<p>I would love to hear from anyone who has had some experience with the pre-med at any of these schools or knows about the strengths/weaknesses in the program at each school. I am doing a lot of research of my own, but it helps to get a more personal perspective on the schools rather than from the website.</p>
<p>Thanks to all! Any general pre-med advice is good too. :)</p>
<p>I’m not pre-med, but I’ve attended both BU and Temple, so I figure I know more than most people about both.</p>
<p>how would you compare both schools?</p>
<p>The student bodies could not be more different. BU students are by and large much wealthier, at the least, BU has a much, much higher concentration of wealthier students. Temple students are not nearly as wealthy, and Temple has a lot more students who are paying for college themselves. Both are very diverse, although at Temple, the international students are not wealthy like the British royalty, Saudi princes, etc. at BU.</p>
<p>Both are definitely challenging schools academically. </p>
<p>I’ve found the advising at Temple to be much better and more helpful. It felt like a chore at BU, and at Temple, I feel that they genuinely are looking out for our best interest.</p>
<p>Socially, I found BU to be a lot cliquey-er. Many kids at BU go with friends from school, camp, etc., and already have a large part of their social circle developed before getting to school. It’s not the most inviting and accepting atmosphere of people outside social circles IMO.
Temple is lot more inclusive and friendlier. A lot of people know each other from school or nearby schools, but it’s not cliquey at all. If you’re cool and not a jerk, you’ll be welcomed anywhere.</p>
<p>The food at BU is incredible. It’s absolutely gourmet (which it should be for $50K a year). The food at Temple is average college food. It’s not awful by any means, but you get really sick of it. There are a few decent options outside of the dining halls and student activity center, and obviously Center City and etc. is right nearby with millions of options of places to eat.</p>
<p>Hockey is the big sport at BU (no football), so if you dont like hockey at all, you might not like it too much.
Basketball is the big sport at Temple, and football gets more and more popular every year.</p>
<p>That’s all I can think of right now. If you have any more questions, ask away.</p>
<p>You also need to consider what city you want to be in, Philadelphia or Boston. I’ve only been to Boston a couple times but my sister goes to college up there and seems to enjoy it. Temple and Drexel are located in different parts of Philadelphia, with Drexel located in University City right next to UPenn and within walking distance to center city. Drexel has its pros and cons and some like it more than others. Their pre-med program is pretty rigorous but if you work hard then you’ll keep your GPA high. If you’re planning on majoring in biology they are changing up the curriculum to tailor more towards students’ interests which will be nice for any incoming freshmen. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>I am actually planning on majoring in Psychology, a possible minor in philosophy or linguistics. But hey, with all the pre-med requirements I need to fulfill I am open to switch majors.</p>
<p>dionte, did you go to one school and then transfer to the other in your undergrad, or another combination?</p>
<p>(I think I’d rather watch Hockey than football or basketball to be honest haha, so that works out.)</p>
<p>So I heard about many BUers being wealthy, but is it like high school with the cliques and everything? I already go to a school in the suburbs, so 70%+ are white and many are upper-middle or upperclass. I’m come from a low income family and I’m Indian, definitely different from the people around me haha. </p>
<p>But when I go to college, I don’t want it to be anything like my high school. I love to meet new people, and because I’m friendly and open to others I think I should be able to make friends as long as this whole clique thing isn’t a huge deal. I just want to be comfortable in my environment.</p>
<p>Another thing is, I don’t want to be an outcast for wanting to work hard. I really want to do well in college because otherwise I’ll have a tough time getting into med school. I’ll be in the honors college at all 3 universities, so hopefully I can find people to surround myself with that have similar attitudes about doing well. But, I’m not a recluse or an introvert. I’m ready to explore Boston and have a great time. Just not a partier/drinker/smoker, I’d probably go to a few and be the sober friend or something haha. </p>
<p>For the most part I’ve been leaning towards BU, but I can’t seem to put a finger on why. Maybe when I visit I can. Drexel didn’t seem too exciting to me when I visited - nothing was special about the campus, even though I absolutely love the city. Temple I haven’t visited, but it is in a very unsafe part of Philly. </p>
<p>OK I’ve talked enough. Any feedback is highly appreciated, as I only have until May 1st to decide. Help meeee :D</p>
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<p>It’s not as bad as people make it out to be. I’ve walked home from all over North Philly at all hours of the day and never had an issue. We have security posted all over campus and the police station on campus, plus, campus is very well lit. The whole unsafe thing is really overblown.</p>
<p>Sounds like you’re headed to BU. Good luck. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.</p>
<p>Ahh dionte! if there’s anything else you think I should know about BU or Temple, please let me know. I’m still not 100%, and I’m very open to taking in all the details about each school. Housing? Meal plans? Research/internship opportunities? Anything else?</p>