Hi I was accepted to Brown, WashU, and Bowdoin and I am currently trying to decide between the three. I am interested in going premed, but I am also considering an anthropology major (although it would probably be biological or medical).
Brown is known for its anthropology program, so that excites me, but I am worried that I could get lost here (there appears to be less guidance). I also have heard so much about it’s passionate community.
WashU offered me early acceptance to their Medicine and Society program, which is exactly the field I am most interested in; however, I have never visited WashU and am worried in going there I am passing up an opportunity on an education at Brown.
Finally, I have visited Bowdoin a number of times and loved it; however, it does not have the same level of science classes and anthropology opportunities. This being said, each time I was on campus I felt at home.
I think that I am ultimately looking for a supportive, passionate (but not cut throat) community, where I can build relationships with my professors and pursue the topics that I love. I really love all the schools I got into, SO I desperately need some guidance. THANKS!
P.S. I heard Brown’s dorms and food aren’t the best… is this true?
Not sure why you think you would be more “lost” at Brown than, say WashU. Brown is not that large and it’s not a place known for students getting overwhelmed and lost in the crowd. Out of the Ivy League schools, it is one of the more undergraduate focused ones.
That said, WashU seems to have a fantastic program that exactly matches your interest. I’m not sure what you think you would be passing up at Brown… is there some opportunity at Brown that you would miss if your ent to WashU? I don’t see it. (If it’s “prestige”, please note that WashU and Brown are peer institutions in every way.)
Which school is the most affordable? Go with that first, then whichever is most conducive to your future plans/best fit.
As a parent of a WashU freshman, I can say that there are a lot of opportunities for pre-meds including opportunities for shadowing/research at Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s Hospitals.
WashU isn’t cutthroat, but there is an element of grade deflation.
The anthropology program at Wash U is excellent, on par with Brown’s department if not better.
You have three fantastic options. No way to go wrong here. The grading scheme at Brown (unlimited pass/fail, no plusses and minuses, no D’s or F’s recorded on transcripts, etc.) may be more forgiving than that at Wash U or Bowdoin.