Hi guys,
So I got accepted to Northeastern, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and George Washington University. I want to major in the sciences because I want to go to medical school in the future, which university should I go to? Any thoughts?
All are good, can you afford all without mega loans?
My parents are fine with any prices, is Queen’s University in Canada any better than them?
UCSD is world renown for their science programs – and beats UCSB hands down on scholastic reputation. However, if you want a more traditional residential campus & tons of partying, go to UCSB & live in Isla Vista. If you are a Calif resident, it’s probably worth it for the money you will save as well. GWU has a teaching hospital on campus, so I would bet it’s good in the sciences as well. My son applied to NE for econ – don’t know anything about their sciences but it’s a great school, so I bet it’s strong.
If you’re interested in pre-med, Northeastern also has the benefit of its location with a lot of top notch hospitals a mile away, which have volunteer programs. Co-ops will also give you a chance to get the research/clinical experience necessary for a strong med school application. I was neuroscience major, and the strong focus on undergrads is also a big benefit. At a lot of tier 1 research universities, it can feel like the grad students and research are the focus, while undergrads are an afterthought. I really felt like undergrads were a priority for my professors in my science courses.
UCSD has a hospital on campus, is consistently ranked top 5 in the nation for biology/premed, and is academically focused. If you’re truly focused on your education, UCSD is your best bet in my opinion.
UCSD has 4 hospitals on campus, and is much stronger than any of the other schools for STEM programs. Its social environment is not bad, but not comparable to UCSB’s. There are a lot of clinics and biotech companies in the region for you to work and intern at, as well as way more research opportunities ($1B of funding each year).