College Dilemma

[Hcl1]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi there!

My name is Hugo, and I am currently 18 years old. I live in Sweden, although I was born in Spain.

In a couple of months I will finish my "Gymnasium" (equivalent to senior High School in the US, if I am not wrong), and will then have the possibility to choose a career, and a university to study at.

I am steadfastly determined to study medicine, and hope to eventually become a neurologist, and I would really like to study in the US.

I have already informed myself about different application and grade con-validation progresses, and I should have no problem at all being accepted in most/any Medical College(s) with my current Swedish grades.


The great dilemma I now face is; Which University?


The US is a huge country, and although I am working my way from website to website, it is being really hard for me to find valuable information about what Universities are most well known for their quality, which of them might be preferable according to my profile...etc.


I would really, really appreciate if someone could, enlighten me about the current panorama, regarding quality, how easy/hard it might be to afford the costs, friendly environment...etc regarding different schools.

A few names I have often heard receiving praise have been Jon Hopkins, Harvard and Standford, but as I early said, I am by far, not well-informed enough to make a judgment.


I am also really interested in learning more about other general aspects, such as how college student life can be like in the US. Any kind of information would be really valuable, given my current level of ignorance regarding the matter at hand.


I apologize for my long post, my probably tedious ignorance and some eventual grammar mistakes.


Thank you so much before-hand.


Kind regards,

Hugo

 

[kraskadva]

Hi Hugo,

In a couple of months I will finish my "Gymnasium" (equivalent to senior High School in the US, if I am not wrong), and will then have the possibility to choose a career, and a university to study at.

Yes, Gymnasium is equivalent to High School in the US.

I have already informed myself about different application and grade con-validation progresses, and I should have no problem at all being accepted in most/any Medical College(s) with my current Swedish grades.

You have some more research to do...
Unlike Europe, where you go directly from Gymnasium to a medical college for a 6 year program, in the US most people go first to a general university and get a bachelor's degree (4 years) then they go to a medical school (4 more years). There are a few 6-7 year combined degree medical programs in the US, where you could start directly after high school, but the are the exceptions.

The bachelor's degree can be in any subject, but to prepare for medical school, there are certain classes that you must take (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and English + a few more that are different from school to school).

Also, however good you grades may be, US medical schools are VERY competitive. Your current grades will not really help you in applying. You would have a better chance of acceptance if you first had a bachelor's degree for a US university.

The great dilemma I now face is; Which University?
The US is a huge country, and although I am working my way from website to website, it is being really hard for me to find valuable information about what Universities are most well known for their quality, which of them might be preferable according to my profile...etc.
....A few names I have often heard receiving praise have been Jon Hopkins, Harvard and Standford, but as I early said, I am by far, not well-informed enough to make a judgment.

The US is indeed a huge country. There are good Unis all over. Not all of them are known internationally. The ones you have heard of are most likely more expensive than you would like, and the quality is not necessarily high enough to justify the extra cost. Every state in America has at least 1 (usually several) state universities. The quality is generally standardized and certainly high enough for acceptance to a medical school. They are also far cheaper than private universities like Harvard or Stanford.

A better question to ask yourself is - where would you like to live?
Do you like the desert? Mountains? Beaches? Cold, snowy winters? Warm winters?
Pick an area in the US you would like to live, then look for state universities in that area. This will help you narrow your search.

I would really, really appreciate if someone could, enlighten me about the current panorama, regarding quality, how easy/hard it might be to afford the costs, friendly environment...etc regarding different schools.

There are more than 4000 colleges and universities in America...That's a little too much to compare here. To get a general idea and links to the school websites:
http://www.usnews.com/rankings

One word on costs though- US universities are expensive. And the more famous, the more expensive they are usually. State universities are cheaper, but still several thousand dollars a semester. Compared to FREE in Sweden.
Also, because you are not a US citizen, you will not be eligible for the typical low-interest student loans. You would either have to pay the full cost up front, or borrow the money from a private lender at a much higher interest rate.

I am also really interested in learning more about other general aspects, such as how college student life can be like in the US. Any kind of information would be really valuable, given my current level of ignorance regarding the matter at hand.

Much the same as in Europe... studying + parties + drinking (often illegally, though) - living with your parents.

I hope some of this helps. Best of luck to you.

 

[Summa637]

A few names I have often heard receiving praise have been Jon Hopkins, Harvard and Standford, but as I early said, I am by far, not well-informed enough to make a judgment.

Not to sound short by any means, but I would simply search something like ''best pre-med universities'' online. There have been numerous websites/news agencies, some with a lot of merit, that rank schools according to their reputation and curriculum.

