I am senior from NJ and have narrowed down my college choices to TCNJ and Villanova. In both I will be majoring in Bio on a pre-med track. I want to attend medical school after college, would one choice be better over the other? I heard that both have the same med school acceptance rate, around 70%.
What about socially? When I visited, I liked that both were in secluded suburbs (I’m not looking for a city school), but I really enjoyed the fact that Villanova was very close to Philly. Being close to a city might be better internship-wise. I feel that with TCNJ being 40 minutes away from a major city, there might not be a lot to do on weekends. I am also concerned about Greek life. I am not planning on joining, but will I feel pressured at either school to join?
Another thing I am wondering about is the environment and type of students at each school. When I visited both, I felt that both schools had a great sense of community, with Villanova slightly better than TCNJ. However, I felt that at TCNJ, the students seemed more down-to-earth. I guess it’s also worth mentioning that I am very academically motivated, and I want like-minded peers at whatever school I choose.
Neither Villanova or TCNJ are known for giving much aid, but the COA could be much lower at TCNJ. And you will want to minimize debt for medical school.
Since in-state COA for TCNJ is $33K, that would appear to be significant aid from Villanova. You are correct that proximity to Philadelphia would be beneficial for internship opportunities.
@NJgirl398 You say:
“Approximately the same, around $23k for TCNJ and $25k for Villanova”
But COA for Villanova is $66,000 vs TCNJ $33,000.
So did you get a $43,000 scholarship from Villanova or did you get a loan package? If a scholarship, what are the requirements for keeping that scholarship? Make sure you can afford it, even if, for example, you drop below the GPA requirement.
If a loan package, you realize you will have to pay that money back, so it means money DOES matter between these two schools, especially if you want to go to Med School, as that will mean significantly more debt on top of undergrad debt.