Undergraduate University

[B Baby82]

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Hello everyone, this is my first time posting on this site. I have a question about how much the reputation of the school you attend for undergrad may have in the med school application process. I go to the University of Florida which I think is a great school, but if I were applying to a med school against people from, say, ivy league or private universities, would the admissions people give some leverage to them above me, or do they just look at each person without paying much attention to the school they went to?
-Thanks

 

[IndyZX]

yeah, the ivy kid will get attn if your stats are similar.

but if you do well, all that stuff takes care of itself

 

[Riddel]

I don't think undergraduate counts at all. After all it is only your college work that counts. Who cares about high school? That was years ago. Personally I think Ivy Leagues are full of lazy rich kids who get in through Legacy. Now if you had to talk to a patient who do you think the patient wants to talk to? Some snobby rich kid stuck doctor who thinks she/he is a living god or a nice down to earth doctor who can understand them?

I really doubt if Ivy Leagues count. Their quality of education is crappy, in my opinion. Huge lecture halls where people learn nothing but they keep the professors around because they are afraid to fire them.

 

[IndyZX]

...ok.

that's a ridiculous generalization. most kids who go to ivies are wealthier than public school kids, but they're usually pretty intelligent people.

im not sure if you were joking or what, but if not, then your thoughts are just bordering on delusional.

 

[deez4life]

Originally posted by Riddel
I don't think undergraduate counts at all. After all it is only your college work that counts. Who cares about high school? That was years ago. Personally I think Ivy Leagues are full of lazy rich kids who get in through Legacy. Now if you had to talk to a patient who do you think the patient wants to talk to? Some snobby rich kid stuck doctor who thinks she/he is a living god or a nice down to earth doctor who can understand them?

I really doubt if Ivy Leagues count. Their quality of education is crappy, in my opinion. Huge lecture halls where people learn nothing but they keep the professors around because they are afraid to fire them.

first of all, i think you misunderstood undergraduate courses for high school. an undergraduate education is the traditional 4 years of college that people attend AFTER high school.

secondly, the general consensus is that the strength (i.e. ranking) of your undergrad school holds some weight when adcoms consider your gpa. however, this is only true to a certain extent. since gpa's are subjective per school, the mcat, which pits all premeds across the country against each other, is looked at as the equalizer.

moral of the story: do well on your mcat if you think your institution is weak and a 4.0 is a joke. however, since UF is a top 50 school, i don't think the OP should be concerned with its reputation.

 

[SonGoku]

BBaby,
If you read in the MSAR or on the websites of specific medical schools, they state that they take the undergraduate institution into consideration, in addition to many other things, when evaluating an applicant. Not all schools state this, but some do. But that's why the MCAT can be helpful. The adcomms can compare students from different schools based on a standardized exam. If you're worried about it, go talk to your school's adcomm and discuss your app with them. I hear Robyn Shepherd is very nice. Good luck to you.

 

[Columbia22]

i'd have to agree with him on the snobby rich kid part

 

[gertie]

riddel was talking through his ***. of course, most schools DO look at quality of education!!as songoku siad, schools even explicitly state this, and many that don't do so too. nevertheless, if ur stats r great, u shouldn't have a prob, especially since UF is a top tier school...so don't sweat it.

riddel sounds like s/he has many insecurities about his/her mediocrity. those who r jealous of those more successful, intelligent etc, often take their frustration out on on the ivies...very typical..i bets/he never even stepped foot on an ivy unioversity's grounds....u will fins incredicly intelligent people there, very worldly...they accept the best, produce a greater proportion of the leaders of society etc...

 

[IndyZX]

judging from previous posts, i think riddel went to Brown. so i would imagine that he/she knows what the ivy scene is like. not that i agree totally.