Having trouble deciding, am probably pre-med. Merit aid at Tulane and SMU, but money factor not a dealbreaker. Even after visiting feel there are still too many pros and cons for each to decide. Help!
Those are quite a mix of schools. I think you have to think about what your preferences are. Do you want a huge school (Michigan), a small school (Lehigh), or something in between (Tulane or SMU)? Would you rather be in a huge city in the south (Tulane or SMU) or a smaller city in the north (Michigan or Lehigh)?
Even if money is not a deal breaker, it’s still a benefit, especially if you plan on going to medical school. If Tulane and SMU are considerably cheaper, those might be the better choices.
Michigan definitely wins out in terms of prestige. But for pre-med, it’s usually more important to go somewhere where you can maintain a high GPA than to go somewhere that’s very prestigious.
As a parent of a Michigan and SMU student, among others, I feel fairly qualified to answer about these two schools. Michigan is very prestigious, but everyone there was the Valedictorian, so academic rigor is quite intense. Studying is taken very seriously, but the curves can kill a GPA quickly. Also, if you are OOS, there is a 95% chance you will get NO aid at UM. So even if money isn’t a factor, your family is looking at 200k before Med school. You’ll also be expected to perform research to keep up with the other pre-meds. This may be right up your alley, and UM offers excellent research opportunities and facilities.
SMU has its share of premeds- in fact my son’s roommate is one and has been accepted to his top med school choice starting in August. However, he did have to be structured and not give into temptations of gorgeous girls and many parties. However, he was able to join a fraternity and have a bit of a social life, which is not as possible at UM. His friends supported his drive to go to med school, he’s graduating with honors and in a few long years will be a neurosurgeon.
Can’t speak to the other schools. For these two, it comes down to living the majority of life as a premed with brilliant peers and magnificent med facilities by your side, versus having a more traditional college experience and exposure to other aspects. It also comes down to what your family can truly afford and of course the weather. I think it’s a personal preference, and I hope this helped. Good luck.
What did your son’s roommate at SMU major in?