- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
- 510
- Reaction score
- 1
Obviously the ivy leagues...
but does "elite" also cover UC berkeley or UCLA??
Just wondering...
but does "elite" also cover UC berkeley or UCLA??
Just wondering...
What is considered "elite" undergrad?
- Thread starter monkeyMD
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 0
Stanford, yes. UCSF, to a non-ca resident, would be the best UC school. Berkeley, UCLA, pepperdine i think is more like 1 step below elite (similar to NYU, Georgetown).
This is all personal bias, or course.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2010
- Messages
- 97
- Reaction score
- 3
Obviously you should listen to the guy who believes UCSF is an undergraduate institution, spells "Berkeley" wrong, and groups UCB and UCLA with "Pepperdine"
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 0
Haha, I didn't know UCSF didn't have an undergrad.. whateve though haha I'm not familiar with CA schools. Well, the UCSF name carries more weight than the UCLA brand in other areas then.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,674
- Reaction score
- 25
Vanderbilt is so elite, we wear monocles to class. (see avatar)
Yea it does only have a grad school, but as far as medical schools go I'd say most people would agree with you. As far as undergrads go, I've heard from CA residents here that it's UCB>UCLA>UCSD>others. Of course, this is grounded in no fact, and is absolute hearsay 😉.
Yea it does only have a grad school, but as far as medical schools go I'd say most people would agree with you. As far as undergrads go, I've heard from CA residents here that it's UCB>UCLA>UCSD>others. Of course, this is grounded in no fact, and is absolute hearsay 😉.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 0
This is what ELITE looks like
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 11,799
- Reaction score
- 2,808
10 being greatest impact, just to clarify
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3,154
- Reaction score
- 53
I had a small but satisfying lol at this comment.
College/med school brands do not carry "weight". It's what you do that carries weight. Look, if you go to Harvard and get an average GPA, an average MCAT, very minimal research & clinical experience... don't be surprised if you wind up at an "average" medical school. The "weight" that your college "brand" carries is nonexistent.
I remember watching the Nova documentary that was filmed some years ago that followed a group of HMS students from MS1 til they became attendings. It was interesting seeing where they all wound up, and the paths they took. One guy made it through, trained in EM, and was never really able to keep a steady job... it was sad when they were filming the reunion portion and by most measures his career hadn't been very successful...he had just been going around picking up various locums gigs. Not sure where he's at now, but it goes to show that the Harvard name won't do jack for you if you aren't productive.
So, don't think about whether a school is or isn't "elite", because eliteness is a subjective, unmeasurable quality that isn't going to impress anyone but yourself if the name on your diploma is all you have going for you.
I remember watching the Nova documentary that was filmed some years ago that followed a group of HMS students from MS1 til they became attendings. It was interesting seeing where they all wound up, and the paths they took. One guy made it through, trained in EM, and was never really able to keep a steady job... it was sad when they were filming the reunion portion and by most measures his career hadn't been very successful...he had just been going around picking up various locums gigs. Not sure where he's at now, but it goes to show that the Harvard name won't do jack for you if you aren't productive.
So, don't think about whether a school is or isn't "elite", because eliteness is a subjective, unmeasurable quality that isn't going to impress anyone but yourself if the name on your diploma is all you have going for you.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2011
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 1
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 11,799
- Reaction score
- 2,808
I'm going to assume you're including mine 😉
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 0
Hopkins = ELITE.
did you guys notice where i said "my personal bias" 😎
Okayy Pepperdine is a butthole school, i get it.
Question: What do you guys think of students that graduate from "Honors Colleges" at regular state universities?
In particular- Barrett, Honors College at ASU?
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
- Messages
- 324
- Reaction score
- 4
The key here though is that if you go to Harvard and are average, you will go to a decent medical school. If you go to most colleges and are average, you will not go to medical school.
Look, I agree with you in general, what you do >> than where you went to school. However, where you went to school definitely effects your future opportunities.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2011
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 1
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2009
- Messages
- 1,644
- Reaction score
- 675
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2008
- Messages
- 694
- Reaction score
- 1
I think some of the top liberal arts colleges are considered elite as well. But like others have said, it doesn't really matter unless you rock at everything else which you can do perfectly well at a less prestigious undergrad.
- Joined
- May 22, 2008
- Messages
- 17,394
- Reaction score
- 9,146
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,617
- Reaction score
- 3,002
Maybe you should even it out by posting a half naked picture of yourself (I'm assuming you're a chick of course) 😀
Classy.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,617
- Reaction score
- 3,002
you know it, only the most "elite" from me.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Messages
- 929
- Reaction score
- 750
I thought it was "HYSPM" 😕 I don't know, I'm not going to an elite school and didn't apply to any places I felt like I didn't have a chance at.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3,154
- Reaction score
- 53
Honors programs are something you do to challenge yourself; from a state school honors doesn't really "look" better, at least not significantly. Nothing is going to make ASU look like a top 20; really fun school though.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 28,753
- Reaction score
- 53,915
Top 50 research universities, top 50 liberal arts colleges. There are >100 on the list due to ties in the ranking at 50.
