My son got into some amazing schools(Penn, UNC, UCSD, Georgetown, Dean’s Scholars UT Austin), but it’s down to Penn and UT Austin (in-state, Dean’s Scholar). Here’s the breakdown:
UT Austin (Pros):
Closer to home: Big plus for family support and potentially lower living costs.
In-state tuition: Huge savings compared to Penn.
Graduate in 3 years: Saves time and money.
Biochemistry major + McCombs Business minor: Perfect for his pre-med + business interests.
Penn (Pros):
Dual degree (maybe): Potentially pursue a BS in both Science (CAS) and Business (Wharton), though competitive.
Wharton access: Can take business classes even without the dual degree.
Prestige and wider options: Opens doors if he reconsiders pre-med.
The Dilemma:
Penn is expensive (but we can manage it), while UT Austin offers significant cost savings and a potentially faster path. We’re unsure if the prestige and flexibility of Penn justify the extra cost.
Looking for advice from the community!
Any pre-med + business students out there with experience at either school?
Does the dual degree at Penn make a big difference compared to the UT Austin combo?
Is the Penn price tag worth the potential benefits?
Graduating in three years if the kid DOES want med school is not a great plan. You’ve cut his opportunities to develop strong relationships with professors, volunteer, shadow, find a cool role in a research lab, etc. by 25%. So I would take that out of the equation. There is absolutely no rush. Yes, med school and then residency, etc. is a lengthy process. But rushing through undergrad doesn’t always pay off.
If going to med schook, it’s not four years so can you still afford Penn?
Will Penn (or any school) necessarily give you a better chance at med school.
Only you can decide if the $$ are worth spending - but it’s truly an unknown - so that’s up for you to decide - but can you easily fund med school after four years of Penn?
I’d go with UT Austin over Penn in his case, and I love Penn. The reason is that in his case, the much greater cost of Penn doesn’t buy him what he needs. Here’s why. If he winds up going the business route, he can get an MBA at Wharton (or Harvard, or wherever) and that gets him the prestigious degree. If he winds up going medicine, UT Austin has everything he needs undergrad, and you save probably 200K at least, which will pay for much of med school, especially since he’ll probably wind up going to med school in TX.
As a Penn parent I would advise UT. You can always go Ivy for graduate school. Everyone can take 5 classes outside their college at Penn. That is usually not enough to get a dual degree but some minors at Wharton. There are competitive programs you can apply to get a Wharton dual degree.
My son just visited UT for orientation and really liked what plan II honors program had to offer (he has been accepted to that as well) . Now he is leaning towards pursuing Dean scholar with biochemistry plus plan ii honors. Only trade off is that it is a full four year pathway. I have heard grear things about plan ii, specially for those who are interested in premed or pre-law. So perhaps in the big scheme of things this may be a better option. Is he thinking correctly?
Yes, absolutely.
And plan II, being one of the top Honors Colleges in the country, is well-known nationally and considered highly prestigious.
Dean scholar +Plan II Honors would be
