University of Virginia vs. Emory University

[Rebecca-Lynn96]

I'm looking at transferring from a community college to either Clemson, Vanderbilt, Emory or U. of Virginia. My tops choices are currently Emory or University of Virginia, which has a better pre-med program?

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[claduva94]

Where are you from? I may be biased but UVA obviously worked pretty well for me. Go Hoos!

 

[xffan624]

I'm looking at transferring from a community college to either Clemson, Vanderbilt, Emory or U. of Virginia. My tops choices are currently Emory or University of Virginia, which has a better pre-med program?

Are you a Virginia resident? If so, there is no really difference between Emory and UVA as far as pedigree, but if you're a VA resident then UVA is a deal that can't be beat price wise. I say this as an Emory alum.

Your goal as an undergrad should be to excel in whatever program you are in, grow as a person, and keep your debt as low as possible.

 

[qkhb]

Are you in the VA CC system? If so, then UVA will be a lot easier to get into. Transferring from another state's CC into UVA is quite difficult. Like someone else mentioned, if you are indeed in-state then UVA will be a much better buy. UVA has an excellent (and very selective) medical school so if you do undergrad and accomplish some great things while there, that would be a plus.

 

[QuentinT88]

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[Willy38]

In terms of prestige of undergrad schools, and premed curriculum/student body, Emory and UVA are equivalent. But if your a VA resident, and can get in state tuition, go to UVA for the lower cost. But you can't go wrong with either school. They are both excellent.

Also, be careful about your gpa once you transfer to either Emory or UVA. Not to knock your CC education thus far, but speaking from experience, both schools are pretty rigorous. Especially in pre-med classes. If your not 100% confident in getting A's in science classes at either UVA or Emory, don't bother. As most pple will tell you, grades are more important than prestige in med school admissions.

QFT, all things equal I'm sure prestige can come into play but def GPA>prestige

 

[QuentinT88]

For sure. One of the admissions directors at a top med school echoed this when I spoke with him regarding this same question, since it is something that I have wondered about since graduating. The rigor/prestige of the school is factored in, but having a good gpa/MCAT is more important in the eyes of ad coms

 

[Rebecca-Lynn96]

Yes I am a Virginia resident. I also understand that a prestigious school is going to be more academically challenging than Germanna Community College. Mathematics aside, CC has been a walk in the park. I was/am taking eighteen credits a semester (while pulling A's) in hopes of proving I could handle a stressful load. I was originally intending to complete my associates at CC but I've heard that medical schools tend to frown on students who have completed pre-reqs at CC.

 

[Rebecca-Lynn96]

Has anyone heard anything about Westmont? Also considering them...

 

[Shams al Deen]

Well obviously GPA and MCAT play a bigger role than prestige. No one argues against that. However, prestige certainly plays a role at the more selective med schools. Everyone getting admission to these top schools has great stats and ECs, so things like quality of undergrad start playing a massive role. Also, I would think that the admissions committee looks at the kid from Harvard as a known commodity whereas the kid from a no-name school still needs to prove himself (how much can they honestly rely on the MCAT).

It's kinda like the NBA draft where an NBA team has to decide between a guy leading his team at UNC versus a guy averaging 25-10-5 overseas. NBA teams are more likely to go with the guy killing it at UNC because there's a proven track record with guys coming out of there (Michael Jordan vs Darko Milicic lol). Same thing with top med school admissions.

In terms of UVA vs Emory, they are peer schools. No real difference in prestige. So think about Charlottesville vs Atlanta and money.

 

[dyy199x]

IMO better "premed program" would be the one that'll help you achieve the higher GPA.

just that's just my $0.02 lol

 

[PrettyIvy]

Yes I am a Virginia resident. I also understand that a prestigious school is going to be more academically challenging than Germanna Community College. Mathematics aside, CC has been a walk in the park. I was/am taking eighteen credits a semester (while pulling A's) in hopes of proving I could handle a stressful load. I was originally intending to complete my associates at CC but I've heard that medical schools tend to frown on students who have completed pre-reqs at CC.

Though I am biased, go to UVA!!!! You will be saving $30K+/year (tuition) in comparison to Emory.

 

[mw5teach]

GL choosing between schools! I am a Virginia student myself, so UVA is a no-brainer for me.

What made me post is your picture & username....I think on sdn it is best not to use actual photos or names. It can become a privacy issue! I think SDN advises users not to use actual names anyway. Would be best for your online streaming not to affect you at all!

My .02 cents. Good luck again!

 

[p0gmoth0in]

Go to UVA. They're both great schools, UVA is arguably in a better location (and closer to home for you), and you will absolutely be thanking yourself in a few years when you're $80k less in debt.

Note: I live in Atlanta and work at Emory.

 

[Lamel]

Prestige difference between Emory and UVa is negligible/nonexistent. You'll save money at UVa. Either way, both are great schools and highly regarded.

 

[Sandmeezy]

Good advice here. Also, if that's you in your avatar I would suggest you change it for the sake of anonymity.