<p>Any current students (or parents who can comment from their perspective) out there accepted to both schools who chose/are-choosing UK over UC for reasons other than cost advantages (i.e., assume cost is equal). Why? Any perspective other than costs is helpful, but would also especially like to hear from majors in engineering or any pre-med focused student regardless of major.</p>
<p>Hi! I just recently chose UK over UC, they were both my two final schools I decided between. I actually really liked them both, and with the NMF packages both being really great I really think choosing either would’ve turned out as a good decision, I would’ve been happy at either. I spent a long time making spreadsheets trying to decide between the two, but here’s just sort of what I really was trying to consider at the end. </p>
<p>I’m going to be majoring in Biology with a Pre-Med concentration, so I wanted there to be good research opportunities and good hospitals nearby that I could volunteer at (I don’t know if your son is looking for that in schools too but it was a big factor for me). Having had a medical school interview at UC, I got to know their programs really pretty well and they seemed very nice. Their honors program seemed to offer some really cool things for people interested in medicine and research like a nice class tailored to students interested in medicine aiming for some first real research positions. I also spoke with the pre-professional advisors and they seemed really helpful. Initially I didn’t know how UK’s research and nearby hospitals would compare with UCs but I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that Lexington had like 5 nearby hospitals that I could volunteer at and they offered much more research opportunities than I had originally thought. So I think on that factor the two are pretty equally matched, but one thing that I really liked about Kentucky was that I got an email from their “biology scholars” and it sounded appealing, while it didn’t seem like UC had a program like that. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if your son would want to be in their honors programs but I think a big difference between the two was in their honors programs, UC’s seems more like a supplement that you’re only as involved as you want to be and UK’s was more involved. I’m going to be in the Honors LLP at UK and I thought it sounded really fun, and their new Honors dorms are really awesome haha. </p>
<p>At least for me they both seemed like really great options. I didn’t really have a strong lean either way but my dad was leaning towards UC: what he said was it seemed more “logical”, closer, near other members of my family, and easy to get rides home from other kids from my high school (at least 25 kids from my high school go there every year). In the end I think UK just seemed like a better fit for me (as unhelpful as that sounds, I’m sorry, haha). I liked UKs campus a lot more; while UC has really interesting architecture, it feels much more urban than UK. I loved the grass at UK and I thought their campus was very pretty. One thing that I didn’t like so much about UC was that while the campus itself is safe, heading off campus you can end up in some not so great areas pretty quickly. </p>
<p>I also liked that Lexington wasn’t such a big city as Cincinnati. Kentucky in general is more of a change in pace from where I live now. Being in northeast Ohio, Kentucky is like an hour and a half further away from my house, but neither one of the schools would’ve been especially close to me. </p>
<p>I don’t really know how helpful any of this is, haha, my reasons for picking UK are probably somewhat superficial. I really think they’re both very nice schools and things would’ve worked out well at either one. Best of luck to your son in deciding where to go! </p>
<p>@meeshiemoo - Thanks so much! Nothing is superficial in your reply and is very candid. Just what I wanted to hear. Too bad for all that UK offers there aren’t more folks on CC talking about it! Where is everyone!! UC’s presence isn’t that much greater though. There has to be many kids applying to both of these schools given their proximity and UC’s metro and reciprocity rates for many Kentucky counties.</p>
<p>My son has the NMF scholarship opportunities at both schools. He also has a medical school interest, but is somewhat conflicted between engineering (biomedical or chemical) and life sciences, so that makes choices even a bit harder. And advice given is also a source of conflict. I’m an engineer and I think engineering is a good plan B if med school plans change, so my “logical” leaning as well. Others have advised the extra courses for med school required on top of engineering curriculums that are usually 12-15 credits more than life sciences anyways makes it a tougher road. UC engineering is mandatory co-op which has many pluses, but also a few minuses, one being it is necessarily a 5-yr program.</p>
<p>He too has noted many of the same things you have about campus life, settings, dorms and the like. In any case, still a couple weeks to decide and hopefully more folks chime in. He is split down the middle so far.</p>
<p>@OhDad3
