Help! I don’t know how to make the right college decision!
I got accepted to VCU honors and UVA, but I’m not sure which one to choose that would give me the best pre-med and college experience.
UVA is a well-known school in Virginia, with a great sense of community as a whole. Plus, their reputation could help (however, idk if prestige matters when applying to medical schools). However, I’ve heard that the rigor and competition is extremely intense, and their pre-med track isn’t the best (according to friends’ older siblings and upper classmen).
VCU is not as well-known, and seems to have a more disconnected vibe (but again, I’m not sure, I’ll have to visit campus again to see). However, people have said their pre-med track is better, and it is cheaper than UVA. Also, since its the VCU honors program, I think it means I can connect more with staff and faculty, maybe?
Any thoughts/feedback would be great! Especially if you have any better knowledge/info about UVA or VCU, I would be extremely grateful to help me make my college decision!
I live in VA, so I can offer some opinions about what I think is best reputation-wise. UVA is obviously a great school and you cannot go wrong attending. Their med program is very well known and I don’t think you would be making the wrong decision there; however, VCU’s med program is amazing, too. If you were majoring for something else, I would definitely advocate for UVA, but since its pre-med, I don’t think you can go wrong anywhere. Both schools have amazing teaching hospitals and a degree from either will put you on the right path. So, I think it boils down to what you want in a school. Would you prefer VCU’s urban campus or Charlottesville? Do you want prominent sports/greek life? Etc… Just pick which school you like better in terms of environment and overall experience! Good luck!
Thank you for your advice! I just recently visited UVA and really fell in love with the campus and the people. Based on overall experience, I feel like I would go with UVA. However, VCU honors college has major perks like being able to have priority registration, own dorm (and bathroom), and cheaper (due to a small scholarship received by them). How do I make my decision if I like UVA more, but practically VCU gives more benefits?