hi everyone!
i’m a rising freshman who has a very strong goal of going to med school after college.
because of my interest in the neurological field, i will be majoring in neuroscience.
right now i have four options:
- franklin & marshall college
- case western reserve university
- university of rochester
- university of miami
all colleges offer financial aid packages that reduce the cost of attendance to the same amount, so price isn’t a factor.
i will major in neuroscience on the pre-med track at all colleges.
all colleges are fall 2026.
i loved f&m’s small student body and strong personal focus and counseling, cwru’s hospital abundance and scientific focus, ur’s compact campus and accessibility to its own health system and hospitals, and um’s school culture, location, and again, accessibility to its own health system and hospitals.
on the other hand f&m’s lack of its own medical school, cwru’s school vibe and possibly cutthroat environment, ur’s location, and um’s large student body that might limit personal focus make me question if they’re the right choice for me.
1-considering and 2-apart from my personal impression of these colleges, what would be your ranking of these four colleges from best to worst for a student like me (neuroscience, pre-med, also enjoys social life of some sort).
thank you so much in advance!
i forgot to mention that i also got the presidential scholarship (with the maximum amount) at f&m!
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Will you be a freshman in college next year? Didn’t you need to enroll in a college (and decline other offers) by May 1?
And all colleges are nice choices. Your post-graduation success will be dependent on what you accomplish during college rather than which one of these fine schools you choose to attend.
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i enrolled to f&m but waitlisted at others
Then F&M is the best option for you! If you get in off a waitlist, you can reevaluate. F&M is a really nice LAC so congrats.
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I agree if you only have an offer from F&M so far, it isn’t worth spending much time on this.
But FWIW, I think an associated hospital and med school is more a convenience than an actual necessity. Like, lots and lots of people go to med schools, including top med schools, out of LACs and other colleges without that. So it just isn’t a big factor. You’ll have many opportunities to get the experiences you need.
Given that and the rest of what you described, Case and Rochester don’t seem competitive to me. F&M and Miami both seem like stronger contenders, but overall if you like F&M better outside of the hospital thing, then I’d just go with them.
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You have not yet started high school. Any info you get from net price calculators now should be viewed with extreme caution. Costs will change and colleges do change financial aid policies.
Also you don’t know what financial circumstances might change for your family by the time you apply to college.
It is impossible to chance you at this point with no HS info.
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You have one admit. Congrats.
To put into perspective, well Miami waitlists - an absolute ton. 22k of 58k applicants last year. More than double their acceptances. A WL is a rejection but insurance for them in case they fall short. There is nothing for you to consider here and until you have an offer and cost, you don’t have one. Based on last year’s WL, more than 95% didn’t come off. NPCs don’t always match so you don’t know the cost.
UM is an unfair beast on the WL and CWRU is even worse. It’s almost as if it’s impossible to not get on the WL there if not accepted. Yes, they reject people but they WL some years over 30% of applicants.
UR has been less aggressive on the WL.
Sure some get off but don’t count on a WL. The schools have said - we cannot admit you - which let me be clear - is a rejection.
However, colleges are business and they need money. If too many say no to them, then yes they’ll go to the WL often targeting full pay.
Where you go for undergrad is unlikely to impact your med school goals. F&M is a great school. At this point, it’s what you have.
I’m not saying you won’t get off a WL but I would enjoy my summer, not waste time on what ifs.
If they happen, address it then. But F&M has accepted you with large merit. They clearly love you.
The others are simply using you for their needs, not yours.
It’s nice to be loved, just saying!!
Enjoy your summer b4 college.
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Congrats on your acceptance!
As noted, you can reevaluate if you get off of a WL.
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i graduated from high school
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Correction - you have one option, since you have one acceptance. Congratulations. F&M is a great school with a lot to offer. Closing thread.
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