Advice on school selection

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am planning on attending college as a freshman in spring of 2015. I am a resident of Texas hoping to become a doctor one day and have narrowed down my school list to four. I am having difficulty making the decision of which schools to apply to(I can only afford two application fees), and I am looking for some advice on school selection and comparing all four schools to weed out two that I will not apply to. I just found out that I am top 13% of my class which puts me as an auto admit for UT Dallas. I my sat was low the first time I took it because I did not study, so I will be retaking it in October. These are the schools I have on my list now:
University of Houston
Pros: Only an hour away from home, close to Texas Medical Center, I already know of places I would be interested in volunteering at, most likely to get substantial financial aid here
Con: Does not offer neuroscience as a major, not a well known university as far as research(I am extremely interested in doing research while in school) no statistics known for medical school acceptance </p>

<p>UT Dallas
Pros: Offer all of the majors I am interested in, great pre med advising, high acceptance rates to medical school, great research facilities, plenty of places nearby to volunteer. Love the apartment style housing and could bring my dog to campus:)
Cons: High cost, not sure about scholarships, far from home</p>

<p>Texas Tech
Pros: Rigorous biology program, has a medical school, plenty of research and volunteer opportunities. I would also be able to get into the honors program which is a big plus for me
Cons: Dini is the only general bio professor, extremely far from home(9 hour drive), don't know anything about the pre med advising</p>

<p>St Edwards University
Pros: Location, small school and class sizes for a more individualized learning environment, great financial aid even though they are private, plenty of places to volunteer and shadow in Austin
Cons: Not sure on how they stand as far as medical school admissions, not all of the majors I am interested in are offered</p>

<p>I know a lot of the pros and cons are the same but I am having such a hard decision deciding between these four schools. How do I know that they are the right match for me?</p>

2

<p>Please consider applying to all four if you are interested in them and will get enough financial aid to afford them. You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you truly cannot afford to apply on your own. I don’t know your specific financial situation, but can you earn the money for the other two? Can you work on the weekends, help out neighbors, or find local assistance in paying? You can also talk to your GC about ways to afford the application fees. </p>

3

<p>They are the right match for you if: They have the major you want, you can afford them, and you would be happy spending the next four years of your life there.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>