How to pick school after accepted. (pre-med)

Hi,

I’ve just heard back from all my schools and I’m having troubling narrowing down and picking which ones to visit, and ultimately attend. I will attach the list below and any tips would be greatly appreciated. I want to go pre-med and then go to medical school and ultimately become a doctor. I’m just stuck on whether a small liberal arts college is better than a medium or larger university. I feel like smaller schools just won’t have the science and research opportunities that the bigger schools I got into would have, is this true or can someone prove this false? any tips on how to navigate this are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Boston College
Bowdoin
Middlebury
Emory
Hamilton
Carleton
Macalester
University Of Vermont (Honors College)
Allegheny College
College of Wooster
University of Washington

You did fantastically @Andrewtm123!

Perhaps the rarest and most notable award for undergraduate research in the sciences would be the Apker (physics). If you have concerns about the strength of your LAC options in the sciences, you can compare them to your university choices by clicking through the first link below:

https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/awards/apker.cfm

https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/prizerecipient.cfm?first_nm=Brandon&last_nm=Collings&year=1994

http://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/nguyen-thi-thao-nguyen-08-is-finalist-for-leroy-apker-award-in-physics

As opinion, you should strongly consider Bowdoin, Hamilton and Middlebury, then maybe the also top-notch Carleton. Wooster appears to be known for research opportunities, but may not be generally on the academic level of these other schools. If you have a special interest in biology, you might like Emory’s programs in this field.

http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/lists/list/the-experts-choice-colleges-with-great-pre-med-programs/199/

Net price at each? Medical school is expensive, so you may want to consider saving money and avoiding debt as an undergraduate.

Also, if you are a resident of a state with attractive public medical schools (i.e. not as difficult to get into and less expensive for residents), consider an undergraduate school in or near the state, to make it easier to go to medical school interviews.

Congratulations on your acceptances! That said, Your task of choosing would have been easier had you visited and completed some weeding-out of colleges ahead of time. Now you are faced with 11 institutions, diverse ones at that.

Our experience isn’t yours, but two of our children are current college students, both majoring in Bio and both with plans of med school. One opted to attend the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison because it was a larger university (“less confining”) with wide-open opportunities not offered at smaller institutions. The other attends Carleton because it is a smaller LAC, great teachers with smaller classes and strong in sciences.

Both are thrilled to be where they are. Sophomore son at UW-Madison is doing their Bio Core program, volunteering at a free medical clinic in Madison and shadowing surgeons at the UW medical center. These are opportunities not as easily found at small LACS. Freshman daughter is studying hard, doing well and does have future research opportunities in close collaboration with her LAC professors.

So, your first task is to narrow your choices between large institution and small institution. Find your “fit.” Do this by campus visits, and soak up the culture/personality of those places that you visit. Talk to students. Observe students. Go to classes.

Both kids looked at/applied to Middlebury – the only other one on your list that they had in common with you. We left there feeling that even St. Olaf College (in Northfield near Carleton) had a stronger science program than Middlebury. That was OUR opinion – no wish to argue with other CCers about this.

Wherever you go, you can get an excellent education. I don’t envy the difficulty you face in making your choice.

You got into all? Great results:)

You will want something you don’t have to borrow to afford bc med school is expensive, as you well know. After that, perhaps look at their med school placement rates and look at that alongside which you liked best. I’d start by eliminating until you are down to 3 or so. Then really look into the programs.

Good luck!!

I’m not sure if any of your larger-school options have graduated a future Nobel laureate in a science field. Of your LAC choices, at least Hamilton has (https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/hamilton-and-the-nobel-prize).

^ Since you asked, Washington graduated:

George H. Hitchings, '27, B.S. in Chemistry, 1988 prize in medicine;

George J. Stiller, '31, B.A. in Economics, 1982 prize in economics;

Martin Rodbell, '54, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 1994 prize in medicine; and

Linda B. Buck, '75, B.S. in Psychology and Microbiology, 2004 prize in medicine.

Several professors have also received prizes, including David J. Thouless (2016 prize in physics).

Are there differences in net costs?
I’d pick between Bowdoin and Carleton, perhaps with a nod to Carleton due to their summer program with the Mayo clinic (but check with Bowdoin as they may have something similar - email the department and ask if they have partnerships for summer internships.)
In terms of research, top LAC professors have to do cutting edge research, get plenty if funding for it, AND are chosen for their ability to involve undergraduates. Again email and ask about that.
I would add Hamilton, Middlebury and Macalester to the mix.
An issue is cost : are they all affordable? Is one cheaper?
If you look at direct costs and subtract scholarships and grants (not loans) among the five above which are the two cheapest ones?