My daughter got in PSU park and Loyola university of Chicago, Penn state is Vet and biomedical major and loyola university of chicago is biology major, she has merit scholarships 22k from Loyola university. Can you please help which school should choose?
If your daughter has intentions to be a vet, I would pick PSU. Being in the middle of a city isn’t ideal for working with large animals.
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Assuming they are equally affordable there are enough differences between the two schools (ex. location, size, religious affiliation etc.) that your child should have a preference. A student who is comfortable and happy is more likely to be successful.
She should also research the differences in coursework between the two majors to determine if one path is preferable given her future ambitions.
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Thanks for your advice. I didn’t know much about Loyola university of Chicago. Is it a good school to go? She likes more about Loyola’s location.
Is PSU better than Loyola?
What are her goals? Her major at Penn State is in the College of Agricultural Sciences. There is an actual working farm on campus with probably hundred of cows, pigs, sheep and other animals.
I don’t know about her major specifically, but the focus of that college at Penn State is sustainability, farming, agricultural industries, and many of the related sciences (immunology, biology, pharmacology, plant sciences, biological engineering, etc.).
I can’t imagine that a biology major at an urban school will have easy access to any of those kinds of experiences. The question is, then, is that what she wants? If she wants the pre-vet, hands on experience, it’s an easy choice.
If that’s not what she wants, these are two very different schools, as others have said. She should choose the environment she prefers.
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Is your daughter an international student? Have you had a chance to see either campus?
Penn State is in a small town where everything about the area revolves around the university. Sports, especially football but also many others, will be huge and a major source of school spirit. It is academically strong in many areas, has among the best recruiting services, and is a recognizable name brand.
Loyola Chicago is a Jesuit (Catholic) college in the middle of a large city, and one of many universities in that city. Loyola has a great basketball team, but has much less of a sports culture. It’s less than half the size of Penn State so doesn’t have as big of an alumni network, but within Chicago should have a strong network of graduates. It doesn’t have the same name recognition as Penn State, in part because there are several schools with Loyola in their name (Loyola Marymount, Loyola in Maryland, and Loyola in New Orleans). It is a good school, but doesn’t evoke a specific image like the Penn State name would. That matters more for everyday conversations than it does for graduate school aspirations.
If your daughter is an international student, I can understand why she would prefer Loyola Chicago. She would be in a large and diverse city, with easy access to international travel. Penn State is remote. She would be a couple of hours from the nearest international airport.
The better school is the one where feels she can succeed.
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Loyola is a great little school but as noted, isnt going to have anywhere close to the same pre vet opportunities as PSU. If your D is set on being a vet, I would choose PSU.
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Thank you so much for all thoughtful reply! I took my daughter to on campus visiting for Loyola and Penn state. After the visit, she’d chosen Penn state.
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