I did not do to hot freshman year of HS, so Pitt will be tougher to get into for me. Duquesne looks like it is within my reach and am considering it. When I go Duquesne Uni for pre med should I transfer to Pitt ASAP or give Duquesne a chance and stay there and not transfer to Pitt. What should my mindset be heading into Duquesne????
Well, I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm applying to colleges as well, so take my advice with a pinch of salt. From what I've learned over the past month on sdn, the undergraduate university you go to doesn't matter. All you need to do is just get As in your classes and you'll be good to go. However, what I've also learned is that "household names" tend to be powerhouses for research and pre-med advising committees.
With this is mind, I'd recommend searching through each university's website and figuring out how they help students with research. The way I think of a university for pre-med is that each university can help me build a network. Creating links with people and places can always help you in the future should you end up needing a job. So, figure out how they help with research. Another good thing to find out is if they have a nearby hospital and concurrently if they have a volunteer program with open spots. All of this will help you when you apply for medical school.
If you feel that Duquesne has everything that you need to succeed, stick to it. If not, then transfer out. Figure out how your classes are and how the pre-med advising is. If it's efficient and will help you get into med school then stay, otherwise transfer out.
At this point though, I'd wait to see what Pitt says in regards to whether or not you're accepted to their university. After that, I guess, your only option would be Duquesne, unless you get accepted into another university.
$0.02
