<p>Hello all!! Up until very recently, I had been leaning towards attending Northwestern. However, many, many people have told me that WashU is the place to be for a great pre-med experience in a relatively non-competitive environment. I do prefer the social scene at Northwestern; however, I have heard (directly from the mouth of pre-med advisor at NU) that the OChem at NU is very, very hard. I do not want that class to kill my GPA and make it very difficult for me to be accepted to a top tier med school. That being said, I do recognize that pre-med at any top school will be difficult; I have just heard that the OChem at NU is particularly notorious for causing many students to either drop the pre-med track or have a low GPA. Also, I do have some reservations about the rapid pace of the quarter system and the lack of learning depth that accompanies it. As the deadline for decisions approaches, I would very much appreciate any input as to which university I should attend.</p>
<p>I can assure you that OChems at WashU are as bad as the ones at NU. But I think WashU’s semester system might make it less difficult. A lot of people dropped pre-med after taking OChems. I guess your decision will have to be based on which school you like more. I am a WashU graduate and I have visited NU. Although these schools can be considered as peer institutions, they are very different. NU students have great school spirit, probably because of their DIV 1 sports. WashU on the other hand, has very little. A lot of people still wear WashU apparels and are very proud of the school, but you will rarely see people painting their body in their school colors. Anyway, WashU’s dorms are arguably the best in the US and the food is great too. So the students are mostly very happy. I might appear to be promoting my Alma mater, but I guess I just want to let you know the pros of choosing WashU. NU has a better name recognition outside Midwest, but if you are applying to med schools, WashU’s name isnt inferior to NU’s. So, good luck! :)</p>
<p>bump</p>