Planning for Graduate School While Applying to Undergrad

For some students, undergrad is just the beginning of their education. Many professions require advanced degrees, meaning a significant amount of time after undergrad will be spent completing a graduate program. This could mean completing a program for an MD, PhD, PsyD, EdD, etc. If pursuing a career that requires further education, students must consider extra factors in order to make a good choice for an undergraduate program.

The most obvious factor is cost. Many graduate programs are very expensive, especially medical school. However, most PhD programs in the U.S. are free because participants pay with their time through teaching and research. Thus, the choices that need to be made at the undergraduate level will differ greatly based on the desired graduate program. If a high school student aspires to become a doctor and cost is a concern then attending an in-state public undergraduate pre-med program would make sense. If that student would not receive a lot of financial aid from out-of-state colleges, then staying in state would save lots of money that could be put towards medical school. In contrast, students that want to become a scientist should consider out-of-state colleges for undergrad because their graduate program (PhD) will likely be free.

Another factor is selecting an undergraduate program that will put students into prime positions to get into graduate school. Some programs care more about undergraduate college pedigree than others. For the most part, medical schools care less about applicants' undergraduate programs than their GPA and MCAT scores. This means that pursuing a top ranked college is not necessary. However, undergrad can matter for medical school if a undergraduate college offers a combined undergraduate medical school program, which will ensure applicants can get into medical school. These programs are often extremely competitive, but should be a consideration when selecting an undergraduate college if students are very passionate about medicine. Regarding PhD programs and other graduate programs besides medical school, undergraduate pedigree matters to an extent. Of course GPA and standardized test scores are most important, but attending a top college for undergrad will give applicants a competitive edge. This is why the fact that most PhD programs are free is important because students can spend more on their undergraduate programs to help them get into top graduate programs.

Planning for graduate school starts when students apply to undergraduate colleges. The cost of undergrad and possible graduate programs must be calculated together to ensure students have sound finances upon entering their profession.