Help Me Out (Full rides, Ivies, & More)

Hey everyone!
No I’m not referencing the new Maroon 5 song, but I’m asking for some help in making a college decision. I have been extremely fortunate to receive offers from a multitude of amazing institutions. I am interested in pursuing medicine, but want a well-rounded education. Things I look for in a college are: intellectual vitality, sense of community, as well as an excellent education. Obviously all these colleges are amazing, but such is the dilemma of choosing where to go. If you could give me an idea of where to go and why I would much appreciate it. Quick disclaimer: money is not a factor in my college decision, so for the scholarships I am more curious about the specific benefits they possess and whether it would make them a better choice for me. Also, I am from the New York metro area so Manhattan is not a big deal, with regard to Columbia, for me.

The colleges/programs I am considering are as follows (in no particular order):

  1. UVA (w/ Jefferson Scholarship)
  2. Vanderbilt (w/ Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship)
  3. University of Pennsylvania
  4. Columbia University
  5. Duke University

Thank you!!

I favor Columbia because of the core curriculum. But if you want to leave NYC and have a different kind of college experience, any of the others would be great. Congratulations!

Congrats on the great acceptances!
You might get more responses if you post specific questions about each college in their respective forum. Below are links for your colleges:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vanderbilt-university/
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/