Studying in the US would enable me to do a Pre-Med degree while exploring other fields. Saying this, I have noticed that Lindenwood have some strange policies, for example your dorm room must remain open during any visit, no visits from the opposite sex are allowed unless registered with the Resident Advisor first and then have some kind of a Dresscode.
Is this common at all US universities?
No. That is not common at US universities, but is not unusual for institutions with strong religious affiliations. In the past, Lindenwood was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, however it isn’t clear from the information on the website if Lindenwood currently has an affiliation with any one specific Christian denomination. It does offer a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry Studies, and includes this statement on its website:
“Lindenwood is an independent institution firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian values. Those values include belief in an ordered, purposeful universe, the dignity of work, the worth and integrity of the individual, the obligations and privileges of citizenship, and the primacy of truth.”
To be perfectly honest, Lindenwood looks to be more conservative than you might like.
I completely second the information being provided by the experienced posters. ^^^^
Caveat: I don’t mean to insult the residents of these two states so please I am just trying to be honest for the OP:
@samman282, if your concept and expectations, of these schools being anything like the schools in California/Florida & NY, you are very mistaken and will face some disappointment. These schools, under your consideration, are small conservative schools, as you have already seen, are influenced by their sponsoring allied churches.
US students typically “live, eat, and play” at their universities, but you need to know that as a European student you may grow weary of the same small rural environment and inaccessibility to large city areas. Or, maybe you’ll like being able to focus on studies and not need the social ambience and environment of a self-supporting university “town”.
Most students, who don’t live in the area, have never heard of these schools so that’s why you’ll have mostly local area students. I am assuming that your friends had the urban experience and that you want the same experience but, I think you are assuming that one school in a different area, is much like the next. That’s why these are “flyover” schools and will have the funds to help you because they need the diversity of students.
If you really prefer a school in NY, Florida or California, wait and save the funds to go there; apply to the private schools to get better financial aid options.
BTW: my SIL lives in Missouri, she and her kids call it “misery/miz ur ry” because there just isn’t much to do there. I’ve driven through it during a cross-country trek and would have to agree (St. Louis Barbecue being the exception). We also didn’t like that lots of public areas were smoke-filled. Utah is a beautifully scenic state but is small (population wise) and not really a college-“known” environment except for BYU, and, some areas are “dry” so if you’re into having a drink now and then, you need to check the town laws.
I would also like to point out that there are plenty of very interesting places in the US besides NY/California/Florida.
I have in the past recommended international students consider parts of the Northeast because it has public transportation which will make it fairly easy to access many cities and beaches. There are many schools in the midwest that would be interesting - I’m thinking areas around Chicago or Madison, Wisconsin. The Pacific Northwest is fascinating, beautiful and very diverse. And while I’m not very familiar with the south of the US, I know that there are very good schools there and dynamic, diverse academic communities students should also consider.
@happymomof1 Thanks, yes, Lindenwood seems to be conservative, that’s why I asked ;).
@auntbea My only preferences are a mid-sized or large school which offers a good education and a campus life with some athletics. The bigger the surrounding area is, the more I would like it, but I don’t necessarily need a NYC or LA during college (but definitely afterwards!). Lindenwood seemed perfect (St. Louis nearby, very diverse) until I saw that they’re very conservative. But your explanation of why they’re willing to fund internationals is plausible.
@katliamom Thanks for your tips, I’ve written emails to schools across the whole country and nearly all told me they would be unable to offer scholarships.
I will need to apply to a university anyway and since I want to study Medicine, the alternative would be a English 6-year MD in Poland (14,300$ in tuition) or Romania (5,500$ in tuition, but language of instruction is Romanian beginning in Year 3 and they aren’t recognized in all countries outside the EU), both aren’t really appealing. I would prefer doing a normal BSc first and then go another 4-years to Med school instead of getting a Doctor’s degree without a Bachelor’s and not experiencing a “real” university life at all. But I think I need to make a compromise somewhere…
The alternative to the alternative is to “wait”. You can gain admission to a university through waiting (i.e. not studying anything at a institution in Germany, so I would be able to study in any other country) in Germany. The current waiting time is 7 years and may rise at any time and this means that I would finish the Med degree in at least 13 years.
Are you thinking of staying in the U.S. for medical school? Because you should know that American med schools accept almost no international students, and there is no FA for the few who are accepted. It’s a $200,000+ education.
@katliamom I think about applying to any Med School afterwards. I know that Med-School is very expensive in the US, but doctors would eventually become debt free I think. There are also 4-year programs for Pre-Med graduates in Poland, the UK and Czech (and the Carribean I think, but they are expensive).
