Sarah Lawrence College, in conjunction with Columbia University, offers the 3-2 Combined Plan undergraduate program, which gives students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Arts in a liberal arts field from Sarah Lawrence college and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science in five years.

Guaranteed admission into The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science's undergraduate Combined Plan Program is offered to applicants who have met the following requirements:

An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher during your first 3 years at an affiliated institution. A favorable recommendation from the Combined Plan liaison at your home institution. A course load during your first 3 years at your home institution that includes: At least 27 credits (approximately 9 classes) of non-science and non-math liberal arts courses. The specific science and math prerequisite courses prescribed by the agreement between Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia.

Take care!

Karen A. Williams
Associate Director of Admission
Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, NY 10708
phone 914-395-2510
fax 914-395-2515

I'm sorry I couldn't find a list of schools, but what you're looking for is a 3+2 engineering program where you receive undergraduate degrees from both institutions. If you're still in the college search process, you can asks the representatives at regional college fairs to see if they offer the program, or if you have a list of schools you're interested in, you can visit their websites and search academics to see if they offer the program. Most programs have established relationships with specific programs so for example, St. Lawrence students can go on to Clarkson University, Columbia University, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, University of Southern California, Washington University, and Worchester Polytechnic Institute. There are lots of individual requirements for each program and they vary from college to college so research carefully. Please visit our link for more information. http://web.stlawu.edu/programs/engineering_programs.html

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

You can tailor a degree at the University of Alabama to suite your needs through our New College option. New College will allow you to cross the boundaries of two colleges (Engineering and Liberal Arts) and receive a degree that best suites your future career goals.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

As far as obtaining a list of colleges, you could probably find that on any search engine. Simply type in what you are looking for. At Seton Hill University, we do offer a 3+2 program in engineering, which is supported by our liberal arts education. Upon completing their 1st year at the partner school, they will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seton Hill University and once they complete their last year, they will receive a Bachelor of Science degree. Pursuing a degree such as this offers students a well rounded background and smaller class sizes to make sure they get the most from their base courses before beginning the courses in their area of specialty.

Kristen Lippencott, M.B.A.
Transfer Counselor Admissions Office
Seton Hill University
724.838.4231
Fax: 724-830-1294
lippencott@setonhill.edu

Sudents should perform an extensive search for colleges that offer the option to receive a dual degree in Engineering/Science and Liberal Arts. They should visit each school that is of interest to them and meet with a professor or an advisor from each program, to insure that the program is what they need. Be sure to look into schools that offer the type of engineering that you are interested in.

Adria S. Belin, Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment, Undergraduate Admission, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115 Telephone: (617)521-2050 Fax: (617)521-3190 adria.belin@simmons.edu

Mary Baldwin College does offer dual degree programming in Engineering and for our institution the student would graduate from MBC with a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from MBC and a master's degree in engineering from UVA. So the student would do 3yrs at MBC and 2 at UVA.

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority
Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

I suppose nothing is impossible. However, here are the issues with going "straight" to medical school. A.) Competition is intense. You would be competing against students that go to college, participate in extra-curricular activities such as volunteering at a hospital, etc. B.) Medical school requires pre-requisites for admission - biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, genetics, etc. You cannot get those courses anywhere but at college, and many only at a four year institution. C.) Part of the entrance requirements will be your scores on the MCATs. Without college, you would not stand a chance of passing that exam, let alone scoring high enough to be considered for admission to medical school. D.) Medical schools are looking for well rounded individuals that are ready to take on the huge responsibilities of caring for patients etc. They look at more than biology and chemistry to see that. With no college, you would not be able to compete. E.) College is about way more than learning in the class room. It teaches you to be a critical and scientific thinker. No way does high school give you those skills. Nor the intense study skills you will learn in college.

James E. Casebeer
Assistant Director
Office of Enrollment Services
Northern Arizona University
928-523-6080
james.casebeer@nau.edu

I can't honestly say I've ever heard of someone skipping undergraduate school to go straight into medical school. The competition for entrance into medical school is quite competitive so the course of study and the foundation you establish is fairly critical. Most students will study some form of Science major, but there have been instances where non-Science majors gain entrance into medical school provided they meet all of the prerequisites, which is obviously science focused. Our sense here is that we see an increasing number of double majors who wish to go on to medical school, but are also passionate about other areas of study.

