Neuroscience on a Premed Track: Rice, Duke, Emory, or USC?

College Search & Lists
1

I plan on majoring in Neuroscience/Behavioral Basis of Biology/Biology at these universities, and I’m really having trouble making a choice. I don’t know if I’ll be able to visit all of them before May 1st, so I’m really going to have trouble choosing. I’m going to assume the FA packages are all very similar, so I’m not considering that too much at the moment.

Here’s a bit about me:

I would describe myself as very curious and social. I also have very diverse interests - I love learning about pretty much everything, and I don’t have too much trouble seeking events/people out on my own.

I want to be a doctor (like everyone else, right??) but I have some personal as well as academic motivations for doing so, so I’m pretty firmly convinced that I’m going to aim for med school and becoming a neurologist (although, I am well aware that most premeds end up not pursuing the doctor life for a multitude of reasons).

Along with that last point, I would like to do research and volunteer at a hospital during undergrad.

Random other things: I love recreational sports, plan on doing some study-abroad, and I’m always down to try new things and experience new places and things.

That all being said, I’m struggling to figure out which school closely aligns with my academic goals and personality. I’m very excited and humbled to have been offered admission to these universities, but I am having a REALLY hard time deciding which one would be the best for me. I’m also struggling because some part of me really wants to pick my future college based partly on prestige, even though I know that it doesn’t make much sense.

Any advice, help, or insight about Neuro/Premed/Biological Sciences at these schools would very much appreciated!

2

Duke is the best pre-med school on that list. It has an elite medical school and one of the best teaching hospitals in the world. It is home to more highly cited researchers than Oxford, Princeton and Yale and gets more research grants from industry than any other university in the country. Two Duke biochemistry professors have been awarded Nobel prizes in the last four years. Don’t pass up the opportunity to be a pre-med at Duke!

3

In terms of biology itself, Emory has one of the country’s decidedly notable programs, and it can be considered a strength of the school. And, should it be of interest to you, Emory receives top recognition on an online list (Duke and Rice also receive mentions), “The Experts’ Choice: Colleges with Great Pre-med Programs.”

Regarding picking by prestige (however you should order your choices), I don’t think this would – in your case and for your specific schools – necessarily be a bad idea, especially if you remain undecided with respect to other factors.

Good luck with a tough decision.

4

Thank you both. I’ve been trying to compare the strength of their premed programs, but some of it might be meaningless. I think all have the resources to get me through premed, if I’m able to keep up.