Prestigious Undergrad

[MilkmanAl]

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I'd tend to agree with that. There are certainly huge differences between colleges, but I find it hard to believe that an ivy is any better than an elite state school.

 

[funkymunkytoes]

In the end, people from state schools and people from ivy league schools end up in the same place: with an M.D. after their name.

However, while state schoolers will be 150,000 dollars in debt from medical school, ivy leaguers will be 300,000 dollars in debt, paying off both medical school and undergrad. To think, people attending an ivy could very likely end up paying less for their medical school education! Certifiable insanity.

 

[scarletgirl777]

😕 I am not defending CCs. I have taken courses at a CC and also a top 5 school. And if I had to do it again, I wouldn't take courses at a CC. All I am saying is that you can't make a general statement saying that all CCs are easy or all top schools are hard. That's just one aspect. If we discuss access to certain resources and renowned teachers, top schools win.

Larry Summers would have done a lot of good at Harvard, despite his "female" comments. I think that his comments didn't cause his release from Harvard. Over some period of time, the entitled faculty at Harvard did not like Summers because he was trying to change the way Harvard operated. His remarks about females and the sciences were just used as a convenient opportunity to oust him. If people really cared about what he said, he wouldn't be in the Obama administration now. And yes, generally there are far less female students in hard sciences like quantum physics than there are males. It will take another 10-20 years to draw definitive conclusions about this. Certainly, males are not offended when it is noted that females are far better at communication and linguistics. If you look at the human evolution, you can see a reason for that. Now evolution is taking another turn (such as more opportunities for women beyond the traditional realm), that's why it is too early to draw conclusions about lack of female representation in the sciences. Summers was just too blunt for some people, but some women I talked to understood what he was trying to say and attributed his comments to his lack of communication skills (no surprise here!).

That's because those are not skills that are necessarily highly valued in our society. I mean honestly, how much does the general populace care about linguistics (assuming what you are saying is even true)?

Summers' problem was that he forgot that he was not just an academic. He was a leader representing an entire university. He did not have the luxury of saying the first thing that enters his mind as other scholars do, and he could not adapt to fit this role. This goes for "changing the way the university operated" as well; if you want to bring change, you have to take into account the opinions of others and assure them that you are doing what you can to keep the university in line with its core values even as you move forward. That does not mean that everyone has to be your friend, but when no one respects you, that's certainly a bad sign.

Also, people did care about what he said, and there was much talk about how bad it would be for him to be in the Obama cabinet. He's in a lower position than might be expected, and who knows if that talk affected what specific job Obama gave him.

 

[scarletgirl777]

haha

I think ivy leaguers justify the 40k tuition by saying they have a leg up.

Most people are not paying 40k at HYP, and even at the rest and other well funded elite schools, the financial aid picture is not really that different. But keep saying it, and maybe it will be true.

 

[SiR99]

if a state school costs around 22k to attend and you can get grants for about 14k that leaves about 8k a year that a student has to pay.

Do you guys get ~32k of grants a year? (I'm seriously asking)

because the friends I have from private schools have to commute just so the price works out for them to attend.

 

[VoiceofReason]

Of course it matters, the question is how much. In my opinion it matters significantly.

I went to a state school. Quite paradoxically, if I were an Adcom I would look at applications from my own undergrad with a lot more skepticism than apps from harvard and penn (all other things equal).

 

[Livingapparatus]

Most people are not paying 40k at HYP, and even at the rest and other well funded elite schools, the financial aid picture is not really that different. But keep saying it, and maybe it will be true.

I am aware of this

the fact is I am not lying awake at night because of the decisions I made in life because I chose not to marticulate at a prestigous school. The statement I made was as ridiculous as the one he made. Ya digg?

 

[searun]

In the end, people from state schools and people from ivy league schools end up in the same place: with an M.D. after their name.

