<p>Oh, and other schools that I am interested in include:
- Bradley University
- Illinois State University
- University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign
- Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale (probably not as interested in)
- University of Illinois @ Springfield (probably not as interested in)</p>
<p>I think these are all suitable universities for me and I have found many pros and cons of each. I would dearly love to hear from other members with their opinion of these schools. I’m not an athlete, so I don’t even consider that when considering schools. I would like the academics to be challenging enough, but also manageable for my personal level (I admit that I’m not a rocket scientist, but I’m not dumb either) so that I might maintain the highest possible gpa (to gain entrance into medical school).</p>
<p>I am particularly concerned about reputation. Does anyone know anything about these schools? Class size and teacher interaction are also very important to me. I have never been in a class (high school or community college) with more than 50 people and I think I may prefer the smaller classes. I also have always enjoyed getting to know my professors. I know that UIUC has large classes. What has been your experience with large classes? Did yo ufind them manageable? I think, more or less, I am simply afraid of something with which I have no experience.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Bradley University: They have a very good success rate for their pre-med students getting into medical school. Also, they have smaller classes and many opportunities for undergraduate research. But, they mostly only have regional reputation.</p></li>
<li><p>Illinois State University: They have a nice department and also opportunities for undergraduate research. The classes are a bit larger (60-120), but I think they would be manageable, and they rely less on TAs for teaching. However, this school is not as well known for their biology department.</p></li>
<li><p>University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign: Nice campus and academically rigorous. VERY large! The core classes for biology majors are very large (500+), and they rely on TAs extensively. Research is available for undergraduates, but I am told that positions are very competitive and that I am probably at a slight disadvantage as a transfer student. My main concerns with this school are the HUGE class sizes and whether or not I could keep up a high gpa because of this. I consider myself a very hard worker, but nonetheless I have the fear of the unknown in me. I simply am not sure how I could manage such large classes. The student body here I think is much more competitive than the other schools, so perhaps it would be much more challenging?</p></li>
<li><p>Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale: I no longer think this is the ideal school for me. It didn’t seem as rigorous, and was very laid back. I think, on average, the student body is not as motivated. This school seemed to be more geared towards preparing blue-collar type workers (nothing wrong with that, but not quite what I’m after). They also have a party reputation, and I beleive it. Yes, almost all universities have party reputations, but the reputation here is quite bad. Also, in Illinois they have a reputation as the school for students who are less motivated and simply want to party.</p></li>
<li><p>University of Illinois @ Springfield: This is my back-up/safety school; I am more interested in the other schools I mentioned. They definately have small classes, but I am not as interested in their biology department and research, they are not as well funded, and the campus is nearly non-existent. In Illinois, most people have not even heard of this school.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Please, anyone, comment!!! I love to hear from everyone, and I value everyone’s opinions! I am applying to these schools, and I think that I have a very good chance at getting into any of them. I would like to make a decision regarding which one I would most prefer to attend. Your comments will definately help my decision! Please comment your heart out! Thank you! </p>
<p>Oh, and I am concernded about school image/reputation and how that might impact my chances at getting into medical or graduate school. Any comments on this???</p>
Yes, if I decide to transfer to UIUC, I would have all of my general education requirements finished (with the exception of an advanced writing course that I can only complete at UIUC). My biology courses will only transfer as very basic courses. So, I would still have to complete their entire biology core sequence and electives. This would include IB 150 and MCB 150. I think these are supposed to be the largest of the classes. Also, the following core classes are still large, but not as large (e.g. MCB 250). I am glad to have reassurance that perhaps I should not be so worried about the size. I was told by the admissions representatives that a large university can be made small. Of course, I always tkae what they say with a grain of salt because they all think their university is the best in the world:) . Is there anyone familiar with the biolgoy and/or pre-med departments at any of these universities? What are they like (teachers, classes, etc.)?</p>