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

You can enter the University of Alabama in our pre-medical studies field and begin working toward medical school. I do not think that you can enter straight into medical school. You can choose any major in which you have an interest....biology, chemistry, or even business if
that is something that interests you at the undergraduate level.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

There is no way to get around undergrad and go straight to medical school. You need to have at least a bachelor's degree to get into any medical school. As someone interested in medicine a science major, such as biology, chemistry or physics, would be ideal because it will give you a great understanding of the science course work that goes into becoming a doctor, since it is the base of all medicine.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

I would not necessarily recommend skipping the undergraduate level and proceeding straight to MED school. I am not sure that is even offered and if it is I can assure you the process would be extremely extremely rigorous. I would recommend you majoring in Pre-med as it was lay a very specific foundation based on my institution I would recommend a liberal arts education because you would definitely leave the program being well rounded. This may in turn make you more marketable on the graduate level.

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority
Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

Congratulations on your interest in medicine! While the individual prerequisites for admission to medical school may vary from school to school, there are similarities in the admission processes. Generally, it takes at least 3 years to meet all of the admission requirements for medical school. Also remember that admission to medical school is typically very competitive, so having a college degree may improve your chances of getting accepted, even if a degree is not specifically required for admission.

Most schools do not require a science-related degree, although a significant part of the undergraduate requirements include the advanced science courses. I would encourage you to use the 4 years of undergraduate course work to study topics that interest you. Some of the most memorable courses that you take may not be directly related to medicine. I know physicians who have undergraduate degrees in art, literature, music, history, social work, and many other fields. Choose to study something that excites and interests you!

If you would like more information about meeting admission requirements for medical school, you can visit the Association of American Medical Colleges web site for more information. Their address is www.aamc.org, or you can link through the Ventures Scholars Program website.

Amy McGaha, MD
Assistant Director of AAFP 's Division of Medical Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
amcgaha@aafp.org

That would be the field of Aeronautical Engineering. Aircraft Design is probably one of the most popular topics within this field of engineering. Other important topics/aspects in this field are: heat flow, fluid dynamics, and engine design (combustion, turbo, jet, etc.).

To prepare for a career in Aeronautics you will need to have a good grasp of mathematics and physics. These are the core areas about which most engineering revolves. Chemistry (traditional and organic), matrices, calculus, and an understanding of materials is also very helpful.

If your school has a science club, science fair, AP math/science options, or rocket club, you may want to consider getting involved. Or seeing if there is a teacher and other students interested in starting one. Self starters and involved students is always a plus on the college application.

Additional specific information about Aeronautics and Astronautics (space vehicle and design) can be found at http://www.aiaa.org or by writing:

Stephen J. Brock
AIAA
Manager, Student Programs
Suite 500
1801 Alexander Bell Dr.
Reston, VA 20191
703-264-7536 (p)
703-264-7551 (fax)
stephenb@aiaa.org

You would want to take several math and science classes in high school. Aerospace Engineering is offered at The University of Alabama.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

A student should perform and extensive search of programs that offer aeronautical engineering. They should visit each school that is of interest to them and meet with a professor or an advisor from each program, to insure that the program is what they need. Be sure to look into schools that offer the type of engineering that you are interested in.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

Mary Baldwin College does offer dual degree programming in Engineering and for our institution the student would graduate from MBC with a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from MBC and a master's degree in engineering from UVA. So the student would do 3yrs at MBC and 2 at UVA. Based on the rigor and hands on nature of the UVA program the courses necessary are offered as a part of your requirements.

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority
Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are three degrees that could lead to a career in the aircraft industry. A degree in Mechanical Engineering is the broadest degree of the three in terms of what you could do for work inside or outside the aircraft industry. To best prepare for one of those degrees you want to take the most challenging math courses you can take in your high school. If you can progress to calculus, that would be best. Additionally, taking physics in high school is a great step to prepare for yourself for one of those degrees. Outside of your other high school courses make sure you read a lot about planes and how they work...build model airplanes, make gliders, paper airplanes, etc. See how your designs work and then think about how you could improve them.

