Boston College VS Boston University-PREMED

[ThatSerb]

Hello Everyone. I am really hoping to get anyone's opinion on this matter. I am down to choosing from BC, BU, and TCU for undergrad (premed), but I think I will keep this post for BC and BU . BC has always been my number one. It has a great campus and good prestige. However, it seems to have a limited range in biology programs. My preference would be to study physiology or neuroscience. But at BC, I will have to just be a general bio major. And frankly, I do not have a lot of interest in learning about fruit fly genetics and how plants interact with the environment. This is what makes me consider BU, as I was accepted into the Human Physiology program which has all pre-medical prerequisites built into it, along with internship/volunteer time. Also, both schools will end up being about the same price for me. Please, I want feedback from alumni, current students, other HS students... anyone!
Thank you in advance!

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[efle]

Have you visited the campuses? BC and BU have very different vibes, I suspect one will stand out as a better fit when you visit.

Otherwise, my contribution is - go where you'll be able to study your favorite subject. I chose what schools to apply to based on who had good Neuroscience programs, despite everyone telling me I was going to change my major in college, and it was 100% the right choice - my favorite courses have all been neuro related and I'd have had a miserable time somewhere with only one or two neuro classes. If you've had enough exposure to anatomy/physio/neuro in high school to know you love it more than other science courses, go for BU.

 

[ThatSerb]

Thank you. I have visited both. I like both environments. However I am solely concerned with medical school preparation and acceptance.

 

[efle]

In that case I'd advise BC, since BU is notoriously grade deflating and BC has slightly better reputation. but again if you feel physio/neuro is the most interesting subject you've ever encountered (it was for me) then give that priority over MD school prep

 

[jaxon]

I go to BC. We deflate grades like crazy. Even into your senior year, when you finally get classes that are 15 students large, you'll have a hard bell curve such that only 2 or 3 students can get an A. Other thing to consider is research. BC doesn't offer it, period. Unless you have a connection with a lab or get extremely lucky with timing (i.e., you get in touch with a professor the day after someone quits the lab), you aren't granted access to anything except for research classes (which is fake research, frankly) or if you do behavioral psych studies. Most of my friends are pre-dent and pre-med and in honors, and only one has secured anything on campus at all.

Bottom line, STEM at Boston College is God-awful, and its on-paper success in medical school matriculation is evidence of the drive in our students, not the competence of our university. Don't let that #30 ranking fool you. BC is top 10 in several majors, including a clean #4 in business, but science is horrifyingly bad. From BU, you'll be closer to hospitals for volunteering and won't need to suffer through an hour-long T ride to Longwood, you'll have a much better faculty with more research opportunities, and hopefully better advisors than I have.

The other day my pre-med advisor said that the average matriculating age of med school students is 31 years old. She also was clueless about my score on the new MCAT. "I thought it was out of 45!" I don't even know what to say.

 

[efle]

Premed advising is terrible everywhere, even places like WashU that should really have their **** together. I had an advisor tell me research experience was not necessary to be competitive for top MD programs.

I have heard that BC is rough, but that BU is even worse as far as STEM grading!

For what it's worth, BC does churn out about 1.5x as many premeds per capita as BU does.

Also, nice necro! This thread was submitted back in March, so OP has already made his decision and started school wherever he chose.

@ThatSerb if you ever revisit SDN tell us what you chose and how you're liking it!

 

[md-2020]

BC rox. I remember visiting a friend there a couple years ago and their parties were off da hook.

People have a lot more fun when there aren't letters attached to every event

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Unless you're comparing an ivy to community college, undergrad doesn't matter.

 

[efle]

Unless you're comparing an ivy to community college, undergrad doesn't matter.

AAMC survey of adcoms shows that private MD schools care a lot about undergrad selectivity, and that's not such a binary condition as Ivy vs community. I doubt BC vs BU would have any impact on an app, but comparing between an unheard of state uni vs BC/BU would.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

AAMC survey of adcoms shows that private MD schools care a lot about undergrad selectivity, and that's not such a binary condition as Ivy vs community. I doubt BC vs BU would have any impact on an app, but comparing between an unheard of state uni vs BC/BU would.

May have exaggerated a bit, but making the decision of where to learn and live for the next 4 years of life based on the minuscule differences some ADCOMs think exist between the two schools rather on preference based on where you would actually enjoy going and succeed is just stupid.

If anything, I actually believe that if I ended up going to the high up private school I was accepted to instead of my state school, not only would I be more in debt but I would have done worse in school, been more depressed and likely would have given up on premed/medicine. I can barely deal with the handful of annoying try-hard premeds at my state school.

 

[md-2020]

If anything, I actually believe that if I ended up going to the high up private school I was accepted to instead of my state school, not only would I be more in debt but I would have done worse in school, been more depressed and likely would have given up on premed/medicine. I can barely deal with the handful of annoying try-hard premeds at my state school.

This can literally be said about anything. If anything I actually believe that if I had ended up going to my over competitive state school I was accepted to instead of my moderately inflated and supportive Ivy, I would have done worse in school, been more depressed and likely would have given up on premed/medicine. I can barely deal with the handful of annoying try-hard premeds at my private school.


See?

 

[doctorleospaceman]

This can literally be said about anything. If anything I actually believe that if I had ended up going to my over competitive state school I was accepted to instead of my moderately inflated and supportive Ivy, I would have done worse in school, been more depressed and likely would have given up on premed/medicine. I can barely deal with the handful of annoying try-hard premeds at my private school.


See?

What's there to see?

You're supporting my point that you shouldn't pick a school based on which one might, unlikely, be seen as better by an ADCOM, but pick the one you would actually enjoy learning at and have the best opportunity to succeed on a personal level. So I agree with you.

 

[md-2020]

So you're supporting my point that you shouldn't pick a school based on which one might, unlikely, be seen as better by an ADCOM, but pick the one you would actually enjoy learning at and have the best opportunity to succeed on a personal level.

Sure, but generally its accepted that there is more competition at state unis and more attrition. At my UG, roughly 50% of freshmen indicating "pre-med" on their application end up matriculating at an MD school. Most are voluntary drops too, very few fail outs.

In addition to prestige differences, which are a thing.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Sure, but generally its accepted that there is more competition at state unis and more attrition. At my UG, roughly 50% of freshmen indicating "pre-med" on their application end up matriculating at an MD school. Most are voluntary drops too, very few fail outs.

In addition to prestige differences, which are a thing.

Well there's more competition at a state school because they are on average noticeably bigger. At the same time, it is easier to find those individuals who actually aren't cut-throat premeds and don't mind forming study groups instead of just undermining each other.

Pretty sure we have more fail outs though than voluntary drops, haha

 

[efle]

Bigger means more competition? But...curves

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Bigger means more competition? But...curves

I actually have yet to have a curve in any of my science courses and I'm finished with all the prereqs plus A&P and genetics. My state uni is quite stingy with those things.

 

[efle]

Really? Like people have to score a raw 90% in Ochem to get an A- there?

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Really? Like people have to score a raw 90% in Ochem to get an A- there?

Yep. I took the B+.

 

[efle]

Yep. I took the B+.

Your school is a bit of an anomaly then, most places have test medians in the failing range and grades are assigned via percentile!

 

[Spector1]

BC.


BU has better parties I heard though

 

[Dreamstoo]

I got into BU but rejected at BC.

From what I've seen, I've seen pre-dental and pre-medical students have far less trouble attaining a high GPA and attend great schools than I've seen BU pre-med students not affiliated with the direct program.

For pre-med, BC > BU

Environment wise too, I would go BC > BU

Although I know at least two classmates in high school who transferred out of BC due to being too far from home.