However, while state schoolers will be 150,000 dollars in debt from medical school, ivy leaguers will be 300,000 dollars in debt, paying off both medical school and undergrad. To think, people attending an ivy could very likely end up paying less for their medical school education! Certifiable insanity.

Well, my ivy med school gives me a grant that covers my tuition. I am not smarter than anyone else, just poorer. So I borrow about $25,000 to cover my living expenses each year, total, around $100,000 for 4 years of med school, plus some interest from my loans that are not subsidized. Sweet! I love the ivy league.

 

[scarletgirl777]

if a state school costs around 22k to attend and you can get grants for about 14k that leaves about 8k a year that a student has to pay.

Do you guys get ~32k of grants a year? (I'm seriously asking)

because the friends I have from private schools have to commute just so the price works out for them to attend.

Really well funded private schools will calculate a lower EFC for you than state schools (emphasis on REALLY). I know that for where I went to school, if your income was low enough that even your state school thought you should be getting 14k in straight up grants (not loans)...then you would probably not be paying any tuition. Of course, if your state school is especially cheap, your EFC would have to be especially low for the private school to be better...but now that some state schools are costing 20, 25k anyway, for more and more people, going to an elite, well funded private school is the cheaper (or at least financially comparable) option. On the other hand, I have a sibling who went to a private, not elite school, and it was much more expensive...it really needs to be one of the few places with a good endowment for this to work. People just don't understand (or don't want to understand) that the cost of an Ivy or other elite private education for many middle, lower middle, and even upper middle class people is just not near the cost of the typical private school education.

EDIT: I'm talking about undergrad here. Some well endowed places are known to have pretty great medical school aid, but most schools see professional/grad degree as an investment that you should be responsible enough to borrow money for.

 

[scarletgirl777]

I am aware of this

the fact is I am not lying awake at night because of the decisions I made in life because I chose not to marticulate at a prestigous school. The statement I made was as ridiculous as the one he made. Ya digg?

No one's saying you should be. I'm just correcting misinformation. These schools won't reflect the American population until people stop spreading misinformation that deters worthy but not wealthy people from applying, and surely you can't have a problem with that?

 

[luvumeanit]

No one's saying you should be. I'm just correcting misinformation. These schools won't reflect the American population until people stop spreading misinformation that deters worthy but not wealthy people from applying, and surely you can't have a problem with that?

Now THAT is the most important thing that has been said on this thread.

There are thousands of outstanding kids who never even consider applying to Ivy League schools because they believe, incorrectly, that they will not be able to afford it. This is largely the result of poor college counseling in their high schools.

 

[Livingapparatus]

No one's saying you should be. I'm just correcting misinformation. These schools won't reflect the American population until people stop spreading misinformation that deters worthy but not wealthy people from applying, and surely you can't have a problem with that?

I have no problem with people who want to attend these schools but I do have a problem when people say I am trying to cope with the decisions I have made, which is how I construed shindotp comment.

 

[airplanes]

this argument again? 😉

I have nothing to add because I didn't read all three pages....however, I just want to say Excelsius' avatar freaks me out everytime.

 

[JJMrK]

This is ridiculous, yo. Harvard is an impressive name, and a member of an adcom who sees that you went there might be impressed. Or not.

We don't know, we'll never know, and even if we did know, it would be a different story depending on school/adcom member/their mood that day, etc. Focus on things that are proven to gain entry into med school: GPA, MCAT and ECs.

Do what you can, where you are and without complaining and you'll do fine in applying to med school and in life. Brag about going to an Ivy or whine about your state school being looked down upon and your credibility starts to drop.

 

[dragonfly99]

jimmerjammer is 100% right.
I went to a private college where I know I got a great education. It wasn't famous or an ivy. I think our local medical school loved students from my school simply because it was well known to them and they knew anyone with a 3.5 from my school was likely to do well in med school. On the other hand, my state med school gave me no love, preferring students who were from the state U system (IMHO). So you just have to control the things you can control.

