Help!

[-Lexi-]

Hello! I'm new to the forums and need a few opinions about getting my bachelors degree.

I'm really lost as to where I should go. I live in southern New Hampshire, close enough so that I have access to most of Mass and NH's schools. I was wondering, what schools you would all reccommend? Does it matter much? I know a community college would obviously not be the best thing, and I should go to a place that will give me a strong enough background, but is there any reason to go all out? (i.e Harvard/MIT.. etc) Or should I save my money/time?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

Hello! I'm new to the forums and need a few opinions about getting my bachelors degree.

I'm really lost as to where I should go. I live in southern New Hampshire, close enough so that I have access to most of Mass and NH's schools. I was wondering, what schools you would all reccommend? Does it matter much? I know a community college would obviously not be the best thing, and I should go to a place that will give me a strong enough background, but is there any reason to go all out? (i.e Harvard/MIT.. etc) Or should I save my money/time?

Sorry for all the questions

Hello!

You're right -- don't get a degree from a community college -- they'll assume the work was easy.

As far as picking an undergrad, the general rule of thumb is that it doesn't matter... just go where you feel comfortable and do well. On average, you want ~3.5 GPA to be competitive and that may be difficult for you to achieve in the all-out upper-tier schools. That's for you to decide.

Additionally, you should consider if you take out loans in the upper-tier schools to pay for their outlandish tuitions, that may cut into your ability to take out loans for medical school. There is a limit... I'm not sure what it is by I think it's in the neighborhood of $250k (don't quote me on that)

 

[Haemulon]

Relax. Its too early to stress too much about pre-med. Just pick a school you like, a major that you enjoy, and do well in your classes. Also, don't forget to have fun and do other things outside of school (even community service type stuff). Start stressing in your Junior year for MCAT. One hurdle at a time.

 

[eerapido]

Relax. Its too early to stress too much about pre-med. Just pick a school you like, a major that you enjoy, and do well in your classes. Also, don't forget to have fun and do other things outside of school (even community service type stuff). Start stressing in your Junior year for MCAT. One hurdle at a time.

Amen. Have fun! And take your time in researching where you want to go.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Hello! I'm new to the forums and need a few opinions about getting my bachelors degree.

I'm really lost as to where I should go. I live in southern New Hampshire, close enough so that I have access to most of Mass and NH's schools. I was wondering, what schools you would all reccommend? Does it matter much? I know a community college would obviously not be the best thing, and I should go to a place that will give me a strong enough background, but is there any reason to go all out? (i.e Harvard/MIT.. etc) Or should I save my money/time?

Sorry for all the questions

Pick a school based on what you like about it. Check out what majors it has to offer, check out the location and campus life. I would personally try to pick a larger school, because they naturally tend to have a lot more extracurricular things to offer (more clubs, bigger events...) unless a large student body freaks you out.

I wouldn't recommend a community college if you know medical school is in your future, especially if you can go to a college with more opportunities.

 

[geno2568]

1) dont go to mit...yur gpa will never be good enough

2) Dont assume you will still be premed come 4 years from now. I'v seen people who had their heart set on medicine, but had to drop it cuz they wernt able to pass genchem. And I've seen outstanding students decide to go the research path...or even something completely different.
With that in mind, go to a school that will allow some flexibility. If you get into harvard/yale, go for it. If not, BU/Tufts/Brown are all good schools, and they will give you the flexibility to explore other fields. Don't go to the crapiest state/private school you get into just so you can get your gpa high for med school.

3) Apply to Cornell. It's not that far of a drive.

 

[Compass]

I'm still freshy enough to remember college decisions, so feel free to post more questions!

I did a decision matrix to put out goods and bads of each college I was accepted to.

 

[Anastasis]

Contrary to what you're going to continue to hear on SDN, there is nothing wrong with state schools. I went to a state school - (because they gave me a full ride). State school prepared me just fine for med school - College is what you get out of it. Work hard and you'll blow them away wherever you go. Just make sure you pick a college that you feel comfortable at, because it is very difficult to work hard if you're miserable.

 

[geno2568]

I'm not saying theres anything wrong with state schools (especially if they'r berkeley or UMich )...i'm just saying dont go there simply cuz u can get a higher gpa

 

[-Lexi-]

I had a 1.9-2.0 GPA in high school, so I may not be able to get into the better schools without a great SAT. I don't worry about the college though, because right now I have something I didn't have in high school, and that's some serious dedication. Would it look bad if I started a year in one college, did well and transferred? Also, any good books on the sciences anybody could recommend that would keep me fresh? I'm taking a year off to save money up.

 

[Astrithir]

I had a 1.9-2.0 GPA in high school, so I may not be able to get into the better schools without a great SAT. I don't worry about the college though, because right now I have something I didn't have in high school, and that's some serious dedication. Would it look bad if I started a year in one college, did well and transferred? Also, any good books on the sciences anybody could recommend that would keep me fresh? I'm taking a year off to save money up.

Since it sounds like you're committed to getting a quality college education, it doesn't matter what kind of school you go to, or whether you transfer. Instead, think about whether the school offers your desired major, a great student body, research opportunities, internships, desired extracurriculars, etc.

Science books? My personal favorites are the "Cartoon Guide to ..." series.

 

[laurenem]

Pick a school based on what you like about it. Check out what majors it has to offer, check out the location and campus life. I would personally try to pick a larger school, because they naturally tend to have a lot more extracurricular things to offer (more clubs, bigger events...) unless a large student body freaks you out.

I wouldn't recommend a community college if you know medical school is in your future, especially if you can go to a college with more opportunities.

yay a fellow NH premed! I agree that you need to start at a local school and then transfer because of your hs gpa. Try SNHU or something like that for a year, get a book on colleges, figure out what you're looking for in a school, and where you can get in. Schools love seeing upward trends in gpa, and I don't think that transfering after a year will hurt your app.
don't forget UNH. You can totally apply to medical schools with a unh degree and you don't have much debt coming out of it!

As for Boston, I went to BU which had an amazing Human Physiology program. You could apply to College of General Studies which has lower gpa/sat scores than the rest of BU (its a 2 year college) and then transfer to another BU college. Or, there's Metropolitan College at BU which is a commuter school with a good reputation. Not sure about the rest of Boston.

Good Luck

 

[Aurora013]

I had a 1.9-2.0 GPA in high school, so I may not be able to get into the better schools without a great SAT. I don't worry about the college though, because right now I have something I didn't have in high school, and that's some serious dedication. Would it look bad if I started a year in one college, did well and transferred? Also, any good books on the sciences anybody could recommend that would keep me fresh? I'm taking a year off to save money up.

A lot of med schools don't accept pre-reqs from CC's, but a lot of undergrad schools will take those credits (especially state schools). If you don't think you can get into what you consider a "better school," take a year in CC or a smaller, less selective school, get a good GPA, and then transfer. Just be warned that you might have to end up retaking med school pre-reqs, or at least higher level courses in those areas to meet the requirements. So instead of doing all your science courses there, take one or two, and get all your gen ed requirements out of the way.