Undergradute school DOES MATTER

[Guest notic2]

I read the U of T handbok for Medical School.

Apparently, it said that it didn't give any preference to any program: NOT THE UNIVERSITY!!

 

Can anyone comment on this?

I am scared that if I go to York i won't get into Med-School (Despite all the "success" stories i hear from):eek

[Guest moo]

You're reading too much into this. Seriously do you think Adcoms go, "Hmm this guy went to York. Hear their program is unrigorous. Better reject him, even though he has a 4.0, 40 on the MCAT, Olympic athlete, and did a year of medical missionary work in Africa."

 

C'mon, even in the US, where people seem to value rankings above their livelihood don't care about the undergrad school. I go to a top 20 school and I have classmates from colleges that are ranked so lowly half the class doesn't even know in what state the school is located.

 

Go to the school where you are the most happy. If you're happier at York than UT then go there.

[Guest marbledust]

I second moo's post - it doesn't matter where you do you undergrad as long as you do well and you take the recommended/required pre-req courses. It's far better to go to a school that is a good fit for you then going to one because you think it will help you get into medical school.

 

Good luck!

[Guest daryn]

This is one of those things nobody will ever find a straight answer to. And honestly, who cares? If you end up going to UT, hating every moment of it, chances are you are not likely to get a very high GPA. OK, let's say you somehow pull it off with a 3.9999999 GPA for whatever reason, you are going to end up being so bitter. Your attitude shows in your essay and in your interview. While I understand that getting a high GPA is a necessity (reality shows that you can't get the interview without it), going to YORK doesn't guarantee a high GPA. Look around the school. See which one you can fit into. Do you like a big school? Do you like being in the middle of a big city? Do you mind sitting with 2000 other kids in con hall? WOULD you take the initiative to talk to the profs to balance it? GPA is like money. You can't survive without it but it really isn't end all and be all.

 

On a side note, why is everybody comparing York to UT? There are tons of other schools out there in Ontario.

[Guest summervirus]

Seriously, I think you're stressing-out about nothing. Your undergraduate school does not matter. I can confidently say that it's true for the UofA and I'm almost certain it's true for the rest of Canada.

 

Just because the handbook doesn't explicitly say that it doesn't give preference to the university, doesn't mean much. Does the handbook have to spell EVERYTHING out?

 

After all, the handbook doesn't say that it doesn't prefer people that have certain hair, that drive certain cars, or are of a certain race. Does that mean that I can logically draw the conclusion that if your hair is blonde, you're at a disadvantage; or, if you drive a certain car, you're application is weighted less; or, if you're a certain race, you're chances go down? No, that's absurd.

 

"Omission doesn't mean admission." Just because they omit the specific phrase, "We don't give preference to your university" doesn't mean that they're admitting "Undergraduate school matters." If the handbook were to make a list of everything that doesn't matter, I would suspect that it would be very thick and heavy...

[Guest peachy]

When Leslie Taylor came to speak at York the year I was applying, she had the exact numbers for applications/acceptances from each school. I remember I wrote down the U of T and York numbers. The ratio of applications:acceptances was was identical.

 

But seriously, notic2, you've now posted at least three threads with the same question. (Have you noticed that all three threads have gotten the same answer? I bet that if you post a fourth thread, you'll still get the same answer! )

 

Don't go to York if it's with the intention of going to an "inferior university" to pull off easy high grades. You're

(a) going to hate being there because you won't feel like you're at a 'real' school and

( not going to get good grades if you go in with the attitude that it's soooo easy and beneath you.

 

...because as much as you don't believe a word I say, you'll find out next year that university is hard, no matter where you go! And again, I very much doubt that you're going to believe me here, but you're really missing out if you make your primary goal during undergrad to get good grades instead of to learn and grow.

 

[ I'm sorry if I come across as a little snippy here. But I did my undergrad at York, and I am proud of my degree. I worked hard, I learned a lot, I got involved at the university, and I wouldn't trade my four years at York for anything. It can be a wonderful place for an undergraduate degree, but don't go to York unless you want to be there. ]

[Guest CoWind]

I have some friends taking Life science in U of T and they are urging me not to go there since it is VERY hard to get high marks and I will be better off in Queens. Is that really the case?

[Guest summervirus]

Okay, this is the last one of these types of questions I'm going to answer. It seems like everyone is asking "Is X better/easier than Y."

 

Honestly, I don't think anyone on this message board knows the answer. Probably very few people in Canada know the answer. Unless your friends have successfully completed both programs, I don't think they can accurately say one program is easier than the other.

 

There. I'm done.

[Guest codloghorn]

i agree with the peach. if you go to york thinking it is easy, you won't do well. york is not as easy as you think.

[Guest CTU24]

Think about it this way...

 

let's assume you are right and York is easier that U of T (which no one really knows but basically all people think...and I went to U of T), but you actually like the courses at U of T better...

 

so, you take a course at York that should be easy but you hate, so you don't work as hard at it and end up with a B b/c you put in little effort

 

at U of T, the course is impossible, but you love the info, work hard, and get an A

 

which do you think is the better learning experience...the easy univeristy that you hate or the hard university that you love?