Jahi Sauk Simbai
Associate Director
Colorado School of Mines
Minority Engineering Program
1112 18th St.
Golden, CO 80303
800.446.9488 x3608
303.273.3608 office
303.273.3760 fax
jsimbai@mines.edu
http://www.mines.edu/Stu_life/mep

MEP Mission:
M - Maintain Community and Cultural Ties
E - Enhance Academic Success, Increase Student Retention, Expand Recruitment
P - Promote Professional Development

You can tailor a degree at the University of Alabama to suite your needs through our New College option. New College will allow you to cross the boundaries of two colleges (Communications/ Theatre, etc.) and receive a degree that best suites your future career goals.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

You should look into schools that offer a variety of computer programs and digital media. Each program may offer something different. Talk with someone in the department to be sure that they offer all that you need out of the program and that it is the right fit for you. Remember to ask what types of internships they offer.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

Students at St. Lawrence who wish to go on to Vet School follow a similar track to that of the Pre-med track students with a slightly different focus as recommended by the Pre-Health Professions Advisor. Please view the following link which provides a little more information. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly and I can provide you with additional information and contacts within the Pre-Health Program. sjo@stlawu.edu

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

There are a few schools that offer a set pre-vet program. However, students across the country can prepare to become a veterinarian even if they do not attend these schools by majoring in a number of areas and including within their program four years of laboratory science. Students should definitely take Organic Chemistry and Calculus as well physics and biology. Therefore, students do not need to major in a science area, but should have a number of science courses included in their programs of study. Students should also contact the school's premedical advisor as soon as he/she enrolls and remain in touch with that person throughout her/his time at the institution.

Students who double major will find that they can do so without adding any additional time to their program of study. I do recommend that they select their courses carefully and make the decision to double major as soon as possible.

Deborah L. Basket
Associate Dean of Admission
The College of William and Mary
757-221-1837
dlbask@wm.edu

A double major does not necessarily increase your time at the undergraduate level, if you choose your courses carefully. Your undergraduate classes could be in biology, chemistry or even business.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

Students interested in veterinary medicine typically major in one of the biological sciences (i.e biology, biochemistry, molecular biology) or agriculture-related disciplines (i.e. animal science), however, contrary to popular belief, students are not required to major in any specific area. In fact, there is growing interest in students who have diverse academic backgrounds because of the unique perspectives they bring to both the learning environment as well as the entire profession. Still, students must successfully complete a series of undergraduate courses in order to apply for admittance to a veterinary medical college. Many students find that it is easier to complete the required courses while majoring in a biological science or agriculture program. Interested students may view each of the VMCAS colleges' admissions requirements by visiting: http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/college_requirement.htm.

Whether your double major will increase the time you spend in your undergraduate program will depend largely on the selected majors. AAVMC advises that students work closely with their pre-vet/pre-health advisor on course and major selection.

To learn more about careers in veterinary medicine, please visit the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges at www.aavmc.org.

Lisa M. Greenhill, MPA
Associate Executive Director for Diversity
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
1101 Vermont Avenue, NW; Suite 301
Washington, DC 20005
202-371-9195 x47
202-842-0773 (f)
lgreenhill@aavmc.org

To become a veterinarian, you must take the same steps as you would to get into medical school. Look for schools that offer pre-med or pre-vet programs, these are not majors. A student has a major, usually Biology or Chemistry, in conjunction with the program to prepare them for the MCATS and applying to medical school. The students in the pre-med program are assigned an advisor who guides them in their current and future endeavors. As someone interested in medicine a science major, such as biology, chemistry or physics, would be ideal because it will give you a great understanding of the science course work that goes into becoming a doctor, since it is the base of all medicine.

Also, it is possible to graduate in four years with a double major. It depends on the classes you have to take and the number of classes that you take each semester.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

I would recommend doing pre-med, chemistry or biology because you would specify at the graduate level. No it doesn't necessarily mean that you will be in school longer it just requires careful planning to make sure your taking what's necessary to fulfill your requirements for both majors. I know that her at MBC your advisor will help you with that!

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority
Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

St. Lawrence is committed to providing professors who are great teachers with national reputations. All of our courses are taught by professors -- no TAs or graduate students. The current chairperson of Mathematics is one of the editors for an AP calculus text book which is currently used by about half the students nationwide so if you see the name Patti Frazer Locke on your textbook, rest assured that she'll be teaching at some point should you choose to major in math at St. Lawrence.

