UVA or Chicago ( Pritzker )

[UF2099]

Another big decision to make...I love UVA, but UChicago just accepted me with a $160,000 merit scholarship. 😱 I am so honored and excited but it is just very painful to turn down UVA because I love that school so much and I've had 7 months to imagine myself there since being accepted in October.

Chicago will be about $65,000 cheaper total than UVA for the 4 years. I am really interested in global health and Chicago has something called the Global Health Scholars Track which seems right up my alley. However, UVA is offering for me to defer a year and do an MPH for free...free tuition and $9,000 for living (approximately). Basically UVA overbooked their class and are doing anything they can to make people take a year off.

I also hope to work in academic medicine at some point...

What do you all think?

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[justinbaily]

Didn't you also get an 80K merit scholarship at UVA in addition to the 40K deferment package?

 

[mdeast]

Another big decision to make...I love UVA, but UChicago just accepted me with a $160,000 merit scholarship. 😱 I am so honored and excited but it is just very painful to turn down UVA because I love that school so much and I've had 7 months to imagine myself there since being accepted in October.

Chicago will be about $65,000 cheaper total than UVA for the 4 years. I am really interested in global health and Chicago has something called the Global Health Scholars Track which seems right up my alley. However, UVA is offering for me to defer a year and do an MPH for free...free tuition and $9,000 for living (approximately). Basically UVA overbooked their class and are doing anything they can to make people take a year off.

I also hope to work in academic medicine at some point...

What do you all think?

Hmmm. The free MPH sounds fun. But is this something you had planned to do? No reason to take 5 years to do medical school to get a degree you aren't interested in.

I'd say, Chicago is probably overall a better med school. More diverse patient populations, better research, higher rank, everything. But, seriously...go where you'll be happier. 65k is a lot, but to be honest, not that much.

I don't know why you'd be miserable at UChicago, but if you are head over heels in love with UVA...I'd take the plunge. No regrets is what I say.

 

[UF2099]

Didn't you also get an 80K merit scholarship at UVA in addition to the 40K deferment package?

It was 108,000 need-based. All done and said it looks like Chicago will be 74K cheaper, but no free MPH.

 

[UF2099]

Hmmm. The free MPH sounds fun. But is this something you had planned to do? No reason to take 5 years to do medical school to get a degree you aren't interested in.

I'd say, Chicago is probably overall a better med school. More diverse patient populations, better research, higher rank, everything. But, seriously...go where you'll be happier. 65k is a lot, but to be honest, not that much.

I don't know why you'd be miserable at UChicago, but if you are head over heels in love with UVA...I'd take the plunge. No regrets is what I say.

Good advice. I had planned on doing an MPH anyways, but Pritzker has a pretty significant part of the curriculum called the "scholarship & discovery thread" where I could do a Global Health Scholars Track...I think this would pretty much satisfy my interests as much as the MPH would. Anyways, I'm just at a loss on this decision. My instinct is Pritzker should be a no-brainer for all the reasons you said...but I was really looking forward to being a hoo (nickname for UVa students. Either way I'm screwed...UChicago's athletic conference is the "nerdy nine" and at UVa I would be a "hoo"...a step down from national champion Florida Gators for sure )

 

[Steeler7588]

I think 'Wahoo' is more common, if it makes you feel any better? 🙂

I've heard great things about UChicago's med school (and every other school of theirs, honestly). One of the most impressive applicants I met on the interview trail was favoring them over some other impressive institutions. I'd say the two advantages UVa has would be your free MPH and the 1.5 pre-clinicals. The environment of the ACC / Charlottesville are also going to be way different than Chicago's, plus there are the weather differences, so you'd have to weigh that as well. Even if you liked that stuff more at UVa, that's a lot of money...

 

[DrSami]

I think they're both really great schools

 

[BubbaChuck3]

I think they're both really great schools, but I think chicago is wayyyy different than gainseville so it might be harder to adjust to than virginia. one problem with UofC is that there med school is actually part of its biological sciences department and it's in the inner-city of southside chicago. there is no student housing for the medical students. therefore, u might be stuck having to live in some ghetto apartment in the inner-city, especially if you want to live closer to school or if you don't want to pay for a nice apartment downtown. Plus its not safe to walk around at night around there. bottom line...southside chicago = dangerous. everyday i see someone on the news getting shot on the southside. Now if it was between Northwestern (downtown Chicago) and UVA i would definitely choose Northwestern...but go with UVA. Plus winters suck...especially if you dont have a car and have to rely on trains/buses.

Here's a link of one case at UofC

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5772157

You are a tool and a troll...end of rant.

