Northwestern vs. WashU

[midwestisbest3691234]

Hi all, I'm in the extremely fortunate position to be deciding between these two medical schools, both with large scholarships (see details below). Some other relevant details about myself: I'm from the Chicago area and my family is there. I also was an NU undergrad so I have a lot of pre-existing familiarity/connections at Feinberg. I feel like it would be dumb to turn down the incredible offer that WashU is giving me, especially because I really feel a fit with the program. However, the location of Feinberg is unbeatable and close to home, which is important to me. I also feel like the social offerings of Feinberg/Chicago are better, but maybe I shouldn't be weighing that so heavily in my decision for where to go to school. The fact that Feinberg will cost me $12-15k/year more (as tuition there increases every year) is also definitely a factor, because I stress a lot about money and will not be getting any financial help from family. Please let me know what you think is the best decision based off my pro/con list! Thanks!

Feinberg:
Cost: (60k/year scholarship --> Total COA over 4 years: $115k)
Pro:
+++ Location is unbeatable, would be a dream to spend my 20s living in downtown Chicago
++ Distance to home, being able to go home whenever I want
+ Comfort zone/safety net/easy adjustment, Feinberg just feels comfy
+ Brand spanking new research building that will have a student lounge in it, but no idea how much actual space will be dedicated solely to students
+ Better dating pool, due to larger class size but also Chicago has a lot of young professionals (sorry I'm single and I WORRY about dying alone)
+ I already own/love purple, go ‘cats, etc.
+ More lay prestige

Con:
--- Cost is significantly more just for actual school, living expenses and everything in Chicago will also be pricier
-- A lot of students I met seem to be swiping their parents’ card, I don’t want to be worrying about money constantly when out with friends
-- Curriculum is very group-based, I don’t think I'm a huge fan of the PBL deal
-- Not a true fresh start because a lot of NU undergrads go to Feinberg due to their large feeder programs
- Large class size is a negative in terms of faculty attention and resource sharing
- Would most likely have to sell my car, to which I am emotionally attached

WashU:
Cost: (72k/year scholarship --> Total COA over 4 years: $65k)
Pro:
+++ Cost is unreal, will not have to factor debt into my specialty choice (and I am still very undecided on specialty)
++ Ability to afford things in St. Louis/not worry so much about money
++ Curriculum is very lecture based, which I think is better suited to my learning style
++ Student facilities are huge and very well planned out (dedicated study cubicles for every student, attached library, student lounge space, above ground anatomy lab, etc.)
++ Smaller class size, more access to resources and mentoring
++ Higher ranking, generally considered a stronger program within medicine
+ I can keep my car and afford to park it in St. Louis!

Con:
-- Distance from home (I know it’s not FAR, but it’s more of a planned trip than if I went to Feinberg)
-- No one will know where the heck I go to school
- Curriculum change next year could negatively impact my class
- Feels a bit more risky, just more outside of my comfort zone
- St. Louis is not terrible imo, but it is not Chicago
- Concerned classmates will be uber competitive gunners due to rumors I've heard (?)

____________________
Things perceived to be equivalent between both schools (but let me know if I'm wrong about any of these): student stress level/study time, quality of match lists, 2 year pass/fail pre-clinical curriculum, quality of associated hospital system

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[puahate]

WashU

 

[camnewton1]

I vote WashU here. WashU has bit more "oomph" behind its name. Maybe not to the layman, but definitely to those in medicine (does no one not knowing where you go to med school really matter? The same could be said of a place like UCSF, idk I just don't think this matters at all at this stage).

The class will be smaller at WashU, and the whole gunner vibe seems to be a thing of the past although I'm not sure about it. From my experiences with Feinberg, it also has this same issue with gunner rep and larger class size. WashU offers you more at a lower price, as well as a true fresh start in a nice area that has a lot to offer a medical student. You'll save 50k too, although this may not be as significant as you think as you'll be coming out with ~100k of debt or less.

 

[bdc17]

Based on my reading, it comes down to how much is a support network/family near you worth? If it’s worth that $40-50k difference, then go for it. It seems like Chicago has everything you want in a city and you could maximize your potential as a physician with your connections.

One thought...you would graduate with ~$110k in debt from a T20 school going to Feinberg. That is still $80-90k below the national average. You. Will. Be. Okay. I know how much anxiety money can cause more than anyone with how much I have let it decide my fate in the past. Just know that regardless of specialty, you will pay that back easily.

Go where you will have the best chance to be happy, become the best doctor, and enjoy the most opportunity to grow as a person. Both amazing choices.

 

[pwk4d]

Former NU undergrad with all family in Chicago but living in St. Louis now and going to WashU this upcoming year fwiw. St. Louis isn't Chicago but we've found it to be a great city to live in as young adults. There are actually a lot of things to do here and great restaurants. There are a lot of young professionals living in the Central West End and a lot more routinely go there to eat and drink. You won't have any more difficulty finding someone here than in Chicago.

While people off the street might not know WashU relative to NU, the medical community absolutely will and you will have excellent match opportunities. It's also incredibly cheap to live here which will make your life easier. As far as I can tell, there's a lot less mandatory activity at WashU too. I didn't find there to be a gunner vibe here either. On the contrary, students seemed close and were friendly to us.

That's isn't all to say choose WashU - I'm just trying to alleviate some of your concerns. You can't go wrong at either place. Just gotta go with your gut with this one.

 

[midwestisbest3691234]

Thank you all for the input! A lot of pro-WashU, pro-STL information here that leaves me most likely leaning towards WashU. $50k is enough to potentially put Feinberg out of reach, even though it was once the dream school. There are a lot of people who "voted" for Northwestern on my poll attached to this post, wondering if any of those people could speak to why they think that is the better choice for me?

 

[HolyMuffins]

Thank you all for the input! A lot of pro-WashU, pro-STL information here that leaves me most likely leaning towards WashU. $50k is enough to potentially put Feinberg out of reach, even though it was once the dream school. There are a lot of people who "voted" for Northwestern on my poll attached to this post, wondering if any of those people could speak to why they think that is the better choice for me?

They're both pretty solid schools. If family and friends are a big deal for you, I can see that swinging things towards Feinberg. I can see the arguments for cost and prestige, but they're both reasonably close enough that I don't think you would be in the wrong picking either choice.

 

[AJC1]

Congrats! Two great options! Based on how you wrote this, it sounds like Wash U is where you feel you "should" go ("would be dumb to turn down Wash U's offer," "shouldn't be considering social scene")...but since you're saying it's a hard decision, it may not necessarily be what you want. Personally, I think having family and friends outside of med school is an enormous plus--good for mental health, makes you an interesting/well-rounded person, and keeps you grounded--and it would be much harder to meet people outside the med school if you go to Wash U.

I don't think cost is an issue at the prices you've mentioned--when you'll have classmates borrowing 200k-400k for the same education, either one of those price tags is totally manageable. You could pay off either in probably two years.

 

[midwestisbest3691234]

I chose WashU! Thanks for the help everyone!