UGA or Emory for pre-med

khan4150

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Hey I know this is a bit unusual (I don't see many high schoolers on here), but I'm currently a high school junior thinking about college next year.
Emory has always been the school of my dreams, but it is very expensive, and I would definitely need either an academic scholarship or a generous financial aid award to go there, but I think with my stats I stand a chance at early decision. I am going to apply for Emory scholars (full-tuition merit aid scholarship), but it has recently come to my attention that I stand a better chance at a full-tuition scholarship at UGA. I think that with my stats and academic profile, I might also qualify for the UGA Honors program. UGA is a lot more affordable, but hey if I could get some money there too all the better for med school right?
The only worry I have is the reputation of UGA (known for partying, not for academics), whereas the reputation of Emory is far better and is a school I would much rather attend.
If I choose to go to UGA, do you think I could still go to Emory Med or would my chances be greatly decreased?
If I can save my parents some cash for med school I will, but as long as it won't be detrimental to my future!

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
I see two sides of this coin.

I wish I went to UGA so I could've had a more balanced life in college, get a better GPA, and go straight to medical school. There's plenty of UGA alums that go to Emory, Vanderbilt, and other top tier medical schools. But at the same time, you MUST have a strong GPA. There's little wiggle room with that. My friends who went to GSU or UGA and eventually medical school all had 3.8-4.2 GPAs.

On the flipside.. Emory is an amazing school. There's so many GREAT opportunities (I'm sure UGA has many, but I can't speak on that), you're part of an inspiring network of overachievers lol, and just having the name Emory on your resume opens doors. People see the name and reputation and assume you're smart (not all deserve that assumption lol). But Emory academics (especially for pre meds) is NO joke. I graduated top of my class in high school and really struggled to stay afloat in college (I had to learn how to study and balance life and school).. struggle bus all day every day. But from what I've seen, there's a little more wiggle room in terms of GPA at these types of schools. I have classmates and friends from Notre Dame, Vandy, and Emory with lower GPAs (like 3.2) who got into medical school.... but even getting that is hard. And that lower GPA can close doors of many medical schools.

If I could go back, I would have done a public school honestly (I say this as an Emory Alum). Why pass up free tuition (or ridiculously low price tag) for soul-crushing debt? You're already signing up for a huge debt amount from medical school... why not limit it as much as possible?? UGA has a solid program. I believe the school is what you make it. You don't have to subscribe to the party lifestyle in Athens. I think either school, if you're prepared to work hard as hell, you can do it!
 
Thanks for your reply.
I have a couple questions though.
Firstly, I don't know much about college GPAs, but from you say "My friends who went to GSU or UGA and eventually medical school all had 3.8-4.2 GPAs", it seems you can have a weighted GPA in college? Is this true.. I'm confused cause I've never heard of that.
Do you think it is impossible to keep a high GPA at Emory, and if so, why?
I agree with you that financially UGA is a much better choice and thats actually why I started this thread, but I'm still more inclined onto Emory, since I've just always wanted to go there (took a tour when I was 10!).
Which med school do (did) you go to?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thanks for your reply.
I have a couple questions though.
Firstly, I don't know much about college GPAs, but from you say "My friends who went to GSU or UGA and eventually medical school all had 3.8-4.2 GPAs", it seems you can have a weighted GPA in college? Is this true.. I'm confused cause I've never heard of that.
Do you think it is impossible to keep a high GPA at Emory, and if so, why?
I agree with you that financially UGA is a much better choice and thats actually why I started this thread, but I'm still more inclined onto Emory, since I've just always wanted to go there (took a tour when I was 10!).
Which med school do (did) you go to?

Some schools have the plus or minus system. At Georgia State, it's possible to earn a 4.2 A+ GPA.

It's not. It was very difficult for me because of personal things. There are people who do it at Emory, but it's certainly not as easy as other schools. Emory is a challenge. But a doable challenge. But I think my friends had a more balanced life at UGA... they actually left the library from time to time!

I go to a mid-tier school in the south. That's all I'll say til I graduate :)
 
Some schools have the plus or minus system. At Georgia State, it's possible to earn a 4.2 A+ GPA.

