Boston College or UM?

<p>hey guys, so here's the problem. I was accepted into University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL Pre-med and offered full tuition plus financial aid, which covered everything. I was just accepted into Boston College's arts & sciences today. Both schools are competitive since they are private and have a freshmen class size of 2000. Boston has yet to give me my financial aid information, but my efc is like also nothing and BC is a 100% demonstrated need met school. </p>

<p>Soo I'm pretty torn between the two schools. The mains points are obviously academics (pre-medicine), and having fun at the same time. I am a guy who just can't do without weekend parties haha. I like the girls to be intelligent and also very outgoing. I mean I dunno, I guess that's just my preference but I heard BC has a bunch of beautiful women. What do you think?</p>

<p>I would not base the decision solely on the females…Though related personnel experience makes me believe UMiami’s girls are just as intelligent, pretty and much more athletic than BC’s. Plus, do you really want to go out on the weekend…in January…in Boston? Compared to Miami in January…Well your a smart guy, right?</p>

<p>Academics is a wash, you will get small class sizes, professor help and access and challenging classes at both. Overly simplified? Probably, but they are both excellent schools and you need to examine how they approach teaching and how it fits your method of learning.</p>

<p>You really need to visit them both. Make the informed decision on what fits your priorities.</p>

<p>Haha thanks man. Much appreciated. I just talked with a few friends of mine and yeah I am going to Miami’s accepted weekend this sunday. Though I am thinking that I will fall for Miami’s beautiful weather and atmosphere =) . Have you been accepted too? And are you going?</p>

<p>raksudum, I responded in detail to your post on the BC forum. In short, both are excellent schools; it’s going to be a difficult question to answer until you know the fin-aid package from BC, but four years at Miami for $0 is a very good price indeed.</p>

<p>raksudum,</p>

<p>No, I am one of those parent types…S is a junior at UM, one of the best decisions he ever made.</p>

<p>Well they’re comparable schools, BC is slightly better (I think), but it’s not worth paying full tuition over a free education at UM.</p>

<p>Well thanks guys! One more thing. Though UM payed for my tuition, I still have about 14k left to pay myself (room- board and books-supplies). Yeah sorry, it isn’t AS good as it might have sounded. My parents are both unemployed and I am trying to figure out how to pay the 14k. I want to be a doctor so after I finish undergrad I have to take out loans for med school. Does anyone know or can outline a rough plan of what I can do. I’m completely overwhelmed with this problem!</p>

<p>I am looking into BC too. what were your scores…I’m very curious because my scores are a little low for the college…so nervous</p>

<p>BC is a bit more competitive than UM. One thing I’d mention is that BC, contrary to popular belief, is in Cambridge MA and not Boston. If parties is your thing, definetley UM over BC- not to mention better football!</p>

<p>UM. Definitely.</p>

<p>Examine the finances carefully. Your parents may be able to take out Direct Parent PLUS loans to cover room, board, books, supplies, and some living expenses. You may also work through the Office of Student Employment where most jobs will work around your academic schedule. You may even be able to find a paid research assistant position in the sciences.</p>

<p>Boston College is not in Cambridge, Ma. It is in Chestnut Hill, which is six miles outside of downtown Boston.</p>

<p>Gee SVMMom, since we both have daughters at UM, do you think we should offer our opinion about which campus, Chestnut Hill, Mass or Coral Gables, FL has most intelligent and beautiful women? ;-/</p>

<p>LOL!</p>

<p>Actually that is a hard one for me as my niece is at BC.</p>

<p>If you want to know which one has the most out of control, drunk people literally hanging out the dorm windows, that would be BC. My niece has told me lots of crazy stories…</p>

<p>My daughter went through the same process of UM vs BC. Her dad is an alumni of BC. The house became a war zone over this dilemma. If possible, try to visit both schools and see where you think you will fit in as each school has a completely different personality. Financially, UM offerred her a lot of scholarship $$. BC offerred $0. So even though dad was willing to pay the full boat, daughter decided on UM primarily due to finances and the fact that UM was more flexible as to allowing her to switch majors easily; transfer in high school dual enrollment credits; and just everywhere she turned to ask a question, UM was helpful and supportive while BC just seemed to be the “just say no” school. Dad is still irked that daughter is not at BC and its been 2 years now. As you are going to be premed, most of your classes will be in science so you might want to look at ratemyprofessors website for the science professors. Look at the lower level courses. Based on what my daughter says, UM uses the lower level science courses as a “weeding” out of the premed students as lots of people are premed at UM. I don’t know if this is the case with BC but if you compare the teachers for Biology which you know you will need to take at either school, it might also help you in your decision. Good Luck.</p>