack of lab internships hurt my chances? I have shadowed doctors and attended a molecular biology summer course at Columbia though.</p>
<p>Anyone with an answer?</p>
<p>BA/MD programs are looking for medically-related experience. This can be volunteering in a hospital (seems to be the most common), working as an EMT, etc.</p>
<p>Isn’t ED a legally binding agreement? I don’t know much about it since I’m not applying anywhere ED. As far as I hear, I don’t think it is that easy to opt out of ED. If you really want to go to Columbia go there. But don’t use it as a backup otherwise it could be disastrous later on (unless you already combed through the rules and know what you’re doing).</p>
<p>Do not apply ED to columbia; it is clearly not your first choice.</p>
<p>foodisgood, yes, ED is a binding contract. If accepted, the student must attend that school (you can opt out if you can prove that it will be financially difficult for you to attend the school. However, from what I’ve heard, that’s not necessarily easy)</p>