Attending a mediocre school

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I am going to be transferring from CC soon, and so I have been researching 4 year universities that offer my intended major. One of the schools I am interested in has really low admissions standards. The average entering freshman ACT score is like a 19. I think I am moderately bright and I scored in the 30s. I am fearful that this school is way too easy especially considering I am thinking about applying to med school one day. Is going to this school a bad idea? Am I risking being under prepared for the MCAT?

 

[Sidereum]

I am going to be transferring from CC soon, and so I have been researching 4 year universities that offer my intended major. One of the schools I am interested in has really low admissions standards. The average entering freshman ACT score is like a 19. I think I am moderately bright and I scored in the 30s. I am fearful that this school is way too easy especially considering I am thinking about applying to med school one day. Is going to this school a bad idea? Am I risking being under prepared for the MCAT?

I think you need to weigh in the factors important to you when deciding upon an undergraduate institution, but for me I would try to pick the best one that you afford/will be happy at. Is there anything that leads you to pick this one before the other ones you are interested in?

 

[bigdogrob4284]

Easier standards = higher gpa! =D

 

[Doctor Strange]

Where you go to undergrad really doesn't have much effect on med school admissions. It's what you learn and how you apply it that counts (GPA and MCAT). I go to an un-ranked university that pretty much no one has ever heard of, and it hasn't been an issue at all.

 

[Ismet]

The actual name of the undergrad doesn't matter, but you do need to evaluate the academic quality of the curriculum you'll be taking, as well as any research opportunities and extracurriculars available at the school. You need a good background in the pre-reqs so you can supplement with additional studying when prepping for the MCAT. I'm not saying that a school with low admissions standards will have an inadequate science program, but it's something you should look into and maybe see if you can talk to a student or advisor at the school before making a decision

Where you go to undergrad really doesn't have much effect on med school admissions. It's what you learn and how you apply it that counts (GPA and MCAT). I go to an un-ranked university that pretty much no one has ever heard of, and it hasn't been an issue at all.

I agree with the first part, but really your undergrad isn't unheard of, plus you were accepted by 3 Philly schools that obviously know of your school.

 

[Twinnering]

Meh, it probably has some effect in the eyes of the adcom (see some of the posts LizzyM just answered on pages 16-17), but your determination will probably get you further. Test prep material will help prepare you for the MCAT in case there were things not covered. You should definitely consider where you can succeed, receive an affordable education, and where you will have opportunities (i.e. research university or not?).

 

[911 Turbo]

Lol @ OP for thinking the ACT gauges intelligence.

 

[TheShaker]

Meh, it probably has some effect in the eyes of the adcom (see some of the posts LizzyM just answered on pages 16-17), but your determination will probably get you further. Test prep material will help prepare you for the MCAT in case there were things not covered. You should definitely consider where you can succeed, receive an affordable education, and where you will have opportunities (i.e. research university or not?).

Didn't LizzyM say that it lowers your LizzyM score by 0.5? (the equivalent of 0.05 GPA) Not too much of a setback.

OP, don't worry about how it will affect you on the MCAT. As long as you work hard to learn the material thoroughly and study hard when the time comes, there's no reason why your institution should affect you. The admissions standards definitely don't factor in to that kind of success. Example, I go to a lowly institution that doesn't even require the ACT and I did fine on the MCAT.

 

[Twinnering]

Didn't LizzyM say that it lowers your LizzyM score by 0.5? (the equivalent of 0.05 GPA) Not too much of a setback.

OP, don't worry about how it will affect you on the MCAT. As long as you work hard to learn the material thoroughly and study hard when the time comes, there's no reason why your institution should affect you. The admissions standards definitely don't factor in to that kind of success. Example, I go to a lowly institution that doesn't even require the ACT and I did fine on the MCAT.

Sorry I was thinking of this post:

OK, so a 3.8 at Harvard and a 3.8 at Bridgewater State College are pretty much equivalent? Yale and University of New Haven are the same?

Schools have reputations. One reputation is for selectivity in admissions. The very selective schools will have very high performing students while a school with less selectivity may admit students who are less impressive in terms of academic horsepower. Are we more impressed with someone who manages a A in a class of freshmen who have an average SAT score of 2200 or one where the averge SAT was 1500?

MCAT is not a standardized exam by the strict definition. It is a measure of performance on a single day. It has biases. A 8 14 14 is not the same as a 12 12 12.

I never meant to imply the school someone attends will keep them out of medical school, that isn't logical by any means. I apologize if it sounded as such, I was trying to emphasize it will largely be your own hard work and determination that play the biggest part.

 

[TheShaker]

Sorry I was thinking of this post:

I never meant to imply the school someone attends will keep them out of medical school, that isn't logical by any means. I apologize if it sounded as such, I was trying to emphasize it will largely be your own hard work and determination that play the biggest part.

No apology needed, I was just clarifying your post and I agree with what you said.

 

[plumhill]

When I was in high school, I was advised to go to the best school that I could afford. There are some very strong state schools that are also very affordable, as far as four-year universities go.

 

[Global Warming]

I am going to be transferring from CC soon, and so I have been researching 4 year universities that offer my intended major. One of the schools I am interested in has really low admissions standards. The average entering freshman ACT score is like a 19. I think I am moderately bright and I scored in the 30s. I am fearful that this school is way too easy especially considering I am thinking about applying to med school one day. Is going to this school a bad idea? Am I risking being under prepared for the MCAT?

I went to a CSU instead of UC. 3.9 GPA / 33 MCAT. Education is what you put into it. If you study all the time and bust your ass...you will be academically prepared for med school.

The most difficult aspect of going to a lower tier school is the stigma that comes along with it. Academia is all about institution brand, so don't listen to the many people from brand institutions when they tell you it will be impossible. I have personally gone through it, lost sleep, experienced lots of doubt, but persevered despite all the negativity. Looking back, I wish I had someone tell me that it mattered less than I thought.

I'm an incoming M1 at a top 30 school.

 

[CrimsonKing]

OP, going to a school with a lower name will not negatively impact your ability to do well on the MCAT. I went to a low-tier state school and received an amazing education for my prerequisite coursework, to the point that I made a 42Q on my MCAT the first try, with only six weeks of focused study.

While going to that lower tier school won't affect your MCAT, it could very well still have an impact on your admissions process, as some schools do place a lot of significance on where you go to undergrad. In my personal opinion, you don't want to go to an institution that place so much significance on a name (that they won't seriously consider you as an applicant) unless you are set on going into academics, where pedigree matters.

Go where you will have a great time, where you can stay focused, and where you'll graduate with minimal debt. As much as posters on here might like to pretend otherwise, it doesn't really make a difference, in medicine at least, whether you attend undergrad at the Ivy League or at a public institution.

Just my two cents as a long-time lurker, and first-time poster.

EDIT: I am now a first-year student at a top-10 MD program.