I do think being from one of the few very famous universities could be helpful in getting into med school if your GPA is borderline because those schools are highly respected. I'm talking about Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Hopkins/Stanford/MIT/Duke and a few others. However, I think there are a lot more important factors. I mean, even if you have a 3.85 from Harvard you probably aren't getting in med school if you don't have enough volunteer hours, a pretty good MCAT score, etc.

 

[kansaskid]

Do you guys get ~32k of grants a year? (I'm seriously asking)

Actually I get ~50k in grant money per year.

 

[kansaskid]

Now THAT is the most important thing that has been said on this thread.

There are thousands of outstanding kids who never even consider applying to Ivy League schools because they believe, incorrectly, that they will not be able to afford it. This is largely the result of poor college counseling in their high schools.

This is completely true. Even educated people think that kids going to elite, private colleges must have money. It's not necessarily true😀

 

[vadd0]

I'd take a Harvey Mudd student over a Harvard Student any day of the week.

But in all seriousness, this comment really irked me:

I really think those who don't go to top schools don't want to admit they have a disadvantage or any kind by the choices they've made in life.

First off, a successful person will not be disadvantaged because of their undergraduate. That means if you went to State School U, you would still end up in the same place if you had attended Prestigious Private U.

An unsuccessful person will not be at an advantage because of their undergraduate. That means if you went to Prestigious Private U because you have good family connections or the money, you would still end up in the same place if you had attended State School U.

That does not mean any Ivy Leaguer will be unsuccessful. It means they would have had the same success at any other research-based undergraduate. (eg Ohio State, Texas, Wisconsin, UCLA, Florida, etc.)

Graduate school is where the distinction should be drawn.

 

[shindotp]

I have no problem with people who want to attend these schools but I do have a problem when people say I am trying to cope with the decisions I have made, which is how I construed shindotp comment.

You are coping with the decisions you have made.

I'm paying $3k a year for my Ivy education. How much are you paying for your sub-Ivy education?

I hope we apply at the same year so I can take your spot at med schools 😛

(I kid I kid)

 

[shindotp]

Actually, I think many people just don't want to be associated with snobs like you so we avoid the schools that breed them like fruit flies.

Ohh, except you would have gone to HYP if you had gotten in and gotten good financial aid - pretty much everyone does. Or you can tell yourself that you wouldn't have and make yourself feel better.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Yawn.

More private schoolers interview at the top medical schools bc thats where much of the talent goes to. Isn't Harvard's ACT average a 33-34 or something like that? You're GPA is "curved" dependent on your school, to some extent at least. LizzyM was saying that they have databases to help them to gauge the level of pre-meds relative to other pre-meds at various schools. I remember at one interview that the Dean mentioned that each adcom member "specializes" in certain schools, so that they have a better understanding each school's students. Thus, a 3.7 at a certain private might be ranked equal to a 3.9 at a certain public. There are advantages and disadvantages to going to both types of schools. It's how you play your cards in the end. If I have regretted turning down my private school acceptance in the last years, its because of personal vanity rather than loss of opportunity. My school has given me the opportunities I needed to be a successful applicant, and I am satisfied. Some schools might pride themselves in getting competent students from as many schools as they can, that can go in a public schooler's favor. Some schools might prefer having specific schools heavily represented. Chances are, those are private schools. If you are good enough, this is such a small consideration. Do you think that a "perfect" pre-med would be turned down simply because of their school? Of course not. In my experiences this year, the people who seem to care most about school identity and the whole public/private debate are the students.

 

[landoflogic]

I didn't take the time to read this whole thread. So I might repeat some stuff.

- The school doesn't make you. A degree from a big name place can help open doors for jobs in finance and so forth. But for the sciences and medicine, the name isn't as important for the undergraduate stuff---medical school and residency is a different story from what I understand...for trying to get an academic job at a big name place.

- Going to a big name school doesn't make you smart and going to a no name place doesn't mean you are stupid or lazy.

