I’m having alot of trouble making my final college decision, so I wanted to get some outside opinions on my dilemma.
I plan to study biochemistry or chemical engineering with the hope of going to medical school after graduation, and have narrowed my field down to the University of Pittsburgh and Villanova.
Pitt has been my top choice since the first time I saw the campus. I love the city, and really feel at home when I visit. From my research, it also seems like Pitt is better for pre-med, as they are a well ranked for sciences, have a plethora of research opportunities for undergrads, and have a fair number of hospitals on campus that accept student volunteers.
Villanova seemed kinda meh when I first visited. I liked it well enough the second time I visited, but I think that was more a function of the people I met there than the school itself. Also, being a smaller and private school, there are fewer opportunities for research, and getting to hospitals for volunteering would require a half hour train ride and a .5-1.5 mile walk through the city depending on the hospital.
Also, all of my visits to Villanova have been things such as accepted student days or tours, where they were actively trying to woo us and get us to go there. I visited Pitt for events like those, but also many times when my brother attended, so I know I like Pitt even when they are not actively trying to win me over.
However, after scholarships and financial aid, the final cost of the University of Pittsburgh will be $11,000 more per year than Villanova would be.
Should I follow my gut and to Pitt? Or would going to Villanova and avoiding the extra debt be a better choice?
Villanova is walking distance to Bryn Mawr Hospital, and Lankenau isn’t much farther away. They may not be as prestigious as the Center City hospitals, but they’re good facilities.
Can you and your parents afford the extra $44,000+ for Pitt? Would you have that money available for medical school if it wasn’t spent on undergrad?
We have money put away that I can use for either college or medical school. If I went to Villanova it would cover almost two years at average medical school tuition, while if I used some to pay for Pitt there should be enough left for a year of medical school.
I don’t know about Villanova, but I hear Pitt Engineering is hard to get a good GPA for med school. It is probably more general to engineering, but I’d look into this if you think medical school is a strong possibility. Engineering is a good degree on it’s own, so you’ll be fine if you change your mind about this, like many students do.
Direct quote from engineering main advisor at Pitt in July of 2017:
“The average GPA after first semester First Year engineering courses = 2.98.”
OP are you a whiz kid who already has AP Calc BC, AP Chem and AP physics with a 5 in each? First year engineering at Pitt (and others I’m sure) also requires a coding and writing intensive class that can be time consuming.
$11k more per year is a heck of a lot of money. The most you can take out in student loans for a 4 year degree is $27k. Are your parents willing to pay the difference? If not, Villanova is pretty much your only real choice.