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Originally Posted by yorkiesmiles And she is thinking what if she goes to some little school where she may be a stand out, but then will she be able to get in to a top grad or med school? |
acceptance into grad/med school isn't just contingent on undergrad performance, admissions committees also take into consideration how extensive her professional experience (if she has any) is in her field. going to a larger, more well-known and reputable undergrad will most likely give her more opportunities to network and make contacts in her field of study. this will enable her to get much 'hands on' experience that many professional schools (esp. phd programs) like.
getting back to the orginal topic though, picking an undergrad can be tough since there are so many options because everything is so general at that level. you've said that she is interested in Bio/Med. i was a bio/psych major (as well as pre-med for a while) in undergrad and was able to narrow my career focus by working in my field. my undergrad program required co-ops so i was able to gain 'real life' experience in my subject of interest while still in school. maybe she too could benefit from this type of program.
what type of learning environment does she thrive in? does she prefer one-on-one learning or does she prefer to be able to 'do things on her own'? going to a larger university will not suit her if she requires constant personal attention.
going to an Ivy may sound like "fun", but there is also a lot of hard work involved. many of my friends went to UPenn and i remember them constantly worrying about their academic performance, more so than my non-Ivy friends. the pressure was not put on them by only their parents, but by themselves as well. on the flipside, going to a school such as UPenn gives you potentially more opportunities than going to a smaller school does. UPenn is the #1 employer in Philadelphia and this will enable you to network and make those professional contacts i mentioned earlier.
good luck in your search.
