Which undergrad school to choose!?

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Silvari

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I'm in a huge dilemma. I'm pre-med looking to major in Psychology (I've always been interested in the mind), and looking for the right school to transfer. I have c.GPA of 3.7, and science GPA of 3.9. I'll also have my A.A. by the end of the Fall.
I'm about 90% sure I'm going to get accepted into University of Florida, but I'm having major concerns. I'd have to move out and get an apartment, which would put some financial strain on my parent who is paying for my education. But on the plus side, I think graduating from the top university in the state would provide some opportunities when applying to in-state med-schools. I have the option of going to Florida Atlantic University, which is not even close to the same level as UF but would mean I could commute and not have to get an apartment. They also have a Psychobiology B.S. degree which closely mirrors the medical school requirements...
I'm really at a loss...UF is my dream school, but if prestige doesn't matter, should I just stay down here to save money? Any advice for this struggling pre-med? :(

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1. Get a job.
2. Go to cheapest college available.
3. Knock it out of the park.
4. Apply to med schools.
 
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No need to add more debt to what you'll incur in med school. Keep it cheap and do a really good job.
 
I'm in a huge dilemma. I'm pre-med looking to major in Psychology (I've always been interested in the mind), and looking for the right school to transfer. I have c.GPA of 3.7, and science GPA of 3.9. I'll also have my A.A. by the end of the Fall.
I'm about 90% sure I'm going to get accepted into University of Florida, but I'm having major concerns. I'd have to move out and get an apartment, which would put some financial strain on my parent who is paying for my education. But on the plus side, I think graduating from the top university in the state would provide some opportunities when applying to in-state med-schools. I have the option of going to Florida Atlantic University, which is not even close to the same level as UF but would mean I could commute and not have to get an apartment. They also have a Psychobiology B.S. degree which closely mirrors the medical school requirements...
I'm really at a loss...UF is my dream school, but if prestige doesn't matter, should I just stay down here to save money? Any advice for this struggling pre-med? :(


UF is a great school but just save the money. Also how about other schools like FIU? I know UM is pretty damn expensive unless you got a scholarship so thats probably out the question...
 
this is not a dilemma, this is just a choice
you haven't even been accepted yet
take out some loans if you're worried about your parents
name is not as important as numbers
you can satisfy medical school requirements anywhere just by picking the right classes, degree doesn't matter
 
this is not a dilemma, this is just a choice
you haven't even been accepted yet
take out some loans if you're worried about your parents
name is not as important as numbers
you can satisfy medical school requirements anywhere just by picking the right classes, degree doesn't matter

+15

get a 4.0 from a state school and youll get in. Plus Florida has so many state med schools its ridiculous.... and only UF has extremely above normal competitive MSAR numbers
 
Go somewhere cheap that you'll enjoy. It's the best 4 years of your life, might as well enjoy it.

FWIW, I'd choose UF. But that has nothing to do with academics...
 
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Academically, I believe UF is much much harder. Would medical schools compare a high FAU GPA as being "inflated"? I've always been told to go to the highest degree granting institution I could. o.o
 
Academically, I believe UF is much much harder. Would medical schools compare a high FAU GPA as being "inflated"? I've always been told to go to the highest degree granting institution I could. o.o

No. A 4.0 at FAU will get you into medical school much easier than a 3.5 at UF. And I doubt UF is that much harder as to make a difference.
 
I'm not familiar with either of these schools, but here are factors that you should consider besides cost and prestige:

Culture - These are, albeit arguably, the best four years of your life (I guess 2, in your case). You're never getting that back. You would be doing yourself a serious disfavor if you consider undergrad as a path to med school and nothing else.

Resources - Might you be interested in research or other resources universities have to offer? You might want to talk to pre-meds at these schools to see how easy it is to get research opportunities, especially paid ones, and the general climate (professors treat students very differently from school to school).

Other opportunities/ECs - Personally I think that my on-campus jobs and ECs have shaped who I am (and thereby my application). Again, talk to pre-meds to get a sense of what things are like and what opportunities are available locally.
 
