Yale vs MIT vs UW honors vs Duke

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>Soo, I've been accepted to all of the above and am having one heck of a time deciding. I want to major in neuroscience (or neurobio, I suppose) and also be premed. </p>

<p>I have a fullride at University of Washington Honors (close to home), no finaid at MIT & Duke, and some money at Yale.</p>

<p>Finances are a concern, and I'm not really sure if taking out large loans is worth it. Having great research opportunities is also important...along with looking at being able to get into Med School down the line.</p>

<p>Which school would you choose and why?</p>

<p>Full ride at UDub, because you get a great combination of education, cost (none) and social life. UDub is a top school, and I have little doubt that you can get to wherever you wish to go via UDub.</p>

<p>Personally taking on huge loans to finance your education is a mistake. If your parents aren’t willing or able to pay, then take the free ride. It will open up all kinds of possibilities for you in the future.</p>

<p>UW Honors.
I’d only recommend considering yale if the total amount of debt in loans for you and parents was under 35K.</p>

<p>Go visit the loan calculator at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) , plug in the numbers for the loans you (and not your parents) would need to take out, and see what your next 10 years after graduation would look like. </p>

<p>If you are looking at med school, my opinion is that anything over $20k is out. (med school will set you back another $200k+, and in your financial situation, you will have to start paying back the first loans while you are still in med school.) </p>

<p>You may also find that a top student at UW may get more internships, mentoring, and research opportunities (UW being among the top research schools in the country) than a middling student at Yale or Duke.</p>

<p>I’d go with Yale if it’s anything under $40K in loans. With med school loans, what’s another $40K and Yale vs. UW is priceless (as long as the price is under $40K!):)</p>

<p>I hope that is 40K over 4 yrs.</p>

<p>If money is an object for undergrad, I’ll presume it is for med school as well. Med school loans can easily run over $100K. UW is a fine state school and their medical training is highly regarded as well. That said, Yale, MIT and Duke are big league – congrats on getting in. Any of those 3 schools would be a great experience for you, maybe change your life. But, if you’re pretty sure you want a career in medicine, undergrad ( and to some extent even med school ) name doesn’t carry the same weight that it carries in other lines of work. To get into those schools you must be a bright, industrious person. You’ll be that same person at UW and you’ll thrive. If medicine isn’t a for sure thing for you, the other schools may offer a broader range of opportunities. Good luck</p>

<p>“I’d only recommend considering yale if the total amount of debt in loans for you and parents was under 35K.”</p>

<p>Surely that number varies from family to family…</p>