It's a wrap - Decision time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people who are saying UNC and UVA are interchangeable haven't been to UNC. UNC because of the size of Chapel Hill and its proximity to other areas is going to feel more like CMU than UVA. UVA is fairly secluded and then Charlottesville is small.

UNC also has a lot of programs with other local universities and medical centers - as does CMU. I think Bio majors have an option to live in a new dorm building at CMU because of the location of most bio classes. UNC is considered a first-year weed out bio program (bc of the strong pre-med interest), so your kid might want to know that.

I am in no way anti-UVA, it is an amazing school, I'm just pointing out differences that I know from having kids at UNC and CMU and having taught a summer at UVA.

I couldn't get either of my kids to apply to Rochester. Didn't like the area or the vibe.

I have been to both and am the PP that said they are basically the same. The reason I say that is that they are both classic state universities with good sports teams in cute college towns. My kids actually hated the UNC campus, it's very crowded with buildings and lots of construction. But they LOVED Chapel Hill. They both attract a similar population and both will have the same situation with a high number of pre-health kids in chem and bio so those are "weed out"classes at probably all of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is this post just to brag?

No.

I am looking for sincere input from parents that had kids at those schools or friends and can provide some additional input. Food for thought.

Again, HS and I did not go through the US college system and it is very foreign to us and we have no inside knowledge or experience to rely upon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like people who are saying UNC and UVA are interchangeable haven't been to UNC. UNC because of the size of Chapel Hill and its proximity to other areas is going to feel more like CMU than UVA. UVA is fairly secluded and then Charlottesville is small.

UNC also has a lot of programs with other local universities and medical centers - as does CMU. I think Bio majors have an option to live in a new dorm building at CMU because of the location of most bio classes. UNC is considered a first-year weed out bio program (bc of the strong pre-med interest), so your kid might want to know that.

I am in no way anti-UVA, it is an amazing school, I'm just pointing out differences that I know from having kids at UNC and CMU and having taught a summer at UVA.

I couldn't get either of my kids to apply to Rochester. Didn't like the area or the vibe.

This will apply to any college with a substantial pre-med population, which all these schools have.

I don't think of W&M's program as weed-out. It's rigorous, but the aim isn't to push kids who want the major out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she can deal with the cold weather, I’d do U Rochester. Otherwise Chapel Hill. Good luck!

I concur! U Rochester is a research school, with a huge biomedical presence, so perfect place for an undergrad to do research. Majority of students at UofR go on to grad school, so are headed into research (or medical school)

DP: I'm curious why--UNC Chapel Hill has a higher ranking overall and in biomedical engineering than Rochester and it's warmer . Is there are a reason you prefer Rochester for this over UNC? Is it because Rochester has a smaller undergrad population? (Have a DD interested in bio/med coming up considering both of these for future college apps).

Please stop with the ranking baloney. These are all top schools, there is no material difference in the rankings of these schools.

[Anonymous]

College Transitions page focuses on undergraduate programs. Here is the page that gives their view on strong undergraduate programs in Biology. There is a link to methodology on the page.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-colleges-biology

[Anonymous]

William and Mary is strong in STEM teaching and providing opportunities for faculty- mentored research, which can be a plus for graduate school admissions (and also getting a meaningful reference).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the end goal with a biology degree? All schools will have an accepted student day and I would encourage you and her to attend these for her top 3 schools. Very different from a school tour—they will have student and parent panels which are helpful.

PhD - going into research.

If your kid is interested in getting a PhD, you might want to take a look at this database (using federal government data) that tracks the undergraduate institutions attended by students that go on to earn PhDs in given fields. You can find it by institution and subject (Biological and Biomedical Sciences) and also specify the date range. These are totals, so you should factor the size of the school to draw any conclusions.

https://www.highereddatastories.com/2020/12/baccalaureate-origins-of-doctoral.html

[Anonymous]

Have your DC work out a four year course plan for each school. Sorting through university and major requirements can really shine light on the differences between schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have your DC work out a four year course plan for each school. Sorting through university and major requirements can really shine light on the differences between schools.

Excellent advice for anyone trying to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College Transitions page focuses on undergraduate programs. Here is the page that gives their view on strong undergraduate programs in Biology. There is a link to methodology on the page.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-colleges-biology

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have your DC work out a four year course plan for each school. Sorting through university and major requirements can really shine light on the differences between schools.

Thanks, yes this sounds like solid advice. Might take her a few days to work through all that.


I appreciate all the constructive comments and advice. There are gems to be found on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have your DC work out a four year course plan for each school. Sorting through university and major requirements can really shine light on the differences between schools.

Thanks, yes this sounds like solid advice. Might take her a few days to work through all that.


I appreciate all the constructive comments and advice. There are gems to be found on this board.

Keep in mind though that many students (over half) change their intended majors. It can be a complete change of field, or something related (e.g. neuroscience) that is sparked by something they are exposed to while in college.

[Anonymous]

Over half of medical school applicants major in biology. These schools may well substantial numbers, but not the overwhelming numbers you often see from schools like Johns Hopkins. This can be good in bad. Having these pre-med students increases the resources and focus on the biology program, but these students can be a bit more driven and competitive than the average student, and they may have less true subject matter interest than someone who really wants to be a biologist. You can see the raw number of medical school applicants by institution here. https://www.aamc.org/media/9636/download

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the end goal with a biology degree? All schools will have an accepted student day and I would encourage you and her to attend these for her top 3 schools. Very different from a school tour—they will have student and parent panels which are helpful.

PhD - going into research.

All good options.

Look to see which schools have enough biology majors that there is a separate track for pre-meds vs other bio majors. It's miserable to be in class after class with pre-meds who only care about grades and not about learning the content. They are super competitive and not in a good way. You want as few classes with pre-meds as possible.

Also look for a school where your student can start undergrad research as a freshman. Reach out to bio professors now to look for pre-frosh summer opportunities that can continue into the school year. Your child should plan to do research in a lab all four years.

-- Chemistry PhD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the end goal with a biology degree? All schools will have an accepted student day and I would encourage you and her to attend these for her top 3 schools. Very different from a school tour—they will have student and parent panels which are helpful.

PhD - going into research.

All good options.

Look to see which schools have enough biology majors that there is a separate track for pre-meds vs other bio majors. It's miserable to be in class after class with pre-meds who only care about grades and not about learning the content. They are super competitive and not in a good way. You want as few classes with pre-meds as possible.

Also look for a school where your student can start undergrad research as a freshman. Reach out to bio professors now to look for pre-frosh summer opportunities that can continue into the school year. Your child should plan to do research in a lab all four years.

-- Chemistry PhD

Thank you, much appreciated input.