It's not. It was very difficult for me because of personal things. There are people who do it at Emory, but it's certainly not as easy as other schools. Emory is a challenge. But a doable challenge. But I think my friends had a more balanced life at UGA... they actually left the library from time to time!

I go to a mid-tier school in the south. That's all I'll say til I graduate :)

Haha alright. Good luck!
I see from Emory and UGA's grading scale that the highest you can get is an A which worth 4.0, so at Emory the highest would be a 4.0 GPA right?
I guess since Emory has and always been the dream, even after this thread I'm still going to apply early decision. Thanks for all your advice though. Now I know that if I don't get into Emory, I'll definitely go to UGA.
 
Haha alright. Good luck!
I see from Emory and UGA's grading scale that the highest you can get is an A which worth 4.0, so at Emory the highest would be a 4.0 GPA right?
I guess since Emory has and always been the dream, even after this thread I'm still going to apply early decision. Thanks for all your advice though. Now I know that if I don't get into Emory, I'll definitely go to UGA.

Yeah, Emory has the plus/minus system but doesn't give A+'s... which is bogus.

Good luck! I would never discourage someone from a dream. Look into the Honors program, the Coca Cola scholarships, etc. Great scholarships for strong students. And the financial aid program was revamped, so they offer much more money to students from families that make under $100K and $50K.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Good luck! I would never discourage someone from a dream. Look into the Honors program, the Coca Cola scholarships, etc. Great scholarships for strong students. And the financial aid program was revamped, so they offer much more money to students from family's that make under $100K and $50K.

Yeah, I've read about Emory Advantage. If you don't mind and if you remember, can I ask what your SAT/ACT and GPA were when you got in to Emory?
 
Another Emory alum here. I agree on the GPA hit aspect of the school. I came out with a 3.31 which definitely hurt me a bit. I probably could have prevented part of this, but I had too much fun (not drinking, other EC's).

Emory definitely has name recognition among academia. I got an opportunity to do a work-study job at the CDC, which was a great opportunity that you pretty much can't get anywhere else.
 
Another Emory alum here. I agree on the GPA hit aspect of the school. I came out with a 3.31 which definitely hurt me a bit. I probably could have prevented part of this, but I had too much fun (not drinking, other EC's).

Emory definitely has name recognition among academia. I got an opportunity to do a work-study job at the CDC, which was a great opportunity that you pretty much can't get anywhere else.

Yeah that is one of the things I like about the school; you have so many different options to pursue medicine in around the campus.
So, if you don't mind my asking, where do you go to med school?
 
Last edited:
Yeah that is one of the things I like about the school; you have so many different options to pursue medicine in around the campus.
So, if you don't mind my asking, where do you go to med school?

University of South Florida. There's a couple Emory grads in my class, although they're a bit younger than me.
 
University of South Florida. There's a couple Emory grads in my class, although they're a bit younger than me.

Oh alright that's good to know. So is medical school more or less stressful than college? And how many years have you been in med school?
 
Oh alright that's good to know. So is medical school more or less stressful than college? And how many years have you been in med school?

I'm an MS1 and it's not too bad so far. USF is a pretty low stress program. Unranked P/F for the first two years, so for me, the first year is less stress than college, but as you saw from my GPA, I didn't kill myself at Emory either. I had a pretty good MCAT (34) which I got after having been out of UG for almost 7 years, so I think they figured I could handle the program.
 
I wouldn't apply ED. You will want to weigh your options and financial aid packages at all accepted schools before committing. What if Emory doesn't give you good enough aid after applying ED?

FWIW, I almost applied ED to a school that would cost me $60k per year. Recently I was accepted to a better program at a school that will cost me $20k.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I'm an MS1 and it's not too bad so far. USF is a pretty low stress program. Unranked P/F for the first two years, so for me, the first year is less stress than college, but as you saw from my GPA, I didn't kill myself at Emory either. I had a pretty good MCAT (34) which I got after having been out of UG for almost 7 years, so I think they figured I could handle the program.

