Hi everyone — I’m a high school Senior, and I’m really torn between Indiana University (my state school) and WashU in St. Louis. My main interest is premed (biochem major), and I’m planning to minor in Spanish (for medical Spanish). No matter how I turn the schools over, I can’t come up with a decision. Here are the pros and cons I’m considering in choosing the schools.
IU
Pros:
1. They have my doing the summer research IFLE program, where I would spend six weeks during the summer on campus doing research full time with a staff member who I would be working with for my 4 years at the school.
2. They are offering me a full ride (tuition AND room and board).
3. I would already know some upperclassmen from my high school, so I would already be aware of many premed/shadowing opportunities through these connections.
4. I would already have a strong social group (in theory) starting off through the summer research program.
5. They offer a really cool Freshman IFLE class that involves a brain dissection, a lot of practical lab work, and that is research-oriented.
6. They allow you to keep a car on campus.
7. I would be in the Top 5% at the school most likely, so I feel it would be easier to secure opportunities on campus (the big fish in a small pond phenomenon)
8. Through my research, I’d be able to stay in the IU med system.
9. With 50,000 students, I’m sure I could find my niche.
10. Every time I’ve been on campus, I’ve just kind of got a good feeling/good vibe from the place.
Cons:
1. I’m not into the whole party/drinking culture, which IU is very well known for.
2. I would know a lot of people from high school — I guess I’m afraid I’d stagnate.
3. It doesn’t have the prestige/wow factor that WashU does, especially in pre-med.
4. There aren’t as many hospitals in Bloomington as there are in St. Louis.
5. I would be rooming with someone random, which I’ve heard can lead to some pretty weird roommates.
6. People seem to move out of the dorms after Freshman year, which is a little intimidating to me
WashU
Pros:
1. They are offering me a full-tuition scholarship (leaving 16000 a year for room and board, which my parents can pay)
2. They have some truly cutting-edge research, although there is no guarantee I could be a part of it.
3. Their premed advising is outstanding.
4. They have a premed class designed to teach you about being a doctor and help you gain shadowing.
5. The kids there are all really smart, and I feel I could learn from them.
6. The classes are definitely more rigorous than IU’s (although I have heard IU’s honors and IFLE classes are challenging).
7. There’s a pre-orientation with some other scholarship kids, so I would have a community through that.
8. I already know someone who is interested in being my roommate.
9. The school has an affiliated Spanish-speaking medical clinic which would be perfect for medical Spanish
Cons:
1. I don’t know if the rigor of the classes is compatible with what I want in college — I don’t want to drink every night, but I would like to be able to attend cultural events and relax with friends without constantly stressing about homework.
2. I’m worried I may get left behind with all the other really smart kids.
3. It’s farther from home (4-hour drive, day-long plane trip), which is scary to me.
4. No cars on campus for freshmen.
5. I just don’t get the same good feeling that I do from IU
I don’t know, objectively, WashU seems like the place that is better for premed, but IU just feels better (and that could be because it feels safer). Also, (and I wanted to mention this all separately of the other factors) I have a girlfriend who is younger than me, and going to IU would make relationship stuff much easier (visit every 3rd weekend for a day, for example). I love her, but I don’t think she has the grades to get into WashU, and I’m afraid I’ll be kicking myself for ages if she ends up at IU and I’m at WashU.
So, what do you all think? Any personal experience with both these schools?