My youngest son is trying to decide between Colby and Univ of Richmond. biology/premed major. Pros for Richmond are larger city with possibility for internships and more opportunities for community involvement. Also chance to experience a different part of the country. Pros for Colby are better name recognition in New England, and much better financial aid $8500 more in grants due to Colby’s no loan policy. Biggest Negatives for Colby are oldest brother and both parents went to Colby and we live 10mins away.
Greek life is a big deal at URichmond. How does your son feel about that? Does he ski?
It’s nice to try a new place to live during your college years but transportation costs will add another expense to choosing URichmond over Colby. I assume its $8500 a year not over 4 years?
Yes the $8500 difference is for this year and yes he does ski
Well, I’d vote for Colby unless he MUST blaze his own trail. Might be worth a try negotiating for better aid with URichmond. The worst they can say is no.
I would recommend checking out the school. They offer a stipend of $4000 for each incoming student which can be used for summer research or an opportunity to study abroad. Students also have the opportunity to hit the ground running with research during their first year. The opportunity to get the hand-on research before med school is invaluable and most undergraduate students have no problem getting into the top tier med schools. I am not familiar with Colby but UR is a great school.
If cost is a factor, then the decision is easy. If there is an opportunity to bridge the gap, then I would recommend UR. UR offers a great pre-med program in addition to a top 20 undergraduate business school and Jepson Leadership School. Your son will get a great education at UR. My brother and I can’t thank UR enough for the education we received.
In terms of cities, Richmond has become more of a destination than it historically has been. Richmond is roughly equidistant from the mountains and the beach and it is within a day’s trip to DC. The surrounding area is a great place to raise a family and the suburbs are very safe. Jobs are plentiful as well. When I advise potential students on college, I often refer to the “gut” feeling. Your son probably has an idea of where he wants to study. I know I did. We all do when we set foot on a particular campus. You just know you belong there.
The University of Richmond is a very close-knit community and pulls together. He will meet life-long friends there. The professors are accessible and really want the students to learn. They are approachable, yet require the students to push themselves unlike their high school years. UR is a rigorous learning environment, unlike any other undergraudate institution. He will be very well prepared if he goes to UR.
Best of luck in your search!
@doschicos Just wanted to say, I don’t know why you think greek life is a big deal at UofR because its really not. There is no pressure to join greek life and many students don’t. There are plenty of events on campus to go to without participating, like events hosted by CA alternatives, which are substance free. We’ve had game nights, a carnival, several open mic nights, etc. In addition, if your friend joins and you don’t or you join different frats/sororities, you’ll still be friends- they won’t push you away. The greek organizations also do not have houses- they do not live together. Members live in the regular dorms wherever they are assigned or choose to be assigned. There are cottages and lodges, which are basically one room, which is where they hold parties and events. Honestly, nobody knows if you’re affiliated unless you tell them.
And i agree with everything in @gotime post 5. UR has amazing opportunities and great premed advising. They also have a free MCAT prep course for pre-health students. From 2003-2013, 78% of pre-med students at UofR were accepted to med school, which is much higher than the national average. Check out their pre-health page and you can find all sorts of information, including their clinical opportunities.
The other thing to consider is med school admissions doesn’t really rely on name recognition. Its primarily your gpa and MCATs.
@guineagirl96 - At URichmond, roughly a 1/3 of the students are involved in greek life and it is a notable presence on campus, especially compared to Colby which has no greek life at all. It may or may not matter to the OP, but it is a significant difference between the two schools. Knowing current URichmond students, I know the presence of sororities and fraternities does impact the social life at the college, but its good to hear that nonmembers can be included in activities.
UR is a wonderful school. They offer students a $4000 stipend for research or an internship before they graduate. The research opportunities are amazing and you can check out the descriptions of some of them by clicking on the specific academic department and then “labs.” Some of UR’s students actually began working with professors on specific studies when they were in high school. UR grads have no problem with getting into med school because of their extensive research opportunities.
We don’t have any TA’s or large lecture halls. Classes are small and you really get to know your classmates and develop a strong support system. While professors are demanding, they are approachable and want you to do well.
If you want a great education, your decision should be an easy one!
Go Spiders! Take the plunge!