WashU vs Emory vs USF 7yr BSMD vs Georgia Tech

College Search & Selection
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Hi, I am an incoming college freshman, yet I have 0 idea of where going to. I was recently accepted to WashU (Out-of-state), Emory (In-state), Georgia Tech (In-state), and USF (Out-of-state). At Georgia Tech, my tuition fees are waived because I am an in-state student and have received a merit-based scholarship, so the total for that school comes out to about 20,000. At USF, I have received a full ride which covers the entire cost of attendance. As for the other two private universities, WashU and Emory, I would have to pay the entire price.

I will most likely pursue my undergrad career as a pre-med student, as I eventually want to become a neurosurgeon or emergency-medicine physician. I am pretty set on this career and believe I would not change my passions midway through my undergrad education.

USF has a 7-year “BSMD” program, which seems appealing. The reason why I am putting the BSMD program in quotations is that you still have to give an interview, take the MCAT, etc. The MCAT score to guarantee yourself an interview and a spot into the medical school, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (Ranked #46 in the Nation), is a 516. There are also a number of other requirements I need to meet such as GPA, community service hours, etc., but they are less demanding. The benefit of this 7-year BSMD program is that the first 4 years will cost me little to nothing because of the full-ride package and the fact that if I do meet all requirements, I would end up at a decent medical school. The downside to this program is that if I do not meet the requirements of the program, I am at a disadvantage in that I will have to apply to medical schools all over the nation, and a degree from USF would not be that appealing to these med schools. Plus a 516 on the MCAT is pretty hard…

Another option is Georgia Tech. This school is highly ranked in the nation for its computer science and engineering pathways. What I am worried about is the grade deflation at this school. While pursuing pre-med at Georgia Tech would earn me the prestige of the name of the school, maintaining a good GPA would be quite hard. This school, though, is affordable, and there are a TON of opportunities in the city of Atlanta, which would benefit me greatly.

I was also accepted into Georgia’s top private institution, Emory University. This college would be the ideal setting for a pre-med student, and I would also be able to reap the Atlanta opportunities and the overall collaborative culture of the community. The biggest downside for this is the cost of attendance. I would certainly have to pull out some loans to attend this school, and I am worried it might weigh me down in the long run.

Additionally, I was also accepted to Washington University in St. Louis, a T20 school, arguably one of the best universities to study Pre-med. WashU would be out-of-state for me, and once again, I would have to pull out a good amount of loans to afford the cost of attendance. PS. I received 0 aid for either of these schools (Emory and WashU). Anyways, if money was not an issue, I think WashU would be the perfect setting to study pre-med, and the chance of me getting into a prestigious medical school would be the best if I attend this school.

Lastly, another minor option of mine would be the University of Georgia, but my ego would not let me attend UGA. I think I worked way too hard in high school just to attend UGA but yea…

Now, comes the very tough part of deciding which one I need to attend. I really only have a couple of weeks before I need to set foot at a university, and right now I am clueless. I am finding it hard to value money or prestige, etc. I am conflicted here, so any advice from current students, professionals, or anyone at this point is greatly appreciated. Please let me know if y’all have any questions.

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Well WUSTL and Emory are private - so there’s no really in or out of state. They’re both super pricey but they both meet need.

So I think you’re mistaken on USF.

What you want is a high GPA, strong MCAT, and then the right ECs such as shadowing, etc.

It doesn’t matter if you go to WUSTL, Emory, or USF. And med school is expensive.

Did Emory or WUSTL give you money or are they $80K+ a year? Since you said you’d have to take loans - now imagine hundreds of thousands more for med school.

If you truly are going to be a doctor, then USF is the only choice you can make. It’s a wonderful opportunity in so many ways. And while you worry about the required MCAT, if you don’t have that, it’s likely going to be hard to get into med school anyway - maybe even with that score.

So their guarantee is pretty sweet.

But your assumption that the higher pedigree school matters - I believe is incorrect.

Save the money, take the best shot at med school - and move on.

It’s #46.

I’ll try to remember that next time I go to the doctor.

I go in…they do what they do - I think very few people know where their doctor went.

But I know many are stressed out by loans that they’re paying for 20+ years.

You’ve been given a gift to avoid that.

Take it.

Best of luck.

PS - you need to let your ego go. UGA is a fantastic school and has many Ivy Caliber students. You’re not going there - but if you did, it’s not a let down. It’s a wonderful school, ranked far higher than USF - and that’s sort of insulting to all that go there…just saying.

Good luck.

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Thank you so much for your advice. If I do attend WashU or Emory, I am sure to be in debt, as I would have to take out easily over 250,000 in loans just for undergrad. I receive 0 need-based aid from either of them.

