I am currently a senior in high school struggling to decide between Rhodes College and University of Missouri. Of course, there are advantages and drawbacks to both schools.
The most confusing thing for me has been how different they are. Instead of choosing my favorite/the best of a few similar schools, I am essentially trying to figure out if I like a big or small school environment.
On top of this, the cost to attend to Rhodes is staggering, especially compared to Mizzou. Of course this is for good reason, but it is hard to justify when I plan to spend even more to go on to medical school. Everyone says not to break the bank on undergrad.
Also, I worry that Rhode is not as well known. Although Mizzou is not prestigious by any stretch, it is definitely a name that people recognize. I am far from a college snob, but I still worry about the medical school application process or even searching for internships outside of Memphis and finding it rare that employers recognize Rhodes. Basically, I am concerned about name recognition, however trivial that may seem.
Any thoughts?
Medical schools want a high GPA & excellent MCAT scores & an interview.
Oft repeated quote: “You can make a big school small, but you cannot make a small school big.”
Actually, Rhodes is very well known for its pre-med program. But anyway the name of your university doesn’t even participate in the criteria for making first cut - the algorithm looks at your GPA, science gpa, classes taken, MCAT. Basically you have to be top 10-20% in every class you take then rock the MCAT. In order to make it past that initial first cut, you need medical experience (shadowing, volunteering, working), plus leadership and/or research. (Research is necessary for MD/PhD programs).
Have you received your aid package from both?
Mizzou instate + good merit, v. Need based aid+ merit - if you’re a top applicant i doubt you’d pay sticker price at either college. Have you run the NPC?
@MYOS1634 I’m aware of the emphasis on GPA and MCAT scores, which is another concern as it is conceivable that I would have a higher GPA at Mizzou. I know that Rhodes is well known within the medical community, but I also wonder how well it would stack up if I decided to go in a different direction for any reason. Research is something I’m thinking about as I know that Mizzou will likely have more resources for research and professors focused on it, and yet Rhodes has no graduate students that would take precedent when research opportunities do arise. I’ve gotten financial aid packages and of course have scholarships to both schools, but basically it leaves me paying room and board at Mizzou or about $30,000 (including r+b) at Rhodes. At this point I’m just trying to weigh the pros and cons of both schools to figure out where I will have the most opportunities to prepare for medical school and build a strong resume.
Do an overnight at both, including a freshman seminar/English class and a freshman biology class (two classes that are easy to compare), a tour of the library, time in the gym, lunch in the cafeteria. That should help clarify things.