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

You will want to talk with some of the faculty at any school that you choose. You may also want to look for a school that has a fairly large math faculty, as you will want to have options. If you get into a class with a professor and your learning and his/her teaching style do not mesh, then you want a school that has other professors that teach the same subject.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

Look for the school with the strongest math department. This can come in the form of a big or small school. Be sure to visit the school and meet with someone in the department to get a sense of whether or not the program is right for you. Also, keep in mind the type of math you would like to go into, and make sure that they offer you internship opportunities.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

Since you have a size concern I would suggest a smaller school because as you stated in your question should you have any difficulty you would be in a smaller environment making getting help a little easier. It all depends on your style of study and work.

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority
Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

I just spoke to our Director of Financial Aid and she acknowledged that different schools had different policies, but to summarize our conversation, St. Lawrence doesn't really focus on a student's income as much as student's savings. The way the FAFSA formula operates is that it takes 35% of your savings as a possible contribution so that figure is based on what you report as having in an established bank account. There are some slight changes to FAFSA so if your income is greater than $3,500, there is potentially going to be some impact. And although this is not the case at St. Lawrence, there are many schools that expect a student contribution of some sort and that amount can vary from $500 to $1000 and sometimes even more. Nevertheless, unless you're making a significant amount above and beyond the $3,500, there's less to worry about. If you're significantly above that figure, your friend could be right from a financial sense. But from an admissions point of view, all of the research indicates very clearly that students who work while attending school have a higher rate of success on the collegiate level in terms of academic performance so working could potentially gain you entrance in a more competitive school.

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

Financial Aid is based on your parents as well as the student income. It also has to do with the number in your household, number in college and many other factors.

The choice is yours, but I worked each summer of my undergraduate study, and saved a good portion to use during the school year. I have a twin brother, and had two other siblings in college at the same time that I was there. It helped to supplement when my parents ran short at times.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

When writing an essay to accompany your college application the most important aspect is the quality of the essay rather than the quantity of time spent doing it. Spend time learning what the college's requirements for the essays are then choose a theme and make a content outline, this will give your essay focus and make it easier to write. Then just tackle it section by section. Make sure there are no spelling errors and that the writing is crisp and clear. If the college states a length requirement, stick to it. If the requirements are not clear, review the college's Web site to get a feel for what the college may be looking for in a student. Good luck to you in this endeavor.

Susan Fraley, MS, RN
Executive Director, Foundation NYS Nurses
VMD Center for Nursing
2113 Western Avenue
Guilderland, NY 12084
518 456-7858, ext 29
e-mail: sfraley@foundationnysnurses.org
Web site: www.foundationnysnurses.org

I wouldn't focus so much on time as much as content. My personal feeling is that I'm more interested in why you do something versus what you did. So for example, don't just write about volunteering at a local shelter, but go into greater depth about why you chose to spend your time there and how that impacted or changed you. I'd also recommend getting it done early --the earlier the better. And finally, even if your essay is of a personal nature, make sure someone else proofreads it because what makes perfect sense to you may not make sense to those of us reading your essay because we can't fill in the gaps and guess what you meant to say. Good luck!

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

College essays are very important to selective institutions such as the College of William and Mary. Moreover, if a school requires an essay than students should take time to write an essay that is both grammatically correct and one that is insightful. A poorly written essay can negatively affect one's chances of admission just as a well written essay can positively affect one's chances. With that in mind, I would recommend that students take several days to write the essay. This will give the student time to write several drafts of the essay, have others read the essay, and finalize the essay before submitting it to the institution. Do not leave the essay for last and write it quickly, it will show.

Deborah L. Basket
Associate Dean of Admission
The College of William and Mary
757-221-1837
dlbask@wm.edu

The University of Alabama does not require an essay in order for you to be admitted. I would say a short essay of around 150 words or so about either your future career goals or a particular thing that interests you would suffice (example: My math teacher was the person that mentored me through high school and encouraged me to further my education at the college level).

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

The amount of time that a student spends on an essay can largely depend on the topic of the essay. I suggest that students spend an hour or two maximum writing the essay (spending more than that often just causes students to fill in blanket statements or things they might not mean). Let it sit for a few days and then go back to proofread the essay, you might find mistakes or realize that you left something out.

