Hi, so we are on the last week before making the decision, we have visited all the schools and are down to 5 schools; aside from the cost since are oos for most of these schools, any advice on selection? She likes them all, for biology or biochemistry…with med school or research in mind…
Random order
The College of William and Mary
The College of New Jersey- in-state
Case Western Reserve University
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
University of Richmond
Congratulations, great schools!
Mine have attended/are attending two of these schools. We researched another a lot and visited a few times (it was a #2 choice). We live close to a fourth and know it well. I don’t know nearly as much about TCNJ.
Here’s my advice: all of these schools will send students to med school. The biggest thing to me is that they are different, not so much better or worse, just different.
UNC is obviously an outstanding state flagship, with one of the best college-town type areas immediately adjacent to campus. Beautiful campus, beautiful weather, great students, big-time sports, really a dream traditional college experience.
William and Mary is basically a pumped up LAC with some of the advantages of a national university. Beautiful weather, beautiful campus and setting, very nice and outstanding students, also nice places to go immediately next to campus. Much smaller than UNC, sports but less big-time. I know students do great getting into med school from here.
Richmond has a dream campus in fun city undergoing a real renaissance. Academics are also top notch. It has more of a pre-professional vibe than WM, if that is a plus or minus, and, I think, still has a pretty preppy southern vibe, though students come from all over, and it is a national school.
CWRU is much more urban. I like the area around campus–Euclid, Little Italy, museums, etc. Students are outstanding but different than at the other schools. Campus vibe overall is more nerdy STEM, though student body is obviously diverse and I mean that in a positive way. There’s a research hospital immediately adjacent, and other than maybe UNC, I think CWRU would get the nod for research opportunities, though students would have good opportunities at all the schools.
I write all of this because I think fit is much more important than any small differences in med school acceptance rates. Med school acceptance really depends on how a student does at a school. A student will probably do better if the school is a good fit for them. That seems to me more important than if one school has a 64% rate and another 61%, which I think would be the case among these schools. Also, that is only a rough measure. For example, yours is OOS at UNC and WM. OOS students have higher stats at those schools. If yours works hard, takes advantage of/makes opportunities, etc., their chances would probably be higher than the overall rate.
So I’d vote for fit. Which one do they love?
Good luck!
If she is a rah-rah sports fan who looks good in light blue, loves going to games, & in future will enjoy watching her alma mater’s teams play on TV, & isn’t embarrassed by the occasional athletic scandal–no brainer for North Carolina. Also if she wants to spend a lot of time in hospitals or around research.
If she enjoys a small school with sororities, & is a social type who doesn’t mind everybody knowing everybody else, & doesn’t think spiders are icky, then Richmond.
If she really likes to study, & gets social only when her study commitments allow it; or has a passion for history & thinks there is something irrisistable about a man wearing knee breeches, then W&M.
If she enjoys access to hospitals & research, doesn’t mind her city being gritty & her winters being long & harsh, and thinks a “touchdown” is something an airplane does, then Case Western.
If she’s always cut pictures of Joe Pesci out of magazines & adorned her school lockers with them, then TCNJ.
I agree with others it’s really about fit at this point.
UNC is the 5 or 6 nationally in NIH funding so there’s loads of research going on. And there’s a lot of biotech and biopharma companies in RTP. I know less about the research profile of the other colleges. That said, it feels like all the colleges are really pushing research opps for undergrads now – very different from when I was in college.
Also, pretty much everyone I know who goes to UNC absolutely loves it. I’m totally biased, but it’s a fantastic place.
Good luck and congrats!!!
I’ll just add that I know a pre-med at William and Mary working in a lab from the beginning of their time there, which is what I mean by good research opportunities at all these schools.
What @moooop said
UNC is really a super diverse environment. And kids change over time. So what they like at 18 is different 4 years later. I think she will be very proud of her UNC experience throughout life
And who doesn’t look good in Carolina Blue?
If it’s such a close call I would definitely factor in the cost. Not that she necessarily should go to the cheapest, but ask, “Is attending X College worth $_____ more than attending Y College?” Use the 4 year difference in cost!
Thanks everyone for your input, at this point I was looking for opinion without looking at cost since that has been a factor, but fit is more important to us at this point. The 4 year cost difference is listed below (accounting for scholarships and not knowing if she will get any external scholarship)
Is the cost difference worth it?
TCNJ instate +74k to go to CWRU;
CWRU +24k to go to UNC;
UNC +39K to go to UR;
UR +9K to go to WM
This is a confusing way to show it. Can you just show her net annual cost at each school?
@moooop “If she’s always cut pictures of Joe Pesci out of magazines & adorned her school lockers with them, then TCNJ.” Huh?
110K TCNJ
184k CWRU
208K UNC
247K UR
256k WM
She could reach her goals at any of these schools. If you can pay for any of them comfortably, then it is all about fit. If finances are a concern, then that changes the decision. I will say that if you let her apply, I hope you ran net price calculators ahead of time and let her know about any cost constraints.
Did any of them stand out for her on her visit? If she ranks them based on pure preference from the visit, what does the list look like?
Agree that if it’s close call then financial difference is a good way to eliminate options.
Very personal based on your family’s financial situation, but if she’s not dying to go to UR or WM I personally would take them off the list due to cost and narrow it to the other three. Again, that’s looking through our lens as we felt like $200k-ish was the most we felt comfortable paying.
If cost is not a factor, then decide based on fit and location and weather – the usuals!
Can’t wait to here the final decision – good luck!
UNC. It’s in the middle and to me the best combo of school and spirit. It’s wonderful there.
UNC Chapel Hill it is!!! Thank you all 
Nice!!!
Wohoo!!! Go Heels!!! Great decision – everyone loves it there! (As I did myself, a million years ago, lol)
Congrats, you’ll have a great four years!
Congratulations!
How did she make the final decision? ( Always interesting for current Juniors and parents reading)
TCNJ is just like a NESCAC school even better if you are in state. The school is very highly regarded usnwr ranked as #1 public regional in the north. I know its business program is ranked #34 in the entire country over many many privates. its top 1 or 2 in the entire country for undergrad ED , bio, chem , also highly regarded.