Good afternoon everybody, I am new to this site so this is my first post. Anyways, I was accepted as an out of state transfer student to both UNC-Chapel and Emory University as a biology major for the Fall of 2017 and I’m currently trying to decide which university I should attend.
I already paid the enrollment deposit for both university a while back before the dead line for each because I had yet to make a decision and I thought that perhaps I would need more time to think about it. At both Universities I got pretty generous Financial Aid packages. To be more specific at UNC-Chapel Hill I was fortunate enough to get the Carolina Covenant which allows low-income students to graduate debt free and at Emory I basically pay around $3,000 a semester which is not bad at all since money wouldn’t be an issue at all.
I know both universities have wonderful programs for students interested in pre-med and I just wanted to hear your opinions on which university would better prepare me more in getting into Medical School?
Anyways, I know in the end my decision will be based on my own personal preference at this point, however, it would be nice to hear any feedback from anyone.
Both would be fine. What city are you more attracted to? Are you 100% sure about pre-med? If not Emory would be the better option due to the ease of changing majors and high ranking curriculum across the board. If you are 100% sure then UNC might be better as I’m sure their pre med course work/reqs are not as rigorous as Emory’s albeit still difficult.
I guess what I was trying to communicate was that both schools are fine… that’s all. I had the same question- has the student taken any of the prerequisites yet?
In regards to pre-reqs I have already done the general biology 1 and 2, general chemistry 1 and 2, organic chem 1 and 2, and physics 1 with calculus and physics 2 with calculus. Of course with the labs as well.
Instead of thinking about it from that angle, think about this: What kind of college experience do you want to have for your last 2-3 years? UNC is a large public university in a small college town; most of the students will be NC residents, although there are many OOS and international students there. Emory is a medium-sized private in a large urban area. Students will be from all over the country and the world. Do you want a small town or a large city? A really big school or a more medium-sized one?
Another way to look at it: is Emory that much more appealing to you that you don’t mind forking over $12,000 to $18,000 total rather than simply graduating debt-free from UNC?
I agree with @juillet, think about whether the extra money is an issue for you, but focus on the big difference between the schools (smaller, urban, private, with a more diverse undergrad body versus larger state school in a ideal college town with lots of sports/school spirit). Both are excellent academically, but your four years would FEEL very different in the two environments.
Pick the school you like better, and if finances are an issue then that should be part of the decision making process. There are differences between the two schools, but there are also similarities. My D chose not to attend Emory… and she was able to create the things she loved about Emory… at UNC.
They are both great schools- you won’t go wrong with either one.
Hearing all your suggestions and feedback allowed me to see things from a perceptive different from how I originally saw it and helped me take into account factors that I initially thought were minor issues. After visiting both Universities and talking to both faculty and students I was able to get a feel of where I would really fit in. I have finally made my long awaited decision and with that being said thank you for all the feedback and suggestions I really appreciate the help.