Just curious, between UGA and the USF 7yr/BSMD, which one would you think is better? Also, do you think Georgia Tech is in the picture? Thanks once again

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Well since you can only take out $27K in loans - your parents the rest - that’s a no go.

And then add med school costs.

I think most that want to go to med school don’t end up there. But if you are serious about being a doctor, then USF is a no brainer here.

Now - if you were to say you want to study bio - I’d still go to USF.

You save $20K over Ga Tech and you didn’t list UGA. X4.

A free ride is still that.

Do you think anyone who hires cares if you went to UGA or USF or Colorado or wherever - they don’t.

Now I like UGAs campus more and USF might be more commuter…and Ga Tech for engineering and CS is elite but for biology doesn’t matter.

Id’ say whether you’ll be a doctor or a bio major, I’m still going to USF as it’s free and you save your family. But - if you’d rather go in state, then either Ga Tech or UGA would be great. But you can’t go to UGA - it’s beneath you…hmmmm…trust me, it’s not. It’s a great school.

Very different than Ga Tech…bigger, more spread out, not in the city…so that’s a personal choice.

Have you gone to Tampa to visit USF? If not, you need to - not far from GA - so get down and see it.

Congrats on the full ride and best of luck.

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Did you apply to UGA honors? Honestly, UGA might be your top choice. Don’t underestimate the school.

Have you done any medical profession shadowing in high school?

What would be your major at GT?

Take Emory and WUSTL off the list. Cost is too high. Going into debt before med school is a very bad idea.

Med schools don’t care where you go for undergrad. GPA, MCAT and clinical experience.

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I agree if you got into UGA honors then I think that would be the no brainer. If you are in state then isn’t there a program similar to FL Bright Futures where it is basically a full ride.
I live in Tampa and USF is more of a commuter school and won’t give you that college town experience as you would get a UGA plus it is much lower ranked and generally it is not as well regarded as UGA -at least here in Tampa.

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While I agree - OP has a full ride covering the entire cost of attendance which exceeds the Georgia version of Bright Futures.

And meeting certain criteria, has a med school guarantee. OP does not have that anywhere else. That is a very difficult get and this student got it!!

So I think that changes the situation.

And USF on its own is no slouch - its reputation rising faster than any other public school these last years and now solidly stands on its own.

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The requirements for entry into the BSMD program are very difficult I just took a quick look on the USF website but there is a long list of requirements including research, MCAT scores, GPA requirements so it is far from guaranteed.
You also don’t “get” this at USF it is offered if you meet the requirements as you don’t apply for it.
I would assume that the OP got honors at UGA as to even think about the BSMD program at USF you have to have a 4.0 UW and a 1500 SAT or 34 ACT which should get you into honors at UGA and then that seems like a better option as even with the BSMD option.

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But if you meet the requirements you do get it. You may meet those requirements coming from any other school and get shut out. Let’s be honest - most who think they want to go to med school end up not wanting to or not getting in. This, for the qualified student, overcomes this.

For all intents and purposes as colleges go, there is little discernible difference from UGA to USF. Yes you can say one is ranked in the 40s and one in the 90s. That’s great for magazines.

The reality is employers don’t care and kids from these schools will be sitting side by side in the workplace with name any one of hundreds of others, including UF, FSU, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Charleston…and you name it……

That’s the real life angle…at least as I see it.

But my kid declined UGA Honors and U of SC Honors for a school not even on the national ranking list (Charleston). So perhaps my perspective differs.

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Rule out the schools requiring loans. If med school is in the cards that is typically paid with loans and more loans to the tune of $300k++ if you don’t get into a GA public med school. No need to add to that for undergrad (more than the $27k fed student loans).

So your options are USF, UGA, GTech. Does one of those stand out as the best fit for you if you change your mind about med school? Did you get UGA Honors? If so, I would give UGA more consideration.

I’m not sure the possibility of the BSMD at USF should be a huge consideration. If the free ride there is meaningful to your family (meaning that paying approx $18-20k per year at the GA schools will be a strain), then that would be a very valid reason to choose USF. If paying for the GA schools is within budget, then I would look more at fit because happy kids perform better academically, get more involved in the many ECs expected of premed students, etc.

Congratulations! You have great affordable options and bragging rights for prestigious admissions… but now it is time to make an adult decision, be practical and think of your future. I have no doubt it will be bright!

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Yes, I am in the UGA Honors Program, and I also receive my entire tuition waived due to merit-based state-sponsored awards, alongside a 3,000/yr Presidential scholarship.

I have done multiple shadowing, interning, and volunteering experiences in the healthcare field, so I am pretty set on a medical career.

