<p>I'm torn about which school to attend between these two. Academically, and perhaps even reputation-wise, Wellesley far exceeds NYU but the "convenience" of NYC is hard for me to pass up. I'm from the city and not too worried about the atmosphere/cost but I plan on going to med school and I pretty much already have set up what I'd do in the city (extracurriculars, volunteering, etc.)- I have a bunch of great opportunities lined up. My gut reaction is that it'd be hard to find these same, or equivalent opportunities at Wellesley, or that I'd have a lot of competition, but I've also heard great things about the W network that makes me think I'd have a lot of help with whatever I want to do (I'm not sure how accurate that is).
Moneywise, I haven't heard back from Wellesley yet, but I got accepted into a scholars' program at NYU that gives me some advantages but the main advantage just seems to be 20k.</p>
<p>Can anyone provide any input on my concerns and/or the science (biology!!) and premed track at Wellesley (or Wellesley vs. NYU)?</p>
<p>The majority of students who enter college as pre-meds end up changing their minds. While this may or may not end up being the case for you, you should consider whether you would be happy at either place if you decided to drop pre-med.</p>
<p>Wow, I didn’t even think of looking at it like that.</p>
<p>But yeah, I have a feeling if I stay in the city, it’ll be easier for me to stay “on track” (proximity to parents and all who will pressure me too). Not sure if that’s a good thing if I would naturally stray away from the track otherwise. I’m fairly certain about majoring in biology though.</p>
<p>I can only speak to Wellesley, but they have a very strong premed track. Something like 65% of students who apply to medical school are accepted (as opposed to the national average, which is around 45%). The college has a specific premed adviser and organizations geared towards students who want to continue on into medical school, so you’ll have lots of support.</p>
<p>Have you considered doing an overnight visit at both schools and seeing where you feel the most comfortable? I think that’s the most important thing. :)</p>
<p>What activities and extracurriculars are you interested in? Boston is one of the best cities for medicine. You have access (I’ve personally experienced this as have a ton of my friends and other W students) to professors, research opportunities, shadowing opportunities, and internships at ALL the hospitals and med schools — Mass General, Women and Brighams, Beth Israel, Harvard Med, Harvard Public Health, Children’s, and the list goes on and on. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I know at top medical schools right now … If I ever need a physician, oncologist, dentist, neurosurgeon, etc I will not have to even think about leaving the Wellesley network. Everyone’s at top schools living out their dreams and it’s a great site to see my classmates doing what they love.</p>
<p>If you want to be in the sciences and you’re certain that you want to be in the sciences, definitely go to Wellesley. Like the person above me said, Boston is wonderful for medicine, far better than NYC. NYU is worth the extraordinary tuition for those in the economics/business road. If you’re not traveling down that road 4 years in NYC isn’t worth the hefty price tag when Wellesley will give you a better premed program, a better surrounding area to study/work in medicine. It’s Wellesley. I personally feel that there’s something to being able to say that you graduated from Wellesley. </p>
<p>NYU is gigantic and besides its little park (which isn’t even its own park…) there is no campus or main attraction. And I suppose New York City is attraction enough but you will get a better community at Wellesley–one which will last well past your graduation day. Plus consider where you’re from. If you aren’t from a big city, NYC could potentially turn into a nightmare after a few weeks/months. People that have never lived in a city and dream of it for ages and ages and then they finally do they find that they don’t like it at all. It’s easier to get lonelier in NYC at a school with little to no community than at an incredible setting at Wellesley. But I don’t know about your city experience/preference/whatever, so on that I can’t say much.</p>
<p>Weigh your options carefully. I think, personally, the priorities should be:</p>
<p>Education quality based on chosen major
Tuition and affordability
Long term benefits (ie. community of Wellesley alumni)
Setting</p>
<p>Just a few clarifications:
First of all, I live in NYC! And I love it here! My high school is a few subway stops away from NYU but it’s open campus and I’m pretty much familiar with, well, everywhere. I know the transition to NYU will be an easy one (or at least easier than for someone coming from a smaller place, perhaps).
I have no doubt Boston is a great place for medicine, but I already have a lot of health-care related activities I’m doing right now that I know will continue into college. So I know that I’m pretty set if I stay in the city. I think admission into med school after a certain GPA/MCAT score is dependent on what you make of where you’re at, more than the actual institute you’re at itself.
As for the loneliness aspect, it’s strange because that’s what I’m worried about if I go to Wellesley. Many of my friends are staying in the city for college and I have family here - I know I’ll feel “safer” here in that respect. I’m actually pretty scared about feeling alone at a new place where I don’t really know anyone :P</p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure if it’s just me but 65% doesn’t seem to be a great acceptance rate for medical school (compared to the national average, perhaps, but Wellesley is also a better school than the “national average”).</p>
<p>Keeping my fingers crossed that Wellesley’s financial aid package (which I’m still waiting on) helps to clarify things!</p>
<p>Medical school acceptance rates can be deceiving. Many colleges have pre-med committees that effectively bar would-be applicants from applying to medical school because they withhold recommendations. That allows them to inflate the percentage of applicants they can claim as accepted because they do their own weeding.</p>
<p>Wellesley does not follow this practice. Anyone who wants to apply to medical school may do so, although the pre-med advisor is upfront about chances and liabilities. The acceptance rate for those who apply is somewhere around 70%.</p>
<p>Something to consider in general about college: do you want to stay with the same people you know now in high school or do you want to branch out and meet people you would have never met before? No wrong answer here, just something to think about when you consider what you want to get out of college.</p>
And I love it here! My high school is a few subway stops away from NYU but it’s open campus and I’m pretty much familiar with, well, everywhere. I know the transition to NYU will be an easy one (or at least easier than for someone coming from a smaller place, perhaps).