USC-Keck
Pros
Cons
University of Minnesota
Pros
Cons
Summary: I was accepted to Keck back in October and waitlisted from UMN in mid-March. At that point, I began making my plans to attend USC - looking at apartments, visiting campus, laying out my plans to move across the country. However, last week I received an offer of admission from UMN, and the difference in financial impact is impossible to ignore, despite the fact that USC is my preferred option in nearly all other respects. Both schools have great reputations, high match rates, collaborative environments, pass-fail pre-clerkship grading, and fantastic programs in the specialties in which I am most interested. Any advice or opinions on this are greatly appreciated! I have to make a decision by the end of the week.
Pros
- Familiar with the school - attended USC for undergrad
- Opportunity to gain exposure to an extremely diverse and vulnerable patient population at LAC-USC
- Strong commitment to social justice in medicine
- Loved campus and faculty when I visited for accepted students day
- Would be in the same city as my boyfriend of four years
- Ability to de-stress from school through spending time outside and in a stimulating environment
Cons
- Not near family
- Very expensive - would have to take out $200-250k in loans
University of Minnesota
Pros
- Best financial option - could potentially graduate debt-free or with very little debt
- Near family and where I grew up
Cons
- Have had very little time to consider it as a viable option
- Cold weather makes it difficult to spend time outside - important when thinking about the stress of medical school
- Have not visited campus
Summary: I was accepted to Keck back in October and waitlisted from UMN in mid-March. At that point, I began making my plans to attend USC - looking at apartments, visiting campus, laying out my plans to move across the country. However, last week I received an offer of admission from UMN, and the difference in financial impact is impossible to ignore, despite the fact that USC is my preferred option in nearly all other respects. Both schools have great reputations, high match rates, collaborative environments, pass-fail pre-clerkship grading, and fantastic programs in the specialties in which I am most interested. Any advice or opinions on this are greatly appreciated! I have to make a decision by the end of the week.
