MAJOR DILEMMA!!!

[Meliora]

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Hello,
I am currently choosing my undergraduate school for pre-med right now and am pretty sure I would like to attend Loyola Chicago vs some of the other more prestigious (and very expensive!) schools I have gotten into. As of right now, due to family issues and price, it seems best that I go to Loyola and then transfer to a school like Emory or maybe Boston University after a year. My thing is that its always been my dream to attend NYU medical school or Harvard Med School (I understand that which med school you go to might not make such a big difference in the future, bit there are 657698669986 reasons why I love these schools). I am really in a dilemma.. I have heard that the top 20 schools only accept students from very prestigious undergraduates mostly. I know I will give my 110 percent to whatever school I go to and Loyola is really the best option for me right now but I dont want my chances for good med schools to lessen

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Hello,
I am currently choosing my undergraduate school for pre-med right now and am pretty sure I would like to attend Loyola Chicago vs some of the other more prestigious (and very expensive!) schools I have gotten into. As of right now, due to family issues and price, it seems best that I go to Loyola and then transfer to a school like Emory or maybe Boston University after a year. My thing is that its always been my dream to attend NYU medical school or Harvard Med School (I understand that which med school you go to might not make such a big difference in the future, bit there are 657698669986 reasons why I love these schools). I am really in a dilemma.. I have heard that the top 20 schools only accept students from very prestigious undergraduates mostly. I know I will give my 110 percent to whatever school I go to and Loyola is really the best option for me right now but I dont want my chances for good med schools to lessen

I have heard that the top 20 schools only accept students from very prestigious undergraduates mostly.
No
I know I will give my 110 percent to whatever school I go to and Loyola is really the best option for me right now but I dont want my chances for good med schools to lessen
3.8 at Loyola >> 3.2 at Princeton. As of right now you shouldn't be worrying about "good medical schools"(?) like HMS and NYU, you should be worrying about doing well in college and getting into ANY medical school.

Oh, and go to BU if you want to deal with rampant grade deflation.

 

[Welshman]

Straight from HMS website...
"Members of the 2016 HMS entering class:

• from 65 undergraduate institutions, 35 states and 8 foreign countries"

Worry about doing well, not prestige of undergrad

 

[TXMED_1695]

"I have heard" and "They said" are rarely, if ever, accurate statements. 1. Relax 2.Chill 3. Relax

 

[PB&Jam]

Got into a top 10 medical school, coming from a public state school. Many of my peers from my undergrad also got accepted at fantastic programs. YOUR performance matters WAAAAY more than undergraduate school prestige (I think there's a chart that gets cited often around here, where ADCOMS rank the most and least important factors in applications. I'm certain "undergrad school prestige" falls well below good grades and MCAT). Additionally, gaining admission to medical schools in the upper echelon is basically a roll of the dice once you meet their standards for grades, MCAT, ECs, etc. Two students with stellar stats and ECs might have completely different responses from different top-tier programs; it all depends on what they're specifically looking for, at that point. So even if school prestige bumped up that acceptance % at Harvard by a little bit, it's still so low that it doesn't matter. If Loyola is the best choice for you, then you should go there. Give it your all, because you want to be a doctor, damnit. And if you don't like it there (not because it's not prestigious enough but because you're not happy), then look at transferring.

 

[Goro]

Get into college first, and then worry about med school in about 2-3 years. And stop with starry eyes for Harvard class schools. You have to be the top of the top for those, like an Olympian among athletes.

Hello,
I am currently choosing my undergraduate school for pre-med right now and am pretty sure I would like to attend Loyola Chicago vs some of the other more prestigious (and very expensive!) schools I have gotten into. As of right now, due to family issues and price, it seems best that I go to Loyola and then transfer to a school like Emory or maybe Boston University after a year. My thing is that its always been my dream to attend NYU medical school or Harvard Med School (I understand that which med school you go to might not make such a big difference in the future, bit there are 657698669986 reasons why I love these schools). I am really in a dilemma.. I have heard that the top 20 schools only accept students from very prestigious undergraduates mostly. I know I will give my 110 percent to whatever school I go to and Loyola is really the best option for me right now but I dont want my chances for good med schools to lessen

 

[koolkid596243]

The name of your undergrad does not matter nearly as much as what you do there. Getting good grades/MCAT is a given, but go to the place where you will be comfortable doing big things!

