UVA, VCU, or CNU (undergrad)?

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SterlingMaloryArcher

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I've been chasing UVA ever since I started at the community college, but now that application time is coming around, I've gotten honest with myself and it has sort of hit me that maybe a competitive school like UVA where A's are hard to come by (for example, Physics curves down) isn't the best idea when I've already had my rough patch and will be on GPA recovery for the rest of undergrad.

UVA - My top choice, for so many reasons, I like the program, I've mapped out all of the classes I would have to take and am very happy/excited about it, I like the environment, and it's also just "a better school"

VCU - Not even my second choice, but it seems like a good premed school, is affiliated with a good hospital, probably has plenty of research opportunities, is known, but is a completely different environment than UVA. I wouldn't be miserable at VCU or anything but Richmond and the "hipster vibe" isn't my cup of tea.

CNU - No name, new school with a really nice campus, some people might not see it but it has a lot of similarities to UVA in the kinds of people that go there (if that makes sense) but it's smaller, probably not a lot of research opportunities.

There is also JMU...

Any opinions appreciated.

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Paging @WedgeDawg for detailed input.

I'd probably go to UVA. It's a great school with great opportunities, and you will enjoy it there. The grading may be tough but I think you can do well if you utilize the resources well and ask your professors for help (through office hours).
 
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I go to VCU, and I like Richmond. The hipster vibe is real but not overwhelming or in your face. The city is small but it has a lot to offer. I know people who have transferred here from UVA, and people from VCU to transferred to UVA. I think whether or not it's the right choice comes down to specifically want you want to get out of your undergraduate institution.
What major are you? Does money matter?
 
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I go to VCU, and I like Richmond. The hipster vibe is real but not overwhelming or in your face. The city is small but it has a lot to offer. I know people who have transferred here from UVA, and people from VCU to transferred to UVA. I think whether or not it's the right choice comes down to specifically want you want to get out of your undergraduate institution.
What major are you? Does money matter?

Biology - Their programs look completely different

Money always matters haha
 
My sister goes to UVA undergrad and she took summer physics at VCU to avoid that down curve. I went to VCU undergrad and generally enjoyed it. I think VCU can get you more volunteering opportunities since it is in a larger city (my sister has to volunteer over breaks because she doesn't have access to anything in Charlottesville).
 
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CNU is great if you want to be an elementary school teacher or work in HR, not ideal for premed (speaking from experience). I'd say UVA if you can get in.
 
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My sister goes to UVA undergrad and she took summer physics at VCU to avoid that down curve. I went to VCU undergrad and generally enjoyed it. I think VCU can get you more volunteering opportunities since it is in a larger city (my sister has to volunteer over breaks because she doesn't have access to anything in Charlottesville).

There's actually a fairly large amount of volunteering available at UVA through their main volunteering organization (Madison House). Clinical and non-clinical...
 
I interviewed at CNU and was very impressed by their faculty and curriculum. I've already been accepted elsewhere but decided to check CNU out. During the luncheon, I was able to speak with a couple of the senior CNU faculty members there who clarified that "for profit" was actually "privately funded" and that the school has not turned any profit at all. In fact, their investors have taken an altruistic stance that they are doing the right thing to fund an effort to increase the number of new physicians in California. Just look at their tuition. If they were for profit, their tuition should be at the very highest level. In fact, if you look at the stats, CNU is at the median of tuitions, around $58,000/year. Not cheap but better than many out there. They offer an integrated curriculum of basic and clinical sciences to improve understanding. Their Step 1 scores prove that it's working with 100% passing rate for their 1st class and an average score better than UC Davis. Their class demographics for MCAT and GPA ranks 5th amongst all 10 California medical schools. Their Medical Skills course runs weekly for the first 2 years, better than their nearby competitor UC Davis as well as many other schools. And they're affiliated with major medical groups like Kaiser and Sutter where students learn from experienced attending physicians instead of year 1 and 2 residents. As far as the LCME accreditation, they are well on their way to provisional accreditation and their current status is viewed as fully accredited where their students are able to match for residencies like any other med school. Their faculty are seasoned clinicians, many from Kaiser, who teach the important clinical pearls rather than researchers who haven't seen a patient in years. After my great experience at CNU, I'm hoping that I am accepted there! I really would rather go there than where I'm currently accepted at another California allopathic med school. For those who think that CNU is the Caribbean school of the west, you obviously did NOT do your homework. This school is definitely on its way to being one of the best.
Are you a CNU rep or something? Stop spam posting this on various threads.
 
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Are you a CNU rep or something? Stop spam posting this on various threads.

Basically. And OP is talking about an undergrad in Virginia. Not Northstate let alone a med school...
 
This might sound generic...
Pick the school where you envision your own success.
Pick the school that limits student loans.

I know plenty of kids that paid the extra $$ to go to a top notch LA, Ivy League, or private institution that ended up in the same MD/DO school as a person who went to a financially reasonable undergrad school.

Loans are not friends (especially private)

Edit - After I wrote this I realized OP wrote fall 2017 - oops
 
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