Help a pre-med out!

TheYoungen
Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:56:14 +0000

So, of course, the last day to make a final decision about where I want to go to college, I get cold feet about my chosen university. Awesome.

A little bit about me: I am definitely planning on going to med school after undergrad; I am majoring in Biomedical Engineering (not changing); I am graduating from high school early; I am currently taking classes at George Mason University as a dual enrollment student. Because I decided to graduate early, I had to take online classes over the summer to get rid of my graduating requirements. High school has been pretty miserable, and from taking classes at GMU, I’ve discovered that going through the nightmare in high school to work towards having a good/fairly easy college experience was worth it. After applying and getting all of my decisions back, the final choice was between GMU and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Honors/Cost: I’ve gotten into the Honors College at both, though I think it’s a bigger deal to be in Honors at VCU than at GMU. I also got a Dean’s Scholarship at both (half-tuition), but I’d be living at home if I went to GMU. The total per year comes out to $4,500 at GMU and $18,000 at VCU.

Premed: The Biomedical Engineering department at GMU is a lot newer, and I feel like the premed advising is definitely sub-par, especially when compared to VCU’s advising. The BME department at VCU has a REALLY high acceptance rate to med school, and only %20 of their BME graduates go to VCU med school. (The rest go to UVA, Stanford, and beyond.)

Housing: Like I said previously, I’d probably be living at home for at least 1/4 years if I went to GMU, while I would get my own room and bathroom should I go to VCU as part of the Honors’ perks.

Campus/Environment: Adapting to GMU wouldn’t be very difficult since by now, I’ve made a good group of friends and the campus is familiar. I really like VCU’s city environment, though. GMU has the advantage of being close to DC; VCU has its own hospital/various clinics around the area. Think of these in terms of opportunities.

Programs: Both have programs that (if I was accepted) would ultimately serve as back-up med schools. VCU’s is an early assurance one, though, while GMU’s is regular application time to med school.

All throughout high school, I’ve been told that undergrad name/reputation doesn’t matter nearly as much as grad’s name/reputation, and that I should try to get through with as little debt as possible. But where does biting my tongue end? I’ve been willingly taking what comes at me in high school because I’ve been envisioning that great college experience to come. I feel like I would get that at VCU more than at GMU, but there’s something to be said about the fact that I can complete 4 years at GMU for the price of one at VCU. Please play the devil’s advocate for me! I’ve been going back and forth for a while, but now I’m wondering whether my choice to go to VCU has been selfish. My parents set up a college savings plan for me to go to college anywhere in Virginia without having to worry about the price, but going to GMU would mean not even having to crack that account open and being able to save that money for med school. I’m pretty sure my parents will be helping me out for med school costs, too. I have 3 other siblings, and at least 1/3 is planning on premed as well. PLEASE PLEASE put your two cents in as soon as possible, considering the final deadline is tomorrow. I really appreciate hearing any/all of your opinions/advice!