Anonymous
Post 06/20/2026 12:15     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
I didn’t read everything but I know someone who went to two lesser schools and studied oncology. Got high GPA and A’s in everything. Landed a residency at a top institution. All is well.
Anonymous
Post 06/20/2026 12:01     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:Lots of misinformation in this thread. Going to a liberal arts college doesn't mean you will get a GPA "close to 4.0", or it's in any way easier.

I still have the handout from Pam when we visited Carleton this year. The average GPA for students who have been accepted into medical school at Carleton is 3.65.

Same impression after we investigated premed GPAs at Wellesley and several other lacs. It's the same difficulty or more difficult to get a high GPA there, plus they don't have research opportunities that are equivalent to R1 universities.
Anonymous
Post 06/20/2026 11:20     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
You mean a 3.4 from Middlebury is better than a 3.2 from Williams? DCUM will crash in three….two…..
Anonymous
Post 06/20/2026 00:57     Subject: Re:Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Middlebury College acceptance rate to medical school is 90%

https://www.middlebury.edu/teaching-learning-research/student-resources/health-professions/prospective-students#middlebury-acceptance-rate



Don't trust these numbers. This is only because they are known for strictly gatekeeping who gets a committee letter and refusing to provide letters for any candidates that are on the bubble.


This simply isn’t true.


You can’t be gullible enough to think that 90% of their premeds actually get into medical school. They have a very regular committee that counsels people out early.


Amherst, Middlebury, and Williams don’t screen but of course they tell their students the truth. And in Williams case they also openly say that a 3.3 science GPA and a 510 test score results in an 80% acceptance rate to med school. There is zero reason to question their results.
Anonymous
Post 06/20/2026 00:47     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:Only 2-3 NESCAC schools known for pre-med. Tufts, Amherst, and Williams. Never viewed the rest as players.


Then you aren’t paying attention, Hamilton, Middlebury, and Wesleyan all do well in med school placement.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:46     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
This thread is chock full of people who are not in the field. Particularly those who are saying don’t go to medical school, it’s all protocol driven.

Ever heard of an md/phd? Medical research?

Your child should wherever they think they will flourish. There are many chutes and ladders along the way, but at every stage you regroup and maximize your situation and go from there.

Doing research before applying to medical school will matter 10X more than your undergrad, grades and test scores being equal.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:39     Subject: Re:Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My sister and I were pre-meds at so-called second tier Ivies. I almost finished the course load before switching to poli sci and winding up at law school. My sister completed pre-med courses and went to Cornell Med.

We both felt that Ivies do not want to graduate classes where pluralities are going to med school. Ivies want to impact society (and generate big alumni donations later, LOL), and doctors don't do that (unless they invent a stent and then buy the LA Lakers). As a result, the curves in the weed-out classes are pretty tough, perhaps tougher than they would be at other colleges.

Pre-med courses are tough anywhere, and aspiring doctors have to run a gauntlet of coursework at any college. But at an Ivy or an Ivy+ it is indeed more difficult, IMO. The LAC pathway seems better to me.


That is how it used to be not how it is! Harvard and Duke have medians of A-, the other ivies have medians of B+ but then A- for upper level stem. Overall median GPA for premeds is the same as the overall school: about 3.75-3.9 depending on the colleges. Med schools know the peer group is hard , they know the current median at each school, and they generally let a slightly below average GPA slide because that group, below avg, will still knock out a 512-514! Average is usually 516! Are the kids super smart yes but also the classes really prepare well for MCAT.


I think the reality is that at any university, the competition among pre-meds is real, regardless of whether the average grades are all high. Not every student is getting an A in biochemistry. Unless you went through this you don’t know. I did, btw.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:38     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:Lots of misinformation in this thread. Going to a liberal arts college doesn't mean you will get a GPA "close to 4.0", or it's in any way easier.

I still have the handout from Pam when we visited Carleton this year. The average GPA for students who have been accepted into medical school at Carleton is 3.65.


Top LACs aren’t a walk in the park, but they don’t curve. Everyone can get Cs, everyone can get As. At MIT it’s a curve, and the exams are designed to tease out As from Bs with incredibly hard problem sets.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:12     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A large number of kids who start as premed at any school do not end premed. They either realize they don't like the classes enough, or they find other areas and career paths they like more.

Go for the best fit - that way your kid will be happy on whatever path they find themselves in 4 years.


Didn't these kids take AP Biology and Chemistry??


There are classes that weed students out. It is competitive.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:09     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Only 2-3 NESCAC schools known for pre-med. Tufts, Amherst, and Williams. Never viewed the rest as players.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 21:01     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Lots of misinformation in this thread. Going to a liberal arts college doesn't mean you will get a GPA "close to 4.0", or it's in any way easier.

I still have the handout from Pam when we visited Carleton this year. The average GPA for students who have been accepted into medical school at Carleton is 3.65.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 19:33     Subject: Re:Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Middlebury College acceptance rate to medical school is 90%

https://www.middlebury.edu/teaching-learning-research/student-resources/health-professions/prospective-students#middlebury-acceptance-rate



Don't trust these numbers. This is only because they are known for strictly gatekeeping who gets a committee letter and refusing to provide letters for any candidates that are on the bubble.


This simply isn’t true.


You can’t be gullible enough to think that 90% of their premeds actually get into medical school. They have a very regular committee that counsels people out early.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 19:21     Subject: Re:Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Middlebury College acceptance rate to medical school is 90%

https://www.middlebury.edu/teaching-learning-research/student-resources/health-professions/prospective-students#middlebury-acceptance-rate



Don't trust these numbers. This is only because they are known for strictly gatekeeping who gets a committee letter and refusing to provide letters for any candidates that are on the bubble.


This simply isn’t true.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 12:47     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you are choosing between Harvard and Emory, definitely go with Harvard.


While I agree with this, if you are NOT choosing between Harvard and Emory - most schools publish or will tell you their med school admissions stats. Many SLACs are very successful at this. Good luck to your DC!


And yes, it's typically better to go somewhere you can shine and be the big fish in the little pond. Med schools care about GPA and scores. So go somewhere you can get as close to a 4.0 as possible and will get opportunities to do research and get your "volunteer hours". Places like St Olaf do this exceptionally well. over 70% of their students eventually get advanced degrees (professional and PHDs).
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2026 11:09     Subject: Is it better to go to a lesser school if you are went to be premed
Anonymous wrote:A friend teaches biochem at an Ivy and laments that his very best students always go to medical school. They don’t realize that medical school is just memorization and endless multiple choice tests. Clinical practice is increasingly protocol driven.

A lot of these cream of the crop students love the idea of being a doctor, plus it’s safe. You do the schooling and the training, you get the high paying job. Success in basic science is so much harder.


Shows why they are the best/brightest. Income matters for most people.