<p>Out of these situations, which would a medical school prefer and why? Assume that all MCAT’s are the same. I’m really trying to focus on GPA according to school. Please help. Thanks.</p>
<p>** Situation I: ** 3.8 at University of Michigan</p>
<p>** Situation II: ** 3.6 at Duke University</p>
<p>** Situation III: ** 3.6 at Northwestern University</p>
<p>** Situation IV: ** 3.5 at Harvard University</p>
<p>** Situation V: ** 4.0 at University of Iowa</p>
<p>These sorts of things can’t be estimated this precisely. Who exactly is to say that the University of Iowa is exactly 0.2 points easier than Michigan?</p>
<p>In general, candidates with the better numbers tend to have the advantage.</p>
<p>If you’re still in high school there’s no way you’re going to be able to predict your college GPA depending on what school you go to. It’s unlikely you’ll end up with a 4.0 no matter where you go. Elite schools are known for grade inflation and super competitive student bodies (in terms of their ability, not necessarily their "gunner"ness) which makes it even more impossible to predict your GPA.</p>
<p>Go to the school that makes the most sense–that has the best feel, the best fit, and will offer you the best financial aid package. It’s irresponsible for you to be in tremendous debt right out of undergrad if you have serious aspirations for medical school (which costs upwards of $150k). Once you get there, work hard to keep your GPA as high as possible. When the time’s right, start preparing for the MCAT. Use a time-tested strategy (you’ll find some on this site) if you decide to apply.</p>
<p>Bottom line: too early to be worried about any of this. For more information, browse through this forum for awhile–you’ll see that the GPA/prestige question is asked quite frequently and might even be one of the featured threads right now (in bold at the top of the page).</p>
<p>If you’re holding acceptances to those 5 schools, chances are you’ll do just fine. But I’d pick Hogwarts, if it were me :)</p>