Hi this is my first time posting on CC,but I have been given two great opportunities, but I am having trouble picking a college and I need to make a decision within 4 days. I have been accepted to Washington University in St Louis and UT Austin Plan ii. I am really torn because both schools are fantastic. I am a premed biology student. For UT my pros are that I have personal attention considering there are only 170 plan ii students, my total undergraduate costs will be around 30,000, I will be able to research both freshman year and senior year due to the freshman research intitative and honors thesis, and they will accept most if not all of my 30 college credits. For Wustl, they will not accept the credits except for three but most classes are smaller because at UT I still will be in a lot of ut classes, the have a well regarded and fantastic premed program, the campus is amazing, and the people on campus are known for being collaborative and friendly. Because of my scholarships, WUSTL would cost me around the same for UT the first year maybe a 1,000 or 2,000 more but I am worried that because my parents’ incomes fluctuate that they can change it and I would have to way more one than the previous. I feel my parents want me to go to UT but at the same time both have given me great experiences when I visited. Overall, I feel like WUSTL would prepare me for a top medica school because of the premed curriculum versus UT’s. Please post any opinions would help a lot! Thank you!
Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you guys for taking the time to read it and hopefully respond!
Tough choice! Either would be great.
I will come down on the side of UT for finances and general experience. If there is any doubt you will be able to continue to fund your education, pick the sure shot.
At UT you will be in a special cadre, able to get the best of both the Plan II experience and the big state U experience.
From what I have heard, and this is not scientific, the students picked for special programs at UT really are stellar so your cohorts would be top notch. WUSTL is supposed to be terrific. Tough choice.
It is a great choice but I only take a few honors classes so I feel that the average wustl class would challenge me more versus a regular UT. which one do you think would prepare me better for a top medical school?
Bump
Assuming cost is not a factor, it’s definitely a tough choice.
I think that both schools will offer similar opportunities in terms of research and volunteering because WUSTL (to my knowledge) has pre-med advisors that will give you the same individualized attention you would find at UT as a program II student. You will certainly be more academically challenged at WUSTL, so that is another factor to consider.
I think that the schools are very different in terms of student life, so I would go with my gut and pick the one where you think you can be the best student you can be. I know that’s probably not the answer you want to hear, but it’s the truth. Do you want an overall smaller school with more diversity? Do you want a more “homey” feel with school spirit? I’m in a similar situation so I know that it’s difficult, but I hope I provided some help.
Thank you that helped a lot! I visited today and it felt like the university was a small city within Austin. thank you for your opnion!!
Hey! I actually got into Plan II as well so hopefully I can help! Thanks for the help on my thread.
First off, I would take to WUSTL’s FA office about your fluctuating income. If you tell them the range of that fluctuation and assume that all assets are equal, they could probably give you exact info on what it could cost. I’ll preface my subjective opinion with that you can’t go wrong either way. If you have a gut feeling like a poster above said, disregard me and follow that. You will not perform your best at a school where you question or decision or imagine “what if” for the other one.
I love Plan II and the classes they offer! It really is a smaller community with UT. However, I truly believe there is a difference between private and public universities. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with public unis. My friend is graduating from UT from Plan II + majors in Government and is heading to a top 10 law school. BUT the resources just aren’t the same, on average. While UT has a large endowment, it’s not so large per capita. The advising is likely a bit weaker at public universities, and usually they have less fully funded opportunities. UVA is not the same at UT, but my premed friend there says she gets very little academic advising and while she is crafting a strong med school application, everything she does is on her own. She receives little guidance. I think research opportunities at UT will be there but just as an overall experience. WashU can probably fund many aspects of your research if you create something compelling and promising. So, if costs are relatively the same (gotta save for that med school), I vote WashU. It sounds like you also recieved scholarships there, which could give you some special treatment.
Note: I do not know how easy it is to get a good GPA at either school, which is a huge factor into med school acceptance. I know nothing about STL other than it’s quirky. I do, however, LOVE Austin!! For cultural and recreationally opportunities it can’t be beat. All things equal, go private.