- Your education is what you make of it. If you feel that you don't get enough out of the classes you are taking and you still get really good grades, than just read stuff on your own.....the professors are only required to teach certain topics and nothing in undergraduate school goes into great detail no mater where you go to school.

- If you have a crappy GPA from a no name place, you won't get into medical school. If you have a crappy GPA from a well known big name school, you won't get into medical school. Just get good grades, volunteer, do some EC stuff, get a good MCAT score and apply broadly. Good luck!

 

[DrYoda]

oh dear...

My high midi-chlorian count allows me to see things before they happen. I offer this as proof.

That is all, you may now return to your bickering.

 

[Livingapparatus]

You are coping with the decisions you have made.

I'm paying $3k a year for my Ivy education. How much are you paying for your sub-Ivy education?

I hope we apply at the same year so I can take your spot at med schools 😛

(I kid I kid)

I get paid for my uber education

trust me I dont need an Ivy name to get in, I am mexican and poor so that trumps your ivy card everytime 😉

 

[mmmcdowe]

Howabout someone asks LizzieM to weigh in on this topic?

 

[2Fic]

truth: Attending one of these prestigious schools authorizes you to refer to your opinions/guesses as facts.

+1

 

[135892]

Ohh, except you would have gone to HYP if you had gotten in and gotten good financial aid - pretty much everyone does. Or you can tell yourself that you wouldn't have and make yourself feel better.

I think its the people with attitudes like this one that give students in the Ivy's a (undeserved?) bad rap

 

[scarletgirl777]

Actually I get ~50k in grant money per year.

🙂 Financial aid at rich schools goes beyond just tuition--room and board, "personal expenses," travel, winter clothes, free tickets to social events yeah, it's really pretty amazing and that's why I always feel obligated to respond to the "oh, well you're paying 40k a year" argument in this ridiculously never-ending debate. And now I'm done.

 

[halekulani]

nm

 

[JeetKuneDo]

My high midi-chlorian count allows me to see things before they happen. I offer this as proof.

That is all, you may now return to your bickering.

Don't you find this thread entertaining though?

 

[DrYoda]

Don't you find this thread entertaining though?

Haha, to a degree.

P.S. I like your signature.

 

[bozz]

I don't go to a top 20 undergrad.. far from it

...

but I'm not going to be naive...
Go to a top 20 medical school interview and tell me that undergrad prestige does not matter.

 

[Dr Lyss]

I don't go to a top 20 undergrad.. far from it

...

but I'm not going to be naive...
Go to a top 20 medical school interview and tell me that undergrad prestige does not matter.

I think undergrad prestige matters - but that doesn't necessarily mean Ivy. It means all schools that are well known or that Adcoms are familiar with. If I went to a SUNY school, for example, then when I apply to NY schools they are going to know more about that school and the quality of students they produce (which can give you an edge or not depending on the school). Now if I applied to Baylor in Texas they are going to have no clue about my school and it's not going to give me any points. If a med school is familiar with your school and has heard of it or has a significant number of students from your school then you can get the same "advantage" as anybody else.

So, yes the top 20 schools are universally known, but at the end of the day a good gpa speaks louder than the name on your degree. From what adcoms have told me & my school advisors, some schools take "rigor" of undergrad or coursework into account by adding a school specific number of points into the formula or something silly. At the end of the day it will only moderately help if you are borderline. it can give you just enough to jump the hurdle -- but it won't give you a free pass and no one is going to give you a red carpet on your interview b/c you went to an "elite" school so get over yourself quickly.

So please let these kind of threads die. The ultra egos & bruised pride get annoying after the 100th thread.

 

[LizzyM]

School prestige, gpa and major work something like this:

A 3.7 is always better than a 3.4

A 3.7 from a highly regarded institution is better than a 3.7 from a no-name school.

A 3.7 in a challenging course of study is better than a 3.7 that is mostly fluff.

