<p>I'm currently deciding between attending the University of Tennessee as a Haslam Scholar(full-ride, research support and funding, 2 study-abroads, etc. only 15 people a year), Emory University, or Vanderbilt(the one I'm leaning towards at the moment).<br>
I want to major in neuroscience and apply for medical school. The state university has produced 2 Goldwater scholars in the past 2 years, so I guess the research support is great. My main issue with this is that neuroscience is not offered as a major(although they're working on this and I could design my own major), so research opportunities in this area would be limited. (research at ORNL+UTK medical center)
I absolutely love Vanderbilt's neuroscience program(very strong, as far as I can tell) and I could possibly research at the Vanderbilt Medical Center as an undergrad, which would be great.
So really between just Vanderbilt(w/ a small amount of loans) and University of Tennessee(completely free+ a structured program for Haslam Scholars), which would be a better choice for pre-med, assuming i take advantage of as much as possible at both universities.<br>
please, please help.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>I too would lean toward Vandy. I like Nashville better than Knoxville, Vandy has a hospital, and from what I can tell it’s just easier to be a student at Vandy than UT.</p>
<p>“full-ride”</p>
<p>May I repeat that again?</p>
<p>“full-ride”</p>
<p>What is the financial aid like at the other places? If you stay pre-med, you want to have money left for med school. Compare the numbers here: [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid)</p>
<p>Don’t worry about whether or not there is a department with the name “Neuroscience” on it. Worry about whether the coursework and lab opportunities you are looking for exist there. My guess is that as a Haslam scholar, many doors at UT would be open to you that would be hard to find (let alone open) at some other universities.</p>
<p>*I too would lean toward Vandy. I like Nashville better than Knoxville, Vandy has a hospital, and from what I can tell it’s just easier to be a student at Vandy than UT.
*</p>
<p>easier? Not for a pre-med student. My nephew is pre-med at Vandy and it’s a stress pressure chamber there.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies!
Yes, with Vanderbilt, I would have to take out a few thousand dollars in loans (the EFC was ~50% higher than the EFC according to FAFSA…is that normal?), but if Vanderbilt truly would be a better school in the long-run, that’s perfectly fine.<br>
At UTK, there is a behavioral neuroscience lab and the UTK medical center but, to me, it seems like the work I would do there wouldn’t be as profound(due to the limited opportunities/lack of prestige) as research at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in the eyes of graduate school admissions officers. Also, I recently talked to another Haslam Scholar who is pursuing neuroscience and she has been taking a lot of Psychology classes in designing her own major, most likely due to the lack of true neuroscience courses at UTK. Is that worth it? Will my bachelor’s degree have the same value as a Haslam Scholar at UTK as it would as a Vanderbilt graduate(where neuroscience opportunitites are not limited)?</p>
<p>So, I guess my question is: putting cost aside, Vanderbilt or Haslam Scholar?</p>
<p>“Profound” research by definition would have nothing to do with prestige. If it’s prestige you want, by all means, go to Vanderbilt. If you want to make sure you get into medical school, regardless of the cost, go where you think you will have the highest gpa. If read through the forums here, the general consensus on med school is that you go where you get the highest gpa at the lowest cost because admissions comes down to gpa and mcat scores.</p>
<p>happymom:</p>
<p>The OP mentions “Vanderbilt(w/ a small amount of loans)” and absolutely loves the department of interest. You only go through life once. If the OP goes to medical school he/she will have no problem paying off these additional loans. I don’t understand the mantra for pre-meds to sacrifice higher choice programs to be completely debt free prior to med school. People borrow all the time to buy homes when they could save so much more as a renter or buying a less desirable home in a less desirable neighborhood. At least with educational debt you are investing in yourself and hopefully in your future earning potential. Tennesee has to offer a full ride to a Vanderbilt quality applicant because it has to in order get someone that much more promising than its usual admits. It may be a “full-ride” but it’s not a “free-ride” when you factor in the opportunity costs of spending four years on a campus when your true peer group is elsewhere.</p>
<p>How much, exactly is “a few thousand dollars”? If you can start Med School without any debt at all it will be a huge blessing. You don’t want to carry one cent of debt from your undergrad years that is not absolutely necessary considering that Med School will leave you an additional $200k or so in the hole.</p>
<p>If Vanderbilt uses the CSS Profile or its own financial aid formula, then yes it is entirely possible that the EFC will not resemble the FAFSA EFC at all. How much debt would Vanderbilt leave you with? Remember, you can only borrow up to the Stafford Loan limits without a co-signer. If Vanderbilt means more debt than that ($5,500 freshman, $6,500 sophomore, $7,500 junior, $7,500 senior year for a grand total of $27,000) then even if Med School isn’t in the picture, you would be talking about taking on more than most parents here consider to be reasonable.</p>
<p>YaleGradandDad -</p>
<p>Given the future of managed care in this country, it is truly difficult for me to tell any potential pre-med that he/she will have “no problem” paying off any loans.
