I was recently accepted to both Emory and the University of Southern California but am having a hard time making a decision. I visited USC’s campus and really liked it- the students seemed happy and there was so much going on, it was a very energetic and fun atmosphere. I hope to live in the LA area and I’m sure that I would benefit from the connections that going to SC would offer. On the other hand, I’m interested in attending medical school and I’ve been told that Emory has a top program for pre-meds. Also, Emory offered a greater financial aid package and costs less than USC so an Emory degree would be about $38k cheaper in the long run. I also just finished my freshman year at Emory so USC would be a change of environment. I applied hoping for a better aid package, but never knew how much I would like the environment there. Emory’s campus doesn’t seem exciting in any way and is probably a worse social fit for me. This isn’t really a big problem though as I’ve made a good set of friends this year that I feel close to. It might not matter, but everyone is familiar with and respects USC in my neck of the woods. Very few people have heard of Emory. I’d appreciate any help in making this tough decision.
You’re pre-med…don’t know why you need your lay prestige ego massage because it doesn’t matter to med. schools or employers in which case both will likely be viewed similarly. Also, if you want more of the sports/party type of atmosphere, then just transfer. I personally don’t care for the way USC runs science courses (and neither did my friend who did BME there but took Emory courses during the summer. It speaks loads when Emory’s summer courses were perceived as better, because I know for a fact that summer quality and rigor is lower than the academic year at Emory), but if the social fit is more important to you and you need the rah rah, I would just transfer away as you’d likely perform the same and just be happier socially. The two are very different and I am confused as to how you ended up at Emory a more stressful “bookish” school with no D-1 “rah rah” and a more intellectual/entrepreneurial vibe vs. somewhere with more of the D-1 spirit and more “social variety” going on. Just because Emory ranks well and is good for pre-med doesn’t make it a fit (many people at Emory who chose more carefully came for the strength of specific departments, but I don’t know any of such people who expected a USC type vibe). Almost any decently ranked school has the latter quality. You should have also considered other good public schools (USC is private, but has the size and feel of a public).
Unless your freshman year was above average academically (not grades, but how much you enjoyed your classes), it should be a bye. From how this reads, it wasn’t interesting enough to distract you from the fact that you were not the perfect social fit, so unless you are signed up for particularly good classes are instructors next year that make you willing to give Emory another shot to grow on you, I would peace out.
$38 grand less? I would be saying HELLO EMORY, if I were you.
How about stay at Emory, but join Greek life if you aren’t already involved. Maybe that would had another dimension to your social scene and things would feel more lively. GL