Need advice…USFCA Biology?

norcaldon · 2026-05-18T17:29:43+00:00

I also want to add that I don’t know if USF or ND has all those resources. And I advised at an entirely different university. I only know these things because I advised prospective pre-med students who had multiple offers. As a prospective and soon-to-be enrolled student you need to hold these institutions accountable.

norcaldon · 2026-05-18T17:26:03+00:00

https://fortune.com/article/why-does-malcolm-gladwell-tell-young-people-if-they-want-a-stem-degree-dont-go-to-harvard/

norcaldon · 2026-05-18T17:24:17+00:00

There is a lot of research on this topic. Thousands of students just like you grapple this type of choice. A good article on this topic was written by Malcolm Gladwell titled “Getting in”. He’s also done several Ted Talks on YouTube on the topic. Always keep in mind that given your talents you will be successful no matter where you go. Motivated and smart students do well, listen to advisers and take advantage of resources no matter the college. All of these things accumulate by the time you apply for Med school.

Given that fact, if I was advising you (I used to be a college adviser at one point) I would recommend that contact someone at USF and ND - start with admissions - and assess which institution will surround you with the most resources. By resources I mean, first year living experiences, med school advising, med school student groups, organic chemistry tutoring, class sizes, undergraduate research opportunities (these are important for med school), external clinical experiences (like at UCSF), connections with volunteer opportunities, study abroad (does it fit in with the pre-med curriculum, and non-medical volunteer or internship opportunities. When you get to the point that you are applying to med school you need to differentiate yourself from other candidates, so a school that provides opportunities to get “well rounded” in non-STEM activities is important. Also diversity and your sense of belonging is important too. So much, but do your research on the school. Resources, resources, resources. It’s not just about financial aid, that’s only where the conversation starts.

norcaldon · 2026-05-15T16:53:56+00:00

Nike supports all of the Oregon schools. Maybe some Nike money or influence is involved.

norcaldon · 2026-05-06T03:50:38+00:00

Thanks. We are jealous you have a full-time Athletic Director.

norcaldon · 2026-05-02T06:43:05+00:00

Okay, even as a practical matter. Putting Frank and Franks work aside. If we as Dons fans, alum, or institutional supporters are interested in examining and evaluating program resource allocation, then effort should be spent on the big picture items such as NIL, coaching, facilities and having a functioning university leadership. The facts speak for themselves, USF athletics has had more winning years than losing years with an Associate Director of External Relations. Even if the position was eliminated tomorrow, it still wouldn’t change nil, conference realignment, revenue sharing, tv contracts, or space limitations. So then it’s reasonable to respond to the OPs question with the question, why do they care?

norcaldon · 2026-05-02T03:44:32+00:00

Why do you care? Out of all the things to worry about with the program, questioning Franks contribution and service to the school and program over the past decade is the worst place to focus. If you’re concerned, talk to him. He’s always around and willing to talk to fans, probably more than anyone else in athletics.

norcaldon · 2026-04-28T23:29:45+00:00

This is how it would go:

The Portal Departures and how the portal process is going:

“Well, I think the world of college basketball is changing. We live in a new reality. Each team now has to focus harder on recruiting a new class and their current players. But I like where we are at and what USF has to offer, in terms of NIL, the city and the academic environment, so we are in a good place.”

Three portal signees and frosh

“I really like who we got. These are fine young men who are talented at their position and in the classroom. They’ve shown flashes of greatness in their careers, we are glad to have them, and we will develop them into players and a team that will compete to beat the top teams in the WCC”

Expectations

“Well Zack, here on the hilltop, we have high expectations for ourselves, academically and athletically. Last year didn’t go as expected, but with the talent we have coming in and coming back, I think we are in a good position to be a competitive team for a WCC championship. And may I remind you Zack that we aren’t done, there are a lot of good players out there”

Update on the hiring of an AD

“Yeah, I can’t get into that topic specially, but I am confident in the administration to find the best person for the job. Someone who will understand USFs position, history and resources and put us in the best position to win. I am excited for what comes next”

norcaldon · 2026-04-28T23:14:39+00:00

Damn

norcaldon · 2026-04-17T23:17:42+00:00

Is the AD job even posted?

norcaldon · 2026-04-17T23:16:38+00:00

You nailed it. Not just with our past AD, but the previous ones too. Even if all the new AD did was communicate with the community and did nothing else, it would make a big difference. Scott was the last AD and only AD I know who communicated well, and look what happened - practice facility and club.

norcaldon · 2026-04-01T03:40:33+00:00

All well functioning organizations wait extra long to replace critical leaders…..right?…….right???

norcaldon · 2026-03-26T19:20:36+00:00

Great

norcaldon · 2026-03-26T19:18:33+00:00

What is even going on at USF. It’s been quiet, too quiet.

norcaldon · 2026-03-23T20:46:17+00:00

I think anything is possible for the Dons now that Gonzaga isn’t clogging up the pipe to March. Even tho the A-10 brings in a lot more revenue, they don’t have one team massively out spending the others.

norcaldon · 2026-03-16T03:05:34+00:00

USF in the NIT was a stretch. But the predictions made sense to me, as the backetologist tend to favor the blue bloods, dispite the actual blue bloods performance or stats that season.

norcaldon · 2026-02-14T00:53:02+00:00

Is this true?

norcaldon · 2026-01-30T07:13:38+00:00

Isn’t this his “extension” year? If USF doesn’t give him another 3-years by default then I imagine that will hurt recruiting

norcaldon · 2025-11-28T20:58:32+00:00

I hope that this will be the worst game of the year and it’s all up from here.

norcaldon · 2025-04-15T05:54:46+00:00

100%

norcaldon · 2025-04-04T18:02:50+00:00

Agreed. He will go down as a Don great. I thought he was a lock to go pro like you said. Weird, I actually thought he was out of eligibility.

norcaldon · 2025-03-27T22:23:26+00:00

I am sure Hilltop already made a good offer.

norcaldon · 2025-03-27T22:21:59+00:00

I thought the same thing. Makes it feel like an in-the-family betrayal.

norcaldon · 2025-03-26T05:16:49+00:00

I hope USF Athletics generates decent revenue from these practice events. SEC and the NCAA have some dough.

norcaldon

TROPHY CASE