Prestige between those two schools isn't that big of a deal... I'd go FAU, also some friends at UF told me it's super hard to get any research there (fills up fast).
 
UF may not be Harvard or Princeton but it's still known, both in and out of Florida. While FAU is just simply..FAU, it doesn't give any of the traditional college experiences. I'm not into football though, so that doesn't matter to me, what does is that UF is the number 1 in the state. I'm also not really into research as I'm pursuing Psychiatry. I'd rather spend the extra time on meaningful volunteer and shadowing opportunities.
 
I can speak a little about your situation as I am kind of in the same boat. Before I go any further, let me state that UF is where it is rankings wise based almost entirely on reputation. UF is quite the PR machine. They are no harder than any other state school in Florida, they just have a high and mighty opinion of themselves and strut about like they are the top dog. I guess as far as the state university hierarchy goes, they are and they lobby the hell out of the state legislature to stay there. In-state med schools may give you a little advantage by going to UF, but not much. GPA and MCAT are king.

Now that I have said that, I have applied to UF, FIU, and UM (I live in Miami). I have been accepted to FIU for Spring, but am waiting to hear from the others. UM is my dream school, but unless they kick down some serious financial aid, I cannot afford to go there. It may surprise you to know that FIU is now one of the most selective schools in the state accepting only 37% of it's applicants. It may also surprise you to know that FIU is listed as one of the top 20 schools in the nation known for grade deflation. If memory serves, the average gpa of students at FIU is like 2.7 and UF is over 3 (I think it was like 3.2+). Although these numbers do say alot, you also have to put it into the context of the quality of students at each institution, and I would wager that UF has brighter students.

So, MY number 1 choice is UM, followed by UF, then FIU. Gainesville is a MUCH cheaper place to live with housing costing half what it does here in Miami (and WPB). For you to make your decision, you have to weigh the economics as well as whether or not you think med schools will give you "extra credit" for going to a top 20 public school (53rd of all universities). I would be willing to wager that a 3.7 at FAU is going to look better than a 3.4 at UF. If you got the same GPA at both schools, then yes you may have a small advantage from UF. Also, if you can live for free and go to FAU, that could be a strong factor in your decision. I will say that you can rent a 1 bedroom place on the cheap in Gainesville for like 300-400 dollars a month. If you want to get a job in Gainesville, it is hard as it is a college town so you had better move early before everything is taken!

As far as shadowing and volunteer opportunities are concerned, you are going to find it somewhat tougher in Gainesville as it is just such a small city, there is not that much room for everyone clamoring for these spots.

I have lived in Gainesville many moons ago and it is a great place to live. I have a 4 yr old son and would love to get him out of Miami for the next few years. Gainesville has that sleepy Florida town feel to it and is a nice, safe place to live. I know for a fact that West Palm Beach cannot offer that.

Good luck to you!
 
UF may not be Harvard or Princeton but it's still known, both in and out of Florida. While FAU is just simply..FAU, it doesn't give any of the traditional college experiences. I'm not into football though, so that doesn't matter to me, what does is that UF is the number 1 in the state. I'm also not really into research as I'm pursuing Psychiatry. I'd rather spend the extra time on meaningful volunteer and shadowing opportunities.

You sound like you have your mind made up already, you're just looking for reassurance.

[QUOTE="theWUbear]For football[/QUOTE]

Exactly. No one is going to be impressed with UF over FAU outside of Florida. I'd argue most people in FL wouldn't care that much either.
 
I haven't yet, just really surprised the answers weren't more geared toward UF. I'm thinking of trying UF for a semester or two for the reasons curt656 listed, but if I can't make the same GPA that I would at FAU, then I can always just transfer back to WPB. Thank you guys for your informative responses!~ :)
 
UF is only the "top dog" in FL. No one outside of Fl really cares. But if you want to go into debt for the "name recognition" (lol) then go ahead.
 
I'm not planning on going outside of Florida. :p
 
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