Wheaton vs St. Olaf [pre-med, environmental science]

Mouthsword
Sat, 02 Apr 2022 21:43:01 +0000

Weird as it is to be here, I’m a hs senior down between Wheaton and St. Olaf. It’s unexpected for me as I expected to end up at WashU or Bowdoin or Carleton or Emory. The first two rejected me (RD) and the second two aren’t great fits. (I didn’t find the Carleton students as welcoming or friendly as elsewhere, so here I am!)

Financially, both Wheaton (IL) and St. Olaf have been generous to me.
As I plan to run DIII, it was important to find supportive team environments at both. Olaf is much more serious about running, but Wheaton, of faith. People at Olaf are nice and friendly, but at Wheaton they’re seriously commited to faith (not just “culturally” Christian). Both schools, unfortunately, could improve on racial diversity, but in that way, they’re comparable.

I think that as a pre-med, the sciences at both would challenge me without drowning me, (I could have room to succeed and even shine), but maybe they’re a bit more challenging at Wheaton?? There I was offered a spot in a Sustainability honors program that would give me another (on top of running) small group of like-minded peers.

I don’t have a great feel for St Olaf and haven’t been able to visit a class or stay overnight, so my limited understanding is likely reflected in my thoughts. Would any of y’all jump in and offer suggestions/experiences to help guide my path?

I am interested in medicine, distance running, environmental science, volunteering, and faith/interfaith. Thanks!