Not med sch but deciding undergrad sch for pre med

[ewang777]

I have 2 days left to choose and I’m left deciding between Purdue and southwestern uni in Texas for my undergrad

Purdue: public
-44k a year oos
-40k~ students total
- lots/wide range of opportunities
- love the social atmosphere
- huge classes
- able to build a bigger network and connections (idk how important this is tho)
- less chance of being published but more professors to choose from for research
- heard the stem classes r rly hard

Su: private
-32k a year oos
- 1.5k students total
- I heard a lot abt tx medical Schs? Being in state increases my chances? By how much?
- research apparently students get the chance to get published w the prof
- small classes which I think would help me more
- get to know the professors better
- pre med advisor personalized guidance
- near Austin
- better weather
- less ec opportunities
- only choose major sophomore yr (more flexibility, less major requirements)


Basically just all the small v big sch pros and cons

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

I would save the money. Beyond a certain point (top 15ish) undergrad school doesn’t matter.

In other words, mid tier schools don’t a bump over low tier schools like they might for residency apps

 

[LizzyM]

The most important factor in getting into medical school is GPA. Without a decent GPA, you are in a hole that is not impossible to exit but which makes getting into medical school much more difficult. So consider where you are going to succeed academically.

Letters of recommendation that come from faculty who got to know you beyond the grade book can be valuable and you might have a better shot at those letters at a school with smaller classes.

How close is the nearest place where you can do volunteer work with people different from yourself? Is there a hospital, nursing home, free clinic, soup kitchen, food pantry, underachieving grade school, close to campus (walking distance or short shuttle bus or bike ride away)? If not, getting some clinical exposure and some non-clinical volunteering will be more difficult and might have to be done in short, intensive time periods over the summer and through Alternate Spring Break (domestic volunteering, not a mission trip abroad, please).

 

[chilly_md]

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[Sunny Waffles]

ooo could you speak more abt this?

Yeah, dm me and I will fill you in more on the details.