If you’re considering a pre-med major or track of study, attending a liberal arts school is a great decision. Liberal Arts schools have smaller class sizes and will allow you to really get to know your professors–which is important for your learning and those letters of recommendation you’ll need. Let’s take a look at some of the best Liberal Arts schools for all you budding doctors.
Remember that you don’t need a specific major to be pre-med–you can study psychology, biology, chemistry, or whatever you want–as long as you get those pre-req courses finished before graduating, you’ll be fine. We’ll look at a variety of schools in this list–you can study in sunny California (or dreary Massachusetts) if you’d like.
This list isn’t ordered by ranking–all of the schools detailed are wonderful choices, and we’re not going to spend hours coming up with another silly ranking system just to convince you that one is better than the other.
Williams College
Williams is located in exciting (not really though) Williamstown, MA, and has just over 2,000 students. While Williamstown (and Massachusetts in general) might not be the most exciting, Williams’ medical school acceptance rate certainly is. In the last year for which we have data, 86% of Williams’ students who applied to medical school were accepted. Williams has a storied history and traditions, and students can be assured they will graduate into one of the most elite alumni networks in the nation.
Last year, ~40% of applicants were accepted to medical school. So yeah, Williams’ rate is pretty good. Some popular (pre-med) majors include Biology, Psychology, and Chemistry.
Pomona College
For those of you looking to study pre-med on the west coast, Pomona just can’t be beat. The school is located near sunny (and exciting) Los Angeles, and with a student body of just ~1,500, you can be sure you’ll get personal attention from professors. Pomona also boasts an 85% acceptance rate to medical school.
The school’s pre-med track focuses on the opportunities afforded by Los Angeles and the surrounding areas–you’ll get the opportunity to see and experience more than at some more remote/rural schools. Pomona highlights its community engagement programs, as well as its study abroad options for pre-med students. While many of these liberal arts schools now have the community engagement options, Pomona’s commitment to study-abroad opportunities is a bit rare for pre-med. Give this school a deep look.
Davidson College
Located in Charlotte, North Carolina Davidson offers research opportunities and a strong network for its ~2,000 students. Davidson has a high proportion of students applying to medical school–apparently ~15% of its students eventually apply to medical school, and an average of 79% of them are accepted in their first round of applications. While that number may be a bit lower than those from other schools, it’s important to realize that many applicants re-apply–some schools’ numbers will be higher if they count overall admissions.
Davidson offers a “Premedicine and Allied Health” track, which allows students to major in a variety of subjects–Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Public Health, etc. Davidson boasts that they don’t have “weed-out” classes, which is a good thing–they’re committed to helping their students become doctors, nurses, and medical professionals.
Haverford College
Haverford sits on a beautiful campus just a dozen miles outside of Philadelphia, PA. Haverford has told us that their students have a 95% acceptance rate to medical school--yes, that’s right, 95%. Haverford counts that statistic over six years of applications though–their calculations are a little different from our other schools. Haverford will also prepare you well for your application–their students score at the 86th percentile on their MCAT.
Haverford approaches education from a Quaker perspective–students are encouraged to value consensus and social justice throughout their work. With around 1,300 students, Haverford is one of the smallest schools on our list. Give them a closer look if you’re interested in Quakerism, a (super) small school, or their high acceptance rate.
Carleton College
If you’re interested in studying in the midwest, Carleton College just might be the best school for you. Located on a beautiful campus in Northfield, Minnesota, Carelton has around 2,000 students from all over the world. Yeah, that’s right–people come from all over the world to Minnesota to study at Carleton. That might just be a sign that they’re a good school.
Carleton boasts an 82% acceptance rate to medical school, and students interested in medicine are encouraged to work through the “Pre-Health” program. Carleton estimates that approximately 10% of their graduating class applies to medical school every year, and 77% get in on their first try. If you like the cold (or their stellar pre-med program) give Carelton a look.
If you’re interested in a pre-med track at a Liberal Arts school, there are plenty of options out there for you. Our list is just a bit of the best options available: if you find another school that you prefer, don’t worry–it’s probably good too.
If you’d like to discuss your academic planning, or your future in pre-med, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always available.
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