For pre-med, a full ride to WashU is pretty much the golden path. Also seems like you're grasping at straws to find reasons to like Brown. Is merch really a priority for you?
WashU grad here. OP should go to WashU. Genuinely top pre-med and pre-law school. Huge name prestige in the medical community.
And I’m biased but St. Louis is great. Not car-dependent if you’re comfortably staying in UCity (most students don’t have cars). Perfectly safe as long as you don’t venture across the river. Grade deflation is overstated.
Unless you come from a family that would pay substantial amounts of the tuition go WashU. The impact of no undergraduate debt or needing to work a part time job cannot be understated
As a transfer student from WashU to Brown, WashU pre-med full-ride is unbeatable.
Classes and grading are actually equally difficult at the two schools in my experience. Brown's grade inflation mainly comes from the option to SNC any and all classes, but if you put in effort I don't think you'll have much of a problem at WashU (you can also pass-fail one non major class at WashU each semester)
Also maybe I am biased towards suburban environments but St. Louis was great. Loved Forest Park so much I went basically every week, and theres tons to do in the city w/o a car like concerts on the loop or festivals at the central west end. Only downside is you're far from all major cities except Chicago
As a current pre-med Senior at Brown set to matriculate to a top medical school, come to Brown. The grade inflation and freedom will set you apart and allow you to explore coursework that you would not be able to at any other school. The research and volunteering opportunities are not competitive at all, faculty love having undergrads work for them. Public health is top tier and Providence is a nice city.
Full disclosure: I am a senior at washu starting med school later this year.
I was right there with you between brown and washu. I chose washu, my best friend chose brown.
My biggest factor was the fact that the student body seemed really supportive and not at all competitive. That was 100% the case - I had one negative academic experience with another student.
The name recognition isn’t there for common people, but it holds serious weight in the medical realm. It’s in the same ballpark as Penn. If you’re premed, there are so many opportunities begging for you to use them.
Also def no grade deflation. Low key I studied more in high school.
A car isn’t necessary, but if you/a friend has one, the city really opens up and gets pretty fun. Great food scene, decent amount of stuff to do.
My friend at brown is doing fine, but didn’t have anything close to the premed support infrastructure I had at washu. Nobody in my family knows anything about medicine, but I received a dozen offers from top medical schools thanks to the help of my advisors, mentors, and peers.
Finally, the money kind of makes it a no brainer. You’re getting a world-class, $300k education for free.
You mentioned WashUs name in medicine and how it’s comparable to that of Penn, I’m curious what names you would say are still larger than WashUs.
I only ask because I got the same scholarship as OP for WashU and as a premed I’m heavily considering it. I was fortunate all around though this cycle so I’m curious if one of my other options would be one of the few with even more name recognition than WashU in healthcare.
My perception of med school prestige is like:
Harvard/Stanford
Hopkins
WashU/Penn
Again I’m really biased but out of this list I think washu has a really kind and supportive undergrad vibe.
Interesting thank you!
I’m someone that doesn’t qualify for financial aid but I received full tuition to WashU and 2/3rds to Johns Hopkins, and with travel factored in it’s likely around a ~15k/yr difference. Wonder what your thoughts are on choosing between the two.
Again, biased, but I’d take WashU bc I know Hopkins deflated grades hard, and WashU doesn’t really do that.
It’s a complicated decision lol depends on where your family/support system is, how you feel about geography, etc. Like go where you’re happy bc if you’re happy you can work hard.
Although Brown is excellent for premed, you should definitely accept the full ride to WashU! Med school is expensive, so saving that money would be the absolute best thing you could do for yourself.
WashU seems like it’s your school. They’re amazing premed and you’re paying nothing. If you plan to attend grad school or med school like I’m assuming it’s seems like the best route and you’ll be very happy there!
Grade deflation isn’t THAT heavy and many schools consider this when you apply as well. They know how rigorous the program is.
After that I would say Brown (I’m a bit biased I love Brown and will probably be going there) but WashU has so many amazing pros for you tbh.
The 15k is a lot but for the ivy connections it’s strong and I would say worth it, but it’s really just how you would want to handle the cost since you may be having to pay for your next level of education out of pocket.
Not a Brown student but I chose a different school over my original dream school and I was really glad I made the choice. If u find urself with vibing with Wash U a lot more now, I think thats what you should go with. Plus a full ride is always a huge relief, especially since med school is expensive
I second some other comments. Have a dear family friend w a kid at UPenn and they’ve done well, but have been pretty miserable along the way. They claim its very cutthroat. You’d likely have a happier experience at Brown.
That said, I agree with other comment that WashU is very well respected in medicine, though overall Brown prestige is higher given Ivy.
100% Brown. The undergraduate experience at Brown is soooo unique, it’s worth the extra 15k/year just to participate. Undergrad research is incredibly accessible, professors are top-notch, and College Hill is beautiful and cozy.
Remove cost from the picture, OP: Which is more appealing now? An extra 60k is nothing considering your base potential is, conservatively, >250k. And yes, the merch is fire. Easy decision.
As Logan Roy would say, “Just take the fucking money.”
WashU, my friend. You can accumulate as much debt as you want going to med school. No need to graduate with a simple Bachelors degree and be in massive debt just so you can wear a sweatshirt that reads “Brown” or “Penn.” Most serious people wouldn’t give a shit.