More than one physician parent has posted here about the long-term effects of the accumulated debt from college on their life, and on their children’s college options. That’s why I’m pointing this out here. Yes, the honors program isn’t Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt isn’t (or shouldn’t) be the dream. The career after college is the dream. If the goal really truly is med school, that is where the focus needs to be.</p>
<p>That career after college doesn’t start until you are in your 30’s and done with a residency. A kid who is good enough to make it to a selective school like Vanderbilt is going to do well on MCATs and be able to keep up grades that will allow him/her to make it into medical school. Even with managed care I would be hard pressed to think of any field where the average income is 70% of current physician income so there is plenty of room for income to drop and still be exceedingly well compensated. I have not read those threads form “more than one physician parent” who have posted about the deleterious effects of undergraduate debt. I know of physicians who likely made stupid business decsions and went bankrupt but this is far from the norm. I’ll go on record as one physician parent who feels like his liberal arts education was much more valuable than just as a means to enroll in medical school. I personally found it “no problem” paying off undergraduate loans shortly after completing residency. You can dream of a medical career without thinking low cost, high GPA, and high MCATs are your college goal. That would be a shameful waste of what could be an incredible four years.</p>
<p>“easier? Not for a pre-med student. My nephew is pre-med at Vandy and it’s a stress pressure chamber there.”</p>
<p>Sorry, I did not mean to imply that it is academically less difficult, I meant that it is easier to connect with professors, it is easier to find research opportunities, it is easier to find support services, it is easier to get involved socially, it is easier to navigate bureaucratically.</p>
<p>Wow, everyone’s point is excellent. Thanks for the different perspective, YaleGradandDad. I agree with your point of view. </p>
<p>Here are a few other points I have been considering: through the Haslam program, I would have the opportunity to study abroad(expenses paid) and am guaranteed a research mentor. I plan to find an internship at ORNL/ St. Jude’s. I would also be designing my own major through a scholar’s program, so I *will *be able to take neuroscience courses and will be excused from any pre-reqs to fulfill this goal. In addition, there is some structure to the program-- I have to take certain seminars and political science classes designed for those who choose this program. The university has also produced several Goldwater Scholars in the past 3 years, and I assume that it is easier to be nominated for it at UTK than at Vanderbilt. The group of 15 is also very tightly-knit, taking trips, classes, and the such together.<br>
Do such experiences matter when applying to graduate school? Or is it all objective? Does undergraduate prestige count greatly?
At Vanderbilt, on the other hand, I would hopefully partake as a leader in certain Cultural clubs(among other activities like Student Government), research at the Vanderbilt Medical Center, and earn an Honors degree from the neuroscience department. I would take out ~$5,000 in loans per year.
I appreciate all your responses so, so much! Neither of my parents have been through this process, and I am completely clueless. I would love some unbiased views.</p>
<p>I’m surprised that you said that Vandy has a higher expectation from your family. Vandy is usually pretty good with aid.</p>
<p>Are either of your parents self-employed/have their own business?</p>
<p>Are you saying that you were given large grants but your family contribution is too high so now you’re having to borrow to bring down their cost?</p>
@collegeinfo1994 Which did you choose? Similar choice For My D coming up.