HBC or Ivy League?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So, now that I have received all of my decisions, I realized that I applied to way too many schools and I have no idea where to go. Out of the 11 I applied to, I got into 10 (I was rejected from Yale). And out of those 10, I don't know which school to choose. So, I was hoping for input from all of the wise people of CC. I was accepted to the following schools:</p>

<p>[ul]Columbia- I really love New York City and I think I may enjoy the core curriculum
[<em>]Harvard- It's Harvard, need I say more[<em>]
[</em>]Northwestern- I have a lot of family and friends in Chicago and Northwestern has a good math department (I want to be a math major)
[</em>]WashU- another great school that is close to home
[<em>]Williams- best liberal arts school in the country (I may change my major to English)
[</em>]Miami University in Ohio- i got a full ride and it is pretty close to home
[<em>]Spelman- it is a historically black college (HBC) and gave me a full ride, plus i really like the atmosphere
[</em>]Johns Hopkins- I wanna be a doctor so, there premed program would be ideal
[<em>]Pomona- I have always loved California and they are also a great liberal arts school
[</em>]UIUC- not sure I want to go there, it was only a safety school, but a lot of my friends are attending...[/ul]</p>

<p>So, do any of you have some input as to which school I should go to? I know it depends on personality and other factors, but I just wanted to know general impressions of the school, etc. BTW, I want to be a math major and go to Med School.</p>

2

<p>What do you want to do after your graduate?</p>

3

<p>I want to be a doctor, mssales.</p>

4

<p>Do any of the schools you are considering have a reputation for taking students into their med school at a greater rate than applicants from other schools? Have you looked into combined programs (I think Columbia does a combined undergrad and med school program)?</p>

5

<p>I believe that a large percentage of the entering Harvard med school class are actually Harvard College graduates :) That might be something to look into.</p>

6

<p>Personally I'd narrow it down to Harvard, Williams, Johns Hopkins pre-med, and Columbia. Beyond that it'll just be your personal preference.</p>

<p>And don't choose UIUC because your friends are going there. You'll most likely regret it later. You will probably still be successful, but there won't be as many opportunities there compared to the other fine schools you were accepted to.</p>

7

<p>Johns Hopkins.</p>

8

<p>Lots of great choices. Spelman is a really, REALLY good school. And Bev Tatum (the Pres.) is making it better all the time. If you like an HBC, they have a virtually 100% med school admission rate, and very little weed-out.</p>

<p>If you are absolutely sure you are premed, I'd rule out JHU - the weed-out is terrible, and every year, several hundred students who would have turned out to be great docs if they'd attended their state schools, end up in something else. </p>

<p>And if you are premed, aren't you looking at $200k plus in future medical school costs?</p>

<p>And the research opportunities are awesome:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.spelman.edu/academics/research/index.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.spelman.edu/academics/research/index.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>All great choices, but I really don't think you could do better than Spelman, if you would feel comfortable at an HBC.</p>

<p>(P.S. Math is great at both Harvard and Williams, but that wouldn't sway me over what Spelman has to offer.)</p>

9

<p>I'd bet my most of the top medical schools recruit at Spelman. If that's the type of atmosphere you might enjoy, I say go for it. Many of my most successful AA friends have sent their girls there.</p>

10

<p>Harvard or Williams.</p>

11

<p>When I think of medicine I think of Johns Hopkins.</p>

12

<p>When I think of premeds I think of Harvard, actually.</p>

<p>Johns Hopkins is good for med school, but that's grad school, not undergrad.</p>

13

<p>When I think of premeds, I think of Xavier. Much higher percentage of students going on to med school than the other two.</p>

14

<p>mini: my mom went to Xavier, and I was actually considering that school but then the Hurricane hit... But yeah, I just visited Spelman over the weekend and I really loved it and I got the Presidential Scholarship so it will be free if I go there. and I agree, Bev Tatum is really cool. she and I actually had a personal chat.</p>

<p>so is the consensus that I should choose between Harvard, Columbia, Williams, Johns Hopkins, and Spelman? Well, at least it is narrowed down to 5 instead of 10 schools.</p>

15

<p>Yeah, it's really, really a tragedy what happened to Xavier. Hope they will be able to rebuild. </p>

<p>You have such great choices. (I've got more to say, but if I get a chance, I'll PM you.)</p>

16

<p>bump........</p>

17

<p>Go with Spelman. It's comparable to a Seven Sisters school plus you have the Atlanta U center available. But as a former Ohioan, DEFINITELY DO NOT go with Miami U. Fine university, just lilly upper-middle class white in an isolated part of conservative SW Ohio.</p>

18

<p>thanks for the input, Quincy. I really like Spelman, but I feel like I may have more opportunities if I go to an Ivy League school. For example, if i decide not to pursue medicine or not go to graduate school, I may have more job options if I attend Harvard or Columbia rather than Spelman.</p>

19

<p>bump........</p>

20

<p>I guess it would depend on how much you like Atlanta, and whether you strongly want to go to a HBC, or if you'd be okay with going to an Ivy (I hear Princeton has the highest percentage of African-American students at around 10%).</p>