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How important do you think med schools rate undergrad institution compared to gpa, mcat, extracurric, clinical, etc? In what order are each of those of importance?
importance of undergrad institution
- Thread starter fun8stuff
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it's obviously important for something - but i'm from michigan state - a random undergrad, with subscore stats numbers wise but really good extra curruciular and i got into two ivys and some other really good schools (dook and umich). So, it all depends on the whole picture - good luck! if you're qualified, they'll be able to spot you and it won't matter in the end! kreno!
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Thanks for the response! I'm in my second year of pre-med at ferris state university (michigan). So far I have good stats and good extracurric, but I'm worried that the fact that I'm going to a smaller, less prestigous school I will have a harder time getting in. THe only reason I'm going to Ferris is because I originally came here for the pharmacy program, but just switched at the beginning of last fall after working in a pharmacy all summer. Thanks for your input.
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Every school will have a different set of priorities when looking at their applicants. My interviewer at Stanford seemed very concerned that the rigor of my undergrad education wasn't up to par, and really seemed to question whether I could make it at Stanford. Then there is the whole Columbia thing, where you find out that almost half the class came from Harvard and Yale alone, and much of the rest of the class came from an Ivy. I met a girl at Columbia who firmly believed that the only reason she got in was the fact that she went to Harvard. She had subpar numbers and not too much in the way of extracurrics. This is all pretty much straight from her mouth mind you. Take it with a grain of salt anyway, but it's interesting.
This all being said, I think that the reputation of your undergrad institution may be relied on more at the top tier schools. I'm sure it couldn't hurt at most other schools either. I'm not saying that this is bad, but it seems to be an important part of the application process at some schools. And who's to say how important it is in relation to the rest of your app. I would say that your numbers and extras are more important, but that's just me. As kreno said, if you do well and set yourself apart at your undergrad, it will tell the adcoms something about you, and in the end you should be cool.
This all being said, I think that the reputation of your undergrad institution may be relied on more at the top tier schools. I'm sure it couldn't hurt at most other schools either. I'm not saying that this is bad, but it seems to be an important part of the application process at some schools. And who's to say how important it is in relation to the rest of your app. I would say that your numbers and extras are more important, but that's just me. As kreno said, if you do well and set yourself apart at your undergrad, it will tell the adcoms something about you, and in the end you should be cool.
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I am from a relatively unknown medical institution, and I had a lot of interviews. Only Vanderbilt brought up the fact that I was going to lesser known name university. However, my university was not broughten up within any of my other interviews. I know that it did not play too much of a factor of where I went for undergrad.
The most valuable thing in my perspective is that you challenge yourself academically. Perhaps that means majoring in chemical engineering instead of a easier major, taking a greater and more diverse course load, or seeking outside opportunities for research and activities.
As students from smaller universities, we may need to work harder but we can still get into the best med schools.
-AIM-MEDDY
HMS 2007
The most valuable thing in my perspective is that you challenge yourself academically. Perhaps that means majoring in chemical engineering instead of a easier major, taking a greater and more diverse course load, or seeking outside opportunities for research and activities.
As students from smaller universities, we may need to work harder but we can still get into the best med schools.
-AIM-MEDDY
HMS 2007
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You know, you can actually use your no-name undergrad school to your advantage. Here, read this little interviewing story of mine....
When I interviewed at the IVY's... I always somehow managed to bring up, on my own, the fact that I came from michigan state. At one ivy school i interviewed at, it was really funny 'cuz when you started the day, they had a place where you signed in and next to your name was your undergraduate institution. So it was like 12 people that day... and in my interview day the undergrad institutions being represented were, no joke something along the lines of "Yale Yale, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Harvard, William and Marry, Cornell, Columbia, Michigan." And here's the rub... notice I wrote "Michigan"... well, as you all know, "Michigan" (i.e. the University of Michigan) is INDEED a very prestigious school... unlike Michigan State (where I go, but still love and wouldn't change a thing in retrospect). Well anyway, all these schools were typed out in Nice letters... except for the place by my name "Michigan" which was CROSSED OUT IN RED PEN, and HAND-WRITTEN (not that neatly, mind you!) "Michigan State." Apparently, the secretary or whomever must have noticed the mistake at the last minute, and felt inclined to fix the error by hand! Needless to say, this didn't help my normal interview-day anxiety (i.e. being self-conscious compared to the geniouses and amazing people I was interviewing with that day).
SOOOOOOO, at my interview, I was asked "How is your impression of our school" and I said "Well, to tell you the truth, I was nervous coming because I'm from Michigan State and this is such a prestigious institution... and then I come to sign my name and the phobia was exacerbated!" haha, in the end, basically, I made a joke out of it... and the interview went fantastic and I actually got in.
I tell them at the interview how it was... I come from a working class, poor family, and I went to a really bad high school... but managed to work myself up and explain how much michigan state was great for me and my development given my situation, finances, etc. It really won't hurt you! Again, I also have LOWER than average MCAT scores than virtually all the top schools, and my GPA is good, 3.8, but it's also from Michigan State... so it certainly isn't something that differentiates me. It really was the extracurriculars, my life experiences, and I think the time I put into my secondaries and personal statement which has helped me!
the moral of the story, be proud of what you have accomplished up to now, and just use it as a stepping stone and follow your dreams!
good luck
kreno
When I interviewed at the IVY's... I always somehow managed to bring up, on my own, the fact that I came from michigan state. At one ivy school i interviewed at, it was really funny 'cuz when you started the day, they had a place where you signed in and next to your name was your undergraduate institution. So it was like 12 people that day... and in my interview day the undergrad institutions being represented were, no joke something along the lines of "Yale Yale, Duke, Princeton, Harvard, Harvard, William and Marry, Cornell, Columbia, Michigan." And here's the rub... notice I wrote "Michigan"... well, as you all know, "Michigan" (i.e. the University of Michigan) is INDEED a very prestigious school... unlike Michigan State (where I go, but still love and wouldn't change a thing in retrospect). Well anyway, all these schools were typed out in Nice letters... except for the place by my name "Michigan" which was CROSSED OUT IN RED PEN, and HAND-WRITTEN (not that neatly, mind you!) "Michigan State." Apparently, the secretary or whomever must have noticed the mistake at the last minute, and felt inclined to fix the error by hand! Needless to say, this didn't help my normal interview-day anxiety (i.e. being self-conscious compared to the geniouses and amazing people I was interviewing with that day).
SOOOOOOO, at my interview, I was asked "How is your impression of our school" and I said "Well, to tell you the truth, I was nervous coming because I'm from Michigan State and this is such a prestigious institution... and then I come to sign my name and the phobia was exacerbated!" haha, in the end, basically, I made a joke out of it... and the interview went fantastic and I actually got in.
I tell them at the interview how it was... I come from a working class, poor family, and I went to a really bad high school... but managed to work myself up and explain how much michigan state was great for me and my development given my situation, finances, etc. It really won't hurt you! Again, I also have LOWER than average MCAT scores than virtually all the top schools, and my GPA is good, 3.8, but it's also from Michigan State... so it certainly isn't something that differentiates me. It really was the extracurriculars, my life experiences, and I think the time I put into my secondaries and personal statement which has helped me!
the moral of the story, be proud of what you have accomplished up to now, and just use it as a stepping stone and follow your dreams!
good luck
kreno
