Please Help!! WashU in St. Louis v. Rice v. Johns Hopkins v. UCLA

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hi CC people, </p>

<p>I only have 1 more week to decide and I still have no idea =\, PLUS I'm still stuck between public $ vs private $. I was accepted for biomedical engineering/bioengineering for all the schools, but my main goal is Premed so keep in mind I may choose to switch majors if BME isn't for me. </p>

<p>I just visited all four schools in the past week, and these are my thoughts, which you can correct me on if I'm wrong. First the three privates: </p>

<p>Rice- Residential college system promotes small, close communities of students with lots of fun in rivalry and such, which I'm okay with. I'm an asian american from CA so I didn't feel AS comfortable as say WUSTL with the imho dominantly white student body and culture, which had a very Southern-y feel (I can't quite describe it). BME program places a large emphasis on design, which I'm not sure if that's good or bad for a premed, but anyways from what I learned they seem pretty flexible in terms of choosing courses, although they didn't emphasize it much. One thing that seems great for a premed like me is that the Texas Medical Center is literally right next to campus, which means lots of medical research opportunities. Weather is nice.</p>

<p>Johns Hopkins- I can definitely see why their BME is #1, and although their course load is difficult, cut-throat, and extremely packed, I think I could survive (albeit possibly miserably) and I would learn alot. I've heard/read on CC that their BME program is geared pretty heavily towards premed, though I didn't personally see that. They DO have a good number of BMEs that succeed in premed so it's definitely not impossible, and they have great, experienced advising. I heard about a internal application process, which you have to pass in order to actually apply to med schools, for the first time and I'm not sure if that system is unique to JHU. The engineering design team experience seems like a great learning/leadership opportunity, but I'm not sure about its relevance to premed. They're medical school is a 20-minute shuttle ride from campus, which isn't too bad, but not as accessible as at Rice. I also felt decently comfortable with the students there, as the studious environment is similar to my competitive high school (70% asian...). The weather is pretty bipolar so I heard and experienced (heavy rain first day and dry, hot sun second day). </p>

<p>WUSTL- Gorgeous campus with decent weather. I felt pretty comfortable with the student body and general environment. They talked alot about their flexibility in choosing courses, which I'm looking for as a premed uncertain about major. BME program is decent. Pretty big on premed, but more lacking in clinical medical opportunities compared to the other two schools, not that I would really mind just doing research with a faculty on campus. I'm sure there's plenty of premed programs for volunteering and such there. </p>

<p>Then the one public school I'm also considering: </p>

<p>UCLA- It's big. I'm okay with that, but I'm not certain if that would hurt me academically as a premed. I would be a Regents Scholar, so I would be a step above other students in getting research opportunities and be able to avoid the issue of not getting classes I need/want. There is a significant premed presence on campus as well, and their medical school is pretty much right on campus, though the campus is huge. The student body is significantly asian, which seems like it would be similar to my high school experience so I would be used to it. Their bioengineering program is new (only 4 graduating classes), but I don't really mind that as my focus is premed and they have been successful so far in that regard. Oh, and awesome weather. </p>

<p>With all that said, I know all three private schools have great academics (JHU being superior if I choose to stick with BME) with small classes that let you interact with faculty, while at UCLA I would have to deal with bigger classes. I'm comfortable either way, but I'm not sure where my GPA would be best. If I do go with BME, it's comparably difficult at all four schools with JHU (significantly?) more competitive and taxing. I would have to pay, in estimation, in-state $30k for UCLA, full $45k at Rice, reduced $45k for WUSTL ($10k/yr scholarship), full $55k at JHU. Money is an issue with my family; although if I really want to attend a private my parents would support me, it would be a significant burden on them which I'm not sure I can justify.</p>

<p>In terms of my college life happiness, as long as there's a well-equipped athletic center, plenty of pickup basketball/soccer/volleyball/etc. games, good study areas plus resources, and cute girls (not that I would having any time for them...haha)-- which all three colleges have to some extent-- I'm good. Basically, it comes down to where I would best succeed as a premed and if a private school is worth its price. Thanks a ton if you actually read all that and any opinions or advice would be immensely appreciated.</p>

2

<p>These are all solid schools. Which school will you be happiest at, and which one will set you back the least financially? In your situation, I would consider those factors first. I think prestige might be a wash at that level, all of those schools have great academics.</p>

3

<p>Sounds like UCLA is your best option, particularly because you’re a Regent’s Scholar. That’s my vote.</p>

4

<p>go to rice…</p>

5

<p>WashU has one of the the best medical schools in the country and a beautiful safe campus. You will find great research opportunities and great premed program at WashU. But since it is much more expensive than UCLA for you, I would probably pick UCLA in your case. Otherwise my vote would have gone in favor of WashU.</p>

6

<p>Seems like UCLA isn’t too bad of a choice here huh. I’m just worried about the immense number of people there and the competition that might translate into. Would I be cheating myself out of a better education for $15k/yr? Then again, as long as I end up getting into med school my undergrad won’t really matter right?</p>

7

<p>Well you still want a good undergraduate experience to enjoy. If you go to UCLA, you could still excel, large number of people means more As. It’s all about the distribution (gaussian distribution).</p>

8

<p>UCLA is never a bad choice. It also has one of the best medical schools in the country. If money is an issue I’d go with UCLA and never look back.</p>

9

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<p>Being from Texas I can tell you that Rice attracts an unusually high percentage of Asian students from area schools and every time I have been on campus I noticed a fairly strong Asian presence…more so than at most other Texas schools. It may not be California strong but Texas also doesn’t have the percentage of Asian residents that are in California either and certainly not 70 % of a school’s population.</p>

<p>It’s a great school, being next to the Texas Medical Center is definitely a plus and the neighborhood around the campus has really become more desirable in the last 20 years.</p>

<p>If money is an issue go with UCLA. Med school is very expensive and mostly loans. Don"t burden yourself or your family with big undergrad debt if med school is on the horizon. For a private school of its caliber Rice is really a bargain and would be my choice after UCLA if the financial burden is not excessive.</p>

10

<p>Pretty unanimous for UCLA if money is issue. If money isn’t issue, my vote would be for JHU but are you sure about BME? Keep in mind, a BS in BME won’t get you many opportunities if you don’t get into medical school.</p>

11

<p>the UC’s aren’t that cheap anymore. Not safe to assume it’s a good deal money-wise.</p>

12

<p>^^Great point, forgot about that. But then again, at least compared to JHU (depending on your FA) it’s significantly less.</p>