I wasn’t really thinking much about UT-Knoxville until this thread really. Maybe I’ll look into it. However, the question would be is it better than GMU enough to bring me there even with the scholarship? I’ll look into their hospital and research opportunities.
If your family can afford Pitt without debt, go there. It’s a great school and seems to be a better fit for you.
Where are you in your thinking?
Any new scholarships or acceptances that may tip the scales?
I have not received any new scholarships. I still have to hear from UVA, W&M, GW, and VT waitlist, (as well as possible Clemson scholarship?) However, I have been invited to both Pitt and Penn State for an in person campus tour and information session next week so I’ll be visiting both soon. I don’t think I’m really considering UT-Knoxville anymore as it doesn’t really fit the mold I’m looking for (it has a heavier party/sports scene than academics emphasis imo). Also because of my similar instate options that are of similar quality. Here’s where I stand at the moment
Pitt
Pros: great neuro program, great research+volunteer opportunities, more academic focused (don’t want a school that’s only known for sports+parties)
Cons: heavy pre-med presence/more competition, not sure if grade deflation or heavy weed out is a thing at Pitt? More expensive but still able to attend w/out any problems.
GMU Honors
Pros: honors(smaller classes), cheap, less competition/concentration of other pre med students. Possibly able to transfer to VT or UVA later should i end up not getting in to either.
Cons: living at home, not nearly as high ranked or well known as other options (ik this isn’t supposed to be a big thing but it always gets to me), commuter school (less of a community sense, similarish feel to cc imo)
Penn State
Pros: beautiful campus, well known school, college town, great community feel and traditional college atmosphere (what I loved about VT originally), pre med atmosphere likely not as competitive or tough as Pitt
Cons: Huge (not exactly sure if this is a con as idk what it would be like), significant party and sports scene? (not a bad thing but I don’t want a school simply known for its parties and sports and not academics as well), more expensive but still able to attend (same price as Pitt)
*i’d like to think penn state has a good balance of academics, sports, +party scene but not sure if this is the case, if anyone could give insight on this it would be much appreciated. One side note should be that when I say party scene/school, I mean a school not rlly known for academics but known for its parties (like JMU). Sports and parties are great, but should definitely not be the focus of the school. Idk if penn state fits this category or not?
Going into this cycle, VT was my dream school and I would still go there in a heartbeat should i get off waitlist. The school on my list rn that most resembles VT would have to be Penn State (well ranked, good academics, traditional college atmosphere w beautiful campus). I like Pitt’s opportunities but im just afraid that its a sink or swim environment filled w overly competitive pre meds that would make the experience more stressful than it needs to be. Of course, I cannot be affirmitive in these preferences or beliefs until I visit though. For GMU, I would not live on campus. This being said, I also didn’t enjoy the campus too much when I visited as it seemed very cramped. As you can see, I still need to hear from a couple places and have to visit after which I should have a better idea of which school I would like to attend. Also srry for the huge response haha
All of these schools have a huge party scene - don’t think otherwise. Even Harvard does. I think you make assessments without really knowing. Also, most schools are offering in person tours and if they aren’t you can still go. If you go see Va Tech, UTK is just 3 hours further. These are all solid names and one is not going to be seen by anyone as superior over the other. Fit matters…and finances.
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Go visit the schools.
Pitt’s campus is more compact, urban, nice part of town, cool city. Its near hospitals and research centers.
Penn State is in a college town so you’ll find anything a college student needs. Greek life is being severely reined in due to multiple serious problems (vandalism, alcohol, hazing, and a horrible student death) and most simply don’t take part because there is a lot to do on campus (the university organizes dozens of things, most of them free, plus the usual spectator sports/intramurals/outdoors trips/major concerts that you find at most large colleges in college towns). There are major research centers but only a small hospital, and Schreyer scholars get first dibs at summer internships at the big research hospital in Hershey.
Premed will be hard at both. There will be weedout - dont take general biology, general chemistry, and calculus 1 all together your first semester as this combination + adjusting to college is the end of many premed dreams. It’s a marathon, not a 50 yard dash, you have to be strategic and pace yourself in order to last through every leg of the journey. Be especially wary of chemistry since you’ve not taken AP chem.
Pitt is a great spot for med/health majors. They’re tough majors but that’s at any school. You would run into tough classes at any of the schools on your list. As for a party school it’s average. You can always find parties but you also have plenty of alternatives (pre-Covid) because it’s a city. As for sports, they’re important but not anywhere near PSU or SEC school levels. I’m a Pitt grad and currently live here.
