Pre-Med (Northwestern/Madison)

[Kallistos]

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping I can ask you all a few questions and bounce a few ideas off of you. I am a high school senior in Wisconsin, planning on going to either Madison or Northwestern as a pre-med, (some sort of Biology major)

I would like to get your opinion on which school would be "better." Now, I know both schools are extremely good, but I know that on average Northwestern is more "competitive" to get into, therefore the students may be smarter. I'm not implying at all that students from Madison are "stupid." Therefore, it may be harder to maintain a higher GPA at Northwestern compared to Madison. How important do you think this is? I know that medical schools weigh ECs, MCAT, and your GPA in making the decision to accept you or not.

Regardless of where I go, what is your advice on being a successful pre-med? I plan on researching, volunteering in a health care setting (with at least one "big" trip to a 3rd world country), joining pre-med clubs, and of course studying early, hard, and often for the MCAT. Is there anything else that you would say is important?

I guess all in all at this point I'm simply deciding NW vs Madison, it's basically a matter of the higher GPA at Madison vs the "prestige" of NW (how important is this in med school admissions?)

Thank you

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[ksmi117]

I'm moving this thread to the hSDN forum. Don't worry, people will answer your question there too.

 

[Kickback]

This is second hand information from a friend at Northwestern; apparently NW tries hard to weed out students from pre-med in the form of really tough pre-requisite classes, notably Chem 1 & 2.

A higher GPA is a higher GPA when comparing those two. Go wherever you feel you will succeed academically and socially, and where you will take the least debt.

Although all the stuff you say is "nice", such as the pre-med club, studying early for the MCAT, and the "'big' trip to a 3rd world country" (3rd world is really an outdated term; it described the difference between NATO/capitalist, communist, and all other countries), do this stuff because you are truly interested in doing it, not just because it looks good on an app to a medical school. There are plenty of non pre-med clubs to get involved in, especially with leadership opportunities. Trust me, I started off like that, as well. From what I've gained on this forum, REAL passion in whatever you do really impresses admissions committees, and is obvious to them. You don't need to do a mission trip to get into a "top-20" med school.

 

[Screwtape]

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[Obnoxious Dad]

You should go to UW for a whole host of reasons and you should major in biology in the Lit school.

Almost 50% of the MS1's at UW med school are UW undergrads. There is a tremendous pro Madison bias in the med school's admissions process for political reasons. Furthermore the admissions committee at UW med school has a definite bias against kids who go to private schools. UW rarely admits kids from Beloit, Lawrence, Grinnell, Carleton or Macalester.

Furthermore the competition among students at Northwestern is stiffer because Northwestern has a higher ACT/SAT profile and there's a lot less partying in Evanston. It's tough to get a 3.7 at NW.

When you get to Madison major in zoology in the Liberal Arts college and stay out of the College of Agriculture & Life Science. If you major in biochemistry in CALS you'll need to take two terms of calculus and calculus based physics. These classes in Madison will grind your GPA to dust.

Develop temporary amnesia when you take your placement exams. Take calculus for dopes and take an easy statistics class. Take algebra based physics. The admissions committees at UW Med and especially at the Medical College of Wisconsin will not give you bonus points for taking a tough course load.

Do some extracurricular activities at UW Hospital in your sophomore & junior years. Try to do some voluntary research. Suck up to faculty for letters of recommendation.

Finally when you go to Madison avoid the idiot drinkers and partiers. It's great to take in the Badger football/basketball/hockey games but stay sober. Don't waste your time recovering from hangovers. I'm serious.😡

 

[WildcatsDoc]

Go where you're going to get the highest GPA and save the most money. That, along with the MCAT and significant clinical experience, are the most important factors in getting into medical school. Hands down, bar none.

Research is a great EC, but not necessarily required. You'll be able to find good research at Madison. Madison probably has pre-med clubs, and studying for the MCAT is entirely dependent on you.

I did everything you mentioned at a small liberal arts college of 1500 students (except for the trip to an underdeveloped nation, which I just couldn't afford). I was also blessed enough to get into 3 schools this application cycle.

If you have any particular questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[Morsetlis]

Go where you're going to get the highest GPA and save the most money. That, along with the MCAT and significant clinical experience, are the most important factors in getting into medical school. Hands down, bar none.

I can't disagree.

However, I will say that research is a must unless you are a genius with 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT.

 

[metalgirl14]

This is second hand information from a friend at Northwestern; apparently NW tries hard to weed out students from pre-med in the form of really tough pre-requisite classes, notably Chem 1 & 2.

A higher GPA is a higher GPA when comparing those two. Go wherever you feel you will succeed academically and socially, and where you will take the least debt.

Although all the stuff you say is "nice", such as the pre-med club, studying early for the MCAT, and the "'big' trip to a 3rd world country" (3rd world is really an outdated term; it described the difference between NATO/capitalist, communist, and all other countries), do this stuff because you are truly interested in doing it, not just because it looks good on an app to a medical school. There are plenty of non pre-med clubs to get involved in, especially with leadership opportunities. Trust me, I started off like that, as well. From what I've gained on this forum, REAL passion in whatever you do really impresses admissions committees, and is obvious to them. You don't need to do a mission trip to get into a "top-20" med school.

This point is completely true. Most of Northwestern's basic science courses are incredibly tough. The tests are hard and the curve often isn't that great. Chem and Physics are actually the "easier" science courses there (Orgo and Bio are considered the major weed-out classes). It you work hard though, a 3.7 or higher is definitely manageable though.

Also, Northwestern gives out a TON of "scholarship" and grant money (after four years there, I only have $20,000 in loans). So the tuition situation really depends on your family's current finances.

Ultimately, I would visit the Madison and Northwestern campuses and see which one feels like a better fit for you. 🙂