Kristen Lippencott, M.B.A.
Transfer Counselor Admissions Office
Seton Hill University
724.838.4231
Fax: 724-830-1294
lippencott@setonhill.edu

Writing an essay for college requires a lot of thought and time, at the same time students must maintain their everyday activities. It is suggested that students look at the types of essays they need to write for the schools that they are applying to, some may be very similar. At least one to two hours a day should be blocked out for a student to work on these essays. Start as early in the process as possible, so that you are not in a rush when you are writing. Begin by brainstorming and organizing your ideas in the form of an outline. Fill in your outline with support statements, and be sure to include an introduction and conclusion. Proofread your essay and have
others proofread it, such as your guidance counselor or English teacher. You may also use the Common Application, which allows you to use one essay to apply to many colleges. Check the www.commonapp.org for a list of participating schools.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

Pre-med is not a major. To get into medical school you will need certain pre-requisites in college, such as biology, chemistry, etc. You may major in anything you want, so long as you are sure you get those all important pre-requisites in. Because of the heavy science requirements of the pre-requisites, many major in a science that will also help them to meet those requirements - such as biology or chemistry. But it is not necessary. However, if you major in a non-science, you will find yourself using many of your elective hours (take anything you want) to full fill your pre-requisites.

James E. Casebeer
Assistant Director
Office of Enrollment Services
Northern Arizona University
928-523-6080
james.casebeer@nau.edu

Pre-med is more of an advising program so most of the pre-med majors wind up majoring in one or more of the sciences -- typically biology, neuroscience, biochemistry, or chemistry. The advising program will make sure you've completed the required course work for applying to med schools.

Steven J. Jo
Assistant Director of Admissions
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617
Office: (315)229-5259
Fax: (315)229-5818
Email: sjo@stlawu.edu

Pre med is not a major; it is an intended career field. Medical schools are surprisingly flexible in accepting students with a wide range of majors. The Association of Medical Colleges has set the following entrance requirements for their medical schools:

Biology: 8 credits
Chemistry: General Inorganic: 8 credits
Chemistry: Organic: 8 credits
English: 6 credits
Humanities: 6 credits
Physics: 8 credits

All four sciences should include a laboratory. In addition, some medical schools may require knowledge of a foreign language, a year of college mathematics, and additional work in the sciences. There is however, no prescribed premedical major. You should have an excellent record in the sciences as well as experience in a health care field which you can obtain through internships, summer or part-time jobs, or by conducting research on or off campus.

Medical schools also value well-developed communication skills, and a strong background in the humanities and social sciences. So you should select a major that will allow you to develop all of these skills, and allow you to integrate the required science courses into your program You should choose a major that you will enjoy and one where you will have success. It is important in this stage of the college selection process that you find colleges that offer a broad range of majors. As long as you choose such a comprehensive college, you will be able to explore these different areas once you enroll. It is not necessary to know the precise major ahead of time…most colleges do not require you to declare an “official” major until the end of the sophomore year.

Rutgers University has a tremendous array of research centers and institutes located on campus which will give you plenty of opportunities for doing research alongside our brilliant professors as early as your freshman year. On campus you’ll find a cancer research center, our center for the study of collaborative neuroscience (where the leading spinal-cord injury expert, Dr. Wise Young, engages freshmen in cutting edge research), and the Waksman Institute of Microbiology (where streptomycin, the cure for tuberculosis was discovered), which represent only a small fraction of the research centers on campus.

You can learn more about research at Rutgers at http://ur.rutgers.edu/medrel/highlights.shtml. To request a viewbook and arrange a tour, visit http://admissions.rutgers.edu.

Patricia Krahnke
University Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ
Krahnke@ugadm.rutgers.edu
732/445-7306

Pre-med is normally not a major. Rather it is a program. Therefore, students can major in a number of areas but will include in their program of study courses that medical schools want to see. For example, students should include Organic and Inorganic Chemistry in their programs as well as calculus and physics. The majority of students who are interested in going to medical school will major in one of the sciences, but as I said above, it is not necessary.