PSU is a great place to spend four years. It’s called Happy Valley for a reason. Lots of friends are grads and S21 just visited…again. It’s a huge campus but in the middle of nowhere. Is it a party school…yes but there’s options and with +40K kids you can find your niche. It’s probably the closest match to VT on your list. I did notice a new hospital right off campus. Probably PSU affiliated but not sure. Hershey medical center is great. My wife’s first nursing job was there.
Both great options but if you can go to UVA or get off the VT waitlist I wouldn’t pay OOS for either. I don’t know much about W&M other than it’s a highly rated school but it looks like a different vibe than the large schools on your list. Any way you go you have great options and all will prepare you for med school.
Update: I just got into GW with a $14,000 scholarship per year.
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Congratulations !!!
Well, now you have an embarrassment of riches lol.
Pitt, Psu, gmu hobors, or GWU.
Is gmu honors still in the running?
What are your parents saying ?
However, gwu… that’s a 60k price tag, right?
I still say you are short changing UTK since you say Pitt is too pricey and GMU is too close to home. If you visit Va Tech, drive the extra 3 hours. You might find you like it and the merit is good. It’s a strong flagship and has a very good engineering and business school - so it’s not as bad as you think. Yes, it is Tennessee - I get it - but they are drawing with their strong merit. Most any state flagship is solid.
Correct GW’s tuition is $58,000. For me, however, I live 20 minutes away from DC and I can take a metro directly to the campus or I can drive. With the scholarship and the fafsa loan, my cost would be the same as Pitt and PSU. My parents really want me to go to GW now. I didn’t see this coming at all so I haven’t done much research on GW tbh but I think my decision will be wittled down to GW and Pitt. However, I am still holding out for that possible VT waitlist pull. As for GMU, it is still possible but not exactly thrilled about it as I have a much better option (imo) only 20 minutes away now.
I might have forgotten to say this but for me, Pitt is not too pricey. I’m very thankful to have my parents who are able to fully support my undergrad at any of these schools. If I had not received the scholarship, GW would be too pricey. I may decide to visit VT if i get off the wailist mid-April (unlikely) but at the moment I’m not exactly sure still about UTK.
If your ideal is VT, then GWU is the opposite of that: it’s urban not in a college town, it’s not residential (there isn’t even a dining hall), it’s not that social and certainly not known for its athletics or school spirit…
Commuting will be the same problem at GWU and at GMU. Not ideal for a premed.
Are you comfortable taking the metro at 11pm?
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Tbh this may sound bizarre but i really don’t have a big preference in the setting of the school (as evident by the fact that I have two very urban and two very rural schools). I did state earlier that I loved VT because of its classic college experience but the urban experience is something I see as equally amazing. I am still going to visit all these schools so I will be able to give a better answer after that. And for the case of the metro and commuting, if it means I am able to attend GW without paying the extra 15,000 for room/board then I’m totally for it. I take the metro quite often to DC actually so I am pretty familiar with it. I feel extremely lucky to even have GW with a scholarship as an option. I didn’t even picture myself getting in at first as I believed it was a reach school (based on the applicants from my school). I feel now as though thats a very hard option to pass up. VT was my ideal bc its a very sought aft VA public college, cheap, and is highly ranked too.
Why would you live at home? This is college. Going to class is only a part of the collegiate experience. You should go away to school. GWU is over priced!!
Forget loans. I’ll have to go back to the beginning of the chain. I forget why you were looking at GM instead of Pitt then…if not money.
Don’t take loans.
Go live at a college.
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When i say fafsa loan, i mean the $5,500 loan that most college students apply for and receive. Not private loans. I repeat, I will not be taking private loans and I will not be in debt at any of my schools. With everything considered, I am able to attend every one of these schools. I applied to and considered GMU only because of its extremely low price point and proximity to home.
A loan is a loan. Private or not. If you can avoid, you don’t want. End of story. Your choice but you will regret it.
If you can attenf any of these with just the FAFSA loan why choose to commute?
I guess after you visite eaxh campus you’ll have a better sense of what you prefer.
You should not choose GMU. You denigrate it vs. Pitt. At first you were like it’s cheaper and I can transfer. That’s silly. Go to school to enjoy the school.
I’d pick the cheapest - these are all solid including UTK which you don’t want to look at.
You say you can afford all - yet you continued to say you chose GMU for cost.
You are putting too much on rankings - which no school is looking at (i.e. for grad school). They will look at your experience at college including grades and your test score. If not, why does Harvard have students from 164 colleges in their law school - with the likes of Boise State, South Dakota State, Alaska Anchorage.
Yes, money matters - but also so does experience - so you should love away unless you want to live at home.
If you are going to denigrate a school, you should not attend.
End of story.
Good luck.