If isn't the case that a 3.4 with mostly fluffly courses at an Ivy beats a 3.7 in hard sciences at a no-name school.

On the other hand, in addition to looking at the grades, coursework and institution, there are a number of other variables (altruism, scholarly work, leadership, exposure to medicine) that are judged. It can be that a 3.4 with mostly fluffy courses at a top school still gets an interview because everything other than academics is off the charts fabulous while the 4.0 hard science/any school doesn't because the experience section is very weak.

 

[mmmcdowe]

School prestige, gpa and major work something like this:

A 3.7 is always better than a 3.4

A 3.7 from a highly regarded institution is better than a 3.7 from a no-name school.

A 3.7 in a challenging course of study is better than a 3.7 that is mostly fluff.

If isn't the case that a 3.4 with mostly fluffly courses at an Ivy beats a 3.7 in hard sciences at a no-name school.

On the other hand, in addition to looking at the grades, coursework and institution, there are a number of other variables (altruism, scholarly work, leadership exposure to medicine) that are judged. It can be that a 3.4 with mostly fluffy courses at a top school still gets an interview because everything other than academics is off the charts fabulous while the 4.0 hard science/any school doesn't because the experience section is very weak.

Thank you so much LizzyM! Mods, could you post her response and sticky it, so that perhaps we could once and for all end this debate?

 

[Gannador]

I don't go to a top 20 undergrad.. far from it

...

but I'm not going to be naive...
Go to a top 20 medical school interview and tell me that undergrad prestige does not matter.

I have. In fact, I've been to most of them. Usually I'm one of the few non-california public schoolers. The point is, though, that I AM there. Token public schooler or not, I am there and a lot of private schoolers are not.

I hope we apply at the same year so I can take your spot at med schools 😛

(I kid I kid)

Frankly I don't think you kid you kid. I've read a few of your older posts, and you're a Frosh who is acting a bit too big for his britches. How can YOU tell us if Princeton is going to give you bonus points. Have you applied? Have you gotten interviews? Have you been to my University? Can you tell me you honestly provide evidence that my education is sub par? I would argue it isn't, and I can promise you that my P.I. (a Princeton man through and through btw) would be most disappointed in your attitude of superiority. Because I have had interviews at your schools of choice, including Columbia. From a public school (gasp). We all have our reasons from going to where we go, and they are all equally valid. Me not going to Harvard for undergrad didn't keep me from getting a Harvard med school interview now did it? If I had to work a bit harder to get it, then that's a credit to my name. That means I had to be a tad BETTER than the private schoolers, and what's wrong with that? It means that when I end up surrounded with private school classmates next year, they will know that I had to show more promise than a lot of them for my spot. I really don't believe this, but if you do then so be it.

 

[luvumeanit]

School prestige, gpa and major work something like this:

A 3.7 is always better than a 3.4

A 3.7 from a highly regarded institution is better than a 3.7 from a no-name school.

A 3.7 in a challenging course of study is better than a 3.7 that is mostly fluff.

If isn't the case that a 3.4 with mostly fluffly courses at an Ivy beats a 3.7 in hard sciences at a no-name school.

On the other hand, in addition to looking at the grades, coursework and institution, there are a number of other variables (altruism, scholarly work, leadership, exposure to medicine) that are judged. It can be that a 3.4 with mostly fluffy courses at a top school still gets an interview because everything other than academics is off the charts fabulous while the 4.0 hard science/any school doesn't because the experience section is very weak.

As always, Lizzy cuts to the chase and sorts things out. thanks!!!

Your list of "truths" makes sense. But I was an early poster in this thread and all I am reacting to is my own personal experiences. I think they are somewhat revealing, and do not fit exactly with our list.

I was a 3.45 GPA History major at a top 2 Ivy (take that, Princeton dude). I don't know how fluffy history is, but it ain't engineering. I had a 33R MCAT and good research, volunteerism, etc. And I humbly believe that I interview well.

