<p>Hey, I am wondering, out of these schools, which seems like the best fit for me. I realize that I should really visit these schools, but the truth is that I probably won't be able to visit all of them. Anyways, here are my interests and what I want out of my undergraduate experience:
-great pre-medical program (good advising to really help me get an edge into medical school admissions, challenging but not impossible courses, competitive but not a super cutthroat environment, great place for research and summer internships)
-location in or close to a large city (not just any large city, but one where I can experience numerous different things like great shows, restaurants, sports teams, maybe even museums idk for sure but hopefully you understand somewhat what i'm talking about)
-really nice campus vibe (where the school is generally pretty close-knit and there is large involvement in school spirit and pride)
-pretty respectable status (high rank and a school where medical school admissions would be impressed if I even got just like a 3.5 or 3.6)
-nice people (I kind of already mentioned this, but i don't want a school where everyone is SUPER competitive... instead I want a school where people are pretty laid-back and nice with each other)</p>
<p>“-great pre-medical program (good advising to really help me get an edge into medical school admissions, challenging but not impossible courses, competitive but not a super cutthroat environment, great place for research and summer internships)”</p>
<p>I think WUSTL is best where premed statistics are concerned, although students at all four universities do a good job of preparing undergrads for medical school.</p>
<p>“-location in or close to a large city (not just any large city, but one where I can experience numerous different things like great shows, restaurants, sports teams, maybe even museums idk for sure but hopefully you understand somewhat what i’m talking about)”</p>
<p>Northwestern wins here, having a city like Chicago within easy reach. Chicago is second only to NYC where art, music and fine cuisine is concerned. This said, all four universities are located near large cities. Michigan has the nicest college town atmosphere while still have access to the amenities of a large city, such as a large airport, excellent art and music scene, decent (although not earth shattering) restaurants and a couple of decent professional programs. I would say WUSTL is the weakest in this domain.</p>
<p>“-really nice campus vibe (where the school is generally pretty close-knit and there is large involvement in school spirit and pride)”</p>
<p>As far as school spirit and pride go, Michigan has the clear edge, but again, given the elite status of the other three universities, you can bet there will be a healthy dose of spirit and pride on the other three campuses.</p>
<p>“-pretty respectable status (high rank and a school where medical school admissions would be impressed if I even got just like a 3.5 or 3.6)”</p>
<p>A 3.6+ GPA at all four of those schools should get a student into a respectable medical school, assuming the MCAT results are good too. Still, I think WUSTL has the small edge here.</p>
<p>“-nice people (I kind of already mentioned this, but i don’t want a school where everyone is SUPER competitive… instead I want a school where people are pretty laid-back and nice with each other)”</p>
<p>I think all four universities on your list have friendly, laid back student bodies, although premeds tend to be naturally competitive. I would give the edge to Michigan here because I would assume there is a smaller ratio of “type-A” personalities, but that is a very sweeping generalization.</p>
<p>I would not worry too much about the small details (such as the ones above). All four universities on your list are excellent and the advantages in most cases are either superficial or insignificant. I would focus on big picture concepts such as cost of attendance (premeds should save as much money/avoid as much debt as possible) and overall fit. Getting into all four is unlikely though, so wait and see. There is a chance that their admissions offices will help you make the decision a little easier! ;)</p>
<p>For pre-med I think WashU is the best choice.</p>
<p>All three would be great choices. However, if you are instate, GO TO MICHIGAN!!! It’s a similar quality of education as the other two but at a significantly lower cost.</p>
<p>Also, WashU is way behind the Big Ten schools (Northwestern and Michigan) in terms of school spirit.</p>
<p>Okay, I am just going to ask you a simple question.
Would you spend $200,000 on a house you’d never seen?
Would you marry a (girl/guy) you never met and agree to borrow thousands of dollars to do so?</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that you <em>could</em> be happy at ANY of those prestigious and rigorous schools. But we cannot predict FIT, because fit is more of a “feeling” you get while ON THE CAMPUS, auditing the LECTURE, and hanging out with people AT THE SCHOOL. </p>
<p>You can get ANYWHERE on a Greyhound for about $99 or and each of those schools should be able to find you some volunteer to bunk with for a night (most have programs to this effect) and even if they don’t, you can stay at a youth hostel for less than $40 a night, even in Chicago. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit your schools once you’re accepted, or BEFORE if you expect your notifications to come all at once (eg. April) and suspect you won’t have the travel time). </p>
<p>I know a guy that <em>should</em> have loved Northwestern, who even had a full ride, who hated it when he was there. Other folks bleed purple 
I’m sure others have had that same experience at Mich, and yet my son would not trade UMich for the world. Two different and equally intelligent people really will experience these places differently.</p>
<p>Good luck! I hope I’ve convinced you to start planning tours ;)</p>
<p>Yeah, these schools are just too similar if you look at figures and facts alone. The best way to decide is to visit each and see which env. fits best.</p>
<p>“Would you spend $200,000 on a house you’d never seen?”</p>
<p>Ever think about buying a foreclosed house? haha</p>
<p>I definitely agree with kmccrindle. Visiting the schools is a must. But given how selective they are, I would wait until you get their admissions results before visiting. few people would get into all four.</p>
<p>According to Michigan’s website, “U-M graduates’ rate of acceptance into medical school exceeds the national average by 7%.” I don’t know much about Northwestern and WashU and whether they have medical facilities close to campus, but the Michigan Health System is right near central campus, which would be nice. But the other schools are fantastic as well. If you’re looking for a less-competitive atmosphere though, I’d say Penn would not be a good choice…go with what you think offers you a balance as well as a great education!</p>