Problematic high school life leads to bad college - mistake?

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giovannavc

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I had a really troubling high school life (for example, I went to four different schools and took three years to finish my junior year, due to family issues - it was an online school, so I didn't fail, it just took long), have all A's now, including AP Bio, went to a program at oxford for neuroscience and med bio courses. But because of the timeline mentioned above I missed all January deadlines, and probably will miss the February ones - my previous school won't release my transcript due to issues with payments. So it's all a mess, which will cause me to apply to really late deadline schools, which don't have the best rankings (I know rankings don't matter, but if they are low ranked, how good can their academics be?)
Some threads have mentioned that going to a CC then transferring is not looked down on - but I want to go to a traditional college that I feel at home (which is trickier with fewer options) so I don't want to transfer.

So will I have a chance at a med school like Johns Hopkins (which is my dream school) if I go to a college that is not that strong? And how do I truly know if they have good pre-med advisers and program? Should I get an outside adviser? Do I need to take extra precautions during college?

I guess that I'm just nervous - school has always been the one place I felt safe, and then it kind of all disappeared during high school, and all the good things that I did might be lost on my mistakes. I'm afraid that it will cause me to go somewhere I don't particularly love, or that it will end with me having to wait even more years after I graduate because I didn't get into med school. I already had to wait three years to apply to colleges, and I don't want to wait after I graduate.

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Yes, but no matter what UG school you go to, whether it's Harvard or Kutztown State, you need to do well.

So will I have a chance at a med school like Johns Hopkins (which is my dream school) if I go to a college that is not that strong?

You'll need to talk to the students there. And these forums are an excellent source of advising.
And how do I truly know if they have good pre-med advisers and program? Should I get an outside adviser?

Seek out the school's learning center for advice with learning styles, test taking and time mgt.
Do I need to take extra precautions during college?

The best defense against this is for you to do your homework.
I'm afraid that it will cause me to go somewhere I don't particularly love, or that it will end with me having to wait even more years after I graduate because I didn't get into med school.
 
Thank you so much Goro and HopefulPilot, and I'll make sure to contact some students here!
 
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I'd say that some of the biggest problems with going to a lower tier school at least for undergrad is that the students might not be as motivated and it might be harder to. That is a generalization, and certainly there are some that are, but many might be more interested in partying and it is very easy to just follow the crowd. There is no real problem with that, but you just have to be a bit more self motivated and really go for the research opportunities that are available.

Also, for top research schools like Johns Hopkins, they often like you to have a fair amount of research (as well as basically perfect grades and MCAT)
 
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I'd say that some of the biggest problems with going to a lower tier school at least for undergrad is that the students might not be as motivated and it might be harder to. That is a generalization, and certainly there are some that are, but many might be more interested in partying and it is very easy to just follow the crowd. There is no real problem with that, but you just have to be a bit more self motivated and really go for the research opportunities that are available.

Also, for top research schools like Johns Hopkins, they often like you to have a fair amount of research (as well as basically perfect grades and MCAT)
Another problem with going to a bad UG school is that you get so used to extreme curves and lack of expected true knowledge that you're not prepared for the tests in terms of material or study habits.
 
I'd say that some of the biggest problems with going to a lower tier school at least for undergrad is that the students might not be as motivated and it might be harder to. That is a generalization, and certainly there are some that are, but many might be more interested in partying and it is very easy to just follow the crowd. There is no real problem with that, but you just have to be a bit more self motivated and really go for the research opportunities that are available.

Also, for top research schools like Johns Hopkins, they often like you to have a fair amount of research (as well as basically perfect grades and MCAT)

Another problem with going to a bad UG school is that you get so used to extreme curves and lack of expected true knowledge that you're not prepared for the tests in terms of material or study habits.

Thank you so much for replying.
So I'll do everything I can to find schools that have late deadline but a more motivated group of students. Ronald, you're very right about being careful about extreme curves, and I'll definitely try to keep on eye on that.

Besides trying to find a school that has research opportunities, or is in a big city/near other colleges (more opportunities), would summer courses at stronger universities help? If I take strong summer classes, I can be sure that I'm on the right path, learning everything I need, etc.

I've read some school profiles that say they have many opportunities and motivated students, but sometimes it's tricky to know if they're just trying to get people to apply or if it's true.

Thank you anyways, it helped a lot!!
 
Your summers are some of your most valuable periods, you can take the time to devote yourself to EC's/ research more full time. I would suggest spending your summers doing something along those lines, as ultimately, having had more classes at a top tier university won't help as much and will cost quite a bit.
 
I understand the impact of family issues all to well on life as an adolescent And its affects on grades. The above posters have given great advice. You seem to be doing a great job turning things around. Kudos to you for not letting your circumstances define you, and instead making your circumstances to achieve your ultimate goal. Best of luck.
 
Another problem with going to a bad UG school is that you get so used to extreme curves and lack of expected true knowledge that you're not prepared for the tests in terms of material or study habits.

The opposite is also true. I have two friends who were in two different extremely difficult UG programs which bombed their grades, so when they tried to apply to medical school it took them 5-8 extra years to get in between getting alternate degrees first (physician assistant) or post bacc with years of research. Both of those friends are now successful practicing physicians, so they obviously had what it took.
 
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