<p>I'm having some difficulty deciding whether to go to the University of Florida or Rice University. I'm basically 100% sure I want to go to medical school after I graduate. I understand there has been a lot of discussion about whether med schools look at an undergraduate institution's "prestige". </p>
<p>However, even after reading a considerable number of posts, I have not been able to make up my mind. Both schools appeal to me, and the issue here is money vs. prestige. There is no doubt that I can afford Rice, but there is also no doubt that it is very expensive. In addition, I understand that med school will likely be even more expensive. The University of Florida offers a very appealing financial option for me. </p>
<p>I guess my question is, if I am not involved in any spectacular extracurricular activities during my undergrad years, is there any significant advantage to attending Rice (owing to prestige, or perhaps to other things such as close relationships with professors)?</p>
<p>Remember: school matters, but prestige is not the determining factor. Things like advising, access to research/volunteering, close relationships with professors, etc.</p>
<p>Advising: probably goes to Rice, although I'll probably be in the Honors program at UF, don't know how much that helps.
Volunteering: Equal. UF has Shands, Rice has the entire Texas Medical Center.
Research: Difficult for me to figure out. I def know it's not impossible at UF; I know undergrads who got research positions, although not in medical research (biology, though). Rice has the advantage of close relations with profs, who can get you research positions, which leads me into...
Close Relationships with profs: Hands down, Rice.</p>
<p>Oh, btw, thanks for your replies. Hope I'm not being too nosy, but are you guys med students, or undergrad students?</p>
<p>I believe it's more important for you to look at factors that are less tied to medical school and have more to do with just your general "fit" at either school. In other words, don't choose a school based on how you perceive it will benefit you for medical school admission. I'm a firm believer that people who are happy are more productive, and are thus more likely to excel in their endeavors. </p>
<p>Obviously Rice and UF are two very different schools, so this is easier to determine. </p>
<p>My personal preferences include things like big time D1 sports, solid Greek Life, surrounding city, and being the big fish in the "small" academic pond, all of which would lead me to go to UF if in your situation. Obviously your feelings, opinions and attitudes will be different and thus you might find a different direction.</p>
<p>I believe it's more important for you to look at factors that are less tied to medical school and have more to do with just your general "fit" at either school. In other words, don't choose a school based on how you perceive it will benefit you for medical school admission. I'm a firm believer that people who are happy are more productive, and are thus more likely to excel in their endeavors. </p>
<p>Obviously Rice and UF are two very different schools, so this is easier to determine. </p>
<p>My personal preferences include things like big time D1 sports, solid Greek Life, surrounding city, and being the big fish in the "small" academic pond, all of which would lead me to go to UF if in your situation. Obviously your feelings, opinions and attitudes will be different and thus you might find a different direction.</p>
<p>if you want to go to medical school, the actual name of your university won't matter too much. i have no idea about the difficulty level of each school, but keep that in mind when you make your choice. also, go to the school where you will be happy; where you'll have a social life, but also a comfortable environment to do well academically. If you aren't happy at the school you're at, you may have a harder time doing well.</p>
<p>Having gone to Rice, I'd definitely recommend it. The student body is amazing, and I couldn't imagine a better location for undergraduate medical exposure, being right next to the TMC. As for price, it isn't that bad considering the other high ranking alternatives (granted, when I started there, it was ranked #1 for best value in the nation, or at least close to it). Then again, I know nearly nothing about UF, so I can't compare in an unbiased fashion... I can only praise Rice :P</p>
<p>But overall, go where you think you'd be comfortable. Like bigredmed and bruinboy said, if you're comfortable at a place and enjoy the lifestyle, you'll naturally do better. If you really like Rice and its college system, it's worth going there. If you'd rather have a true Greek life with frats and the such, go to UF.</p>
<p>Oh, and Rice's research opportunities are wonderful. With the small class size, it's typically no problem to find a professor who you'd like to work with and set something up, either for credit or even a summer job to make some money.</p>
<p>Man, this is a difficult decision for me. You'd think it wouldn't be, considering the differences between the schools, but it still is. The two things most people seem to be saying about UF are the sports (which are a definite plus, but not a necessity; baseball's not my sport) and the Greek life, which I have not really even considered (I guess it's not really a necessity either). </p>
<p>Judging from this, you might recommend Rice, but the thing is, I've stayed at UF, and I enjoyed it there. I know I'll have fun there. About Rice, the idea of living in Houston is cool. Gainesville reminds me of my own home town, which could be a good thing or a bad thing (I sort of want to see other cities, but I might not like it). And it's weird, I really think I'd feel comfortable in both a small school and a big school. </p>
<p>So basically, that's why I turned to asking the "which is better for med school" question.</p>
<p>I have a question for you. If you haven't been accepted by Rice ....how can you debate this? Find out whether you get in first......have you applied yet?</p>
<p>I think you should spend some more time visiting each campus. </p>
<p>Here's another question: If you decide to change you major, so that you are no longer pre-med, does that alter your decision? I'm not saying that you will change your major or you can't handle being a pre-med, just that a lot of people change their majors, and the attrition rate for pre-meds is extremely high. You should probably remove the med school questions from your consideration to begin with, but knowing it's very possible you'll find something you enjoy more than medicine might cement the reasoning for you. Bruinboy is right about looking at the whole picture too.</p>
<p>Also if it's anything of note, Florida is nearly as good at baseball as Rice is.</p>