Amherst College
Bard College
Barnard College
Bates College
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Brandeis Univesity
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
California Institute of Technology
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Centre College
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of William and Mary
Colorado College
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Darmouth College
Davidson College
Depauw University
Dickinson College
Duke University
Emory University
Franklin and Marshall College
Furman University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
John Hopkins University
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Macalester College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Mount Hoyoke College
New York University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Pennsylvania State University-U Park
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College
Rice University
Scripps College
Sewanee-University of the South
Skidmore College
Smith College
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Trinity College
Tufts University
Union College
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Davis
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of Chicago
University of Florida
University of Illinois-Champaign
University of Illinois-Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Norte Dame
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of Southern California
University of Texas-Austin
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Whitman College
Williams College
Yale University
Yeshiva University
Amherst College
Bard College
Barnard College
Bates College
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Brandeis Univesity
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
California Institute of Technology
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Centre College
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of William and Mary
Colorado College
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Darmouth College
Davidson College
Depauw University
Dickinson College
Duke University
Emory University
Franklin and Marshall College
Furman University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
John Hopkins University
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Macalester College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Mount Hoyoke College
New York University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Pennsylvania State University-U Park
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College
Rice University
Scripps College
Sewanee-University of the South
Skidmore College
Smith College
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Trinity College
Tufts University
Union College
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Davis
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of Chicago
University of Florida
University of Illinois-Champaign
University of Illinois-Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Norte Dame
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of Southern California
University of Texas-Austin
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Whitman College
Williams College
Yale University
Yeshiva University
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 884
- Reaction score
- 3
The Elite schools in my mind for undergrad are: Harvard, Yale, UC Davis, Princeton, MIT, Stanford,... 😛
^ Yikes! I haven't even heard of some of those places. I guess the problem I see arising if you go to one of those liberal arts schools is, while you may get a great education, lay people probably won't recognize the name. This is probably less of an issue with medical school, but I could see it being a bit of a problem for people applying to jobs right out of undergrad.
^ Yikes! I haven't even heard of some of those places. I guess the problem I see arising if you go to one of those liberal arts schools is, while you may get a great education, lay people probably won't recognize the name. This is probably less of an issue with medical school, but I could see it being a bit of a problem for people applying to jobs right out of undergrad.
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2010
- Messages
- 252
- Reaction score
- 4
is there any particular reason you chose UC Davis on this list? Why not include UC Riverside?
I would consider elite undergraduate colleges to be Oxford, Cambridge (surprised no one included these schools) and the Ivy schools.
Just remember though, applying yourself counts just as much as where you went. I graduated from Whitman College with a GPA hovering around 3.00. I have friends who were in the Biology, Biophysics, Molecular Biology program (I was a Psych major) who graduated with >3.5 GPA and are in some very elite medical schools. I'm not. Don't do what I did and squander a great opportunity, while I was able to pull my GPA up with some post-bac work, I still was left with the choice of either low-tier MD programs or DO programs. Not saying that those are bad options, they're just not Hopkins, OHSU, U of W, Columbia, HYPSM, etc . . .
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2006
- Messages
- 3,153
- Reaction score
- 12
Sweet. My little liberal arts college is on your list. Now I have some serious prestige!
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 28,753
- Reaction score
- 53,915
My adcom actually has a list of about 400 schools and some measures of their rank.
While lay people may not have heard of some of these schools, but depending on the field, you can be sure that HR offices have. It can also be a regional thing with some smaller schools feeding bigger cities (within a day's drive of campus) but less known further out. Also don't discount the alumni networks some of these schools have in specific industries.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2009
- Messages
- 2,102
- Reaction score
- 232
Pro-tip: don't ask the dean of admissions at any particular medical school if going to XXX (and playing sports!) will give you a leg up and will make up for your poor gpa/mcat. Chances are you will probably sound like an ass and your cohorts will end up with a giant dent in their forehead.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Messages
- 4,007
- Reaction score
- 368
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2008
- Messages
- 2,922
- Reaction score
- 1,517
Pfft, Barrett sucks. Taking a school with practically no admissions standards and then creating an "honors" department doesn't mean much.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 884
- Reaction score
- 3
Guess where I go to school 😛
True, I guess it probably isn't an issue if you stay in the area, or are in a specialized field.
If you don't mind me asking, does your departments list of 400 schools vary greatly from say, US news rankings, or other public ranking systems?
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 28,753
- Reaction score
- 53,915
We use US news ranking and we have other data such as avg MCAT and avg gpa among applicants. That shows, for example, that Wash U, Dartmouth and Reed College have virtually identical avg MCATs but Reed has a avg gpa that is 0.2 lower than the other two schools, evidence of the lack of grade inflation there, something we do take into account.
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2009
- Messages
- 783
- Reaction score
- 12
DeVry.
End of discussion.
End of discussion.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2010
- Messages
- 6,397
- Reaction score
- 15
What are some other schools which your data shows should be getting more credit/prestige than they are currently getting (like Reed)?
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3,154
- Reaction score
- 53
- Joined
- May 24, 2007
- Messages
- 196
- Reaction score
- 1
Ivy League schools, Stanford, Duke, MIT, Cal Tech
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 0
boo you guys don't think my university is a top 20? 🙁
lol- i know it's not but they offered a realllly good deal, good enough to turn my head away from an ivy, for national merit finalists
lol- i know it's not but they offered a realllly good deal, good enough to turn my head away from an ivy, for national merit finalists
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2006
- Messages
- 3,153
- Reaction score
- 12
As an Oregonian, I can say that Reed is much tougher than Wash U and Dartmouth....Reed is totally bad ass intellectually. Reed kids are not athletic, so I would give the edge to Dartmouth on the field of physical combat, but Reed wins in the battle of the mind. Also, Reed kids smoke cigarettes incessantly, kind of annoying, and if you are a med student, appalling, but the Reed kids are smart, very smart.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2011
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 0
What? Your telling me that there are other colleges besides Harvard? :O
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,674
- Reaction score
- 25
This should end many-a-debate about whether or not rigor of undergraduate grading standards are taken into account 🙂. I'll go ahead and save this quote.