The reason why a lot of individuals think that "more prestigious schools" = "better medical schools" is often because the more prestigious schools tend to have more resources that students can take advantage of. With that being said, nothing will happen until you take it upon yourself to make it happen.

So, even if you go to a "non-prestigious" school, I don't see it as a disadvantage at all. You just gotta be hungry and passionate (which it seems like you already are). Keep that with you in all you do, and you will be fine.

PS. The word "prestige" will lose meaning to you as you get older. You'll realize it's never about the institution. Rather, it's about how much you put into it. 🙂

 

[Meliora]

Thank you so much for the advice everyone! It really took a lot of stress off of my shoulders! I had another question on transferring..should I make another thread or just ask it here haha- I just joined SDN so I'm an amateur


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[tarheelpenner]

If you're worried about expenses, transferring is absolutely NOT the way to go. Transfer students practically get 0 aid. Also, why would you attend a school you're planning on transferring out of? (unless it is community college)

 

[Lucca]

Thank you so much for the advice everyone! It really took a lot of stress off of my shoulders! I had another question on transferring..should I make another thread or just ask it here haha- I just joined SDN so I'm an amateur


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Go ahead and ask it here.

 

[Meliora]

So if I do decide to transfer next year, would it have a bad impact on med school admissions? Some profs have told me that transferring can inhibit you from getting good LORs and you can't get leadership positions in clubs and med schools think ur not a committed person


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[dnm93]

So if I do decide to transfer next year, would it have a bad impact on med school admissions? Some profs have told me that transferring can inhibit you from getting good LORs and you can't get leadership positions in clubs and med schools think ur not a committed person


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You are stressing way too much for someone who hasn't even stepped into a college classroom yet. You're going to burn yourself out worrying about these things before you even start. A lot of people transfer for different reasons (family, monetary issues, etc) - so no, I don't think adcoms will view it in a negative manner if you so choose to transfer. You can definitely still get good LORs as well.

 

[tarheelpenner]

So if I do decide to transfer next year, would it have a bad impact on med school admissions? Some profs have told me that transferring can inhibit you from getting good LORs and you can't get leadership positions in clubs and med schools think ur not a committed person


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Just be prepared to justify it in interviews (they may ask why you transferred). Other than that, there would be no negative that I could see. Just to re-iterate what I said above though, you may be forfeiting any claim you had to aid if you transfer. So it may wind up being more expensive in the long run.

 

[aldol16]

First of all, top ten schools are difficult to get into for anybody, even those who went to prestigious schools. Anybody who thinks they have a good chance of getting into Harvard Med is delusional - everybody who interviews there is just as qualified and interesting. There are simply way more interviewees (much less applicants) than there are spots.

However, in my experience interviewing at such schools, there is an overrepresentation of graduates from top universities. There were always several students from schools I'd never heard of, but most of the interviewees I encountered came from one of the top national or liberal arts schools. That's my experience. Now, it is impossible to distinguish whether, since those students from top schools were always top students, they would have ended up at the top med schools anyway. That's entirely possible and even probable. But there's also the effect of having quality resources at top undergraduate universities - very productive research labs, well-established global/public health programs and internships, etc. You are surrounded by similarly bright and motivated students just like you who push you to be better (either competitively or non-competitively). Does that make a difference in your academic performance? Perhaps.

But in the end, finances should also be part of your decision. The top schools are notoriously generous in financial aid for poor students. But if your parents make a lot of money, that won't help you. You don't want to be loaded down with undergraduate debt when you're entering med school and have another 5-9 years ahead of you before you begin making real money.

 

[Welshman]

There is nothing wrong with transferring, people do it all the time. I transferred right after my freshman fall semester, it hasn't impacted me thus far a single bit. Even if I transferred later I doubt it would have any effect since I think most people get LoRs from profs in their junior and senior year anyway (smaller class sizes usually).

If anything it's just another experience to talk about. Think about these question raising decisions like transferring as an opportunity to show how you've grown from your mistakes.

And as said above, you will get 0 financial aid if you transfer. It has all been given out. Moreover, in the grand scheme of private undergrad and med school costs idk if saving 1 year of tuition is really going to matter. In other words, if you've gotten in, don't plan on transferring to BU just to save money because that's not going to happen. The good news is that if don't go and happen to win the lottery next year I'm 90% sure that BU "auto-accepts" transfers who were admitted as freshmen.

