I just completed my first year at a small school in Boston, and I planned on transferring to BU next year to go into their Sargent School of Health Sciences. I really like BU and I had my mind set on transferring but I have heard that the grade deflation is terrible. Will med schools take that into consideration? I don't want it to ruin my future, but I do really want to go to BU. Is it possible to get As at a school like BU? Thoughts? Advice?
Transferring to BU Undergrad
- Thread starter JPSmyth
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Its possible, but the GPA deflation is a real problem. BU is not alone though, Vandy, Hopkins, WashU, UMich, and Princeton are also known for grade deflation.
Not trying to frighten you, but many of my close friends started off as bio and chem majors (scored 5's in ap calc, ap chem, ap bio), and after the first semester of getting B's and C's, transferred into Business. This is not indicative of too much - since they had to adjust to the college life, living alone, etc... but it does say something.
BU is tough, but its still manageable. Let's put it this way, if you can't handle BU's premed, then you will not be able to handle med school. So don't be intimidated, tackle it head on.
And yes, adcoms do have common knowledge of schools that are notorious for deflation, but that still won't help if you have a 3.2 or a 3.3. The benefit of the doubt is minimal. Strive for that 3.7+
Thanks a lot, I still have some thinking to do I guess. I really want to stay in Boston, so my options are basically BU, Tufts, or BC. (Northeastern doesn't accept transfers halfway through the year) I might have to just go for it and work hard at BU. Also I wanted to play for their club hockey team. Do you think it's possible to play a sport while in pre-med?
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This is great advice. Grade deflation will not be an excuse for a low gpa, so make your choice carefully.
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Tip #1: DONT go to sargent. Its basically a pre-med incubator. Major in something else.
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Why would anyone want to go to BU given the knowledge of this awful grade inflation (if it is taken at face based on what's been stated here)? It's not like you'll be graduating with a University of Chicago degree (kind of justifying the crap grade deflation you deal with) - BU is kind of run of the mill (ranked 53th). Why not do BC, Tufts, Northeastern or UMass Boston if you want to stay in the area? I wouldn't jump into a notoriously difficult situation that has no benefit.
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it sucks to BU
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major in anything you find interesting. period. Thats the only way you will do well. Medical schools don't give a crap what your major is as long as you take the pre-reqs. Sargent just plain sucks because like i said before, theres around 200-300 students with the same pre-med mentality as you. Do yourself a favor, and avoid them. Stay in CAS where you'll get a better general education and can get a respectable degree thats useful for more than getting into Med school
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I would say that the worst thing about grade deflation is that it creates a non-cooperative learning environment- if there are only so many A's to go around.... Combine that with a school full of premed students and I would think that Hemorrage might be right about the environment at Sargent. I would try to get in touch with some current Sargent students and see how they feel.
That said, I think the grade deflation that is supposedly prevalent at BU really isn't that common. Few professors actually lower the curve. Most seem to subscribe to the belief that if you earn a 90% you get an A, period, regardless of your classmates' scores. I think that the University suggested that professors lower the curve at one point years ago, but most professors realized that it creates a terrible learning environment and disregarded the suggestion. I think you could identify any professors practicing grade deflation on ratemyprofessor.com and probably avoid their classes.
Where are you in school now, and how well are you doing? If you are generally successful in school and have reasonable time management skills, you should be able to play a club sport and do well.
That said, I think the grade deflation that is supposedly prevalent at BU really isn't that common. Few professors actually lower the curve. Most seem to subscribe to the belief that if you earn a 90% you get an A, period, regardless of your classmates' scores. I think that the University suggested that professors lower the curve at one point years ago, but most professors realized that it creates a terrible learning environment and disregarded the suggestion. I think you could identify any professors practicing grade deflation on ratemyprofessor.com and probably avoid their classes.
Where are you in school now, and how well are you doing? If you are generally successful in school and have reasonable time management skills, you should be able to play a club sport and do well.
I go to Emmanuel now, right next to BU. The first semester I entered as a graphic design major, and I hated/dropped some classes. I had a 3.33 with only 3 classes, but my second semester I changed it all up and got a 4.0, so my overall gpa is a 3.7 at the end of one year. Staying in the college of arts and sciences doesn't sound like a bad idea. Sargeant may not be for me, and if anything happens and I go to science related grad school instead of med school I guess a general degree would be better. thanks for all the input
Also, while I have this thread open I wanted to ask. I spoke to my uncle today who was a NYPD lieutenant for twenty years, and when I said I was planning on going to medical school he told me to prepare for terribly gruesome events. He told me how he had to witness people cut in half by trains, jump off buildings, etc.. I'm a bit doubtful in my ability to be able to stomach this kind of stuff. So I have a few questions, how grotesque are some of the things you see in clinical rotations during med school?
