Choosing a school over a better one

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I'm in Washington State, and I've decided that I want to stay in state for undergrad. Now, my stats are well above the state school average here, so I'm going to continue this post on the assumption that I will be accepted into the universities discussed.</p>

<p>The University of Washington is a top 50 school, with a big reputation. I like the school... but I've just been drawn to Western Washington University. It has a gorgeous campus, perfect location, has a strong undergrad focus, and is still at least academically stimulating. They have a well-respected honors program, too.</p>

<p>Now, I like both schools, but I lean Western at this point. Would it be a mistake to enroll? I plan on going to med school after college. Is it a big mistake to not take the school with the prestigious reputation? Or is it really just what I make of my experience? I need some advice =/</p>

2

<p>frankly i think you would be making a mistake...you could go to university of washington, work hard, get good grades , get a good job and secure your future. If you go to Western Washington , work hard,get good grades and you still would find it hard to get a job. Personally i would prefer sacrificing a part of my life for a better future. And in this case going to University of Washington wouldn even be a " sacrifce"</p>

3

<p>Rafty, WWU's setting is stunning, but I am not sure it would be wise to pick it over UDub, particularly when you admit to liking the latter. I don't think WWU is in the same academic league as UDub.</p>

4

<p>I disagree. Go with your heart. Being pre-med is about what you accomplish, not where. If you really truly prefer WWU, then that's where you belong. The supposed academic gains you make by going to UDub, are - if they exist - minimal in the eyes of med schools, and can be overcome by being a mildly better applicant. </p>

<p>UDub is also a pre-med hotspot, so you might have more opportunities at research and at being involved on campus and in the community if you go to WWU where there are fewer people competing for a limited number of opportunities. </p>

<p>Finally, I'm not saying that this is going to happen to you, but the majority of people coming in as pre-meds don't even take the MCAT, and switch their major long before. Pick a place where you are going to be happy regardless of the major you may end up with.</p>

5

<p>If you actually stay premed, the prestige of your undergrad school matters little as long as you get good grades and good MCAT scores - going to a really top school might get you a little extra leeway on the grades, but I'm thinking top 10 there, not top 50.</p>

<p>If you go into a field where you are looking for a job after your bachelor's, a prestigious name helps. That doesn't mean that you can't get a job without a prestigious name, but it makes it a lot easier...the name of my university on my resume got a lot of companies to consider me who never would have looked at me otherwise.</p>

<p>A lot of fields, now, though, like master's degrees. A possible compromise would be to go to WWU for undergrad now, and then, if you don't stay premed, go to UW for your master's. If you have a master's, companies will likely put more weight on it than they do your bachelor's.</p>

6

<p>Raftys:</p>

<p>Having lived in that area of the world, I can absolutely assure you that the "big rep" for the University of Washington is intensely local. It is known in the academic world for its strong research in a number of areas, but its value for getting that first interview is probably confined to the Pacific Northwest, and maybe just Washington State. </p>

<p>(Note: In my experience, it's common for the local university to have an outsized reputation in its own backyard, but I feel that the UW's local rep is way over the top. Talking to some people from there, you'd think the place was the intergalactic leader in all things intellectual ;-). Seriously, I heard things there like, 'The U-Dub is impossible to get into these days!" ).</p>

<p>Western does have a good honors program, and if you qualify, it's worth consideration. </p>

<p>By chance, I know a woman quite well who attended both schools as an undergrad. She's middle-aged, now, so her experience may or may not still hold, but her take is that Western students aren't terribly academically inclined, but that her professors tended to take her under their wings because of that. So, the classroom experience wasnt all that great, but her relationships with her professors made up for it.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, she has very little good to say about the UW. She went back there to finish her degree as an older student, and despite being a published novelist and a former journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, she was forced to take an entry-level writing class to satisfy degree requirements. She wasn't even allowed to take an upper-level class INSTEAD of the entry-level class!!! That's how rigid the bureaucracy was there, at the time. She said this was typical of the inflexibility she found whenever she challenged rules that didn't seem to make sense.</p>

