<p>I've narrowed it down to WashU, Cornell, and Dartmouth. Finances are about the same at all three and rival my state school's COA, but the opportunities are somewhat different. </p>
<p>At WashU, I'll be receiving a full-tuition scholarship, guaranteed research opportunities, and an annual $1000 stipend as an Honorary Scholar (which is an established group of scholars there who meet for weekly discussions/speakers/etc), and it'll be around 14k per year. Cornell also gave me scholarships and will cost around $17k, and I would be a Dean's scholar there (guaranteed research opportunity, though I'm not sure how active the scholars program is compared to WashU's). Dartmouth is matching Cornell's offer so it'll cost around that much as well.</p>
<p>I was interested in both medicine (involving chemistry/biology research - like an MD/PhD) and business for a long while, but don't know what I'll end up pursuing anymore. I'd like to explore a bit and figure out what my true interests are in college before deciding definitively. I'd like to take a lot of science and history classes even if I don't major in the fields. I would also like to do some sort of research as an undergrad, regardless of whether I'll be a science or humanities major.</p>
<p>I'm leaning a lot towards Dartmouth since it was one of my top choices. I'm not sure that the lack of a guaranteed research opportunity and scholars program is worth declining Dartmouth for, since the environment is so close-knit and opportunities abundant anyway. But I wanted to hear your opinions - what would you do and why?</p>
<p>Gosh, that’s a tough one. However, I think WashU is giving you the best deal…it’d be hard to turn down such attention and opportunities. You’ll be successful coming out of any of the three (though it seems as if you’ve narrowed things down to Dartmouth and WashU), but it seems to me that WashU is going to do more to help you get there. Plus, you will graduate with no debt, which is huge.</p>
<p>All three schools are comparable and so are the finances. Wash U would be my choice if i were committed to being a physician scientist since their medical school is top-notch, they have many MD/PhD combined students, and clinically relevant laboratory opportunities should exceed the others. Dartmouth, OTOH, has a stronger reputation and network in the business world and their quarter system gives you the opportunity to obtain plum internships in the fall and winter. You don’t need to worry that a lack of “guaranteed research opportunity” or honors program will be an issue at Dartmouth. All the schools will welcome undergrads for research. Hopefully you can attend all the admitted students programs and come away from them with a stronger feeling of fit at one of them.</p>
<p>I’ll actually have ~50k debt at WashU and ~68k at Cornell and Dartmouth, since I still have to pay for room/board/personal expenses at the former and roughly the same at the latter two.</p>
<p>@YaleGradandDad,</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. I’ve already visited WashU (for finalist weekend - so I got a really good sense of the environment there) and Dartmouth (information session/tour) and really enjoyed both of them, but I won’t be able to attend the admit weekends for all three. I’m not too concerned about the environment anymore since I feel like I’ll be fine at any of them, so it’s all down to the academics and post-grad opportunities now.</p>
<p>The debt load at all of your options seems rather high for someone considering going to medical school (expensive) or majoring in something that does not have good job and career prospects at the bachelor’s degree level (chemistry or biology). Consider whether the debt load would put pressure on you to take an academic and/or career path that may not be your first choice but would better be able to pay off the debt.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, I’d only be majoring in chem or bio if I decide to pursue a medical career; otherwise, I think I’d probably major in something more relevant to business as an undergraduate (like econ or history) and go for an MBA later. In terms of business, I’m considering doing something entrepreneurial on my own or seeing if consulting/management interests me. If I pursue the latter, do you think is the debt load at these schools still too much?</p>
<p>I know that medical school costs a lot, but being a fairly stable career both financially and job security-wise, wouldn’t I be able to pay it off over time? I don’t know if I’m being naive about this, so opinions would be great.</p>
<p>EDIT: I was unclear about this earlier, sorry! But my parents will be helping pay, so I won’t have anything near 50-68k in debt for any of these schools. By “debt,” I meant “cost” earlier, sorry. So money is less of an issue than which school to choose.</p>
<p>Go to Dartmouth. It will really help you if you choose business and with it’s major medical center, there will be no shortage of research opportunities.</p>
<p>Majoring in chemistry or biology is not required to do pre-med, although some chemistry and biology courses are needed. If you do major in chemistry or biology but do not get into medical school, your job and career prospects are unlikely to be that great. Going on to graduate school to get a PhD and compete for PhD level jobs is a possibility, but a fiercely competitive one.</p>
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<p>You may face financial pressure to choose a higher paid specialty to pay off enormous medical school debt, even if you want to choose a lower paid specialty like internal or family practice.</p>
<p>You can’t borrow that much on your own, so unless you have a co-signer lined up, this whole discussion is moot. You are limited to the Stafford Loan maximums of $5,500 freshman year, $6,500 sophomore year, $7,500 junior year, and $7,500 senior year - a grand total of $27,000.</p>
<p>Run all of your numbers through this handy calculator from our friends at FinAid.org, and take a look at them again. <a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid; If you are good enough to be admitted to these institutions, there are other places out there that would offer you the kind of aid that will let you graduate without any debt at all, or at most with the 27k you can borrow through Stafford. If you don’t have any truly affordable places on your list right now, then take a gap year and formulate a new list that you can pay for. There are many useful threads on that topic in the Financial Aid Forum.</p>
<p>Dartmouth showers research opportunities to its students. From sophomore year “Presidential Scholarships” to 1-to-1 thesis advising you literally can do research with faculty for most of your college experience. Dartmouth provides such amazing opportunities to all its students, I felt almost every student was an “Honarary Scholar.” If you like it the most I think its the clear choice. Also Dartmouth-Hitchcock is one of the best Hospitals in the US - its no slouch.</p>