 

I hope this solves this debate...go to the univeristy that will prepare you in the best way for your future and give you the most self-satisfaction.

 

--CTU24

[Guest jehohertz]

First off, this has *REALLY* bugged me for a few days. The only difference between Universities is in their post-grad work. That being said there ARE differences between universities, among them:

 

1. Location. If you moved the undergrad faculty from UT to Lakehead and vice versa would the UT faculty somehow become "inferior" and the Lakehead faculty somehow become "superior"? Of course not. UT happens to be in downtown Toronto so it gets alot of press, and it does alot of great research at the post-grad level.

 

2. Class sizes. This is an individual preference. Some students don't want their prof knowing who they are. It's individual but it's a consideration.

 

3. Extra-curriculars. What activities do you want to be involved in? I believe Guelph has a Sei Do Kai (Japanese Sword Arts) club and York has a similar type club if memory serves.

 

4. Degree type. Perhaps this should have been first. Some schools have unique programs that aren't offered anywhere. For example York has an East Asian faculty and since I take martial arts taking a course of two in East Asian history and culture fascinates me. Guelph has a Scottish history faculty that is unparalleled in North America. I hear UT has a slew of unique programs, and why shouldn't it? I think it's the biggest University in Canada. *ducks*

 

5. Usually what is regarded as the best just had the best marketing. Take Windows for example. As someone who has burned themselves out in the IT world, it is a giant piece of excrement but yet 90% of the market share. Why? Location mainly, it's already on 90% of computers. Take EVERYTHING with a grain of salt and ALWAYS do your own research.

 

Stereotypes help nobody. This world could deal with less elitist nonsense and greater understanding. I'm going to York, it was my #1 choice based on the program I wanted, how it is delievered, location, and experiences of others who went there. In case you couldn't tell with all the Guelph references that's where my fiancee went.

 

Oh and Guelph is incredibly underrated because it has "Aggies" and so people wrongly associate farmers with stupidity. Again, a stereotypical position that is complete nonsense.

 

Here's the kicker: No one cares where you do your undergrad. If I lived in North Bay I'd probably go Nipissing rather than any other school due to location.

 

It looks like you view York as inferior to UT, just bloody well go to UT. The last thing I can stand is people who go somewhere and just complain about it.

 

Just a last note: I know people who went to UT as well. They had a blast and praise their school just as much as those who went to York, Guelph, Western, insert school here.

 

Whew. Glad I got that off.

[Guest notic2]

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[Guest notic2]

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[Guest notic2]

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[Guest squeegy80]

don't think that's working dude

[Guest notic2]

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[Guest notic2]

Ok

 

I think i get the point now

However to me I really dont care which University I go to. I feel that I dont need to get motivated by the school, but just the sole fact of becoming a doctor.

 

If this is the case, with every university, THEN which should i go to? :hat

 

I dont care about res money, etc, just i guess the easiness relative..

All are of best fit to me

 

Thanks once again

 

The choices are:

 

York Kinesiology and Health Sciences

U of T Biology at St. George Campus

Waterloo Kinesiology Co-Op

Waterloo Science and Business Co-Op

Mcmaster Science

Mcmaster Kinesiology

Western Kinesiology

[Guest marbledust]

Nobody can tell you which program to enroll in or which university to attend. I think this thread more than idenitifies the things you should consider when making your decision. If you need help, maybe you can talk to a counsellor at your high school to figure out which school might be the "best fit."

[Guest s sadry]

ya. just figure out whats important to you. ppl will have good and bad thigns to say about every university.. i think we all know its a tough decision. don't let the opinions of others affect you too much. also...what was important to me a year ago, may not be an issue today. for example, large classes worried me, but they really aren't a factor for me anymore. so university..is also about adapting to the environment...no school is perfect. good luck

[Guest peachy]

notic2, why do you think you will get different answers from people by posting the same question repeatedly? Your question has been answered ad nauseum already. Nobody here is going to say "Go to X, it will get you into med school" because it's just not true.

[Guest daryn]

Seriously, if you really don't care where you want to go, then why bother going at all? Your attitude shows in your interviews and essays anyway. There is no equation/formula for getting into medical school, and undergrad choice surely isn't a part of it.

[Guest summervirus]

I think i get the point now

No, I think you missed it.

[Guest notic2]

yes i do

thank you

everyone hates me...i've been an annoying a***ole

[Guest moo]

Nobody hates you. I think most of us have been through the process and are just trying to give you the best advice. Too many times premeds have made the mistake of doing things for adcoms--going to a university with the perceived notion that it will give them an edge when applying to med school, or taking easy courses, or picking a specific major, or doing ECs that you really have no interest in doing. I'm not trying to sound all idealistic or anything but trust me when I say that if you allow yourself to explore and be open to different things during your four years you will be a better person.

[Guest marbledust]

No, nobody hates you. We are here to help and offer suggestions when we can. There are, however, limits to the advice the moderators and others can give.