The school your mention are some of the best. In my opinion, any Ivy League school obviously is an impressive transcript to have on a med school application. But, remember, money is always an issue. I think the bottom line is that if you go to a large, well-known, university and do very well, I don't see your application being tossed aside granted you do well on the MCAT.

 

[pkwraith]

Your easiest and best path to medicine is to go to an European med school. If your grades are as competitive for european med schools as you say, it's a no brainer.

If you want to practice in Europe, stay in Europe. If you want to practice in the US, still stay in Europe (there's paths across).

In the US, you'll be going through a rigourous application process for undergraduate (every school, private or state, is expensive for foreigners), then you'll be going through an even more rigorous application process for medical school (even more expensive, and doubtful you can even get a state residency on a learning VISA).

Unless you have a very strong reason for going to school in the US (not the quality of education), you should not do that.

 

[Hcl1]

Kraskavda: Thank you so much for your answer, some of the information was really valuable, and has made it much easier and faster for me to continue researching the possibilities, thank you.

I do know US medical schools are really competitive, and that is exactly what appeals me the most, since I am a quite competitive person myself. 🙂

A better question to ask yourself is - where would you like to live?
Do you like the desert? Mountains? Beaches? Cold, snowy winters? Warm winters?
Pick an area in the US you would like to live, then look for state universities in that area. This will help you narrow your search.

That does indeed sound as a more appropriate approach to narrow the search, otherwise there are just too many alternatives to consider.


Summa637: Thank you for your answer!

Not to sound short by any means, but I would simply search something like ''best pre-med universities'' online. There have been numerous websites/news agencies, some with a lot of merit, that rank schools according to their reputation and curriculum.

Yes, that is what I have been doing this far, and I have come to some conclusions, I just wanted to gather even more information, which is always good! 🙂

The school your mention are some of the best. In my opinion, any Ivy League school obviously is an impressive transcript to have on a med school application. But, remember, money is always an issue. I think the bottom line is that if you go to a large, well-known, university and do very well, I don't see your application being tossed aside granted you do well on the MCAT.

Thanks for your opinion, and yes, the monetary aspect is definitely something to be considered, and although the Swedish Government does provide money to overseas Swedish students, the cost would still be considerable nevertheless.

Anyhow, I think I will start my approach by getting informed and later applying, while I meanwhile look for ways to handle the monetary aspect.


Pkwraiith: Thank you for your answer!

Yes, I am aware studying in the US will, by all means be more challenging and complicated than doing it in Europe, and that is the main reason I would really like to study in the US, to test my capacities and determination 🙂.


A new question I have stumbled upon during my research: I see many universities highly value your grades in the "ACT" exam when applying for a bachelor. The ACT exam can be done in Sweden to later submit your results to the desired college.

Here comes the question. Is there any other similar exam that might also be good to consider doing? I have this far planned to do the ACT exam, as well as the TOEFL exam (which is a must for European students), but i wonder if there is some other similar test, which could be beneficial for me to do.



Once again, thank you all for your answers, they are really valuable, and I really appreciate all kinds of feedback.


Kind regards,

Hugo

 

[Hcl1]

Yes! I forgot!

I have planned, and already scheduled since a while ago to take the CAE (the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English Exam): http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/cae/index.html

Do you think that would have an equivalent value as that of the TOEFL, meaning I maybe do not need to take the TOEFL test, even though it is required, since I can simply submit my CAE score when applying?

I will probably do the TOEFL exam anyway, since it is always good to keep all the doors pen, but I am quite curious about if the CAE might work just fine when applying in the US.

Thanks before-hand


Kind regards,

Hugo

 

[LingoLaine]

Hugo,

The TOEFL exam is definitely required if you are applying to a U.S. university from abroad.

I am originally from Norway but grew up in the U.S. My younger brother moved to Norway for high school, and despite being a U.S. green card holder, having attended school in the U.S. for grades K through 9, and listing English as his primary language, he was still required to take the TOEFL exam when applying to college in the U.S.

I really would dissuade you from attending college in the U.S. unless you can get significant financial aid (grants, not loans) from the Swedish government. As a foreigner, you will never be able to obtain in-state tuition rates and your indebtedness from college before you even begin to apply to medical school will be very great.

Even after you graduate from a U.S. college, you will still be at a significant disadvantage applying to U.S. medical schools. My understanding is that MOST U.S. medicals schools don't admit foreign students AT ALL, even if they attended college in the U.S.

I would highly encourage you to proceed with medical school through the European system instead. Good luck!