UGA or Oxford/Emory

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have been admitted to both the university of georgia and oxford college of emory university. i am a resident of the state of georgia, and i plan to do pre-med with a focus on psychology (i ultimately want to be a psychiatrist).</p>

<p>with both, i see pros and cons:
uga -pros: larger school, more people, more different kinds of people, more things to do, more fun, easier (i realize it isn't a walk in the park, but i feel i would be able to get better grades), athens is a neat town, cheaper (basically free), study abroad program i want (at oxford in london). fundamentally i'd be able to join the honors program and do well and get good grades, and maybe have a little fun while i'm at it.
cons: not as individualized, larger class sizes, "not as good" as an emory education (debatable, but this is what people say).</p>

<p>oxford emory - pros: smaller class sizes, individualized, graduate with a degree from emory university, form close bonds with the small community, still does have study abroad programs in london, and of course you go to emory after two years.
cons: smaller, more expensive, not much to do in the covington/conyers area, most activity is at the main campus so i'd have to take a bus to atlanta on weekends to hang out, not much on campus</p>

<p>what do you all think? would i be better off going the oxford route and receive my undergrad from emory? or would uga be a better experience? even if i went to georgia, i've heard it's better to enjoy undergrad and do well with grades then go to a prestigious grad school than the other way around. i know people who have gone to uga only to further study at vanderbilt, emory, or nyu later on. </p>

<p>i always could go to uga then try to transfer later on to big emory perhaps, but transferring anywhere isn't guaranteed and can be difficult. if i go to oxford then decide i don't like it, and then transfer to uga (for example) i wouldn't be eligible for the honors program as you have to do it your first semester of freshman year to join/maintain it. i do need to make my decision soon though because the may 1 deposit deadline is fast-approaching. </p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>i also was accepted to fordham in new york, but it most likely wouldn't be cheap though. i love the school and new york, but how is its reputation, and moreover compared to uga or oxford is it worth its 40k/year cover for a degree? if i could get them down, would it be worth it? georgia is about 10k/year for me, and oxford is about 17k/year.</p>

<p>EDIT: i forgot to mention i was waitlisted for nyu, emory (main campus), university of richmond, and georgia tech. i could go to one of the above, and if something clears, i'd of course prefer emory or nyu definitely. as far as richmond and tech go, how are these for premed?</p>

2

<p>anyone? bump. help please</p>

3

<p>I’m a big advocate of looking for the dynamic peer group. As a career college administrator, that’s what I feel the primary benefit is in a selective institution. Emory at Druid Hills definitely provides that; I don’t know that your peers at Oxford for your first two years would be substantially stronger than your UGA peers - the UGA accepted student median SAT this year is 1275 / 1600. Honors is 1470+; that’s a pretty inspirational peer group.</p>

<p>Fordham is a different environment, but IMO definitely not worth $40K a year. Its rep will not provide any greater benefits than those of Emory or UGA. NYU is generally considered one of the worst in the country for financial aid. They have a ready supply of students whose families will pay big bucks for four years in Greenwich Village, so they have no need to be generous.</p>

<p>We have two Ds who have gone to Harvard. Since then, our family assets have changed to put us just out of reach for need-based aid, and our Ds’ little brother has had to do a college search with four-year cost as a significant factor. He has stats similar to his sisters’, but he’s choosing UGA Honors. He’ll save $200K over four years compared to private school tuition, which can fund whatever grad school ambitions he develops. He’s also a huge marching band guy, so it better fits his priorities. It’s up to you to determine whether Emory offers that much more than UGA Honors.</p>

4

<p>thank you very much gadad, that was incredibly helpful! hopefully, my wait list status at druid hills emory will become one of acceptance, but uga honors is looking like a great option. </p>

<p>any other insight on oxford college vs. uga (strong possibility of honors), guys?</p>

5

<p>I am a VA resident and I was really excited to see Emory when I visited this spring. I was planning to apply to both campuses - just in case I fell short of the main Emory campus stats. I drove through the Oxford campus on the way from Athens to Atlanta, and I was absolutely dissappointed. The main quad looked nice, but I thought the town of Oxford and the rest of the campus were absolute let downs. As much as I like Emory (and as much as they will encourage you to apply to both schools), I decided that going to Oxford for two years just to finish up at Emory would not be worth it for me. While Oxford offers that female leadership program I was really excited about (and nice tennis courts), I honestly did not see any other draws to go to Oxford. I am planning to apply only to the Atlanta campus.</p>

<p>As for UGA, I just drove through it on the way from South Carolina to Atlanta, but the campus and facilities seemed nice. Though it is a large public school (which is not what I have been looking for), I would choose UGA over Oxford in a heart beat. There seemed to be a lot more going on and I think there would be a lot more opportunities classes-wise. The UGA Honors program will definitely look good as well.</p>

<p>You will just have to weigh the possibilities of Oxford to switch to Druid Hills, or four years at UGA. One of my biggest concerns before visiting Oxford/DH was if I did not get accepted to Emory and was accepted to Oxford, if I would want to attend knowing how hard I would have to work to keep up with everyone on the Druid Hills campus. In your position, I would opt for UGA to balance fun and manageable academics. Best of luck with whatever you choose.</p>

6

<p>thank you both so much – i have made my deposit at UGA. right now, i guess i’m having a little bit of second-guessing and "what-if"s, but my parents seem to think i’m overthinking the entire situation. rationally, i honestly do believe i’m going to have a great time at Georgia and will receive a great education, and right now, i’m looking forward to attending in the fall.</p>

<p>thank you very much!</p>

7

<p>Sorry I’m kind of late with my opinion, but I think you made the right decision. I also am a student in Georgia, and while I may not be going to either of these schools in the fall I know that the Oxford/Emory route is more overhyped than it really is. Everyone I know who got into Oxford is either going to another option or currently there and disappointed. UGA is a great place where you’ll get a top education. I got to spend my last summer there and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! (YSP!!!) If I was staying in state it would definitely be my first choice. Congrats on becoming a bulldog!</p>