<p>In addition, more than once, she had students drop the classes she was in because they were afraid that, as an older student, she would bend the curve. She told me that the most common question on the first day of classes was "how do I get an A in this class?," and that people talked about cheating as though it was a very common thing (she never saw anyone cheating).</p>

<p>Please note that what she said does not exist only at the UW, and please note (again) that this information is both anecdotal and (I'm guessing) about 20 years old. So, please take what I have to say as just another data point, and not as gospel.</p>

7

<p>A good college gpa and test scores will matter MUCH more to a graduate school than whether the gpa is from UW or WWU. It sounds like you'll be happier at WWU (four years is a long time for a young person) and one of the stand out students there (which is what grad schools like to hear from your recommenders) so your recs and research opportunities will be enhanced at WWU and your grad school application will be more favorably received, whatever you end up studying. Go for WWU; it sounds like you know it is a terrific fit for you.</p>

8

<p>honestly, you should probably go to UW and if you hate it, transfer out. I know as a 17 year old you think going to WWU is the right choice, but you may find that it just isn't what you expect--its hard to get good impressions of a school in an hour tour and walking around for a couple hours.</p>

<p>remember, its easier to transfer out of UW into WWU than the other way around.</p>

9

<p>I agree with most posts about GPA and MCATS being most important for med school, so don't worry about that. Can you spend the night or weekend at one or both of these places? Anyone from your high school that you can hook up with? I think you really need a little more time to see what a school is like. As long as you are narrowed down to two schools, take the time to get to know them better. Hang around the pre-med area in both schools (ie undergrad science requirements).</p>

10

<p>I went to high school in Seattle, and the students who wen't to UW and WWU were in totally different academic leagues. No one I know has chosen WWU over UW. However, it is true that so long as you score well on your MCAT and get good grades, your undergrad school doesn't matter. But if decide not to go premed, I think it would be harder to get a job you want coming out of WWU than UW.
I've heard some really good things from my friends who are at the UW right now - saying that it feels a lot smaller than it sounds and that they feel like they could approach their professors if they wanted to. I haven't heard enough from my friends at WWU to give a report on how they're liking it.
Basically, I think at UW you'll find yourself in a good academic environment, but at Western you'd have to make it for yourself.</p>

11

<p>^Good post. I think people forget that 75%-90% of the people who start out premed never even apply to med school (and a good portion of those who do apply don't get into a single one).</p>

12

<p>Wow. Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm taking each bit of information to heart.</p>

<p>I'm completely aware of the stats on pre-med students. Although it is my dream, I'm not blind to the fact that I may very well change my mind. I guess now, there are a good number saying that I should take the opportunities presented by the more academic school, UW. So I want to throw two scenarios out for everyone.</p>

<p>1) Assuming, against statistical odds, that I do in fact stay through pre-med and apply to med school, is it correct then that Western will generally provide me with a similar (or maybe even better) opportunity for med school acceptance? It seems based on these posts that the choice for undergrad is quite unimportant to med schools, that's why I wonder.</p>

<p>2) Assuming now that I choose to switch majors, would it be feasible then to get an undergraduate degree at Western, at which point I could transfer to UW (or maybe somewhere else) to complete a masters or doctorate? I plan on getting an education past my bachelors regardless of where my career path bends.</p>

<p>Seeing as these are my two plans, would there be a significant advantage to choosing the University of Washington over Western, under the assumption that as I research and discover more, I continue to prefer Western?</p>

<p>(And on that note, I have already made arrangements to attend classes and meet with some advisors, so the picture will hopefully start to clear up soon)</p>

13

<p>As for #1, it can't be reiterated enough (for you and for everybody else), go where you will happiest. I'm a firm believer that emotions impact achievement, and if you know you'll be happier at once place over another, then there is no reason not to go there. </p>

