Should I try to complete college in 3 years or 4?

[Chris127]

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As some of you know, I am a frosh pre med undergrad. However, recently,I have thought of completing my undergrad in 3 years by enrolling in summer semesters. Would you recommend this? If you dont recommend this, do you have any other reason why besides the generic "enjoy your undergrad years" response? Would med schools be somewhat impressed or atleast more interested if they saw me with the same stats as everyone else, only applying a year sooner than I should?

 

[DrBowtie]

Take the extra time to do research and EC's.

 

[masterMood]

From what I know, most medical schools would think you are still too young to matriculate into med. school i.e. think you're too immature for it.

i wouldn't try to condense everything in 3 years unless you're extremely focused otherwise you will quickly burn out. you need breaks in order to recharge yo' brain cells otherwise everything will quickly become rote memorization, and you will not remember things as well.

if you're trying to do a bio major in 3 years, that's intense, you could probably do it with a nonscience major, but in all i don't think it's a good idea.

that extra year in college will give you time to let everything sink in whereas if you rushed everything in 3 years you would never have time to think about everything you did, to get a comprehensive view of your major.

besides, once you get into med. school it only gets harder, so keep that one last year to relax before things get really tough for the next 30-40 years you know?

 

[StevenRF]

I would say don't bother with 3 years. I don't think the adcom's care. Unless your really hard up for money, I would just do all four years. Plus, its gonna suck when you graduate a year early and all your friends are still living it up in college. You've got plunty of time left in med school and residency to have no life.

 

[J'kwan]

As some of you know, I am a frosh pre med undergrad. However, recently,I have thought of completing my undergrad in 3 years by enrolling in summer semesters. Would you recommend this? If you dont recommend this, do you have any other reason why besides the generic "enjoy your undergrad years" response? Would med schools be somewhat impressed or atleast more interested if they saw me with the same stats as everyone else, only applying a year sooner than I should?

I have no idea how much it would help you with adcoms. I'd be a little worried about burning out. It's nice to have the Summer off. And once you enter medschool you'll have a long road ahead of you.

 

[neovenom]

i think the generic enjoy your undergrad years is very important in itself. you have more time to pursue interests or work on making your resume better. it also makes you less prone to feeling burned out by a constantly demanding courseload.

in addition, the point brought up about maturity is very important. one year, esp during your early adulthood, can really change who you are. in the end, i think being younger at the time of admission will hurt more than help you look impressive.

 

[dajimmers]

Things other applicants will have that you won't if you graduate in three years:

1. Study abroad experience
2. More Clinical experiences
3. More Research experiences
4. More diverse educations (double majors, electives)
5. More "maturity"
6. More free time

 

[tank you]

no, i dont recommend it. if you are done with most of your classes by the end of third year, then take some fun courses as well as some intense upper-division bio courses. also, go out as much as you can that year.

 

[Sooz]

Take the extra time to do research and EC's.

Good idea! 🙂

 

[amberm4]

To give the other side - I am graduating in 3 years and didn't start out to do that. I went into school with AP credit & CLEP credit. After my first year, I decided I didn't need 3 whole months off, so took 2 easy classes in a 4 week session - and still had plenty of time to lounge. This past summer I did fulltime research. I have worked in an obstetrics department as a health unit clerk for 1 1/2 year getting to observe surgeries, deliveries, neonatal resuscitations, etc. and have done a lot of direct patient care. I have been an officer in my sorority, lots of community service, and many academic honors. Currently I have a 3.98 GPA with a molecular biology major. The only thing that wasn't great is that I took the August MCAT (so still waiting on those scores) because I couldn't study for it with 3 science classes with labs. But all of my secondaries are in (I even received secondaries that say they screen???). And PS - I have had a great time with parties, athletic events, trips, etc. so I don't think I have suffered. In fact, I think if I would have relaxed anymore - I think I would have lost some of my drive.

I just don't have a lot of money. So saving a year of tuition at the private school that I attend will really help financially for medical school.

I have talked to a few doctors who completed their undergrad in 3 years, and it allowed them to save money and move on. I am hoping that the adcoms are impressed with my maturity and focus. I have worked hard and accomplished a lot in a short time. 🙂 Good luck to you!

 

[Chris127]

Thats what I was thinking. My original notion was that if I did everything in 3 years, had good MCAT/GPA, LORs, activities, etc, that it would really display my maturity/focus.