 

[BBender716]

I think they're both really great schools, but I think chicago is wayyyy different than gainseville so it might be harder to adjust to than virginia. one problem with UofC is that there med school is actually part of its biological sciences department and it's in the inner-city of southside chicago. there is no student housing for the medical students. therefore, u might be stuck having to live in some ghetto apartment in the inner-city, especially if you want to live closer to school or if you don't want to pay for a nice apartment downtown. Plus its not safe to walk around at night around there. bottom line...southside chicago = dangerous. everyday i see someone on the news getting shot on the southside. Now if it was between Northwestern (downtown Chicago) and UVA i would definitely choose Northwestern...but go with UVA. Plus winters suck...especially if you dont have a car and have to rely on trains/buses.

Here's a link of one case at UofC

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5772157

This is so much fail that I'm not going to even address the multitude of things wrong with it. What this post DID succeed in doing is effectively listing most all of the incorrect assertions about UChicago.

 

[justinbaily]

Don't listen to drsami--that was just stupid. Mdeast's advice is pretty spot-on. Chicago and Virginia have some clear differences and you're going to have to make the choice based on your personal preferences. The difference in cost isn't so great that it should dictate your decision, especially if you end up pursuing the MPH at Chicago, so choose based on where you would most enjoy living, the curriculum and fit. The good news is that you can't choose a school that you aren't going to end up enjoying, so congratulations.

I can sympathize with the way that you've fallen in love with UVA by the way. Not to be overly romantic, but there's something really special about the atmosphere at that school. Chicago kicks ass, though. I can't deny that.

Good luck!

 

[Steeler7588]

Plus its not safe to walk around at night around there. bottom line...southside chicago = dangerous. everyday i see someone on the news getting shot on the southside

Here's a link of one case at UofC

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5772157

Since I committed to UVa, I signed up for a school email address. In the past two weeks, I've gotten emails from the university's campus police department concerning muggings near the Corner. Every city / town is going to have its problem areas.

 

[UF2099]

Thanks guys for all the advice! I'm making the call, 1 way or another, Tuesday morning. I'll send in an update after that!

 

[TriagePreMed]

Don't make the mistake I made as an undergrad. Go to where you think you'll be happiest. 65k is pretty steep. Normally I'd tell someone that slightly likes UVA better to take Chicago, but you obviously love UVA. At the end of the day, you'll have a career, so you'll pay it off anyway. 65k for the peace of being somewhere where you think you belong is a lot better choice than to go for plan B due to money.

 

[UF2099]

I decided on Pritzker. I told them how I was really torn between them and UVA and they increased my scholarship to full-tuition! 👍 That made the decision a lot easier. I'm starting to get excited about Chicago now. Should be fun! Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[BBender716]

I decided on Pritzker. I told them how I was really torn between them and UVA and they gave me increased my scholarship to full-tuition! 👍 That made the decision a lot easier. I'm starting to get excited about Chicago now. Should be fun! Thanks for the advice everyone!

You lucky dawg! That's so sick. Congrats! I hope I get to see you next fall!

 

[whimsical]

I decided on Pritzker. I told them how I was really torn between them and UVA and they gave me increased my scholarship to full-tuition! 👍 That made the decision a lot easier. I'm starting to get excited about Chicago now. Should be fun! Thanks for the advice everyone!

Man, the more I read about Chicago, the more I like...

 

[SamDaManMD]

Congrats UF2099! Smart Move!

Im from florida 2 and im currently on the waitlist at univ. of chicago. I spent the past six years in chicago tho during undergrad and grad school and to be honest...its the greatest city in the world. hopefully, if i get in, i'll teach u everything a floridian needs to know about adjusting to the big city. but even if i dont get in 🙁 ....ur gonna love it in chicago...world class school in a world class city. u'll be wearing a cubs hat in no time lol. if i get in ur officially invited to my place every saturday to watch some gator football! haha enjoy the summer! 🙂

 

[UF2099]

You lucky dawg! That's so sick. Congrats! I hope I get to see you next fall!

Thanks! Best of luck to you!

 

[UF2099]

Congrats UF2099! Smart Move!

Im from florida 2 and im currently on the waitlist at univ. of chicago. I spent the past six years in chicago tho during undergrad and grad school and to be honest...its the greatest city in the world. hopefully, if i get in, i'll teach u everything a floridian needs to know about adjusting to the big city. but even if i dont get in 🙁 ....ur gonna love it in chicago...world class school in a world class city. u'll be wearing a cubs hat in no time lol. if i get in ur officially invited to my place every saturday to watch some gator football! haha enjoy the summer! 🙂

Haha I hear the key is layering. Glad to hear you like Chicago! I hope you get in!