Hello! I’m new here. I’m seeking the advice of the CC community, which helped me so much already (through lurking). I’m so so blessed and lucky to have gotten multiple acceptances and am now facing a tough decision. Hopefully someone can help me out.
I am a CA resident who wants to go to the East coast (or just leave CA). I am aiming to do pre-med, majoring in biology and perhaps minoring in dance. My parents can afford to pay 25k a year for my college education.
Here are my choices: (Total predicted expenses- scholarships/grants)
Swarthmore College- 33k
Hamilton College- 35k
Smith College- 33k
Grinnell College- 29k
Kenyon College- 18k
Middlebury College- 37k
UT Dallas- 10k
University of Rochester- 26k
UC San Diego- 31k
UC Davis- 35k
UC Riverside- 27k
Drexel University- 35k
Hofstra University-33k
My parents expect me to take out the federal loans, which can maybe account for 5k, and to do work-study, which is approximately 2k a year depending on the school.
I understand that the general advice for someone who wants to go to med school is to select the cheapest school. However, I was thinking that perhaps that the liberal arts education and the resources available, such as the pre-health advising committees, would be worth the money. I would love small classes, accessible professors, and ability to do research. I am a dancer so dance classes and programs would be great as well. I also LOVE the idea of open curriculum, but I need to fulfill pre-med requirements anyways, so I’m not sure if that should factor into my decision.
As of now, I am rather leaning towards Swarthmore, Hamilton, Smith, Grinnell, and UT Dallas (basically all of them?). My parents want me to go to Swarthmore, but I’m a little daunted by the workload and difficulty. Although it may seem shallow, my highest priority is to have a good GPA so I can apply to med school. Furthermore, UTD’s Clark Summer Research Program seems like a great head-start for research, especially factoring in the lowish cost.
I will be visiting UTD this week and attending a couple of admitted students days next month. I hope I can get my confusion sorted through those visits.
I know that this is a decision I need to make on my own, but any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading this long post!
@merc81 They are mostly are in consideration. With loans and work-study, my parents are also willing to stretch a little further for a really great school.
You appear responsibly thoughtful in your consideration of pre-med support, and educational opportunities in general, along with respective costs. Carefully regard all of your excellent choices with the diligence they each deserve.
Based on the totality of your post, your natural matches would seem to be Hamilton and Smith. I’d regard the research opportunities at these schools to be high, and not an aspect that would need to be considered further. Dance could actually comprise a fair portion of your course selection at either of these colleges, so check their catalogs for offerings of interest.
Regarding Swarthmore, I wouldn’t regard their workload as beyond your abilities (they accepted you), nor necessarily consistently in excess of some of your other choices. Their atmosphere may be comparatively intense, though this community attribute can of course be influenced by your individual approach. This could the case at any of your choices, actually.
Congrats on some excellent choices! Looking at your list, desires and aid offers, I’d focus on Swarthmore, Grinnell and Kenyon. I’m more familiar with Swarthmore and Grinnell and know you cannot go wrong there but notice you have a very nice aid offer from Kenyon. All three would work well for med schools. You mention being nervous about the rigor at Swarthmore. Grinnell would be very similar in that respect. Not sure on Kenyon. Med schools understand that the same student will have a lower GPA but better education coming out of Swarthmore or Grinnell than coming out of UT Dallas and will take that into consideration.
Have you visited each? Thoughts on fit?
Do you have an East Coast vs. Midwest bias? City vs. rural bias?
If you can, visit. Stay in the dorms, go to classes, eat every meal in the dining halls, talk to as many people as possible while there, soak up the vibe. One will likely call to you more than the others.
@merc81 Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I don’t mind a women’s versus coeducational college. I will look further into Hamilton and Smith. So overall, UTD isn’t worth the education of the LACs?
@homerdog I believe that before I applied, I checked that most of them did have dance classes of sorts. It’ll be awesome to have it has a minor but not super important to me. Even though I’ve been dancing for a while, in college I see dance as more of a way to exercise and stay fit.
Can you visit?
Hamilton seems to be the closest to what you wish but it’s a bit above your price range.
Kenyon, Grinnell, URochester, are the best value.
UTD wouldn’t have the same resources as these colleges.
@umohahyeah : Kenyon College is closer to a big city than Grinnell–I think. I really like Grinnell College. I wanted to love Kenyon College & see several reasons to do so–but they need a complete overhaul in their admissions dept.
A visit to Kenyon is worthwhile, but arrange it through the President’s Office & not Admissions.
@MYOS1634 I am visiting Swarthmore, Grinnell, and Smith for sure. I’ll try to get to Kenyon and Hamilton as well. I have visited URochester, but I’d rather go to a smaller college. Do you think that the open curriculum should be a factor in my decision (since pre-med reqs)?
@Publisher I have received a travel stipend from Kenyon, but through the admissions dept. Could you elaborate more on what you feel about Kenyon as whole?
Congrats! Wonderful choices. I agree with your assessment of liberal arts colleges and pre med.
Kenyon seems to be the best value there and will offer you a great education. Swarthmore is excellent, but has a distinct vibe. It would be the outlier in terms of vibe versus the other coed lacs on your list, so make sure you are okay with that, if that is what you pick
No, because you need to evaluate Kenyon College through your own eyes. And since you have a travel stipend & a great scholarship, it is well worth your time. After your visit, feel free to PM/DM me. But for now, you need to visit & evaluate the school based on your priorities & concerns.