Would you suggest going the pre-med route?
An alternative would be for you to give Lindenwood or Southern Utah a try - just for a year. Then re-apply to European schools. This way, you’ll get your yearning for the US out of your system :), you’ll become fluent in English, you’ll have a great experience, you’ll have studied other subjects to see if you’d like them so that you can decide on a path, and you’ll still be eligible for most European programs, be they the Romanian or Polish programs in English, or the Scottish programs, etc. (In particular, you wouldn’t be able to study abroad if you study medicine.)
In that situation, you can go about anywhere, it doesn’t really matter (I would contact St Michael’s if I were you: although they don’t have engineering, they do have a great city since they’re located in Burlington, and you should be able to get a scholarship.)
I hadn’t realized Lindenwood was that conservative. I’ll try to find more about it.
Southern Utah University is one of the more liberal universities in Utah. It’s the designated public liberal arts college for the State and hosts the Shakespeare festival. It also has Division I sports. However, the town it’s located in is not tops. But if you’re going for a year, why not?
^^^ Great advice!
First things first: would someone loan you the amount of money you’d need for medical school? You won’t get it from an American bank without a qualified co-signer (and in this case, a “qualified cosigner” would be someone with substantial income or someone willing to put up their home as collateral).
@MYOS1634 That’s really a very good advice, but there’s one thing which makes it impossible: regardless of what I study, I would not be eligible for the state loans and grants after returning back. They would see this as a change of my major and students are only allowed to change their major one time within the first three semesters.
@b@r!um I absolutely don’t know, good that you mentioned that. German banks give loans to students without any security, but most times only up to 30,000 €.
Lindenwood isn’t exactly well-known or very respected in the States.
@anhydrite, I’m not sure why it should matter to someone with EU citizenship who is not from the UK how the UK economy will do. All that matters to the OP is whether Strathclyde is reputable and recognized in the EU.
@PurpleTitan To be honest, I wouldn’t like to come back to work in Germany anyway. If I studied in the UK I would likely take advantage of the EU policies/Schengen Agreement and stay there.
If you went to thé UK after your year in the us, would it matter that the German government would see it as a change of major or not? And since youre doing industrial engineering woulsnt a set of business classes -3or 4?- suffice to show you’re still in the same major?
@MYOS1634 No, what matters is in what semester you get admitted. So after a year in the US they would only continue to pay if I would get admitted into Year 2 in the UK or Semester 3 in Germany. Even SAAS would stop paying the tuition in that case :(. I am not sure whether the UK would accepted into Year 2 in their program because I applied to Napier University for Engineering with Management and they were unable to waive any module from the first year. Thus I would have to take out a loan with an interest rate while half of the loan from the German government is interest-free and the other half is a grant if you graduate.
Now that digital aspects of business (along with accounting and marketing) is gaining strong traction,It may be worth considering combining medicine, digital technology and business as a career path. Of course first it means gaining admission, and having the financial means and sustaining interest to pursue a 6 year medical program in English language.
I agree with MYOS1634 that OP satisfy the notion of studying in the US for one year, which would bring more clarity in pursuing a future academic/career path.
@samman282 : would you be interested in Bioinformatics or Biostatistics? Both are heavily health-related.
@Trinity7
It seems interesting to combine these subjects, but I’d like to study Medicine because I want to become a doctor. I currently have two business-related and one digital technology class and had another two in the last semester.
I really think that studying in the US for one year is financially irresponsible if this means that I’d have to take out a loan with interest rate for the rest of my studies instead of half grant+half interest-free loan.
@MYOS1634
Yes, not Bioinformatics, but Biostatistics, although I’d be a bit more interested in the Biology part than in the Statistics part.
In the us, med school takes place after 4years with a “premed core” which you can combine with everything you’re interested in. However it doesn’t work for the eu. To be a doctor in the EU with preme undergrad, you then need to attend the special program in the Irish royal college of urgeons.
Can’t you ask for a gap year to be abroad, then return and take on the regular financial aid?
I know, that’s why I think it’s the best option. The US doctor’s title is recognized in Germany and there are alternatives to US medical schools throughout Poland and the Czech for Pre-Med graduates from the US. As far as I know this is similar to Poland etc…
Gap year would be ok, but I still wouldn’t be allowed to attend any university. Everything is regulated by laws and they don’t make any exceptions :(. The only exceptions are schools which aren’t recognized in Germany and these are schools that aren’t accredited in the US and community colleges.
So as far as I see the only option would be either to go directly to a Medical School in Eastern Europe or to go through the US Pre-Med program.