 

[DrBowtie]

Thats what I was thinking. My original notion was that if I did everything in 3 years, had good MCAT/GPA, LORs, activities, etc, that it would really display my maturity/focus.

Thats not enough to get in these days. Plus in 3 years you wouldn't have time to get in good activities or research since your summers will be cramped with classes.

 

[75969]

I REALLY would not recommend doing that......

I began taking college courses second semester of my junior year in high school, went full time in college senior year. I am now 19, junior (like 2 credits short of senior standing)--not to mention that I am have been an overachiever the entire time, taking 17-18 credits a term (even though I didnt need to and probably shouldnt have). Although I have volunteered the entire time, EC's are lacking--no shadowing, no research (yet), not much of the volunteer work was medically related, and I am picking up a double major to allow myself time to complete the mcat, applications, etc...I really dont feel prepared for the app process or interviewing....did I mention that I am EXHAUSTED!

Although it might seem like a good idea to rush through the process right now, I think that as mcat/app time approaches you will begin to realize what you have taken away from yourself in the process.

 

[deuist]

Take the extra time to do research and EC's.

Yep, take the time to (1) build up your resume and (2) enjoy your time in college.

 

[Darth Asclepius]

I honestly don't think med schools care if you do it in 3 years. It certainly won't make up for anything you might be lacking had you done it in 4. If your whole reason for doing it is to try to impress the schools, you'd be better off taking 4 years, doing long term volunteer work the whole time, getting really involved in a student organization so you'll have leadership experience, do some research, and/or shadow a doc for a long time. These things will all really help you in your application. Graduating in 3 years probably won't. If you're thinking you'll have a heavier courseload and that will set you apart, think again. A lot of double majors take enough credits every semester that they could have graduated in 3 years based on the number of credits. If you have other reasons, then go for it, but don't expect the shorter time to make up for any weaknesses in your application.

 

[Chris127]

Would it be possible to maybe finish in 3 years, apply, and if I absolutely dont get in anywhere, just do research/extracurriculars for that extra year, then apply again in one year?

 

[BaylorGuy]

Finish all necessary classes in 3...party and do research for 4th year

 

[DentalGal]

Finish all necessary classes in 3...party and do research for 4th year

Did you go to Baylor University, BaylorGuy? Just curious. 😉

 

[LabMonster]

"Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in awhile - you might miss it." - Ferris Bueller

 

[solitude]

I am also considering graduating with a double major in 3 years, BUT will be applying along with all of the other kids that will be seniors in my class. Everything I have heard is that the less time that you have to build an application, the crappier your chances are of gaining acceptance.

I am possibly graduating early for mostly financial reasons, but I plan to take a year off to do research and some other EC's. It makes sense really: you don't have to fly around for interviews while taking classes, you save money from tuition in addition to earning money from working, you build up your application with some very in-depth EC's/research that you might have missed because you took insane courseloads as a freshman through junior, and you can really enjoy that year off, without any academic stress.

If you want to impress the adcoms, graduating early is not the way to go. If you want to save money and impress the adcoms, and you really don't want to stick around for four years, graduate in 3 and build your resume and relax during your 4th year. Yes, I know that you are mature; so are the rest of us. Yes, I know doctors who graduated in 3 years. I even know one who did combined undergrad and med school in 5.5 years! He says he has always regretted it.

If you really want to do it, be prepared for a rough application process. A high GPA and all the other credentials accumulated over two years probably won't stand up to a high GPA and even more credentials from those who have had 3, 4, or even postgrad years to build their application. You will get in somewhere, but you won't have the same options.

And you'll probably regret it.

 

[beanbean]

I agree that unless money is a huge factor, don't try to rush straight through undergrad in 3 years. Use your summers to take an easy class or two so that your regular semesters aren't too crazy. To gain adequate ECs and research it is better to not try to cram everything into 3 years. Med schools will not care and your gpa will probably suffer.

To the poster who mentioned finishing in 3 years and applying even without the best application and using the 4th year to polish your application if you are not accepted....bad idea. Applying to med school is time-consuming and expensive. It is foolish to rush through undergrad just to apply with a so-so application and then have to re-apply the following year.

If you really just want school to be done and can handle the accelerated coursework, then I recommend using your application year (what would have been your senior year) to travel, study abroad or do some international volunteering.

 

[themadchemist]

From what I've heard, schools actually consider it a disadvantage to do only three years of undergrad. For MD/PhD, that's DEFINITELY true, and the Assoc. Director of Northwestern's MSTP told me as much. But I think it is also true for MD. Look at Harvard's website, for instance, I think they mention it.