Last cycle, I got 9 interviews and 5 acceptances including 3 top 20 med school acceptances. (I got one top 5 interview, but was waitlisted.)

I can say I am fabulous, but what I really think is that my H/Y undergrad boosted me up considerably.

Don't yell at me, just my own experiences here.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I think the biggest assumption being made here is that we would all be equally competitive/determined/successfull if we had gone to a Private over Public, or vice versa. The fact of the matter is, my college experience has defined who I am. Would I have been a better applicant if I had gone to an Ivy? Would I have a higher MCAT or the same GPA? I don't know, but I would certainly be different. One of the cornerstones of who I am now is dance. I sincerly doubt that I would have gotten into that if I hadn't gone to my undergrad. Maybe I would have gotten something that would have made me a "better" applicant. Maybe I would have published in a biomedical journal if I had gone somewhere else. Maybe I would have taken up competition rowing. The fact of the matter is, unless you are disatisfied with who you are and your competitiveness as an applicant, there is no point thinking about going to a different school. Saying that is wishing yourself out of existance, because you wouldn't be the same person there. So howabout we all stop wishing eachother out of existance and drop the matter?

 

[Brodiewankenobi]

Don't know why all the hub-bub about ivies. The three top schools in the country aren't ivies (U of Chicago, Cal Tech, and MIT).

 

[FlowLimited]

I was a 3.45 GPA History major at a top 2 Ivy (take that, Princeton dude).

Well I'm hoping it's Harvard because "lowly Princeton" beats Yale for the #2 spot. That's according to US News, which I'm assuming is the source of your college pride. 😀

 

[Excelsius]

Thank you so much LizzyM! Mods, could you post her response and sticky it, so that perhaps we could once and for all end this debate?

If you read carefully, you'll see that her post implies that your undergrad can add up to 0.3 points on your GPA (which is very significant) and that prestige matters. And just to throw this in there, a past adcom from Stanford had a Freudian slip during our conversation and he basically implied that sometimes the undergrad can add up to 0.5 on your GPA. Even my jaw dropped, but I didn't react in any way otherwise that could have been the end of our conversation. Maybe this was just one adcom, but that's all it can take to get you rejected.

It is also clear that your major can affect your GPA as well. Majoring in criminology can be considered "fluff" compared to physics and neuroscience. That answers the other question about major and GPA. This thread can RIP now, but I am sure there will be many in here who won't be satisfied and will continue discussing this ad nauseum. Denial is a powerful state of mind.

You are where you are. If you didn't go to Ivy, I don't see the point in trying to discuss what effect it would have had on you if you had gone there. Just use whatever you have as best as you can.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Well I'm hoping it's Harvard because "lowly Princeton" beats Yale for the #2 spot. That's according to US News, which I'm assuming is the source of your college pride. 😀

Lol, this year at least. The World Rankings of Universities lists Harvard and yale as the #1 and #2 in the world. It's all variable and hard to define what "best" is anyways....

 

[mmmcdowe]

If you read carefully, you'll see that her post implies that your undergrad can add up to 0.3 points on your GPA and that prestige matters, and just to throw this in there, a past adcom from Stanford had Freudian slip during our conversation and he basically said that sometimes the undergrad can add up to 0.5 on your GPA. Even my jaw dropped, but I didn't react in any way otherwise that could have been the end of our conversation. Maybe this was just one adcom, but that's all it can take to get you rejected.

It is also clear that your major can affect your GPA as well. Majoring in criminology can be considered "fluff" compared to physics and neuroscience. That answers the other question about major and GPA. This thread can RIP now, but I am sure there will be many in here who won't be satisfied and will continue discussing this ad nauseum. Denial is a powerful state of mind.

You are where you are. If you didn't go to Ivy, I don't see the point in trying to discuss what effect it would have had on you if you had gone there. Just use whatever you have as best as you can.

