D
deleted1088666
H
Last edited by a moderator:
-
CycleTrack and SDN are teaming up to make medical school admissions more transparent and accessible! Read the announcement to learn how we’re supporting the future of CycleTrack’s free application-tracking tools .
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
Won't make a difference in admissions. Go wherever you will get the highest GPA and be able to study hardest for the MCAT. MCAT is the most important exam an aspiring doctor will take now that step 1 is P/F.
Schools won't look down on transferring to a more prestigious university. As long as your GPA doesn't drop, it's something that will definitely help you. Where you go for undergrad matters (especially if you're not a nontrad), but how much it matters is going to be different at every school depending on who you ask.
You should also consider finances- more prestigious schools will cost much more than public. You'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it. My personal advice is that if you'll have to take out heavy loans, it's probably not worth it. You should also consider that you more than likely won't be able to maintain a 4.0 if you transfer. That's not to say you'll do poorly, but you can expect a slight drop. I knew quite a few transfers like yourself during undergrad and they all said there was a big difference in course difficulty after transferring.
More than anything else, you should consider happiness, as that's ultimately what matters most in undergrad. If you're unhappy where you are now, then I'd consider transferring, but if you feel like you've found a home, then I'd suggest staying.
Hope this helps-
Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
You should also consider finances- more prestigious schools will cost much more than public. You'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it. My personal advice is that if you'll have to take out heavy loans, it's probably not worth it. You should also consider that you more than likely won't be able to maintain a 4.0 if you transfer. That's not to say you'll do poorly, but you can expect a slight drop. I knew quite a few transfers like yourself during undergrad and they all said there was a big difference in course difficulty after transferring.
More than anything else, you should consider happiness, as that's ultimately what matters most in undergrad. If you're unhappy where you are now, then I'd consider transferring, but if you feel like you've found a home, then I'd suggest staying.
Hope this helps-
Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
D
deleted1079620
If you’re currently receiving a scholarship and you’ll have to take out loans if you transfer, stay where you are.
It's complicated. Undergrad name does matter a bit if you are able to attend Ivy or similar caliber schools. If you transfer to a more prestigious university, you should still maintain a high GPA - if your GPA drops significantly after transferring, that obviously won't look good. And no matter where you go, you want to get a good MCAT score.
2nd aspect is finances. If you get good financial aid and get into a better school and are confident you can do well there, then go for it. But don't bankrupt yourself over it.
You say you go to a "mid-tier" public university - just realize that most of the flagship state universities are also well regarded; don't fall into the trap of thinking you go to a bad school just because it isn't "top X" or whatever.
2nd aspect is finances. If you get good financial aid and get into a better school and are confident you can do well there, then go for it. But don't bankrupt yourself over it.
You say you go to a "mid-tier" public university - just realize that most of the flagship state universities are also well regarded; don't fall into the trap of thinking you go to a bad school just because it isn't "top X" or whatever.
Yes definitely, a high GPA (doesn't even need to be 4.0) and strong MCAT should back up your academic ability.
Look, I can't say that a Harvard student with high GPA/MCAT won't look more impressive, all else equal (which it rarely is), but if you have good stats and good activities, your school won't preclude you from getting into medical school, even if it's "low tier."
Make the best out of the opportunities you have, whether you end up transferring or not.
Sigh....Step 2 will be the new weeding exam, as has been discussed ad nauseam in these pages
I think we're now looking at Step 2 CK being the most important exam once admitted to med school. Residency programs will look at Step 2 CK over a 4-5 year old MCAT score.
It's not that the MCAT score itself will be important in applying to residency (not to mention it's not strictly necessary to take the MCAT to get into/graduate from med school); it's that the MCAT score is a significant determinant of med school admission, and the better the med school you go to, the better off you are when it comes time to apply for residency—this effect will be amplified after Step 1 becomes p/f.
For the first few years though I do think Step 2CK will be very important. But at least in my specialty an applicant with a lower CK score from a top school (i.e. high MCAT) would match better than an applicant with a high CK score from a DO school (i.e. likely lower MCAT). This is obviously a cherry-picked example because it reduces MD/DO to MCAT scores and leaves out everyone in between, but it demonstrates that the MCAT comment was not crazy.
*sigh* The process is not dependent upon a single metric.
No process ever is, but match lists seem to indicate that where you go to med school ends up being a biggie.
