I was admitted to both schools. I am planning to major in Biological Sciences for my pre med studies. My parents wont be able to pay anything for my education. I plan on being a neurosurgeon, so costs are not gonna be weighed heavily but they will be considered in my college decision due to my future salary. Average starting pay at a research hospital for a neurosurgeon will be between $400k-$500k.
Lehigh would be the cheapest for me since I wouldn’t have to take out any loans. Lehigh also offers a private school environment. Lehigh has smaller class sizes. It is not really known for its natural science programs. Also has a huge party culture that I’m not very interested in. Ranked 44th by US News.
UC Berkeley would cost me $50k/year in loans. It is known around the world for its science programs. Berkeley is the number one ranked public school (ranked 20th nationally) and has an overall prestige that goes along with the name. Berkeley also offers more of the liberal environment I was looking forward to in college. Having spent years in a conservative state like Oklahoma, Berkeley would surely provide me with the environment I have been interested in for a long time.
Any input into my decision would be greatly appreciated.
Congrats on Lehigh!
I think that the supportive private school environment is much more likely to help you succeed becoming a neurosurgeon regardless of the cost. Though it’s not a popular opinion here, I would pick it over Berkeley even if costs were equal. In your case, I don’t even see Berkeley as an option. Being $200K in debt BEFORE you start medical school is a non-starter. Just the interest at 7% on $200,000 loan is $14,000 per year.
Good luck at Lehigh.
I like how you put that, “…my future salary.” That’s some salary you’re guaranteed! You’re not even assured of a place in med school, let alone specializing as a neurosurgeon. Lots of stuff can happen along the way. And med school, if you do get there, is very expensive. Even if you didn’t want med school, carrying $200,000 in debt would be a very poor decision. With med school on the table, debt that large would be nothing short of boneheaded.
I respect your honest opinions, but I am making my decision based on education mostly. I am a scholar, and I want to due what is best for my career and education. @ClassicRockerDad I appreciate your insight.
Does the private school environment like Lehigh’s, really equalize the the playing field in terms of prestige. How much weight would it have in your decision if you were me? Ignore the cost of Berkeley, just expand on the difference between the environments and my future prospects after I graduate? Also for hypothetical reasons, let’s say I perform exceptionally at both schools (which I plan to do). Which school would better shape me and give me the resources to become a better professional (I also understand that it is my responsibility to grow into the professional I want to be but I hope you can understand what question I am trying to ask.).
Btw, I realize that nothing is guaranteed in life, but I can assure you of my passion and drive to become a neurosurgeon. If I want anything in life, I will go get it and make it happen. That’s just the kind of person I am. So please, don’t question my drive, maturity, and ambition. I know exactly what I want to do with my life and I will do whatever it takes to get there.
Personally no matter what your goals and hopes, I would not go $200K into debt for UCB if Lehigh with no debt is an option, particularly in a STEM field which Lehigh is strong in. I would not worry so much about rankings, but rather consider if a school can get you where you want to go in life – and I believe that if you perform exceptionally well at either school as well as on your MCATs etc. you should be able to get into med school. Don’t forget that med school will likely require you taking on substantial debt so any chance to minimize debt should be welcome.
So you know that for med school, THE MOST IMPORTANT ADMISSION FACTORS are gpa, mcat scores and ec’s. Which school is better at helping you succeed? Which offers more/easier ec options? Greater financial flexibility? I believe it would be Lehigh, and I say that as a Cal alum.
@katliamom Okay now I really appreciate your response! You offered an insight that is very valuable! I see that the private school environment is very nurturing to pre meds. Thank you for giving a solid answer with competent reasoning.
I believe it does.
Prestige is not a factor in medical school admissions. Your record of achievement is.
Lehigh is a small research institution. Berkeley is a large state school. For graduate school, no question I would pick Berkeley because you will get a lot of attention. But for an undergraduate, you will have to claw your way to become known by your professors. It will be more difficult to get meaningful recommendations. .At Lehigh, it will be much easier. Classes are small, professors have office hours. Lehigh NEEDS undergrads to do research because there are not enough graduate students. Berkeley doesn’t need undergrads to do research, just pay tuition.
I mean people say that Berkeley is a great school no doubt, but they’ve had problems with students getting their classes, they have problems with the California budget. It’s not perfect.
This decision is a no brainer to me.
An interesting thing I would like to know is what schools do you think are on Lehigh’s overall academic tier. Please list some similar schools so I can get a perspective of its reputation. (I know this is not very important but I would like to see how the educated public generally view a Lehigh education.)
Thank you @ClassicRockerDad . I am now leaning towards Lehigh due to your well-thought out analysis.
With that cost difference I also think Lehigh will serve you well, and you can use the savings to help pay for med school. You may also be able to attain a higher GPA at Lehigh vs UCB which may also help with med school admissions.
Thank you @my2caligirls . I agree that I could probably get a higher GPA at Lehigh.
Can someone please answer my previous question?
“An interesting thing I would like to know is what schools do you think are on Lehigh’s overall academic tier. Please list some similar schools so I can get a perspective of its reputation. (I know this is not very important but I would like to see how the educated public generally view a Lehigh education.)”
That is betting on the best case scenario multiple times (get into a medical school, finish medical school and get matched to a residency in a high paying specialty, get hired to a research hospital at that pay level, all assuming that your interests remain the same throughout). Not worth taking on a large amount of undergraduate debt based on something that is a speculative reach multiple times – you will probably have $300,000 of debt from medical school later.
Thank you for your response. @ucbalumnus
Maybe Rochester, Brandeis, Tufts, George Washington - all medium sized research universities. All well respected but not elite.
The following comparison is not an apple to apple comparison. But it may give some insights:
UCB medical school acceptance rate:
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/national
Lehigh medical school acceptance rate:
http://www1.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/success/outcomes
I’d chose Berkeley. Great town, great campus, great food, great weather, great Greek life and one of the best universities in the country. And if you like to cheer on a major D1 sports program, Cal has one of the best. I have a relative that attends now and he’s getting his classes and loves going to school there.
Over the course of your life, I think $200,000 plus interest is not that much to pay for a Berkeley education that I’d rather have on my job and medical school applications. YMMV.