Our pre-med journey update

[creekland]

For those who may be following middle son's pre-med visits, we've just adjusted our list based on Wash U's med school list.

 

We've dropped:

 

Alabama

Franklin & Marshall

Davidson

Emory

 

and will no longer be visiting those schools. Emory could have stayed on the list, but coupling distance with other options, it has been dropped (I think - it may still be tentative as we will be very near Atlanta in August.)

 

Very tentatively still on is Furman (mainly because he's near positive he wants a research U). It's still on because it was #2 up until our visit to Wash U and I'd like him to look at it to be certain.

 

Moving up with more interest is:

 

Case Western

 

Still on are:

 

U of Pitt (will be visiting on a special pre-med day next month)

U of Rochester

 

Back on:

 

Yale - interestingly enough he just got their huge booklet in the mail today (128 pages!)

 

Added:

 

Harvard

 

We were planning on visiting all southern schools in late August after dropping oldest off. Now we'll likely just be visiting Furman then. BUT, we're toying with an Ivy/northeast trip or adding Case + Rochester that week or keeping them more in the fall as originally planned.

 

One thing I know about the college search - at least for this guy - it's truly dynamic and never boring!

 

Feel free to add any thoughts if we're overlooking something somewhere.

[debbiec]

We got that huge Yale thing too. What is up with that? Thanks for sharing. I would be interested in why some of the schools were dropped for pre-med when you get a chance.

[creekland]

We got that huge Yale thing too. What is up with that? Thanks for sharing. I would be interested in why some of the schools were dropped for pre-med when you get a chance.

 

I have no idea what's up with the Yale book. I read it today. I didn't see anything thrilling with it to be honest. They seem to emphasize the friendships, but IMO, good friendships can be found in any residential college. My guess is that they were marketing it to kids who are so much at the top they might not feel they had good friends at school and would find them at Yale. It's just a guess though. I did like that they let students "test" courses for 10 days before settling in on what they want to take. What a neat idea! Middle son hasn't really shared his personal thoughts about it.

 

As for why we dropped the colleges we did:

 

Davidson - middle son wants a medium sized research U as his preference. Davidson is only slightly larger than oldest son's college. It's too small for what he wants.

 

Franklin & Marshall - too close to home and works with Lancaster's hospital for the most part. Nothing against Lancaster, but middle son feels he will see more at a city hospital and at research hospitals

 

Emory - purely distance - and it's not 100% off the list. We go back and forth on it.

 

Alabama - too large, distance and we didn't see graduates listed at all at Wash U. Alabama was a potential safety school for us and we expect Pitt to fill that role instead.

[creekland]

It appears this morning that Emory might be back on and Harvard is off. There's nothing at all wrong with Harvard (or any of the other schools). It just doesn't appeal to middle son. I'm not exactly certain why, but it has never appealed to him the way the other schools do. Maybe it has something to do with his draw to Yale? (I'm guessing.)

 

Emory is likely to be back on because we will be roughly 2 hours away when we drop off oldest later this summer, so why not visit? If this remains our plan, I'll post a visit report in later August.

[LuvingLife]

You know Harvard never really appealed to me either, I have nothing against it but I just don't like it. Yale's book huge! My friend got it in the mail and she let me borrow it, that was like a mini chapter book lol.

 

His other schools sound really good though, should be really exciting summer!:)

[creekland]

You know Harvard never really appealed to me either, I have nothing against it but I just don't like it. Yale's book huge! My friend got it in the mail and she let me borrow it, that was like a mini chapter book lol.

 

His other schools sound really good though, should be really exciting summer!:)

 

I don't want anyone to think I'm putting the other schools down. They are all good schools that made his "on paper" top cut based on various things. He is just narrowing down a bit now - based on him and based on factors that are continually shifting in importance as he learns more. If others had stayed on "the list" I'd be just as supportive of him. As a mama, I'd like for him to get his first choice.

 

Yale's book is huge compared to other schools. I'm wondering if they are doing it just to be different and to appeal to more kids - increasing their applications - to overtake the selectivity scale on certain news magazine's ratings. (Not that I would think they would have anything other than pure motives, of course. ;))

[ma23peas]

We were planning on visiting all southern schools in late August after dropping oldest off. Now we'll likely just be visiting Furman then. BUT, we're toying with an Ivy/northeast trip or adding Case + Rochester that week or keeping them more in the fall as originally planned.

