<p>About me:
Biology Major, Looking to become a Veterinary Pathologist</p>
<p>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign vs. Tufts University</p>
<p>UIUC
Cost per year for my parents: $29,000
Student debt after two years: $9,000
Great school for Animal Science related studies</p>
<p>Tufts University
Cost per year for my parents: $31,000
Student debt after two years: $12,000
Excellent school for research and academics</p>
<p>My question is: Am I making an emotional decision by going to Tufts? Deep down I know that UIUC isn't as "tough" as Tufts University. Also, UIUC just doesn't feel like the right school for me and I'm afraid that it's for all the wrong reasons :/ . I don't like the party-party life, Greek life, the fact that half my high school goes there, and atmosphere there. I know that college is what you make of it, but I just feel off when I think about attending UIUC. I think I'm being too snobby about it.</p>
<p>Tufts, on the other hand, seems like much more fun! I know that I'll meet like-minded people there. I'll feel more comfortable with the surrounding area and the quality of my education! For some reason, I feel like I'll just get more out of Tufts O<em>O but... I don't know for sure. To be honest, something also feels off about it. I think it's the price (T</em>T).</p>
<p>Give it to me straight! Would I be making an emotional decision by going to Tufts? Or is UIUC the smart choice?</p>
<p>“I know that UIUC isn’t as “tough” as Tufts University.”</p>
<p>However did you get the notion that the upper-level coursework you would need to slog through at UIUC in order to be competitive for Veterinary School admissions is somehow not as “tough” as the upper-level coursework you would be taking if you were at Tufts? Granted, much of the filtering of pre-Vets happens in the first two years, but it doesn’t stop magically after sophomore year. The last two years can be even more difficult.</p>
<p>Unless your old HS pals are also pre-Vet and pursuing the same major as you are, the likelihood of you running into them by accident at UIUC is pretty close to zero. That university is a pretty big one. With your lab-heavy major you won’t have time for much partying, Greek life, or any thing else. You will be in the lab, in the lab, in the lab, or for a change of pace, the library, or if you need the money, at work before you head straight back to the (you guessed it correctly) the lab. In your rare moments of freedom, you will be off doing some animal-related volunteer work or job shadowing so that you get the experience that the Vet Schools you want to apply to require to have.</p>
<p>All that said, if your family can afford both, you can study wherever you prefer, and right now it looks like you prefer Tufts. But please do yourself a favor, and have a nice long chat with the people at both institutions about their Vet School placement statistics. That might make the decision for you.</p>
<p>What are the opportunities for you to get involved in the kinds of extracurriculars you need to have to be a successful vet applicant? Compare the opportunities at each school.</p>
<p>We are all assuming you have done 2 years at a community college, and are transferring to finish your 4 year degree. You should realize that wherever you go, the students who did nothing but party are gone from the scene. By junior year, most students are serious and deeply involved in their majors, at Tufts or UIUc, or any where else for that matter. That’s not to say they don’t “party” when they have the chance–but at this point, work is the priority, and there is nothing wrong with some partying when students have the down time. If you choose to party, or don’t, no one will care and it will not affect you in any way.</p>
<p>Something else to think about–Boston is the most amazing college town, and in my experience, students from all the schools socialize together quite extensively every week. Yes, they party and party hard.</p>
<p>If you feel that Tufts is more the atmosphere you will enjoy, and your family can afford it, then certainly go to Tufts. But please don’t tell yourself you are making that decision because UIUC is a party school and Tufts is all serious students.</p>
<p>Something else you might want to think about…I assume your family is going to be receiving significant financial aid if Tufts is going to cost your family only $31,000/year. If it is going to be at all hard for them to come up with this amount, realize that that amount is only the tip of the iceberg. You also need to consider the cost of travel to and from Boston however many times a year, and also the cost of living in Boston vs.living in Champaign-Urbana. There are huge differences in the cost of all your regular and daily expenses, everything from rent for an apartment, to a cup of coffee, to a beer at the local watering hole.</p>