<p>I am from the Midwest and am currently choosing among MIT, Caltech and UChicago. I plan to major in Economics (currently my first choice), but I may change my mind to be on pre-med (currently my plan B). If financial aids are pretty similar amongst the three colleges, what are the other things I should consider for my decision making? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I’ve heard that entrance into med school is based in huge part on GPA. Caltech is known for not practicing the grade inflation so many schools do, so you’ll likely end up with a lower GPA there. Three great choices - congratulations!</p>
<p>No advice but congratulations!</p>
<p>Congratulations!
You can’t get better than UChicago’s economics department. You are also taught by professors there, with small classes. (There is a story about how Milton Friedman was actually let go as a professor there because he would not teach undergraduates anymore - all professors are required to teach them.)</p>
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<p>You can take pre-med courses alongside an economics major, so there is no need to choose between the two.</p>
<p>“You can’t get better than UChicago’s economics department. You are also taught by professors there, with small classes.”</p>
<p>well except maybe MIT, which is where Paul Samuelson, Franco Modigliani and Robert Solow all taught. And where Larry Summers, Ben Bernanke, Paul Krugman, and Gregory Manikiw got their Phd’s. also Steve Levitt of Freakonomics. </p>
<p>Not sure about the class sizes. </p>
<p>UC Econ of course is ALSO a regular produce of nobel laureates and other brilliant folks.</p>
<p>They DO have somewhat different ideological biases - OP might want to google on “fresh water economics” and “salt water economics” 
Myself, if it was only about econ, I would go for MIT at this point in history. </p>
<p>OTOH they are different colleges with different atmospheres, different strengths in other fields, different cities to live in, etc, etc.</p>
<p>MIT is you want to advise your future clients to raise taxes, U. Chicago if you want to advise cients to cut 'em. CalT has better weather ad is equally strong.</p>
<p>All three are GREAT - congratulations.</p>
<p>Chicago has everything you may seek, now and future. The other two don’t match up with your major/interests. </p>
<p>Caltech is also the size of a small high school in CA. MIT is cold and full of engineers.</p>
<p>I do think you are thinking more about grad school, not undergrad. All three are fantastic . . . but think just as much about “fit”.</p>