IU vs Vanderbilt

Colleges & Universities A-Z Indiana University - Bloomington
1

<p>Hey, so I am a junior right now and I am looking at colleges that I like. My top choice seems to be Vanderbilt but here are a few considerations. Although my parents can pay for Vanderbilt, they would be reluctant to spend 35K or more a year for four years at Vanderbilt. It would be better for me, financially, to go to Indiana University in Bloomington for college, where I'd have to pay anything from 0 to 9K a year. First of all, do people regret picking state schools because of money over expensive private universities for college later in their lives? Secondly, I want to go to Harvard for medical school to get a MD and graduate school for a PhD in physics and then Massachusetts General Hospital for medical training. If I intend to major in physics in college and take very advanced undergraduate courses and some graduate level courses in math and science, keep a 4.0 GPA, get near-perfect MCAT scores, have about 800 or more community service hours at a hospital, work in a physics and a biology lab and do research with the hope of getting a few published in some small journals, be the president of five clubs, be nationally ranked in debate, do well in national competitions like being in the top 50 students who take the Putnam exam for math and winning a few national chemistry or physics competitions, and have top-notch recommendations and essays, would my chances of getting into Harvard for medical school and grad school in physics be hurt if I went to Indiana University-Bloomington instead of Vanderbilt University? Please assume I'd do all the same stuff at both colleges.</p>

2

<p>If you think you can do all of those things in 4 years at either school, I think you need to make your expectations more realistic. However, if you want to go to Harvard for med school, then get the grades and MCAT scores to do so. They care more about numbers and personal statements than what school you went to. IUB sends a lot of students to med school (most bio majors are premed), so you won’t be the only one. </p>

<p>1) Getting into a bio lab as a freshman is difficult, although not impossible. You come in with very few practical lab skills, and most labs will hire you to wash dishes and make media, unless you score one of the very coveted lab positions.</p>

<p>2) We barely have a debate team, let alone one that will get you to the nationally ranked level. Do your research there.</p>

<p>3) What’s the point of being president of like 5 clubs? You won’t have time to work in a lab, take the credit hours you’re going to need to double major, study for the MCAT, get your 800 volunteer hours, AND put in the level of involvement that med schools are going to want to see.</p>

3

<p>I think that you should just apply to HYPS. They will give you good scholarship. IU is not a big enough pond for you.</p>

4

<p>I doubt that his parents will pay for 60k a year it takes at an Ivy level school if they won’t pay 35k for Vandy.</p>

<p>A dose of realism would be nice for OP. </p>

<p>Let’s see.
Working in 2 labs: 20x2, 40 hours per week
800+ hours: figure about 5 hpk
5 clubs: estimate about 5 hpk each, 25 hpk total
Classes: Figure about 3 hpk each, about 15 hpk total
Sleep: 5 hours per night? 35 hpk
Academic work: Figure about 20 hpk</p>

<p>After all that, you get about 4 hours per day left. (Also notice that I am assuming perfect efficiency at every task and being very idealistic with numbers)
What about time needed for your daily needs? Travel between classes, work, etc? I haven’t even included the studying necessary for outside-school things. What if classes require time for office hours or are longer than 3 hours per week (labs come in mind)? </p>

<p>Assuming that you survive this for four years, how do you plan on competing with students from super hard places like the Ivies + S + M and whatnot?</p>

<p>PhD + MD? That’s another 6+ years of school after undergrad. How will you pay for all the schooling if your parents won’t pay for 35k per year for Vandy?</p>

5

<p>@geekorathletic, please see my similar thread in the Vanderbilt section. I’m trying to be much more realistic in it. Also, my parents can and would be willing to pay but I don’t want to suck them dry for all my costs. They will assist me in college, medical school, and graduate school if I want, but I also have two brothers who need to go to school. So, I’ve decided to try to get a full scholarship for college either at a private university or my state school and try to go top 20 public universities for med school and grad school.</p>

6

<p>Drmagic, I’m going to be honest with you. If you want to attend IUB and fit in, and by fit in I mean not just be the kid who sits in the library studying 7 days a week, you’re going to need to check your ego at the door. Coming into college with high expectations is great. I myself came in wanting to do an MD/PhD, which then morphed into a PhD. Realistically, I graduated in 5 years with 2 Bachelor’s degrees and an M.S. Things in college take up a LOT more time than you think they will. Geekorathletic’s assessment up there is reasonably accurate, although as a science major, you’re looking at more like 5 hr/week, especially for labs, not counting homework time. </p>

<p>Also, with the viewpoint you’re taking towards things, I’m not even 100% sure that IUB would be a great fit for you. IUB, for the most part, is a very ‘work hard play hard’ school, and I’m not sure you’d be okay with the ‘play hard’ parts of our school. How much do you know about IUB?</p>

<p>If you really want to do all of the things you say you do (which, why would you write them if you didn’t?), go to an Ivy because you’ll fit in much better.</p>

7

<p>No he won’t. I’d know.</p>

8

<p>I feel like the OP reminds me of this guy. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington/1174878-warned.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington/1174878-warned.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>IU has a lot of really smart kids who couldn’t go to other places for financial or other reasons, but if you come in with the attitude that you are above it all, it’s probably not going to turn out well.</p>

9

<p>Well, I am Muslim, so my religion prevents me from drinking, smoking, using drugs, or premarital sex. Other than that, I fit in usually wherever I go. I wanna have friends if I go to IU-most likely kinda nerdy ones like me. If I study a lot, will students and teachers hate me even if I’m down to earth?</p>

10

<p>No, teachers won’t hate you if you’re smart. That kid was crazy (literally)</p>

<p>I’m just saying that there is more to a school than academics, and you need to look at IU as a fit with your personal views and interests. There are plenty of things to do at IU that don’t involve drinking or other things of that nature, however, it’s a very prevalent culture. One of the biggest fall events is tailgating (not going to games really, we suck), which is heavily alcohol based. The biggest event of the year, Little 500, is heavily based in alcohol. I’m not saying you have to drink to have fun, but if you can’t handle living with people who party, some heavily, if you can’t handle being around that environment, then you may wish to look elsewhere.</p>

11

<p>Yes, that is definitely the barrier preventing you from premarital sex.</p>