Wow so you waited 7 years and then went to med school? That's different haha
So what kind do doctor do you want to be, do you know?
 
I wouldn't apply ED. You will want to weigh your options and financial aid packages at all accepted schools before committing. What if Emory doesn't give you good enough aid after applying ED?

FWIW, I almost applied ED to a school that would cost me $60k per year. Recently I was accepted to a better program at a school that will cost me $20k.

Yeah but Emory is the best school I'm applying to next to Johns Hopkins (which I have no chance at). 68% of Emory students are on financial aid, and I've read they give a lot of financial aid through a number of programs. Like I said, I'm also applying for the merit scholarship. I'm going to apply ED because I think I have a shot, and I think I will be able to afford it (with aid of course). Thanks for the suggestion though, it's good to think about the possible consequences of ED. I've also read though (on Emory's website) that if you get accepted and you can't afford it you can back out of ED after explaining why you are backing out of course. Financial reasons are the only exception though, and this is allowed. I've also read though that Emory tries to "trap you" by giving you even more financial aid if this is the case because they want people who are passionate about their school and this is how they get donations later on. As you can see I've done a lot of reading; this is my dream school!
 
Yeah but Emory is the best school I'm applying to next to Johns Hopkins (which I have no chance at). 68% of Emory students are on financial aid, and I've read they give a lot of financial aid through a number of programs. Like I said, I'm also applying for the merit scholarship. I'm going to apply ED because I think I have a shot, and I think I will be able to afford it (with aid of course). Thanks for the suggestion though, it's good to think about the possible consequences of ED. I've also read though (on Emory's website) that if you get accepted and you can't afford it you can back out of ED after explaining why you are backing out of course. Financial reasons are the only exception though, and this is allowed. I've also read though that Emory tries to "trap you" by giving you even more financial aid if this is the case because they want people who are passionate about their school and this is how they get donations later on. As you can see I've done a lot of reading; this is my dream school!

You're fine then. I thought you were only relying on merit.

See, my family does not qualify for need-based aid. If I didn't get merit aid, we couldn't prove that we couldn't afford the school with our income at what it is. We'd be stuck with a $240k bill and that would definitely affect the amount of loans I would need for medical school.
 
Yeah, I've read about Emory Advantage. If you don't mind and if you remember, can I ask what your SAT/ACT and GPA were when you got in to Emory?

GPA in high school was like 3.7 or 3.8 or something close to a 4.0 with a bunch of honors and AP classes
I took the SAT when it was out of 1600 and got a 1400 or something like that
Sigh.. I miss those days.

AND.. not going straight to medical school isn't that weird. I took some time off to pursue other interests. Best thing I ever did.
 
Personally, I'd go to the less expensive school where you have a better shot at a full scholarship. UGA may be known more for partying, but it isn't as though there is a Party Police Unit that forces you to stop studying and go out. You'll probably be able to manage a stronger GPA at UGA and that will be better for your future plans of medical school. And the stronger your application, the better chance you have of getting in anywhere.
 
OP, if you are dead set on med school, UGA is the financially wiser option. But I would say that Emory, being a top 20 undergrad, will have opportunities than you won't get at a school like UGA. I was faced with a similar dilemma, state school with full ride or Ivy League school in my state, and I chose to attend the ivy. I'm heading to med school this August and I don't regret my decision. There are many advantages of attending a top 20 school that you won't know when your are applying to colleges but you will see them later on in life. For example, I would not have met the amazing people from around the world that I now call my friends at my ivy school if I had gone to my state school and stuck with the same people I spent my childhood and high school years with. In addition, in the future, my kids will benefit from my "legacy" when they apply to my ivy (more than half of ED acceptees at ivies are legacy admits). These are only some of the many rewards you will cherish by attending a top 20 school.
 
Eh, I went to a (good) state school and I met plenty of new people and never hung out with the people I grew up with. Like the partying versus studying, college is about what you make it. I think the financial aspect far out-weighs most of what a more prestigious school has to offer - you'll still be able to experience new things, meet new people and have access to a good education.

