UT Austin Honors vs. UH Tier one & HBS vs. UTD Full scholarship

College Search & Selection
1

Hello!

I am a high school Senior from Houston, Texas. I am interested in attending med school immediately after graduation. With the College decision deadline soon approaching, I’m frantically trying to make a final decision. I am seriously considering the following three programs that I’ve got into-

UT Austin-

Honors Human Ecology honors
Honors Advanced Nutritional Sciences( HANS)

Pros-
Freshman Research Initiative
Personal Honors faculty adviser and research mentor
Extremely small and connected community of HANS scholars
Senior year Research thesis
Great Study Abroad options
5th best Nutrition program in the country

Cons-
No scholarship ( kind of surprising as I have a 35 ACT and 800 in 2 of my subject tests; I think it’s partly because I’m not eligible for FAFSA not being a US citizen)

UT Dallas-

Neuroscience Program
Collegium V

Pros-
Distinguished Achievement Scholarship( full scholarship)
Comparatively smaller and accessible community
The interesting & interdisciplinary nature of Neuroscience
A Separate School of Behavioral and Brain sciences
Lots of research opportunities and amazing variety of labs( especially for Neuroscience:))
Good Pre-med supporting resources and groups
Lots of fellowship opportunities( like Green fellows and Clark) and advising for nationally recognized fellowships
Close access to UTSW( for shadowing, research, volunteering, etc)

Cons-
Not as highly ranked as UT Austin
I personally didn’t really like the weather and feel of Dallas

UH-
Honors Biomedical Sciences Program(HBS)
or
Biomedical engineering (pre-med track)
The Honors College

Pros-
Tier one Scholar( Full ride( including 2yrs of dorms) + research and study abroad stipend)
Small community
Personal pre-med advisor and help with finding med-reated experiences
Senior Honors Thesis or approved Research experience
Close proximity and contacts with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Medical Center( for internships, volunteering, shadowing, and research)
MCAT study sessions
high % of acceptance to med school
Medicine and society minor( sounds really interesting) and a curriculum specifically made to fulfill all pre-med requirements
If I choose Biomedical engineering( they have the same pros as HBS, but the curriculum of Biomedical engineering gives the option of a Neural engineering concentration )

Cons-
Not as highly ranked
If I choose Engineering, then it can be slightly GPA-risky
If I choose HBS, the curriculum is not very flexible or as fascinating as Neuroscience/ nutrition

Even though I’m mostly decided on going to Medical school, I’m also looking forward to a very interesting, engaging, and interdisciplinary major as an Undergraduate which has a lot of scope of research.

I would be glad if someone could ease my decision-making process with any personal experiences or tips regarding any of the above schools, programs, or majors. Also, how much does the school’s rank affect the experience or med school acceptance? Also, how is the GPA friendliness( grade deflation, etc) at these schools?

2

IF UH and UT-Dallas are offering scholarships, I would go that route. Plus, UT-Austin is very inflexible when it comes to changing majors. UT-Dallas has a long standing reputation of being nerdy with zero school pride. In fact, the athletes have to go around campaigning to get students involved in actually going to games. UH, you get a better vibe with school spirit. If it were me, I would go with UH. It has a nice balance of academics with school spirit.

3

Can you afford UT without scholarship?
HANS is a top program with top notch opportunities and a close knit feel.
So, if UT is affordable, that’s what I’d pick.
If UT is not affordable without scholarship, then your options depend on fit: UTDallas is nerdy and very STEM focused, UH is more diverse in student profiles and interests. Both options are excellent and only depend on what you prefer in terms of vibe, peers, environment.
Have you done an overnight and attended classes, visited the library and the gym, met with students at all three?

4

Thanks a lot coolguy40 and MYOS1634!

MYOS1634, that’s a helpful perspective…I’ll try attending classes as that’ll give a more realistic perspective:)

5

Update your thread once you’ve visited.:slight_smile:

6

I visited both UTD and UT Austin. However, I couldn’t attend classes as we were short of time.
UTD’s honors college advisor was talking about how they help CV( especially McDermott scholars) students apply to national fellowships. I was also really impressed by the research, especially the pain-related Neuroscience research going on at BBS.

In UT Austin, I met with one of the coordinators of the HANS program. She talked about the HANS senior honors thesis and help with scheduling classes and preferred access to research opportunities in the department of Nutrition.
While UT Austin, especially with the Freshman Research Initiative, sounds like a great option, I am slightly worried if I would be able to get the same access to all premed resources, leadership, and volunteering opportunities that I may find in the comparatively smaller environments of UH and UTD. How personalized do these UT honors programs really get? Are they worth ignoring the scholarships in other schools?

Also, just a few days ago, I heard of my acceptance to the Clark Summer Research Fellowship at UTD, where incoming freshmen can choose a research lab on campus the summer before their freshmen year and work on a research project/poster under a research/faculty mentor. Has anybody heard or had any personal experience with this program?What sort of research do these newcomers undertake, and is it worth sacrificing the summer after 4 cumbersome high school years?

Also, what’s the opinion about UH’s HBS program? I don’t feel like leaving it because of UH’s close proximity to TMC and Baylor College of Medicine. What kind of med schools have students gone to from the program?

After looking closely at these schools, the decision seems to have got more difficult…

What about the GPA friendliness in the above schools( grade curving, inflation, deflation, etc.)?

7

@MYOS1634, perhaps you could help if you know some info or experiences about these programs:)
The tension is really building up, as I have barely any time left to make a decision!!

8

Sounds like great options. I would think the types of med schools that students get into are the kind that leads one to becoming a doctor. White coat. Stethoscope. That kind. :slight_smile:

9

My D was accepted into the UH HBS program. I was very impressed with our visits, professors, and the university in general. Unfortunately she did not receive the Tier One Scholarship. I would choose UH all the way. It’s in one of the best cities for medical practice and has a number of medical schools close by. My D is valedictorian and UT didn’t offer any money either. However, she was offered a Terry Foundation full-ride to SHSU and will be part of the Honors College and major in Biomedical Sciences there. Just stay focused on a High GPA, community service, and a great MCAT score and you will be fine

10

UH sounds like a better package for you though UT is a better school. I’m not a fan of UTD. Its a glorified community college buying students with money.