First of all, I never implied that Lizzy was winning the argument for me, I just think her perspective is valuable. And I don't see where she implies that there can be a .3 difference. It says clearly that a 3.7 is always better than a 3.4. She also says that:

If isn't the case that a 3.4 with mostly fluffly courses at an Ivy beats a 3.7 in hard sciences at a no-name school.

I assume that the if should be an It. What I DO see her saying is that a 3.4 beats a 3.7 when everything non-academic is off the charts. I think this supports the argument that most students make that its what you do in college rather than the name. I would definitely agree that there are opportunities at top schools that might now be available every, especially just in terms of the breadth of research. HOWEVER, the main argument of this thread is that the name itself isn't getting you points. Every school has unique opportunities that you can take advantage of. That's what makes you a stronger applicant. I also agree that all things being equal a 3.7 at some private schools is better than a 3.7 at others. However, I tend to think that this is because the courses tend to be harder (just like she compares upper level versus fluff) rather than JUST because of the name. People recognize the difficulty of top schools, both in getting in and getting good grades.

 

[luvumeanit]

Look, the only reason we read SDN and post on SDN is to get and give info that helps us wildly speculate about our chances at getting into medical school.

That's it.

The success I had with a 3.4 at H/Y is only useful if you are sitting on a modest GPA from H/Y and want to be given hope that your undergrad will help you. (If some of you are right about the point boost, my GPA transformed into a 3.75 to 3.95 -- no wonder i got in, i rock!!! Good thing i partied or i would have had like a 5.0.)

THIS DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING NEGATIVE TO OTHERS OUT THERE. You are all fabulous, especially those with REAL 3.7 and above. lol.

My posts are just a shout out to paranoid ivy leaguers who are worried about their GPA.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Haha, to a degree.

P.S. I like your signature.

Thank you Dr., this signature is from a great move I saw back in the day.

 

[RoyBasch]

I don't go to a top 20 undergrad.. far from it

...

but I'm not going to be naive...
Go to a top 20 medical school interview and tell me that undergrad prestige does not matter.

Yes I have noticed there is a disproportionate number of ivyleaguer-types at interviews (even at the not top 20) but I am writing it off as a self-selection bias. If you are motivated enough to apply to a top 20 undergrad at 18 years old you probably have big ambitions and are motivated enough to do pre-med and apply to medical school at 22.
-Roy

 

[zogoto]

Is a high GPA at Harvard more meaningful than a high GPA at a state school? Harvard has an average GPA 3.55-3.6. What is the average GPA at a typical state school? I'm guessing it's around there.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Yes I have noticed there is a disproportionate number of ivyleaguer-types at interviews (even at the not top 20) but I am writing it off as a self-selection bias. If you are motivated enough to apply to a top 20 undergrad at 18 years old you probably have big ambitions and are motivated enough to do pre-med and apply to medical school at 22.
-Roy

👍

 

[LizzyM]

Yes I have noticed there is a disproportionate number of ivyleaguer-types at interviews (even at the not top 20) but I am writing it off as a self-selection bias. If you are motivated enough to apply to a top 20 undergrad at 18 years old you probably have big ambitions and are motivated enough to do pre-med and apply to medical school at 22.
-Roy

Don't forget that they are chosen for interviews. The top schools provide opportunities for for shadowing, volunteering, research, and interesting leisure time activities for students who want them and the advising seems to be very good. That gives applicants from those schools an advantage over students from schools where every extra-curricular was a struggle and where the advising was piss-poor (I've seen some poorly prepared applicants from some top schools and I've come to suspect that the advising at some of them is not so hot... but I'm not going to name names).

 

[cyclin M]

To all those who are trying to rationalize that somehow coming from a prestigious undergrad does not matter:

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."
-Mark Twain

It certainly doesn't HURT YOU, and if you come from a lesser known institution it does not mean you are A LESSER CANDIDATE, but to say that it DOES NOT MATTER??? Wake up.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 👍