How rigorous are IU's academics?

YoungScholar45
Thu, 09 Mar 2017 00:10:51 +0000

Hi everyone! I’m an Indiana resident, and right now I’m seriously considering IU (my other top choices at the moment are WashU, assuming I get one of their full-tuition scholarships, and Boston University or Northeastern). They are offering me a full ride (EVERYTHING paid for, plus some extra study abroad money), which no other school is offering me, as well as a 4 years of working closely in research with the department chair of the Department of Biological and Brain Sciences through their STARS program (basically an undergrad research program).

My dilemma is this: while I really like this offer, I’m worried that IU’s academics aren’t up to par with those of the other universities I’m interested in. I plan on pursuing an MD/PhD after college, so I really want to get a strong foundation in the sciences. (My current major is biochemistry, with a likely minor in computer science and Spanish.)

Can any current IU students or parents of IU students who were top students in high school speak to the rigor of the university? Do you feel challenged and that you’re growing academically? How are the honors classes? I’m not too concerned about the party scene (it seems to mostly be in Northwest, and I applied for Central housing), but has this influenced your studies at all? Is there a “niche” for studious students?

Thank you so much for your help.