May 1st is NEXT WEEK. I thought I would have more time to decide but April has just flown by.
I want to study molecular biology and global health during undergrad, and I hope to apply to medical school (still unsure on that though)
I’m stuck between two in-state schools (leaving out the names for privacy)
UNIVERSITY A
pros
-I would pay nothing to go to college (actually, they would pay me back $2000/yr!)
-they have a high acceptance rate to medical school (60-80%)
-they have a great pre-health advising system and I really feel like people would take care of me there
-I would be part of the Honors College
-offers the majors/minors I’m looking at
cons
-the university has been in decline for several years (budget deficit, lowest enrollment in 20+ years)
other
-liberal, laid back
-10k undergrad students
-in my hometown
UNIVERSITY B
pros
-university is flourishing (new 2016 dorm, new dorm in 2020, new 2018 dining hall, + other new buildings/upgrades in last 5 years)
-I would be part of Honors College
-they just seem all-around more organized (good prospective student recruitment, announcements, etc. They know how to run a school)
-offers the majors/minors I’m looking at
cons
-I would have to take out $6k+/yr in loans, even with my scholarships (I know this sounds insignificant, but it’s actually inconvenient for my family because my brother will be attending college at the same time and he received $0 in scholarships, so his school costs $30k/yr)
-kind of a cutthroat student vibe in the Honors College
other
-17k undergrad students
-3.5 hours away from home
TO SUM IT UP
University A would be free and has a better pre-med program, from what I’ve seen. However, if I decided not to apply to med school, I think the academics at University B are better. Since University A has such low enrollment, it might be easier to get lab positions/research and there would be smaller classes. I think because of the population boom at University B, the students are much more competitive when it comes to getting into a research lab and getting access to professors. University B would also be away from home (but close enough to go back easily), which would be nicer than staying in town at University A for another 4 years. However, my scholarship would “travel” with me if I study abroad (aka I wouldn’t really pay anything to study abroad)
Since you don’t want to name your schools, it’s hard for people with any personal knowledge about them to give you much help here, even with the information you provided. If finances are important, which they seem to be, then school A seems the obvious choice.
Follow the love and the money to University A. If they have that kind of track record for getting students into med school, they probably have similar ones for getting students into other kinds of grad programs and for launching them into careers.
OP’s state does not have a medical school. Success rate may be at DO schools.
Go to A. Things happen in 4 years and when you are tight on money, your parents are stretched and you brother also in college, the comfort zone can be very small. Also, you will likely be incurring debt for medical school or other graduate program. Better you don’t start now. You’ll also be going away for med school. Just keep your eyes and mind in the end goal of med school.
Go to university A but try to look at what major you’d complement Global Health with, since molecular biology is likely to have a terrible ROI if you don’t make it into med school. For med school, remember that you need top grades but also activities that show you care about people from different categories (age, language, wealth/lack thereof) and know what being a doctor means (shadow a doctor, become a CNA or EMT, volunteer at a hospital or clinc…)
Another vote for University A. Start looking into study abroad options that you can embark on early in your college experience.
Also, look into “study away” programs and “national exchanges”. For a premed, the best time is after organic chemistry has been completed (Spring sophomore year or Fall junior year).
https://www.nse.org/
Follow the money. Congrats on the great outcome!
If you want the most accurate advice, you should simply name the schools. Doing so would not reveal who you are since I’m sure there are many students out there who were also accepted to both.
Don’t want to name your schools for you, but I saw your previous thread… You can name them; I don’t think anyone’s going to track you down since the student body size is not that small at either lol
Can you list your 2 universities? I’m guessing neither is Wesleyan, so what are they? It’d help in estimating value/ROI: are we talking flagship v. Western Corner College?
@Aug2019 @lostaccount @Neurotic2027 ah, the internet. I forgot I had already named the schools in an earlier thread so it doesn’t really matter. University A is the University of Montana and University B is Montana State University
My parents say not to worry about the cost of Montana State University (University B), as our family can cover it, but I just want to assume the worst and say I will have to work and take out loans maybe. I actually just checked, and the acceptance rate to med schools is about the same for both schools. I did feel more excited walking around the University B campus, but that could just be because it is all new to me. However, the idea of actually making money in college would be nice, and I could put that towards medical school applications or to cover other costs (recreation, study abroad, etc.).
FYI for others reading this, neither of these schools are known as a “premed” school, so the level of education and advising will be similar. We don’t even have a med school in Montana lol
UMontana and Montana State are equivalent academically. I can’t see taking loans for Montana State, but if you can cover the costs with work earnings + parents’ help, ie., have no loans, why not go to the university with the best fit?