UW (Seattle) vs BU vs UVM

[nettiktac]

I’ve narrowed down my school list to these three schools, but I’m pretty stuck in terms of narrowing down from here.

UW
pros
-I’ve grown up in the Seattle area and all of my friends/family are here. Plus I love living in the PNW with the mild climate and beautiful scenery
-very highly regarded institution (T10), matches well
-primary care focused curriculum with a well known affiliated Children’s Hospital (I probably want to go into peds)
-tons of research opportunities
-have connections with physicians at UWMC and Seattle Childrens

cons
-even the in state tuition/COA is extremely high. Looking at between 65k (M1) and 80k (M3/4) per year
-known not to be too generous with financial aid (haven’t received any info on packages yet)
-meh facilities
-cost of living in Seattle is high
-kinda want to go somewhere new even though I do love the PNW

BU
pros
-safety net hospital
-social justice focused, which is really unique and something I’m very passionate about
-lots to do in Boston
-again, many research opportunities and a well known children’s hospital nearby
-students seemed genuinely excited, and I had a good impression from interview day

cons
-EXPENSIVE. 10k/year merit scholarship barely touches anything. I will qualify for need based aid (impoverished background) but I doubt it will be much
-would be moving with partner, so couldn’t live in the medical student residence. Boston COL is super high.
-never been to the east coast
-I’m not sure if I want to live in a city as big as Boston. I’ve always lived in rural or suburban areas so this would be a big change
-area doesn’t seem super safe

UVM
pros
-50k/year scholarship brings cost of attendance down significantly
-though I’ve never been, Burlington seems like a great area and more of what I’m used to in terms of city size.
-generally well regarded, old school. Decent match list.
-this was the most positive of all my interview experiences. Interviewers and students were all so incredibly kind.
-my partner is in love with the idea of moving to vermont
-beautiful campus, beautiful facilities
-research opportunities are decent
-provides a laptop

Cons
-Vermont winters are COLD.
-again, unfamiliar with the area
-lower ranking/stats/etc.
-takes a while to get to major metropolitan area.
-rotations across vermont. Driving in the snow terrifies me lol
-I think the curriculum is all active learning/flipped without real lectures. This might be a pro, I’m just unfamiliar with this style and it would take some time getting used to.

any thoughts?

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[Banco]

It has to be between UW and UVM here. Do you want to match back in Seattle/West coast? Might be a reason to pick UW. Also keep in mind you've never been to Burlington and you are about to commit to 4 years on the other side of the country. Tough choice but both are good schools. What will the overall cost difference be between UW and UVM?


BU is just going to be too expensive without giving much of a benefit over the others.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Agree with @Banco. Going into Peds, you don't want $350k of debt when you come out.

Any chance you could visit UVM next month ? It is really rural outside of the immediate Burlington area. My sense is you would not be going to any large metropolitan areas very often and so would need to be comfortable in the Burlington area. They do have a Connecticut track I'm sure you are aware of that might be of interest. If you want to go into rural medicine and/or stay in the northeast, it's a nice option especially given your financial constraints.

When do you expect to hear about financial help from UW ? Either way, you've got great options.