<p>I've been accepted to Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland, University of Oregon Clark Honors College, Pacific University, and Linfield. All of these are in Portland, Oregon. However, I am indecisive as to where to attend for school. I plan to major in Biochemistry and minor in Psychology, then go to medical school. Regardless of the financial aid these schools offer, which one do you recommend? Can you please tell me whatever you know about each school? Inputs from these schools' alumni/current students are especially welcome.</p>
<p>Two of those are in Portland. Two are in nearby small towns. One is in Eugene. Do you have a feel for the fit of each? They are each unique in their own ways. Linfield is sporty and welcoming, UofP has the Catholic core, UofO is the flagship with the most programs (check the housing sitch–they overenrolled one year and some freshmen ended up in hotels), L&C is one that got crossed off after we visited, and Pacific U isn’t on the radar in this house. I presume all have your program. Do you like the idea of a college town or access to a city? Would you like to see most students living on or near campus?</p>
<p>DD2 attends L&C and loves it. Takes the bus to downtown Portland most weekends to wander the city. If you plan to attend Med School then take the least expensive. Save your $ for med school.</p>
<p>My daughter was also accepted at all those schools a few years ago (except Uof O as she felt that was too big for her). She is now a senior about to graduate from Lewis & Clark. It has been a good school for her. She majored in Spanish and Anthropology but I believe their sciences are very strong. Things she/we liked: Very beautiful campus but 10 min from a very fun, vibrant city (Portland). School runs a free shuttle back and forth to downtown until 2:00am on the weekends so there are always things to do. School is small and there is a lot of personal attention, getting to know professors and it is easy to access all services. Within 30 min of a major international airport (this is a huge plus). Great study abroad options.
She was accepted but didn’t attend the following schools. They are all good schools but were not right for her:
Linfield: felt too homogenous, small town (too much like hometown she was dying to leave), too far from fun of Portland (45 min. away and no way to get there without a car).
Pacific University: Too small and too far from Portland. Her major dept was very small also.
U of Portland: Felt too religious and “right leaning” to her. I don’t know if it is but that’s how she felt.
U of O: As I said she did not apply as it was too big for her. Also a good 2 hours to the airport. In retrospect I think it could have been a good choice for her.</p>
<p>Lewis & Clark has worked out well. Everyone, from student services to professors have been helpful and you really get personal attention. That is important to some kids, maybe not for all kids. It was the most expensive choice and it has been tough at times but in one month she graduates!!! Please remember, especially with these small schools, it is all about fit. She had the chance to spend the night at most of these schools while deciding and just felt she fit at L&C. I advise visiting agin, attending admitted students days and spending the night if possible. Good luck!</p>
<p>PS: I just re-read your original post. You say all these schools are in Portland. Remember U of O (Eugene)is at least 2 hours away by freeway. Linfield (McMinneville) is at least 45 min away by small country roads, Pacific is about 40 min away by small country road. U of Portland is about 20 min away. This is important if you will be flying home for breaks and occasional weekends. If you are from OR then not such a big deal. Also, U of O is very different from all the others. It is the only large school (over 15,000 undergrads) with big sports and rah, rah sports enthusiasm. That wasn’t important to my daughter but it may be to you.</p>
<p>For full disclosure, I work in the Public Affairs office at Lewis & Clark. This is a big decision and so while I encourage you to weigh the pros and cons of each college (because each will have them!), I couldn’t pass up the chance to point you to some interesting science stories at LC that might be useful to you. As someone else mentioned, LC has very strong programs in the sciences that allow our undergraduate students to participate in high-quality, graduate-level research, running lab projects, and working side-by-side with faculty on research papers for publication. Here are a sampling of podcasts and videos that feature some of the amazing students and faculty:</p>
<p>Best of luck on making this decision! I think each school has unique benefits – it’s just a matter of figuring out which one is the best fit for you.
Jodi Heintz, <a href=“mailto:jodih@lclark.edu”>jodih@lclark.edu</a>, Public Affairs, Lewis & Clark College</p>
<p>Oops thank you for pointing out my mistake I meant all of these schools are in Oregon… </p>
<p>Thank you for your answers! I am visiting L&C tomorrow since it’s my top choice. I’ve been to UP and UO but I think UP isn’t as strong in the sciences as LC, and I didn’t really feel like at home at UO… The plus thing though, is that UO has a lot of opportunities for research, which is what I really need and want to do… This is a very tough decision because LC promised me full need-based grant with work-study… While for some reason I really like the students at UP, I haven’t talked to a lot of LC students so I don’t know yet, I hope I’ll really like it tomorrow… My Chemistry teacher tells me to go to UO so I can get more research opportunities, but all of my friends tell me to go to LC or UP because private schools care about their students more; and I need both of those. I hope I’ll fall in love with the science programs at LC so I can go there because I’d like to stay in Portland for now… and then go out of state for medical school! </p>
<p>Is there anyone at LC or UO in this forum who’s going to medical school and/or major in a science-related major?</p>
<p>The dean of LC is Julio De Paula, whose last job was Chem prof at Haverford, and who is a co-author of an extremely well received P chem book used the world over. My son just about flipped when he learned that his sister is going to be able to take classes with the voice he reads daily ;-)</p>
<p>MeadowPegasus,
There is a hierarchy of achievements that lead to medical school you should be aware of:</p>
<ol>
<li>All schools expect high pre-med gpa – lower than 3.5 is a bad position to be in</li>
<li>All schools want high MCAT, and the higher the better. This test stratifies students.</li>
<li>The best schools demand undergrad research. Substantial UG research.</li>
</ol>
<p>The advice you are receiving to go to UO ‘for the research’ is at best misleading for 90% of the kids who eventually matriculate into a med school. Unless you are a genius, focus on 1. and 2.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone who has answered my question, especially Inquiringmind2, Jodi4LC, and EricLG! Your comments have helped a lot!!! I really love L&C, but I’m somehow afraid I might be making a wrong decision. Do you think a name to the school matters since L&C isn’t that famous? I’ve been to L&C and liked the school a lot, but I don’t want to make a wrong decision… Although the pre-med and sciences at LC is really strong, only 20% of LC students major in some type of science, most major in politics-related, English, or Psychology… But perhaps personal attention will help me get to medical school easier? Since the professors will care about me, the school will help me maintain a high GPA as well as giving me opportunities that will help me with medical school application? </p>
<p>I took my name off the waitlist of Reed College and now I kind of regret it… But then there are certain aspects about Reed that I don’t particularly like, so I hope I didn’t make a stupid decision in taking my name off…</p>
<p>Most important thing, according to a doctor I know: check with the schools to find out what their medical school acceptance rates are. In view of your goals, you should attend a school with a high acceptance rate. Then once you get into college, keeping your GPA up will be critical.</p>
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