Madison vs. Loyola vs. MCW

[Dr. Snow]

Hi all I would like some help picking between these schools!

UW-Madison
Pros:
- In-state tuition $32,000
- Tons of research opportunities
- Ranked in top 30
- LOVE Madison area

Cons:
- Not a true pass/fail (students are ranked and it seemed like a pretty stressful environment during my interview)
- New curriculum seems to still have many flaws and students seem more stressed compared to those at Loyola and MCW
- Not the greatest step 1 scores
- Cannot find any match lists for this school

Loyola
Pros:
- Loved the faculty and students I met during my interview
- True pass/fail without rankings
- They seem to really care about the students and their well-being
- Matches very well into dermatology somehow (a specialty I'm very interested in)

Cons:
- Out of state tuition $57,000
- Not a fan of Maywood and surrounding area
- Unranked
- Not sure about step 1 score

MCW:
Pros:
- Better location than Loyola for me but worse than Madison
- Tons of friends living in Milwaukee
- Awesome hospital system

Cons:
- Private in-state tuition $49,000
- Ranked much lower than Madison but above Loyola
- 5 tier grading system but students are not ranked

Summary:
At this point I am choosing between Madison and Loyola unless MCW provides me with a large scholarship. I love just about everything about Madison but I am concerned with their ranking system and the vibe the students gave during interview day. I believe I would be happier living in Madison but happier as a medical student at Loyola because of their more laid-back culture. The discussions about Madison in page 2 of this thread (2017-2018 University of Wisconsin) make me worried about attending Madison. I will most likely be picking Madison because I will be saving over $100K in the long-run unless I receive some scholarships, but I figured I would ask you guys for your advice! Thanks everyone!

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[Stellaartwa]

I’m choosing between Loyola and mcw and my state school so can’t be much help. Just so you know, though, MCW is true pass/fail for incoming class. They told us at our interview.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Madison 100%

 

[Cardiolover11]

I almost posted this exactly! I am trying to decide between these same schools! I felt the same exact vibes at Madison and Loyola. Loyola was so kind and accepting, but the higher tuition and Maywood area were the cons. I really agree with the pros and cons you have. I am going to wait and see how financial aid works out for these schools. It is tough to justify not going to Madison though with the awesome area, affordable in state tuition, research opportunities, and ranking. Second look day will be a good opportunity for us to interact more with current students and explore the cities. Good luck deciding

 

[Dr. Snow]

I almost posted this exactly! I am trying to decide between these same schools! I felt the same exact vibes at Madison and Loyola. Loyola was so kind and accepting, but the higher tuition and Maywood area were the cons. I really agree with the pros and cons you have. I am going to wait and see how financial aid works out for these schools. It is tough to justify not going to Madison though with the awesome area, affordable in state tuition, research opportunities, and ranking. Second look day will be a good opportunity for us to interact more with current students and explore the cities. Good luck deciding

Congrats on the acceptances! I'm almost positive I'll be picking Madison because of their prestige, the lower tuition cost, and the beautiful Madison area. I also saw one of their match lists and it was pretty dang good. Just going to have to deal with the class rankings and suck it up.

 

[Cardiolover11]

Congrats on the acceptances! I'm almost positive I'll be picking Madison because of their prestige, the lower tuition cost, and the beautiful Madison area. I also saw one of their match lists and it was pretty dang good. Just going to have to deal with the class rankings and suck it up.

Thank you! You too! I am thinking the same thing at this point. Plus I have enough Badger apparel to last me a couple of weeks lol!

 

[puahate]

Loyola seems appealing based on your list. I also weigh true p/f heavily

 

[Cardiolover11]

I thought this choice would be easier lol. I am really liking Loyola and loved the Forest Park and Oak Park neighborhoods where most students live. I just see myself being more happy at Loyola or MCW than Madison. Hopefully financial aid and second look will make the decision easier in the spring.