That said, I'm sure if you did three years undergrad and then used the following year to do something exciting, you'd be fine.

And THAT said, I have a friend who got into MSTP at both Northwestern and UCSD after just three years. But he had strong research, had taken (and topped the class in) multiple graduate courses (he took his first grad chem course sophomore year), and such.

My friend and I both entered in the same combined medical program. He decided to apply to MSTP after three, which is the usual time for our BA/MD program's undergrad, whereas I extended it to four, because I thought I'd have a stronger application after four. I could have graduated after three, but I think having my junior year performance (which was by far the strongest, in all dimensions) on my application definitely helped A LOT. Moreover, it's good to enjoy senior year, though I am sitting in the lab right now doing an experiment.

 

[amberm4]

I so understand what most are saying about take it easy, relax and do it in 4 years. I'm not knowledgeable enough to argue either way regarding the actual process and which is better. But if the Adcom committees are definitely looking at someone taking 4 years and doing "easy" classes along with ECs as the best way to go than putting the nose to the grindstone and doing everything in 3, then this is a sad story. Especially when money is involved. It again advantages the wealthy people who have the extra money to pay for tuition for classes that truly aren't necessary. If someone doesn't get in after 3 years undergrad, at least the college degree is there and you can work while beefing your resume and reapply vs. paying some college a bunch of money.

 

[Shredder]

As some of you know, I am a frosh pre med undergrad. However, recently,I have thought of completing my undergrad in 3 years by enrolling in summer semesters. Would you recommend this? If you dont recommend this, do you have any other reason why besides the generic "enjoy your undergrad years" response? Would med schools be somewhat impressed or atleast more interested if they saw me with the same stats as everyone else, only applying a year sooner than I should?

3. 1 year of life is valuable. schooling in america takes too long, im sure it results in lots of economic loss. rush through it and specialize in something in a hurry, thats how division of labor works

 

[AznDoc]

it seems the decision is unanimous to go the full and traditional 4 years of undergrad. however, i decided that it just wasn't for me and decided to go ahead and do it in three. i feel that undergrad is kind of like high school in the sense that the last year is almost completely useless and just a waste of another year of my life. i originally intended to go the full 4 when entering and then decided that i needed to just finish and get on with my life. thankfully i have had some amazing opportunities for research having spent two summers at pfizer as a research intern, while working the past two semesters with an alumni who started his own biotech company. through it all, i am still able to get to the pool for intramural swimming and can squeeze in 4 piano students over the weekend. because the reality is that you have a lot of freakin time in college. in order to do this though, i have turned into a sort of time budget nazi by printing out a schedule for each upcoming week and prioritizing a list of everything that is due. but thankfully i have never missed a party that i wanted to go to nor did it turn me into a one-dimensional student that can only talk about school. but in the end you have to decide what is right for you and why you really want to finish in 3. i agree that overall it probably won't win you any extra points with the adcoms. if you decide to do it just realize that you have to stay organized and not dally around. but here are my two abe lincolns. cheers.

 

[Darth Asclepius]

But if the Adcom committees are definitely looking at someone taking 4 years and doing "easy" classes along with ECs as the best way to go than putting the nose to the grindstone and doing everything in 3, then this is a sad story.

I don't think anybody said to take easy classes. I think people that took a bunch of easy classes as an undergrad are at a disadvantage in med school. They aren't as good at handling the courseload. I am sure adcoms take into account the difficulty of classes. I had a couple of interviewers comment on the combinations of classes I had taken. The point is not the classes, it's the other stuff (meaningful volunteer work, leadership, research, shadowing, and letters of recommendation). These are all things that come out better if you develop long term relationships with the professors and physicians you work with and actually stick with volunteer or other extracurricular projects for a long time. If you can pull that off in 3 years, that's great, there's always going to be someone who did at least as much of that stuff as you each year, but who did it for one more year. I don't think there is anything wrong with doing it in 3 if that is what you want. I just don't think it will impress anyone.

 

[sunnyjohn]

4 years!

Enjoy college. Suck the marrow out of it! Live it up!

What other time in your life are you allowed to do the things college students are encouraged to do?

Heck, If I had it to do again, I would have picked three majors and did "the five year plan."

 

[BaylorGuy]

Did you go to Baylor University, BaylorGuy? Just curious. 😉

Indeed i did, do you go as well??

