<p>I’d like to apologise for my incessant questions. I’m an international student and will unfortunately be unable to visit any of these Universities. Usually people in my position connect with a particular university when visiting the campus which makes their choice infinitely easier. The best I can do is absorb everything you people are telling me and try to figure out which University is the best for me. </p>
<p>I believe, there are two major things I need to figure out. Firstly whether I want to attend a big University or a small LAC. And if I choose the former, then which university out of NW, U of N or Emory will be the best for me. </p>
<p>From what I can gather there isn’t a significant difference between education/research opportunities at a LAC and a big Uni. LAC have the plus points of closer relationships with the professors, less cut-throat competition and a slightly lighter work load. The ease with which you can get jobs through the strong alumni network of big Universities isn’t a plus point for me as it is for engineering majors etc, for obvious reasons. So that leaves admission into Law/Medical school. Will it be easier for me to get into a prestigious medical school from Carleton as compared to a big University? Someone pointed out that admission to medical school is all about numbers. Should I take grade inflation/deflation into account?</p>
<p>If I choose to go to a big Uni, I have to decide between NW, U of N or Emory (I’ve taken out WF because public opinion shows that it’s not as good as the other three - please stop me if I’m wrong). I’m starting to distance myself from Emory as well, because of it’s comparatively further away from Montreal (I have family there whom I’d like to visit in the winters). It’s a superficial reason and one which I’m taking into account solely because till now pretty much every one has told me that these universities are each others equals in terms of education. Academic rigor seems to be the greatest at NW. Can anybody provide comparisons with Emory and U of N. I want to go on road trips during the breaks. For that I need to earn money. Will the quarter system allow me to juggle the academics with a job? NW seems to have a strong Muslim community but I doubt that people at Emory and U of N will pelt me with stones simply because I’m Muslim, metaphorically speaking. So that doesn’t help much either. I don’t care about the weather so NW’s brutal winters don’t bother me. What other factors should I be looking at?</p>
<p>“LAC have the plus points of … a slightly lighter work load.”</p>
<p>Depends on the LAC. The workload at Carleton will not be lighter than that at a large university, and may well be heavier. Carleton is well known for its rigorous academics.</p>
<p>“I’d like to apologise for my incessant questions.”</p>
<p>Your questions allow us to participate in our hobby! :)</p>
<p>“LAC have the plus points of … a slightly lighter work load.”</p>
<p>Where have you heard this? Swarthmore is widely considered to have one of the three heaviest work loads in the country, maybe the heaviest. The heavy workloads at schools (LACs or big U’s) requiring a master’s-level thesis of all undergrads contribute to not only strong PhD program admittance but also acquired knowledge (helpful toward a good MCAT or LSAT score!).</p>
<p>Do consider that Notre Dame is very much a Roman Catholic university. I’m sure you’d be welcome and treated well as a Muslim international student. However, the atmosphere must be strongly influenced by the fact that a majority of students are Roman Catholic. I’ve heard that many are devout, practicing Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week. You’ll see a lot of Catholic symbolism on campus (such as the famous “Touchdown Jesus” towering over the stadium). Would you be comfortable with that?</p>
<p>I did not realize earlier that you were an international student. If you plan to attend medical school in your home country, will there be any bias in admission toward a small LAC? It is not an issue here in the USA but I don’t know about elsewhere.</p>
<p>From the discussion so far, I’m now thinking Northwestern is a good fit given your background and interests (although these are all good schools.)</p>
<p>My apologies. I assumed that the slower pace and slightly more relaxed atmosphere mentioned by a couple of posters meant a lighter work load. </p>
<p>It wouldn’t bother me from a religious perspective, but I suppose I wouldn’t want to be the odd one out, if you get what I mean. The only thing I’m looking to avoid is being unable to integrate into the community completely on the basis of my religion. </p>
<p>I’m a green card holder, and I plan on attending medical school in the States.</p>
<p>I have great respect for ND but I would rule it out given your great choices. Even though the people there are generally nice, I don’t think you will feel fully integrated into the community if you’re not Catholic, let alone a different kind of Christian or Muslim. You will certainly not find many parts of Indiana hospitable given the anti-Muslim sentiment prevalent throughout non-urban and non-elite parts of America right now. Too bad you can’t visit to see for yourself though. I welcome ND students to share their insight. I know a girl who’s Catholic who went to ND. She liked her visit and everything but after spending a year there, she felt it was too homogeneous and stifling. She applied to transfer to NU and is here now.</p>
<p>I would be shocked if Emory is easier than NU since it has a similarly high concentration of high-achieving students. I’m not sure if the slight difference in stats would really make a difference. I do hear Wake Forest has grade deflation. I’m not at all familiar with Carleton, though I know a grad student at NU who went there as an undergrad and enjoyed it.</p>
<p>That’s something a lot of people have pointed out to me. And it makes sense too. They may not treat me with distaste, but they will treat me differently because I will be different from a majority of the people there. </p>
<p>Please keep it coming people. I need all the information I can get.</p>
<p>The OP’s interests are not in going on to grad school in the sciences or seeking connections to industry. They are geared toward professional school.</p>
<p>I’m a proud Carleton booster but would never direct anyone to Northfield who didn’t feel connected to the school and what it represents. ND, and to a lesser degree Wake, have strong appeal to a relatively focused, self-selected group. Northwestern and Emory are less niche in their appeal, something that represents a strength to many looking for the broadest possible experience in college.</p>
<p>I don’t believe for a minute that any one of these schools will offer any measurable advantage/disadvantage for you in your career aspirations. That said, they are very different and do not present even remotely similar experiences. Think hard about where you’d be happiest the next four years and that, more than any thing else, will likely determine your ultimate success.</p>
<p>You might also want to consider that both NU and Emory have topnotch medical schools, which might be able to provide you with additional resources. Many NU students have pursued research at NU med school and have interned at various organizations throughout the Chicago area. The nice thing about Chicago is that almost all parts of it are easily accessible (whether by NU intercampus, train, bus or a combination of the three). I believe the numerous internship opportunities in the city will enrich your experience as you try to prepare for med or law school admissions. Of course, GPA and MCAT/LSAT will matter the most for law/med school, but I understand that softs matter a great deal for med school and to some extent for law school. </p>
<p>While you can pursue internships out-of-town (and you’d have to do this if you attend some of your other choices), I have to say it’s nice to have Chicago there as an option. You can even pursue internships during the schoolyear if you can fit them into your schedule somehow.</p>
<p>Apart from the Organic Chemistry, is there anything else I should be vary of with regards to NU. I’m 90 % set on going there. So any information, positive or negative, would be much appreciated.</p>