I read your posts with interest as my son is taking advantage of the Patterson scholarship at UK next fall. I just wanted to say that it is too bad that there isn’t more talk about UK on here; I guess most of these folks are east or west coasters and tend to lean towards their respective schools. I have learned a lot on here and when I read some of these threads, for example the “Loan reality”, it makes me feel really happy that my son does not want to go to a college where he will be graduating with $$$$ in debt. He was thrilled to get into UK and get that scholarship. I can’t believe that people are willing to pay some of these prices they discuss on here just so their kid can go to a “real” college. And I might be wrong; but I don’t think I am…based on everything I’ve seen at UK-this is a great time to be a Wildcat! Good luck to your son.</p>
<p>@kyproud - You bet! UK and some of the others that were always good schools are really pushing hard to make it to the “perceived next level”. If I were the student here I’d be choosing UK for the simple fact that I’d want to be a participant in the effort to do so, the scholarship is a near free ride, and I love the bluegrass area on down through eastern TN and western NC with the mountains and lakes. 100-300 miles south of SW OH is perfect for me. </p>
<p>When I look at 4-year residual costs with the NMF scholarships (only looking at tuition, fees, room and meal plans) I calculate about $4-5K at UK and about $16-17K at UC when comparing apples-to-apples across the board (i.e., making housing and meal plans similar). Schools are equal in quality with differences largely preference things and the required co-op at UC as far as I can see with engineering anyway. Oh and a couple different engineering majors at each school too.</p>
<p>Regarding UK and the timing, note that at Ohio State being a NMF (or other similar scholastic merit measure) 10-20 years ago would have netted some real cash for a student. I know that from parents with kids from that era. Today it alone won’t get you anything. For my son (he got $3K/yr for his grades, class rank, and ACT score) the comp is near free ride at UK versus a 4-yr residual of $75K at OSU! So you are right. It’s great now but in only years, UK may offer very little for the same achievement. Get it now while its one of the top 3-4 deals for NMFs in the entire country!</p>
<p>@OhDad3
You are so spot on! And the gorgeous new dorms they are building are certainly an incentive in my opinion. My son is going into a brand new never lived in before dorm next year. Not many college students will be able to say that. Maybe kids today are “softies” but with the prices these colleges charge; they should be getting nice dorms! My son would like laundry service; but I am sure that is stretching it a bit. Anyways; I am sure as an engineer you know better than I; but I have heard that UK’s Engineering program is one of the best in the nation. The new dorms for the Engineering students look stunning. Also they are breaking ground next month on a 65 million dollar science facility. Paid for entirely by UK athletics. I think that’s awesome! I could talk about UK all night!</p>
<p>kyproud, I am sure your NMF son will figure out how to barter some tutoring for laundry service. His test is to figure out who can do laundry without ending up with pink underwear.</p>
<p>After much thought, surprisingly S decided upon UC after first leaning to UK. As @meeshiemoo says above, neither is a bad choice if costs are near equal (e.g., for an NMF from Ohio or if one is from northern KY counties that otherwise qualifies for the in-state rate at UC). In engineering at least, both schools are held in similar regard with perhaps (not my opinion) a slight edge to UC, though likewise UK is held in a little higher regard nationally across the board. Again, all of that too close to make a difference and just relies upon other “opinions” anyway.</p>
<p>In the end, S chose UC for: (1) its co-op program, (2) the opportunity to do so nationally and/or internationally more readily at UC versus at UK (the rate of engineering co-op at UK is 20-25%, 70% of which remain in-state - at UC co-op is required with more established arrangements, better coordination, etc.), (3) an established bio-medical undergrad at UC, and (4) more common-core curriculum at UC during first semester than at UK where they seem to want to immediately diverge into specifics of the major more quickly. Then there are some personal intangibles: he found it irritating that UK was reluctant to credit the college english composition PSEO credit he got from Miami University, and simply felt like he fit in better at UC.</p>
<p>Of course if either of his parents were the student the choice would be UK. We just like the campus, setting, housing and other not specifically education related “opportunities” that are UK/Lexington better. And although for NMF scholarships costs are very close, a financial edge does indeed go to UK which appears to be on the order of $10K over 4 years (UK’s Patterson versus UC’s Cincinnatus Excellence + Engineering Scholarship), all things considered.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting, @OhDad3. I appreciate your sharing your son’s process. My daughter is headed to UK, with a plan to major in biology, hopefully on the way to medical school. The composition credit is rather odd at UK, and my daughter learned that her AP scores won’t be considered as fulfilling the chemistry and physics requirements for most med schools. Even though she’ll get credit hours at UK, she has to take all the chemistry and physics classes recommended for pre-med, which is a bit annoying. Good luck to your S at UC!</p>