And.. I am very interested in medicine, but I cannot see myself being a surgeon or anything that involves constant trauma. Are there any paths in medicine that I could research that aren't along these lines? I want to look into a broad range of opportunities. Are things like radiology/pathology hands on in those ways? I find anything that deals with laboratory type procedures interesting as well, any suggestions that I could google?
And.. I am very interested in medicine, but I cannot see myself being a surgeon or anything that involves constant trauma. Are there any paths in medicine that I could research that aren't along these lines? I want to look into a broad range of opportunities. Are things like radiology/pathology hands on in those ways? I find anything that deals with laboratory type procedures interesting as well, any suggestions that I could google?
As far as BU goes, if you like the school and think you can do well before any curve is applied go for it. Even if there is a lowering of the curve, scoring highly on the MCAT can serve to show med schools that you can handle the workload medical school despite a possibly lower than average gpa. Having said that, I went to Tufts and would recommend that you seriously consider it as well. The school is great, and I always found the grading of the sciences very fair.
Now, about the issue of witnessing traumas. You will be required to do rotations in surgery and most likely Emergency Medicine as well at some point. WHile you probably won't see crazy traumas all that often it is something that will likely happen at least once. However, after your clerkships you can opt to follow a specialty that is completely removed from the trauma elements of medicine. You still have to deal with illness, albeit not in such a gruesome fashion. If you are truly worried I would recommend shadowing different specialities as well as the ER to give you a sense of what you can see. Obviously each person has there own thing that freaks them out. Personally I find trauma fascinating, but have a lot of difficulty with babies stuck in the NICU.
Now, about the issue of witnessing traumas. You will be required to do rotations in surgery and most likely Emergency Medicine as well at some point. WHile you probably won't see crazy traumas all that often it is something that will likely happen at least once. However, after your clerkships you can opt to follow a specialty that is completely removed from the trauma elements of medicine. You still have to deal with illness, albeit not in such a gruesome fashion. If you are truly worried I would recommend shadowing different specialities as well as the ER to give you a sense of what you can see. Obviously each person has there own thing that freaks them out. Personally I find trauma fascinating, but have a lot of difficulty with babies stuck in the NICU.
I am definitely going to apply to Tufts, it is just a highly competitive school and I don't know if a 3.7 will get me in. Hopefully if I can get a 4.0 next semester by the half way point of next year I will have closer to a 3.9 and I'll be able to transfer there.
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I just looked at Tufts site, I can't transfer until the fall semester so I may have to stick it out another year at Emmanuel to go there.
Also, since I can't transfer as undeclared to BU or Tufts or wherever it may be, what would you guys recommend for a major? Chemistry is not my strongest point, but I'm hoping to get through it with at least a B because I know it's a requirement. What about a Biology major? With a specialization in Molecular biology, neurobiology, something along those lines?
Also, since I can't transfer as undeclared to BU or Tufts or wherever it may be, what would you guys recommend for a major? Chemistry is not my strongest point, but I'm hoping to get through it with at least a B because I know it's a requirement. What about a Biology major? With a specialization in Molecular biology, neurobiology, something along those lines?
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Remember, med schools don't give a crap what you major in. If your end goal is to become a physician no matter what, then your BA doesn't mean anything. If you enjoy biology do bio.
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K
kpcrew
if you want good grades, you would do well to avoid a chemistry degree. as long as you have the prerequisite courses complete, you can major in pretty much anything.
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kpcrew contributing to the conversation productively, with a correct statement. Wow
What have you enjoyed the most in the past year? You can major in anything and be pre-med. I was psych, and had friends who did engineering, philosophy, and music, all of whom are applying to med school. The one downside is that your major classes don't count towards your prereqs for pre-med.
If you are going to spend another year at your current school, make sure that you whatever major you choose can carry over. It may be a bad idea to go for a super specific bio major if you are not sure how well the credits for the classes will transfer over.
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Good advice. OP: you mentioned your desire to transfer mid-year and that this isn't an option at all schools. I don't know if you have a set of circumstances that makes that a very favorable option, but if not, I would say work your hardest where you are with the intent of applying as a transfer with a fall entrance when you can at all places, to maximize your potential
