Alright, so college app season is right around the corner and I have everything settled except on where to Early Decision. I understand the potential of not getting in, however if lets say I were to ED any one of these schools I would get in. I know for sure I want to major in either neuroscience or psychology(school dependent) and go the Premed route. Each school to me has great positives and negatives, but I want anyone’s( current students, alumni, prospective students, etc) opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of these three schools academically( major wise, premed wise, etc), socially, or in any other category. I really need help analyzing these schools in order to make a decision. All help is appreciated!
ED is recommended for students who have no financial need and are certain that they have always wanted to attend one specific school. Let us start with financial need - do you have a need?
Northwestern allows you to switch majors very easily if you at some point decide to change your major. Also they give a pretty big boost for ED
I will most likely not receive financial aid other than loans. I just really have nobody to ask as they all seem to be in unison in that Rice= great for Premeds, socially inept, Northwestern= Great academics, yet hard for premeds, socially adequate, and Brown= Ok for premeds and for sciences, yet socially great. I feel i would thrive in a place with great academics( as well as Premed opportunities) yet is still great socially.
Well these people simply do not know what they are talking about if “great academics” only gets attributed to NW and not Rice or Brown.
At Brown it is no problem to switch majors either, usually you do not declare until end of sophomore year. Meanwhile you can take any classes you want. To call one school socially inept is really shallow and high school of you. Also Brown has PLME if you are a top applicant. Anyone who says Brown doesn’t have great academics is an idiot.
All are great schools. Getting into med school from any is entirely on you.
But students can’t usually borrow enough to attend these schools, unless your EFC is 0. You are limited to 5,500 for the first year.
Thank you for your input! It is much appreciated 
Hey, I go to Rice and the belief that Rice kids are socially inept–while not unfounded–is definitely not entirely true. Of course there are quite a few kids who stick to themselves and are what one would consider to be your stereotypical “nerd.” But honestly, most of the kids at Rice are EXTREMELY friendly, social, and outgoing. We have an active party scene if that’s your thing. Also, like Northwestern and Brown, we don’t declare majors until the end of sophomore year, so it’s fairly easy to change pathways if you so choose. I’m not pre-med, but a good chunk of kids at Rice are, so you’d have a really strong community and advising team surrounding you. Furthermore, Houston is also one of the greatest cities to be in as a pre-med.
Just so you know, I’m not trying to necessarily persuade you into choosing Rice (although it’s amazing); it’s just the school I know most about. Just keep in mind that going ED is a really big decision, and if none of these schools are really standing out to you as your #1 choice, you might want to reconsider applying early.
"Lost between 3 school : Brown, Rice, and Northwestern "
-Whichever fits you personally the best, no other reasons…I would keep in mind EVERYTHING, including food service and climate differences, distance from home, difference in student body. Happy student will have easier time reaching the ultimate goal, just as simple as that, no more, no less…Opinions of others will depend on their personality and background which may be very different from yours. The best is to visit, talk to current students, others, walk the campus, check dorms, check on pre-med advisory, just make a list. Trust your own eyes more than others’, everybody has a different prospective. Some people may have hard time driving in a snow (just one example that popped in my head). You will be there to 4 years, the place should fit YOU, not make you miserable.
Bear in mind, (saying this to you may be totally unnecessary) med schools hone in on how well you performed as an undergrad and much less on WHERE you did your undergrad work. None of these choices is an easy school, so you must be prepared to excel wherever you go with the goal of a superior MCAT score.
I’ve known more than one applicant who expected their undergrad institution (and, to a lesser degree, their major) to open doors for them, but that is rarely the case.
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I will most likely not receive financial aid other than loans. I just really have nobody to ask as they all seem to be in unison in that Rice= great for Premeds, socially inept, Northwestern= Great academics, yet hard for premeds, socially adequate, and Brown= Ok for premeds and for sciences, yet socially great.
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I don’t think Rice students are more “socially inept” than at other schools. Why would you say that?
Why do you want to ED each of these schools? (I know that you can only ED one school, but why THESE schools?)
What are your test scores and GPA? (include SAT breakdown - don’t superscore))
How much will your parents pay each year? If you don’t know, ask them.
Go to your state flagship university or somewhere that is willing to give you a lot of merit aid, do very well, then go to some big name medical school. Nobody will care where you did your UG work.
They do but people forget that many state schools have top notch faculties, research facilities and so on and USNWR rank is irrelevant to medical schools as long as they can see you have been well educated.
Agree with those posters who said 1) avoid debt (med school is wickedly expensive) and 2) they don’t care about the prestige of your undergrad school. Most reputable schools will provide a good solid background for a pre-med. The rest is self-study for the MCAT.
And these stereotypes about Rice, Brown and Northwestern are just plain silly. All three are strong schools, have bright students (some of whom are more socially adept than others) and will prepare you well academically, so it’s all about your personal fit.