Northwestern vs. Creighton vs. McGill

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hey,
I need to pick where I'm going next year, and I've narrowed down my list to these 3. Please help me decide where I should go. I've listed a few primary P's/C's for each. Thanks!</p>

<p>First off, some quick stats: 34 ACT, 3.98 UW GPA, NMF. I'm smart I guess, but not brilliant by any means. But I am fully ready to work my a** off. I * really really really * am interested in pre-med, and hope to go to medical school in 4 years. Ok, here we go.</p>

<p>** Northwestern **
* Intended Major: Human Communication Sciences *
Pros: [ul]
[<em>] amazing school and very strong in sciences
[</em>] surrounded by intellectually incredible peers who will help and push me a lot
[<em>] Evanston is a really great town, and Chicago would be great to be right next to
[</em>] good social life and school atmosphere (D1 sports) [/ul]
Cons: [ul]
[<em>] $60,000 a year, although my parents could pay I guess - I'd just feel bad
[</em>] many classes are notoriously hard (ie: Orgo and Biology)
[li] GPA * probably * wouldn't be as high as if I went elsewhere [/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>** Creighton **
* Intended Major: Economics or Medical Anthropology *
Pros: [ul]
[<em>] pretty good academics with strong focus on sciences
[</em>] I could probably get great research opportunities/recs
[<em>] GPA would * probably * be higher if I went here
[</em>] some of my best friends are coming here [/ul]
Cons: [ul]
[<em>] I live in Omaha, so I wouldn't be experiencing a new city
[</em>] student body wouldn't be * as * intellectually stimulating as others
[li] name recognition isn't as good as other schools, and I might be limited med-school wise [/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>** McGill **
* Intended Major: Undecided *
Pros: [ul]
[<em>] I was born in Montreal, so tuition would only be $3,000 a year
[</em>] very strong school academically, especially in the sciences
[<em>] Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world
[</em>] I'd be close to a lot family [/ul]
Cons: [ul]
[*] I'm worried that going to undergrad in Canada would hurt chances at US med schools [/ul]</p>

2

<p>I can’t comment on McGill, but I can give you some scoop on Creighton v.s. Northwestern. </p>

<p>One pro that I don’t think you are considering for Creighton is the cost of attendance. With your stats, Creighton is going to throw money at you and you probably have a good chance at getting the full tuition presidential scholarship. So the cost difference between Northwestern and Creighton is going to be substantial. This is a huge factor IMO as you don’t want to have any debt going into med school if possible. </p>

<p>I looked at both of these schools as well when I was trying where to decide where to attend undergrad and was very impressed by each. As far as the student body goes, I would say Northwestern students are more driven and intelligent overall, while Creighton students are more down to earth and personable. Some people prefer one environment over the other. Think about what you would prefer. </p>

<p>As far as name recognition goes for Creighton, I know several graduates of Creighton that have gone on to the likes of Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Harvard, etc. If you put in the work, you will not be held back from going to top med schools because of Creighton’s national prestige or lack thereof. </p>

<p>Another factor that you didn’t specifically state includes the academic environment. Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond at Creighton or be an average sized fish in a large pond at Northwestern? Again, some people prefer one environment over the other.</p>

<p>Creighton has excellent research opportunities as does Northwestern. Because of Creighton’s smaller size, it will likely be easier to get a research position. </p>

<p>If you simply trying to get into a med school, Creighton is good option for undergrad, because Creighton med heavily favors their own Creighton students in the admissions process. </p>

<p>If it isn’t evident by now, I can tell you that I go to Creighton currently and have recently finished the application process with multiple acceptances to med schools. If you have any more specific questions about Creighton feel free to PM me.</p>