 

[aalamruad]

If you're worried about expenses, transferring is absolutely NOT the way to go. Transfer students practically get 0 aid. Also, why would you attend a school you're planning on transferring out of? (unless it is community college)

And as said above, you will get 0 financial aid if you transfer. It has all been given out. Moreover, in the grand scheme of private undergrad and med school costs idk if saving 1 year of tuition is really going to matter. In other words, if you've gotten in, don't plan on transferring to BU just to save money because that's not going to happen. The good news is that if don't go and happen to win the lottery next year I'm 90% sure that BU "auto-accepts" transfers who were admitted as freshmen.

Why do you guys think this? I can tell you from personal experience that it's very far from the truth.

 

[787593]

I have heard that the top 20 schools only accept students from very prestigious undergraduates mostly.
No
I know I will give my 110 percent to whatever school I go to and Loyola is really the best option for me right now but I dont want my chances for good med schools to lessen
3.8 at Loyola >> 3.2 at Princeton. As of right now you shouldn't be worrying about "good medical schools"(?) like HMS and NYU, you should be worrying about doing well in college and getting into ANY medical school.

Oh, and go to BU if you want to deal with rampant grade deflation.

Great advice, go for the high GPA

 

[tarheelpenner]

Why do you guys think this? I can tell you from personal experience that it's very far from the truth.

For example, at my undergrad, transfer students were told not to expect financial aid. Same with a lot of schools I researched. I said practically, so obviously there are some exceptions. But in my experience, you really don't get aid because at that point you don't have a leg to stand on, so to speak. They aren't trying to get you to come there and competing with other schools for your matriculation (as when you first apply), you are asking them if you can go there. Changes things a lot. I assumed this was pretty universal across the board.

 

[cactusman]

For example, at my undergrad, transfer students were told not to expect financial aid. Same with a lot of schools I researched. I said practically, so obviously there are some exceptions. But in my experience, you really don't get aid because at that point you don't have a leg to stand on, so to speak. They aren't trying to get you to come there and competing with other schools for your matriculation (as when you first apply), you are asking them if you can go there. Changes things a lot. I assumed this was pretty universal across the board.

It definitely is not universal. I believe that with a few exceptions (e.g. Northwestern), most schools which meet school-calculated demonstrated need for freshmen also meet it for transfers. However, it may be more difficult for a student with financial need to get in as a transfer.

Also note that BU does not promise to meet financial need for anyone and many schools don't award merit to transfers, so BU would almost certainly be a poor financial choice. Emory would be better, but transfer admission to Emory (and most schools which meet need) is quite competitive and not guaranteed.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you bothering to go to Loyola for a year and then transferring? Just go to a community college, save the money and then transfer. Otherwise go to Loyola with an open mind. Who knows, maybe you'll like it and decide to stay.


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[Welshman]

Why do you guys think this? I can tell you from personal experience that it's very far from the truth.

Maybe I should have made a distinction between financial aid from FAFSA (pell grant, loans etc) and scholarships from the school. In my experience, you can get government aid when you transfer but scholarships from the school itself, which I think pay much more, are much harder to come by since they're given out to incoming freshmen. It's just my personal experience but that's how it has been justified to me by schools

 

[aalamruad]

Maybe I should have made a distinction between financial aid from FAFSA (pell grant, loans etc) and scholarships from the school. In my experience, you can get government aid when you transfer but scholarships from the school itself, which I think pay much more, are much harder to come by since they're given out to incoming freshmen. It's just my personal experience but that's how it has been justified to me by schools

In my experience with transfer apps to UC's and some CA liberal arts colleges, there are actually quite a few scholarships and grants set aside for transfer applicants. Some pretty generous ones, too (n=1 but I was offered ~$40k/year from a CA LAC and ~$10k/year from a UC, both consisting of scholarship and grant money. You could be right though, maybe those schools were just exceptions to the general trend)

 

[Meliora]

I actually love Loyola and Chicago in general but both Uchicago and northwestern were wayyy to expensiveee..the reason why I'm considering transferring is that I have a feeling that I might not have the same research opportunities and other opportunities as the other schools I mentioned


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