Another High School Senior Seeking Advice :)

[SDsequence]

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Basically I just want to get some opinions/guidance/help on choosing the college i should attend. I realize that the majority of SDN says to choose the cheapest and easiest undergrad but I want to make sure I get the right balance of prep to get into med school and a great college experience.

I've been accepted to a couple schools and am waiting for two more, but I am also looking to see if should apply to a few more.

Accepted:
-Rutgers (I got the gist from the other threads saying don't go here for premed but it's in state and i know I'd enjoy it. Visiting in 2 weeks.)

-Drexel (I just visited the school and I liked it a lot but it's pretty expensive. Any comments about the school from a premed standpoint would be awesome.)

-Stockton College (cheap, less than 5 min. from home, but not as academically challenging as the others and I feel that I would have no freedom and lack the college experience of going away.)

Waiting on:
-UDel (I really like this school too but I'm also sure this would be pretty expensive and haven't heard much about it from a premed standpoint.)

-St. Joe's (I don't really even know why I applied here.)

I'm deciding to apply to a few more colleges to expand my options but I'm not sure where else to apply. Open for any suggestions.

Thanks for any help! 🙂

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Stockton:
Cheap
Not as competitive
Smaller?
5 minutes from your house?

I'll be frank, if you can choose an easier route then go for it. You'll have significantly more time for EC's, Mcat studying, and a lot more time to dedicate to you time. This compounded with the fact that you're going to be paying a lot less for this, I cannot imagine any other college being more appealing. Also you'll be able to have a pretty good college experience if you live 5 minutes away from there, you'll be easily able to walk to parties or etc.

But yes, big fish in small pool + less debt = done deal.

Other than that the only school I would recommend is Rutgers, it's not the best school but it's cheap and will supply you a good education, albeit with more rigor and competition likely.

 

[SDsequence]

Yea there is a part of me that realizes that Stockton may be the best option but I don't want to admit. Just trying to weigh in other possibilities. Thanks for your opinion!

 

[dantemac]

Plenty of my friends in med school now went to Rutgers. If you're willing to scurry over into PA check out Temple, another good pre-med school.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Temple isn't that much better than Rutgers and it'll cost 20k more a year easy.
Also the concept of a good "premed school" is fallacious and implies that schools are structured around a track. Remember premed is two years of introductory coursed, of which almost any school possesses.

 

[SDsequence]

Yea I'm not too crazy about Temple so I ruled that out. I'm just trying to get the best balance of succeeding in college while having a good time and not breaking my bank (or my parents).

 

[hmockingbird]

Out of all of yours so far I might vote Rutgers because it is cheaper but you seem to like the environment more (but definitely reevaluate that after you visit). You have to deal with the place for 4 years so if you dislike what going to Stockton has to offer then I'd probably drop that. I had a major "no" for my undergrad, which was going in-state. There were literally 5 people in my undergrad class of 400 who went out of state. I wanted something different and I wanted to live on my own/away from my parents. If that's important to you and part of what you want to get out of college then I wouldn't dismiss that factor just because it is cheap/easier (it sounds like Rutgers might have a comparable cost?). I have friends who commute, but they *wanted* to stay home and don't feel stifled by it. I had to commute to summer classes and was miserable because my parents are major nags. Also, I was still able to get scholarships even though I went out of state. Look into what might be available at the schools you have already been accepted to and outside scholarships. Tons of people from my high school got a $3K from one of our state colleges... there's always something.

 

[A7X]

If you go to Rutgers, go to New Brunswick. Better facilities over all.

 

[SDsequence]

I just visited Rutgers today and I was very pleased with what they had to offer. I can definitely see myself there for 4 years. I did notice the somewhat substantial amount of premeds in the info session though. I've basically narrowed it down to Drexel, Rutgers, or Delaware (if I get accepted). I just basically need to decide which one offers the best academic opportunities.

Thanks for the advice and feedback! 👍

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Yeah, narrow it down based on unique academic opportunities important to you, if there are any (and there don't have to be), but also incorporate things less focused on academics and more on making college an enjoyable experience - where do you want to live, are friends at the school with you, how close is family, etc.

They are all solid enough schools. Your success is ultimately going to come down to you, not them. Good luck and I hope you end up being happy with your decision!

 

[lineazy]

I really liked Rutgers. The Health Professions Office is pretty good, the classes on a whole are pretty good and there are great research experiences. There are even clinical experiences if you want to make some money working for Rutgers Emergency services. You are also very close to RWJ and St Peters Hospital where you can volunteer.

The amount of research available (especially if the merger with RWJMS comes through) is a tremendous opportunity that not many schools can offer, if you are interested in research.

Its also much cheaper, especially if you can get a scholarship.

And as for the number of premed's at RU: don't worry about how many other pre-meds there are. Rutgers is a huge school, so there will be a lot of pre-meds. Worry about yourself. The attrition rate from freshman year to med school acceptance is huge at any school. If you want it badly enough, you will get there.

 

[SDsequence]

Thanks for all of the advice and feedback. It's definitely helping me make my decision.

I really liked Rutgers. The Health Professions Office is pretty good, the classes on a whole are pretty good and there are great research experiences. There are even clinical experiences if you want to make some money working for Rutgers Emergency services. You are also very close to RWJ and St Peters Hospital where you can volunteer.

The amount of research available (especially if the merger with RWJMS comes through) is a tremendous opportunity that not many schools can offer, if you are interested in research.

Its also much cheaper, especially if you can get a scholarship.

And as for the number of premed's at RU: don't worry about how many other pre-meds there are. Rutgers is a huge school, so there will be a lot of pre-meds. Worry about yourself. The attrition rate from freshman year to med school acceptance is huge at any school. If you want it badly enough, you will get there.

Thanks for the feedback. It's nice hear an opinion from someone who is at Rutgers and experienced it. Congrats on your success!