Qualms about choosing an undergraduate transfer school

[ProspectiveKidd]

Hello,

Of the three schools I'm looking at transferring to (done 1 year at CC)..two of them are in the top 90 ranking, and the other one is around a 200 ranking. All 3 have medical schools, and the lower ranked school is about a third of the price of the other two. I know someone who graduated from a 6 year MD program at the lower ranked school and said he could wholeheartedly recommend it, but for medical school. My main concern is that since it is a lower ranked school, I might receive less consideration than if I had gone to either of the more known schools, all things being equal in my application. I'm sure you guys have pondered this when transferring, I want to give myself the best chance of getting in ..how much of a factor is this, really?

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[FutureOncologist]

You need to choose a place that YOU see yourself for the next 3-4 years. Because if you go to the school with the best medical school, you could regret it. Visit each school and find out what one you can see yourself calling "home."

Undergrad is more than just a competition to getting into medical school. It's about finding out who you are and making relationships that last for the rest of your life.

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

Thank you for your reply. I just don't want to put myself at a disadvantage of getting into med school by going to a lesser ranked undergraduate school. I definitely love my home town, which is where the two more expensive schools are. I would have to move to go to the lower ranked school, but i would literally pay less than a third of what I would at the other two schools. I am mainly considering the factors you mentioned, but I don't want to pay way too much for undergrad if its not going to matter that much, or shoot myself in the foot by going to a lesser known school and receive less recognition for the same undergraduate credentials.

 

[DokterMom]

Is the lesser known school a state university? That's not usually a problem. A "Cal State" as opposed to a UC can be in CA, where the distinctions are more known, but elsewhere, generally not.

 

[WedgeDawg]

As stated before, go to the place that you think you will be the most successful at. Rankings on the scale that you're talking about won't make any difference.

 

[justadream]

I don't think it really makes much of a difference. Most people wouldn't even know which is the 90th vs which is the 200th.

 

[Hermione L Knope MD. Ph.D]

I go to a "rank not published" state undergrad. I'd say I did alright (you can look at my md apps link under my name). I don't think it was that much of a hinderance.

 

[FutureOncologist]

Thank you for your reply. I just don't want to put myself at a disadvantage of getting into med school by going to a lesser ranked undergraduate school. I definitely love my home town, which is where the two more expensive schools are. I would have to move to go to the lower ranked school, but i would literally pay less than a third of what I would at the other two schools. I am mainly considering the factors you mentioned, but I don't want to pay way too much for undergrad if its not going to matter that much, or shoot myself in the foot by going to a lesser known school and receive less recognition for the same undergraduate credentials.

I was invited for an interview at Stanford and JHU. I went to a huge party school in the south that's only ranked for business and accounting.

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

Thanks everyone. Ill be taking that idea out of the equation.

 

[efle]

Go for the money unless some other major factor is involved. If it's just tens of thousands of dollars vs slightly better rank $$ every time