Deborah L. Basket
Associate Dean of Admission
The College of William and Mary
757-221-1837
dlbask@wm.edu

I suppose you could find pre-med as a major at some institutions, but at many institutions pre-med is not a major. At Cedar Crest College, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, it is a health professions program. At Cedar Crest you will have a faculty advisor who will work with you each step of the way as you plan for your pre-professional course of study. The Health Professions Advisory Board at Cedar Crest College also can help you choose an appropriate program of study (i.e. major) centered on a particular school or group of schools. In general, the following courses at Cedar Crest will fulfill admissions requirements for professional schools: Introduction to the Practice of Medicine, Principles of Biology I & II (each with a lab), Chemistry Principles I & II (each with a lab), Organic Chemistry I & II (each with a lab), College Physics I & II, Calculus I & II, and two English courses. You might also want to choose courses such as Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Virology & Immunology, Biochemistry and Genetics. Many pre-med, pre-vet and pre-dental students choose to major in a science at Cedar Crest, but that is not necessarily a requirement.

Clinical rotations, hospital rounds, patient assessments - those things may sound like experiences a third-year medical student would have, but pre-med students at Cedar Crest College get those experiences and much more. "Introduction to the Practice of Medicine" is unlike courses at other undergraduate institutions. In what may be considered a national model for pre-med instruction on the undergraduate level, this precedent-setting course gives students hospital observation experiences that their peers at other colleges usually do not get until medical school.

For more information about pre-med at Cedar Crest College, visit our website at www.cedarcrest.edu

Abby Parish Moser
Associate Director of Admissions
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pennsylvania
800-360-1222
cccadmis@cedarcrest.edu

The University of Alabama offers pre-med studies at the undergraduate level. This is through the college of Arts and Sciences, and there is an advisor just for pre-med students.

Carolyn Y. Rogers
Director of Scholarships
University of Alabama
Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships
Box 870132
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0132
(205) 348-8194

At some colleges and universities "pre-med" is considered a major. While fulfilling the major, you take classes that will prepare you for acceptance into medical school. These classes usually include, but are not limited to, General Biology I and II; General Chemistry I and II; Organic Chemistry I and II; Calculus; two terms of Physics; Animal Physiology; and advanced Biology and Organic Chemistry electives such as Biochemistry, Neuroscience, and Immunology. Many undergraduates who plan on applying to medical school major in Biology instead of "pre-med." A biology major will prepare you well for medical school. But medical schools are also interested in seeing applications from students with other backgrounds. Don't feel that you will blow your shot of getting into med school by majoring in physics, music, history or anything else that you're interested in. As long as you take the classes you need to prepare for medical school, and do well in all of your classes, having a non-science major will not keep you from pursuing your dream to be a doctor!

Tonya Strong
Assistant Director
Office of Admissions
Bennington College
tstrong@bennington.edu
802-440-4312
800-833-6845

“Pre-Med” is not a major. While students will enter the school under a program geared towards Pre-Med or Pre-Professional Health Sciences, the degree they pursue will be a science degree. At Seton Hill University our students normally choose from either a B.S. in Biology or a B.S. in Chemistry and then take additional courses in the track they would like to pursue (pre-med, pre-dent, pre-optometry, pre-vet, etc.)

Kristen Lippencott, M.B.A.
Transfer Counselor Admissions Office
Seton Hill University
724.838.4231
Fax: 724-830-1294
lippencott@setonhill.edu

Pre-med is not a major, it is a pre-professional program that a student who is interest in pursuing a career in Medicine would opt to go through. The student has a major, usually Biology or Chemistry, in conjunction with the program to prepare them for the MCATS and applying to medical school. The students in the pre-med program are assigned an advisor who guides them in their current and future endeavors.

Adria S. Belin
Admission Counselor, Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment
Undergraduate Admission
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: (617) 521-2050
Fax: (617)521-3190
adria.belin@simmons.edu

Yes it is offered at Mary Baldwin typically these student major in chemistry and biology if they choose not to do straight pre-med.

Mary Baldwin College – Staunton, VA
Contact: Sherry-Ann Streete, Admissions Counselor for Minority Recruitment
Phone: (540) 887-7312
Email: sstreete@mbc.edu

Most colleges offer a pre-med educational track that meets the requirements to enter medical school, but there is not a pre-medical degree. Many pre-medical students choose a degree in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or other science.

See question #2

Amy McGaha, MD
Assistant Director of AAFP 's Division of Medical Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
amcgaha@aafp.org