I apologize for the continuation of a previous thread I posted regarding my upcoming college decision.
I’ve currently been accepted at Depauw University and have also been offered membership into both the Science Research Fellows program and the Information Technologies Associates Program. This is a small (2200ish) private school.
I’ve also been accepted into the Honors College at Ball State University. A rather large public school with around 18,000 students on campus IIRC.
I’ve wavered among many possible options but I’ve returned to my original thought of majoring in a science with a possible route in medical school following my undergrad years. This would most likely be Indiana University’s Medical School.
Between the two schools I recognize that a different exists, but what long term differences can I expect? If I intend to go to IU Med School am I going to be much better off attending Depauw, or is the difference rather minute? If I do not go the Medical School route, will a degree from Depauw serve me better in the long run, or is it more a matter of how much I want to succeed?
Am I giving much up attending a large public school rather than a more prestigious private one?
I’ve got less than a week to come to a decision, and I am firmly 50/50 at the moment… So I’ve decided to return here in hopes of gaining some insight into a final decision. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Note:
I’m dozing off as a write this, so I apologize in advance for grammatical/spelling mistakes.
From what I’ve noticed, once you go on to a higher degree the school you got your bachelor’s deg. from matters very little. The med. profession may be different, I don’t have much knowledge about that. That being said, you also need to look at the schools you are interested in and how well they will be recognized by those doing the hiring/selecting for whatever career or higher ed you seek. If Depauw has a higher prstige than Ball State that would be a definite plus for Depauw (or vice-versa naturally).
Another thing to consider is how sure you are of what you intend to do. I am currently switching career-paths from engineering to the humanities. Being at a larger school (such as Ball State) with more diversity in the offerings of classes/degrees may be an advantage if you are not sure of where you want to be in five years (or fifty for that matter).
I have no really clear cut answers, you have to figure those out for yourself, but I hope the above give you something to think about. Good luck deciding (and congrats on the acceptances).
keep in mind that what ever you want to do now can change. i was always intent on going to law school. now i’ve changed my mind. i’m burned out on school completely and just want to graduate no matter what my degree is in.
i’d say pick the school that gives you the most options. also i think most schools give statistics on their graduates… who gets a job, who goes on to post graduate schools, things like that.
also when choosing a public school be very weary. what seems like a good school can be a royal pain in the ass. private schools are funded completely by you and alumni. public school rely more on the state which can be a major problem (especially in tennessee). the funding isn’t always there and classes get cut, grad students teach classes, or the entire school could shut down for a bit (happened last summer here).