How important is the college you go to for undergrad when applying to medical school/
I have been accepted into a couple of honors programs at good colleges which included good merit scholarships. I have also applied to a couple Ivy League and schools and am wondering if I get accepted if they are really worth the extra cost when applying to medical school? I would have to take out loans to afford the difference. #college #medicine #college-admissions #medical-school #healthcare
4 answers
Daniel’s Answer
I attended Johns Hopkins for undergrad and I would never recommend it because medical schools care about GPA and it's much harder to have a high GPA at Hopkins. The less time you need to dedicate to class the more you can dedicate towards research opportunities and jobs that will push your application further.
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Alice Foster McCallum
Alice Foster’s Answer
Kudos, Emma, for considering all aspects of your options. In some ways, having attended an ivy can be a big advantage, but admittance to graduate school isn't necessarily one of them. Grad schools want well-rounded classes just as undergraduate programs do and they aren't going to fill their slots with all ivy-leaguers, which means that being one of few applicants from a non-ivy honors programs could even set you apart. The graduate program is going to consider the strength of the program you completed--and there are plenty of great non-ivy options out there--but your personal stats will be more important, i.e. your MCAT scores, GPA, research, co-curriculars, leadership, etc.
Keep in mind, too, that completing a medical degree can be very expensive. If merit scholarships help you keep college costs to a minimum during your undergraduate degree, then you are more likely to complete your degree and will be less burdened by debt when you begin your career.
Richard’s Answer
Pick a college that suits your personality and a major that interests you. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.