 

One thing I know about the college search - at least for this guy - it's truly dynamic and never boring!

 

Feel free to add any thoughts if we're overlooking something somewhere.

 

I was pre-med, just wanted to make a suggestion...if (big if, not many of us declared our major major until 2nd year) he knows what he wants to study, then focus on the schools that have more $$ in that department. I would not necessarily choose a pre-med program at a school that has a medical school. For instance, if he wants to major in Chemistry, then focus on those schools with loads of research grants for that field...or if it is Microbiology..same thing...

Just because they have a medical school does not mean their pre-med program is stellar. I was wooed by several colleges who had both b/c they knew they'd be getting all of my dollars for 8 years minimally...I opted for a university that did not have a medical school and slammed the post-graduate entrance exams....alas, I opted for pharmaceutical sales and abolished any dreams of medical school! But, leave yourself open like you are, and see which ones he gets the most offers from, usually that's where they end up.. :)

[creekland]

I was pre-med, just wanted to make a suggestion...if (big if, not many of us declared our major major until 2nd year) he knows what he wants to study, then focus on the schools that have more $$ in that department. I would not necessarily choose a pre-med program at a school that has a medical school. For instance, if he wants to major in Chemistry, then focus on those schools with loads of research grants for that field...or if it is Microbiology..same thing...

Just because they have a medical school does not mean their pre-med program is stellar. I was wooed by several colleges who had both b/c they knew they'd be getting all of my dollars for 8 years minimally...I opted for a university that did not have a medical school and slammed the post-graduate entrance exams....alas, I opted for pharmaceutical sales and abolished any dreams of medical school! But, leave yourself open like you are, and see which ones he gets the most offers from, usually that's where they end up.. :)

 

He has no idea what he wants to study right now. He likes a lot of subjects and is good in all of them. He knows he wants to do research while an undergrad.

 

Our original list started off with everything from small LACs to large public Universities. As we've visited some (with older brother too), he's narrowed down his personal preference to medium sized research universities. He also loves the idea of being able to volunteer and shadow at a research hospital.

 

It's been interesting watching the process.

 

And to add to it all, Baylor called him last night (but he wasn't home). Simply due to their interest, Baylor might be back in the running (it was on our original list), but I don't know that they will stick with the distance and lack of a medical hospital on site (why it left the list). I have heard that they give good aid to top stats students. That's appealing. I know some on here have kids going to or having gone to Baylor who have been pleased. That counts for a bit too.

[LuvingLife]

I don't want anyone to think I'm putting the other schools down. They are all good schools that made his "on paper" top cut based on various things. He is just narrowing down a bit now - based on him and based on factors that are continually shifting in importance as he learns more. If others had stayed on "the list" I'd be just as supportive of him. As a mama, I'd like for him to get his first choice.

 

Yale's book is huge compared to other schools. I'm wondering if they are doing it just to be different and to appeal to more kids - increasing their applications - to overtake the selectivity scale on certain news magazine's ratings. (Not that I would think they would have anything other than pure motives, of course. ;))

 

Oh no I know you are not putting the other schools down, I just didn't like Harvard and I live only a few hours away from it. It's too, what's the word big and most of the kids are really stuck up. I also can't afford them unless I get close to a full scholarship, also kids are just way too focused on academics! I know that this is what you are there for but some of these kids look like they are ready to drop! They are like walking zombies (:D). I don't want that, and I agree with what you have written about Yale, at least they want the kids to come!

[creekland]

Oh no I know you are not putting the other schools down,

 

I knew you weren't putting Harvard down. I just wanted to make sure others knew I wasn't putting those schools off our list down. They are all good schools and right for the right person. Middle son just has to whittle down his list - eventually, he'll need just one (though more than that for actual applications).