If you want your children to go to an Ivy (and you want to pay for that education), that's your perogative. But plenty of people make great friends and have wonderful memories from non-Ivys and still get into medical school.
 
I would like to add that it is possible to make friends other than the people you grew up with at a state school. I made completely new friends, many international and from all over the US. I didn't hang out with people I knew from high school in college, and that's how a lot of people were. I respect your other points.
right? I went to Emory and a state school (albeit graduate level).. I met more diverse people from the state school. Emory attracts a very specific group of "well moneyed" people. It was a little uninspiring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Just wanted to chime in. There seems to be some misinformation in this post. Your undergraduate school's reputation will give essentially NO benefit to your GPA in the eyes of a med school. Going to a school like Emory won't get you into med school with a 3.2 (I would have to see it to believe it).

I went to a large state school and made the best friends I've ever had there, best 4 years of my life. I'm not at a top 10 med school on a full ride while many of my peers who went to ivies are paying for school here now. It's really not about where you go, but what you do and whether you're happy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
So there are several factors to consider.
1. You need a certain GPA for med school, this is about 3.7 or above. Any lower and you will be below the average at many schools. Unless you're very intelligent, you may have a hard time achieving that at Emory. Most med schools don't care where you got that GPA with the exception of the Ivies. Generally speaking you can get away with a slightly lower GPA from the Ivies, but only slightly.(3.4-3.5)
2. You need opportunities. these will be greater at Emory, but there are still plenty of opportunities at UGA. You just have to look harder.
3. Cost. Med school is expensive. Your loans may reach into the 200 to 300k range. Do you really want to take out more loans to attend Emory undergrad? Compounding interests will make these additional loans a burden to pay off.
4.MCAT score. If you are a really great self directed learner, you should be fine at a state school. Emory will have stronger basic science courses which will prepare you better for your mcat.

In the end, go to the school where you personally will excel, either way, you need to be the cream of the crop. For me, it made more sense to go to a state school. I'm graduating debt free. I got into UVA and am waiting on decisions from two other fantastic medical schools. My friend made the other choice and went to Emory. She too has been successful. She got more interviews than me, most likely because the opportunities she had access to at Emory strengthened her application (and maybe because I applied late. I can only guess at the reasons.) That said, we will both be attending great medical schools in the fall. You have the ingredients to become a competitive applicant at both schools, but you need to assess the costs and benefits of each option and match it up to your strengths and weaknesses.

You'll have fun either way.
 
I agree for the most part with the above poster.

However, two things that I would like to add regarding attending Emory:

1. Idk if this is the case for Emory but at my ivy, you need at least a 3.5 and get screened in order to garner a committee letter, which practically guarantees your acceptance into an US allopathic. I cannot say the same for my state school.

2. If for some reason you do not wish to pursue medicine, top schools like Emory will give you an advantage when it comes to a lot of other high paying careers. One that comes right to my head is investment banking, where the high paying banks on Wall Street will only recruit exclusively from the ivies and a handful of other schools (idk if Emory is one of them)

That was why I originally said if you are dead set on medicine, UGA is the financially better option but Emory gives you more options career wise and still prepares you for getting into med school.
 
OP, go to UGA.

Emory is not one of those schools that will give you some gpa leeway when applying to med school. Even if it were, I don't think it would be worth taking over a full ride to UGA.
 
I agree for the most part with the above poster.

However, two things that I would like to add regarding attending Emory:

1. Idk if this is the case for Emory but at my ivy, you need at least a 3.5 and get screened in order to garner a committee letter, which practically guarantees your acceptance into an US allopathic. I cannot say the same for my state school.

2. If for some reason you do not wish to pursue medicine, top schools like Emory will give you an advantage when it comes to a lot of other high paying careers. One that comes right to my head is investment banking, where the high paying banks on Wall Street will only recruit exclusively from the ivies and a handful of other schools (idk if Emory is one of them)

That was why I originally said if you are dead set on medicine, UGA is the financially better option but Emory gives you more options career wise and still prepares you for getting into med school.