My major at Georgia Tech would be Neuroscience, but I would consider switching to BME if needed.

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By commuter school, do you mean the campus is less in its “bubble” and more integrated into the overall city?

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I did receive UGA Honors, so it really is between USF Honors 7-yr BSMD (full-ride), UGA Honors (15k per year), or GaTech (20k per year). I am pretty stuck on all of these options, as each has its pros and cons.

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Medical school debt vs. saving $60K now or $80K now.

Unsure if I’d get in vs. meeting the requirements and I would get in.

These are all solid schools - but you are going to medical school and the “prestige” doesn’t matter.

Now might you have experiences at UGA or Ga Tech that are great? Sure - but you have a COA at USF so surely there is something there additional you are getting as well.

For example, USF has this LLC: COPH Bulls in Health

And I’m sure other enrichment…

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Had you run the NPC on Emory and WashU before applying? Had your parents approved the net price (ie., full cost) or were they shocked when the FA letter arrived?
I assume you applied throuhg FAFSA and CSS but that the NPC indicated you’d have to pay full price because your parents are upper middle class and/or “donut hole” families.

To be fair, WashU has so many premeds it is not a very good place if that’s your goal - too many cooks spoil the sauce. So no regrets.

Emory would be great but YOU can only borrow 27K for all 4 years, so the 225K would have to come from your parents. Since it seems they’re unwilling to pay I dont think they would borrow for you and pay interest on top of that amount.

GTech is not a good place for a premed but Neuroscience gives you a better shot than BME and the GTech brand will help with career choices (beside medicine).

UGA Honors is probably the best of both worlds: if you can get a 516 from USF, you can get a 516 from UGA Honors.
USF has a marginally better offer academically but the 516 (top 8%) is a big hurdle to pass.
That being said, USF allows you to become a doctor faster; the campus is more commuter and the peer quality won’t be the same as at UGA (which can be good for your GPA but not so good for in-depth learning) and it’s in a city near a beach (which can be a plus or a minus depending how you look at it). The best part is that it’s free for undergrad so ideal if you do make it to med school and your parents can use part of the saved money to pay for it (med school).
UGA Honors doesn’t have any guarantee but it’d be an all around better experience since the campus is larger and in a college town. It does include a lot of “football&Greeks” vibe, but the Honors College will cut that somehow (the average student admitted to UGA Honors is incredibly impressive and the opportunities they’ve built are terrific, making it a top 10 honors college). With the full tuition scholarship and added scholarship, that university should be very affordable, hence, I assume, no debt.

So:
Emory if your parents can afford and do agree to pay.
If not, the choices remaining are
GTech if you can imagine yourself doing sth else than medicine
UGA if you want a traditional, residential college experience that’s very affordable
USF if you want a more efficient and urban, less residential experience that’s free

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WashU has one of the best resources for premed in terms of volunteering, shadowing, research internship, advising etc.It is known for premed so of course you have students who want to pursue med school but that’s not spoiling the sauce. Please look at the stats, environment, and consider where u fit before making a choice

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Yes environment and fit matter before a student makes a choice.
But OP can’t choose WashU because no one will let them borrow 250K so none of this matters.
There are no regrets to have, @sanityplayz, WashU doesn’t have a magic system that gets students into Med School; your choices -UGA Honors, GTech, and USF BSMD - are all different enough that you can choose the one that fits you best without “handicaping” yourself wrt med school. Med school admissions don’t even factor name of college into the criteria that will cut off 80% applicants per pool. Excellence is excellence.

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Let’s be fair though - USF has 6500 on campus and many in surrounding like any other college.

It’s not as if there’s not a campus life.

Record number of USF students to live on campus this fall I USF News

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I would choose UGA Honors or Georgia Tech, whichever feels like a better fit. You can get to med school from either. You shouldn’t only be thinking about which school is better to get to med school, you also need to think about how you are going to spend the next 4 years of your life and what your college experience will be. WashU & Emory aren’t worth the debt when you have lower cost options and want to go to med school. Good luck to you!

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You’re right, especially since @sanityplayz would live in the Honors Dorm (suite style housing for freshmen, opportunity to return for a 2nd year if you don’t want to bother with finding housing in Tampa Octobre freshman year for the following fall, leaving you ample time in the Fall while classmates are hunting for places while having to handle midterms.) So, there’d be several hundreds people right there providing a residential experience.

That being said, the BSMD requirements are so stringent that they’re not different from what the requirements would be for “regular” applications to top med schools, except they have to be completed in 3 years rather than 4 (or 2 rather than 3). So it’s really not “guaranteed”, more like a pathway and is likely super stressful.

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