 

Creekland,

This post may not be very helpful, but I have been following your son's pre-med journey as my soon to be 10th grade dd speaks of an interest in medicine. I am 40 minutes from Furman, so dd and I visited prior to her 9th grade year, because I wanted her to have the opportunity to create a vision for herself and to "see" herself being in a college environment and to help create self motivation for hard work during her high school years. All that to say that Furman is incredibly beautiful and their biology department is newly renovated making dd drool with excitement and anticipation. I know of a handful of homeschool students from my area who attend Furman and have received some nice financial assistance. Their mom's sing praises, but tell me it is very liberal.I also have a neighbor who is an MD and did his undergrad at Furman and continues to sing it's praises and another neighbor whose 2 daughters attended and talks the world of their experiences. Dd and I have visited a few more schools since then, but hands down, she likes Furman best.

I know nothing about the other schools mentioned, so my post may be coming from a very ignorant and limited point of view, but I do hope it is a bit helpful and encouraging.

 

I really appreciate your thoughts. We still plan to visit Furman just so he can compare campus to campus to see what his thoughts are. Prior to visiting Washington U, Furman was 2nd on his list, but the one I thought he'd like the best based on "him." Time will tell.

 

Pretty much any secular school is going to be quite liberal IMO. The few with more conservative profs than liberal are probably countable on one hand. Ideally, I'd want my guy to see a mix since the world is a mix.

 

Stats have shown that most college youngsters trend liberal - and most older folks trend conservative - no matter which way they start off. Someone had posted an interesting study on that on cc a while back. The study was from Syracuse U if I recall correctly. The college years affect students a little bit, but not nearly so much when they get out and see "life." Pending what they see, their views adjust to fit their own "thinking." I know I was raised liberal and switched later (post college by a few years) to become conservative. I know others who were raised conservative and switched to become liberal.

 

My guys can choose for themselves and I'll still love them. ;)

 

Besides, this guy mainly just wants the lab I think - and friends who are more interested in their studies than parties.

[Gwen in VA]

Don't discount small LAC's!

 

At my kids' LAC, many of the science profs are doing research and have students who assist them with their research both during the academic year and during the summer. And to do a thesis, the student has to do original research, usually an offshoot of research done over the summer!

 

The chemistry department at my kids' LAC has had students doing fascinating research and, while most chem and biochem majors at the school go to med school, the ones who go to grad school are regularly accepted into top grad programs in chemistry.

 

My dd has done research with two profs and presented a poster at a conference -- and she wasn't particularly involved with research compared with some of her classmates! (She did internships during the summer instead of research)

[creekland]

Don't discount small LAC's!

 

At my kids' LAC, many of the science profs are doing research and have students who assist them with their research both during the academic year and during the summer. And to do a thesis, the student has to do original research, usually an offshoot of research done over the summer!

 

The chemistry department at my kids' LAC has had students doing fascinating research and, while most chem and biochem majors at the school go to med school, the ones who go to grad school are regularly accepted into top grad programs in chemistry.

 

My dd has done research with two profs and presented a poster at a conference -- and she wasn't particularly involved with research compared with some of her classmates! (She did internships during the summer instead of research)

 

:iagree: Even at oldest's Christian LAC there are students doing research (and being published) with profs + going on to med school (85% of those who apply) and other grad schools (no idea of the rate as we didn't ask).

 

The difference with middle son is that he's not quite sure what he wants to research/do, but he's pretty certain he wants it to be associated with a research hospital and we've yet to find a LAC with that close association. Many associate with local hospitals which would be great for "basic" pre-med (for lack of a better wording). At WUSTL, they had a talk with one of their med school doctors. According to him (and a few students they had answering questions), pre-med undergrads get to work alongside grad students if they so desire (and it isn't just cleaning (!) though I'm sure they have to do their "time" with it). They also have a plethora of things being researched compared to just a couple of options.

 

Colleges lacking an onsite med school were eliminated due to his preference for that (Alabama for instance - even though that one would have been free tuition :tongue_smilie:). Case, Rochester, Pitt, Yale, and WUSTL are now his highest considerations (not in that order). As an undergrad he can have more choices with shadowing and volunteering as well as any research. Academically I'm fairly certain he'll be competitive. Only time will tell for sure on that.

 

Nonetheless, we're still stopping by Furman on our way home from Lookout Mountain (dropping oldest off) just to make sure he's certain with his preferences once he can more accurately see what it's all about.