A 3.3 at Harvard is still no easy feat, though. Also, I think that most people know whether or not they are still premed after the first year or year and a half of undergrad. You can always transfer if you change your mind. I know a few people who did just that. (Two of them to Emory, actually.)
 
OP, this is coming from another Emory Alumni here. Emory is an amazing school with tons of excellent opportunities. I almost kick myself thinking back about what "could have been"if I had been more involved. However, it is tough to get a great GPA. Granted, I have friends who graduated pre med with 3.7+ GPAs, who got into UPenn, Yale, Duke, etc Med Schools, but that was a small number. My roommates and some other friends both had an "average" GPA for Emory (3.2) and got into Medical School, but more mid - lower range schools. I know this has been said before but the most important thing for you to focus on as freshman is your GPA. I'm not saying your not capable of getting top marks at Emory, but it is not considered easy to get a high GPA in the sciences, by any stretch. Here is a fact: Emory is a feeder school for medical schools/hopeful premeds. 35 - 40% of the incoming freshmen each year are premed. And remember, these are also kids who were at the top of their class in high school, like yourself. Most of the premed courses are meant to be challenging, and are not easy to get As. This can hurt your GPA down the road, so be cautious.

As for state schools, I was faced with the similar dilemma when deciding on where to pursue my post baccalaureate. After some stress and reaching out to former students, medical school advisers, etc, I found that admins care much more about your results (grades, MCATS, etc) then where you went at the end of the day. They understand that not everyone can afford to go to a top private school / top 20 UG or Ivy League Institution. I'm not trying to discourage your from Emory, but it will be much harder to get a high GPA than at either UGA or GSU.

Having said that, having a GPA in the "below" range is not a killer either. I have a friend who graduated from Harvard with a 3.3 and is at Columbia Med School. Granted he scored in the top percentiles on the MCAT, but in that case, graduating with a lower GPA from a top school IS more helpful than graduating with a lower GPA from a mid-lower tier school.

I loved my time at Emory. If it is your dream school, and if you get the finances, make sure you make the most of your time at one of the best campus in the country (especially for premed opportunities). Bottom line, whatever you choose, make sure you work hard, get a solid GPA, and study very hard for the MCAT.

I am definetly dead set on Emory and if they give us enough financial aid (provided I get in), I will definetly go and my parents will have no problem with that. If we can't afford it I don't want to put myself in unnessecary debt, but I know I can apply for assorted scholarships. It's just I guess I'm just an immature high schooler who has wanted this so bad for a large period of his life and who has worked so hard for this and I just really, really want to go! Haha I sound really desperate, but you get the point. The funny thing about my income bracket is that my parents can afford to send me to private school ($22k/year) but not Emory ($60k/year); we're sort of in between haha. I guess I also have that snobby private school attitude in me where I don't want to go to a state school even if it is more affordable. This thread has taught me a lot about college GPA and all, and I guess it has changed my view on state schools or maybe just UGA. I see the pluses and minuses at both schools, but I still just really want to go. UGA is definetly my #2 tho. Would anyone ever suggest going to tech over UGA for pre med?
 
Also, if I maintain the work ethic I have now, who knows maybe I will be able to maintain a high GPA at Emory. I recently started the full IB diploma and my weighted GPA for the first trimester of my junior year was 4.5/5. I hope that puts my work ethic into perspective.
 
Wow so you waited 7 years and then went to med school? That's different haha
So what kind do doctor do you want to be, do you know?

Waited implies I was sitting at home twiddling my fingers, I got an MSPH, and spent 5+ years in the Army as an officer, which repaid my debt from UG and grad school and bankrolled my medical school education through the post 9/11 GI bill.

I have ideas about what kind of doctor, but no definite decisions yet.
 
Waited implies I was sitting at home twiddling my fingers, I got an MSPH, and spent 5+ years in the Army as an officer, which repaid my debt from UG and grad school and bankrolled my medical school education through the post 9/11 GI bill.

I have ideas about what kind of doctor, but no definite decisions yet.

That's very honorable, and I wish I had the guts to do that.
 
@khan4150 If you're still on this forum, where did you end up going for undergrad and how has it worked out for you so far?
 
Top