<p>For your second question, it's certainly feasible. There are people who come from small colleges all over the world to large Research I schools. And really, research is becoming so specialized now, it's impossible to say that one university is #1 in Biology or whatever field (we'll use biology as an example) because these fields have so many things going on within them. University X might be #1 in bio overall, but the best genetics program might be at U of ABC, the best Marine zoology at EF State U, the best ecology of the Taiga biome is at MND University and so on and so on. So at that point, it will be more important WHAT type of research you want to pursue, and that will have an effect on where you head.</p>

<p>This sort of specialization happens ALL over the place, no matter the subject. I see it even within my medical school's residency programs. My medical center does not have a great General Surgery Residency program, but it attracts a number of great candidates because it is well known for organ transplant surgery. So many good students who want to be transplant surgeons come to my school for their general surgery residency so that they can have a leg up when it comes to getting into the transplant fellowship.</p>

14

<p>Mmk. Well that makes me feel a lot better. Thanks for the advice.</p>

15

<p>+1 for WWU</p>

16

<p>ok this is an old post, but i definitely feel the need to reply...because i was in the exact same situation. </p>

<p>I chose WWU over UW. Now, I applied to 8 schools and was accepted by every one...my first choice was Lewis & clark college in Portland, but I decided to pick a public school so I wouldn't be forced to take out loans. I mainly chose WWU because of the location, size, and honors program, which gave me the feel of a smaller LAC like Lewis & Clark. </p>

<p>I would disagree about it being in a different academic league...and I definitely know kids who have chosen it over UW. WWU does accept more students (about 10% more than UW), but I think in general, the student body is still academic. I have many friends who go to UW, and I definitely believe my classes are more challenging, as well as more personal. </p>

<p>As a freshman, my largest class is about 40 students, and last quarter I had a class with just 15. My classes are very challenging, and this is not coming from a mediocre student (3.9 hs gpa unweighted, 34 ACT, 10 APs). My professors all know my name, and they're always willing to help. At UW you don't have the same chance to take smaller classes as a freshman. </p>

<p>UW is definitely the more well-known school, but I really don't think that matters. I fully believe that WWU gives you a better all-around college experience, especially when compared with a huge school like UW. </p>

<p>For all those who say UW is a better school and you should go there...seriously, who cares? UW is slightly better, but WWU is definitely 2nd to UW in the state. I chose WWU mainly because I didn't want to go to a school as large as UW. I really don't buy anyone who says that you should go to UW simply because its thought of as a better school. "better" is completely subjective, an admissions rate won't tell you if a school is better or not. </p>

<p>By the way, aj16, you can't say that going to WWU will sacrifice you're ability to get a job. Employers don't care...my friend's dad got a degree from an online chain university (you know, the kind they advertise on TV), and has a fantastic job as the vice-president of a large company. Once you get into the workforce, employers hire you based on ability, not based on who went to the best school. Its not like employers keep a copy of USNWR rankings with them when they interview potential employees. jeez. </p>

<p>Go to the school that's right for you. If its WWU, great, and i'll see you next year! If not, go to UW. Overall, personal fit is more important than an admissions rate.</p>

17

<p>You are getting lots of good advice here and there are a ton of factors to consider. My only word of advice is that one factor not to consider is HS students' collective opinions about which is the best school for you. </p>

<p>Not to discount individual's thoughtful opinions (lots of teenagers on here have great ideas and suggestions!), but I'm talking about the herd mentality based on little more than 'what's popular now'. A lot of discussion around school quality and judgment on CC has very little to do with objective information gained from experience or facts, and unfortunately a lot to do with mythology and popular hype that is as meaningful as which brands of jeans are the best. </p>

<p>Maybe I'm just biased by that article which was posted in the Parent Forum on "confessions of an admissions counsellor". You should definitely read it!</p>

18

<p>I got accepted to Brown, Stanford, and UCSD. I'm at to UC Santa Barbara. I love it here, I'm happy, and I'm getting a great education. I have no regrets about my choice and don't think it will affect my future in any negative way. It's the person I am and the academic choices I make here that will matter the most, not the university from which I get my degree. Go where you'll be happiest.</p>