<p>I've seen a few of these threads, but I wanted to make one with my situation. I like both Elon and High Point, I've decided that a private school will work best with me and am pretty sure I will end up at either of these schools. I'm undecided, but I'm leaning towards a medical field, so one of these schools will be my undergrad school. I love hanging out at night, but both of these schools don't have great night life. I also realize that Elon has better academics, but the thing is that I got a 36,000 scholarship over 4 years to HPU. Since I'm going to grad school, would High Point be better just because it will save my family money in the long run? This is a tough choice and I just wanted to hear some outside advice, posts just trashing one school will be ignored. Thanks! </p>
<p>Have you reached out to the pre-med advising office at either school? You may find it helpful to compare medical school acceptance rates.</p>
<p>I thoroughly appreciate your not wanting to hear trashing of one school, and I agree with you. It is important, though, to know that High Point does not have a very good reputation for academics among people from North Carolina. I’ve heard it often, including from other CC posters from NC. I am not an education snob and don’t put down schools, even schools that are low in the rankings, because I believe the “best” college is the one that is best for any given person. However, there are a lot of other people like me who would not be eager to pay for a High Point education. Its concentration on providing a resort-like atmosphere (concierge to arrange things for students, ice cream trucks, an arcade, hot tubs, massages) feeds into its not-so-positive reputation.</p>
<p>That being said, I know a current student at High Point who is very happy there. The level of happiness, though, seems to revolve more around the social life and the amenities than the academics. It remains to be seen how that student will do after graduation.</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d want to talk to some High Point graduates, especially some in medical fields, and get their opinions about the education they received and the opportunities it provided.</p>
<p>More importantly, you have to know about funding. Have your parents told you exactly how much they can pay for your education? Would there be enough money for graduate school after that? What do you like about Elon and High Point? Might there be other schools that would be less expensive or give you larger scholarships/tuition reductions?</p>
<p>Make sure to ask about the availability of research funding at HPU. On some of the videos put out by the school, professors mentioned that for the first time, they had funding to do research. What that could mean is that the school offers only limited funding for UGs, and there are only a token amount of biological based positions available at the school. From what I understand, med schools look favorably upon applicants who’ve participated in research projects as an undergrad. </p>
<p>UG research is highly competitive no matter which school you go to. You need to be proactive and motivated,
It’s not just handed to you.</p>