 

[masterMood]

Consider this, you can start medical school one year earlier, and then you've entered the real world. No more vacations, no more breaks, in a sense your life for the next 40 years or so is a 9 am - 7 pm job 5-6 days a week and for every year you get two 2 week breaks. That's all.

This is the final time you have a final time to relax completely before your life is centered around other people and your job --- meaning your patients, your family, etc.

Heck, in a sense i miss the days when I was a little kid and i could do whatever i wanted to do and have no worries. But as you grow older, your free time slowly wanes. So why rush the inevitable? Everyone here wants to be a doctor, and hopefully has some interest in doing so, but there is a fine line between academics/work and relaxing.

If you know you will get into medical school, one year of tuition for undergrad is a dime in the long run.

 

[veridisquo]

I'm wouldn't recommend it. Advantages/disadvantages aside, you're likely to become burned out.

I entered college at 16 with no plans to rush through anything. Somehow it ended up that way. It's only been three years, but by the end of this year, i'll have completed two bachelor's degrees (basically two BSc in three years). I utilized every summer.

The thing is, i'm exhausted. Beyond exhausted. At a certain point, after months without any sort of break, I lost interest in what i'm learning. While the material is interesting, I have lost the motivation to do as well as I have done in the past two years.

Now, I don't want to graduate because i'm only be 19 and there's no use in applying to med school. I have no idea why I rushed through things and what i'm going to do now. I can either take the year off and find something constructive to do (catch up on sleep?) or lower my courseload next semester and take my last few remaining classes next year, extending my stay by a year. In retrospect, I really haven't enjoyed these past few years. I've sacrificed other things i'm passionate about for the sake of taking on this huge task of completing two degrees in three years for a purpose i'm not yet sure of.

From my understanding, (and I haven't read all of the responses, forgive me) there really isn't an advantage to graduating early. If you really want to speed things up, get the majority of your coursework done in the first three years, and spend the last year with a lighter courseload or classes that interest you and do research, volunteer, etc.

 

[badlydrawnvik]

I'm doing it in three and have had no problems with interviews or anything like that. But I also did not have to take summer classes, I came in with sophomore standing and am finishing easily in three. So if you feel like it would be stressful to finish in three, I guess do it in four. If you think you can handle it, go for three and save the money.

 

[75969]

I'm wouldn't recommend it. Advantages/disadvantages aside, you're likely to become burned out.

I entered college at 16 with no plans to rush through anything. Somehow it ended up that way. It's only been three years, but by the end of this year, i'll have completed two bachelor's degrees (basically two BSc in three years). I utilized every summer.

The thing is, i'm exhausted. Beyond exhausted. At a certain point, after months without any sort of break, I lost interest in what i'm learning. While the material is interesting, I have lost the motivation to do as well as I have done in the past two years.

Now, I don't want to graduate because i'm only be 19 and there's no use in applying to med school. I have no idea why I rushed through things and what i'm going to do now. I can either take the year off and find something constructive to do (catch up on sleep?) or lower my courseload next semester and take my last few remaining classes next year, extending my stay by a year. In retrospect, I really haven't enjoyed these past few years. I've sacrificed other things i'm passionate about for the sake of taking on this huge task of completing two degrees in three years for a purpose i'm not yet sure of.

From my understanding, (and I haven't read all of the responses, forgive me) there really isn't an advantage to graduating early. If you really want to speed things up, get the majority of your coursework done in the first three years, and spend the last year with a lighter courseload or classes that interest you and do research, volunteer, etc.

you sound like me.... its like we have the same disease or something 🙂 I think rushing the process makes things more difficult than it really should be...

 

[KevinZ]

For what it's worth, I have spoken to an admissions representative from a top 10 US News & World Report medical school and was informed that graduating in three years will not improve one's application.

The comments on this forum are constructive, but make sure you consider your unique situation. Consider your school's difficulty and weigh your priorities for graduating early. Don't just do it for the application.

 

[etudiante04]

Have you considered 3.5 years? I wish I had done 3.5 instead of four years. there are several people from my school that graduated a semester early, and had time to relax before going to medical school. And many of these people are now at top schools like Hopkins, and Duke.

So if its about money, then u may not save yourself a year's worth of education, but u can at least save yourself a semester. In addition, you get that last semester to mature before medical school, if you are applying at the traditional time (btw junior and senior year).

And you still get to walk across stage with the rest of your classmates (at least at my school).

and adcoms will still see 3 yrs of work and ECs, and you will be comparable to the rest of the applicant pool.

Hope this helps