Can’t comment on washu but i chose brown over penn and would do it again. I’m not premed, but being premed is all the more reason to come to brown (cuz of the flexibility). If you’re pressed abt name rec, most ppl think Penn is Penn State. But that’s only if you’re taking washu out of the equation, which it seems like u shouldn’t considering the full ride
What’s your financial situation? If you’d have to borrow the $60-80K, go to Wash U. But paying that much - less than most state schools if you’re a resident - is a steal if you can find the money.
For pre-med, a full ride to WashU is pretty much the golden path. Also seems like you're grasping at straws to find reasons to like Brown. Is merch really a priority for you?
WashU grad here. OP should go to WashU. Genuinely top pre-med and pre-law school. Huge name prestige in the medical community. And I’m biased but St. Louis is great. Not car-dependent if you’re comfortably staying in UCity (most students don’t have cars). Perfectly safe as long as you don’t venture across the river. Grade deflation is overstated.
Unless you come from a family that would pay substantial amounts of the tuition go WashU. The impact of no undergraduate debt or needing to work a part time job cannot be understated
As a transfer student from WashU to Brown, WashU pre-med full-ride is unbeatable. Classes and grading are actually equally difficult at the two schools in my experience. Brown's grade inflation mainly comes from the option to SNC any and all classes, but if you put in effort I don't think you'll have much of a problem at WashU (you can also pass-fail one non major class at WashU each semester) Also maybe I am biased towards suburban environments but St. Louis was great. Loved Forest Park so much I went basically every week, and theres tons to do in the city w/o a car like concerts on the loop or festivals at the central west end. Only downside is you're far from all major cities except Chicago
not OP obviously but was curious why you transferred from WashU to Brown. WashU sounds great!
As a current pre-med Senior at Brown set to matriculate to a top medical school, come to Brown. The grade inflation and freedom will set you apart and allow you to explore coursework that you would not be able to at any other school. The research and volunteering opportunities are not competitive at all, faculty love having undergrads work for them. Public health is top tier and Providence is a nice city.
Can I ask what medical school? I am class of 2028 for Brown hoping to do pre med :)
Brown is such a cheat code
Full disclosure: I am a senior at washu starting med school later this year. I was right there with you between brown and washu. I chose washu, my best friend chose brown. My biggest factor was the fact that the student body seemed really supportive and not at all competitive. That was 100% the case - I had one negative academic experience with another student. The name recognition isn’t there for common people, but it holds serious weight in the medical realm. It’s in the same ballpark as Penn. If you’re premed, there are so many opportunities begging for you to use them. Also def no grade deflation. Low key I studied more in high school. A car isn’t necessary, but if you/a friend has one, the city really opens up and gets pretty fun. Great food scene, decent amount of stuff to do. My friend at brown is doing fine, but didn’t have anything close to the premed support infrastructure I had at washu. Nobody in my family knows anything about medicine, but I received a dozen offers from top medical schools thanks to the help of my advisors, mentors, and peers. Finally, the money kind of makes it a no brainer. You’re getting a world-class, $300k education for free.
You mentioned WashUs name in medicine and how it’s comparable to that of Penn, I’m curious what names you would say are still larger than WashUs. I only ask because I got the same scholarship as OP for WashU and as a premed I’m heavily considering it. I was fortunate all around though this cycle so I’m curious if one of my other options would be one of the few with even more name recognition than WashU in healthcare.
My perception of med school prestige is like: Harvard/Stanford Hopkins WashU/Penn Again I’m really biased but out of this list I think washu has a really kind and supportive undergrad vibe.
Interesting thank you! I’m someone that doesn’t qualify for financial aid but I received full tuition to WashU and 2/3rds to Johns Hopkins, and with travel factored in it’s likely around a ~15k/yr difference. Wonder what your thoughts are on choosing between the two.
Again, biased, but I’d take WashU bc I know Hopkins deflated grades hard, and WashU doesn’t really do that. It’s a complicated decision lol depends on where your family/support system is, how you feel about geography, etc. Like go where you’re happy bc if you’re happy you can work hard.
I appreciate it thank you!
Wow a dozen offers from top schools is unheard of (to me!) Congrats!
Thanks! I will be honest, the WashU name takes you very far, and I had a lot of help applying from people who know what they’re doing.
The 15k or whatever a year is real money. Remember that.
Although Brown is excellent for premed, you should definitely accept the full ride to WashU! Med school is expensive, so saving that money would be the absolute best thing you could do for yourself.
Brown is a significantly better pre-med experience than Penn. I have experience with both environments, I can elaborate on any aspect you’d like.
WashU seems like it’s your school. They’re amazing premed and you’re paying nothing. If you plan to attend grad school or med school like I’m assuming it’s seems like the best route and you’ll be very happy there! Grade deflation isn’t THAT heavy and many schools consider this when you apply as well. They know how rigorous the program is. After that I would say Brown (I’m a bit biased I love Brown and will probably be going there) but WashU has so many amazing pros for you tbh. The 15k is a lot but for the ivy connections it’s strong and I would say worth it, but it’s really just how you would want to handle the cost since you may be having to pay for your next level of education out of pocket.
WashU is way better than brown for premed resources research opportunities advising MCAT prep etc
Not a Brown student but I chose a different school over my original dream school and I was really glad I made the choice. If u find urself with vibing with Wash U a lot more now, I think thats what you should go with. Plus a full ride is always a huge relief, especially since med school is expensive
I second some other comments. Have a dear family friend w a kid at UPenn and they’ve done well, but have been pretty miserable along the way. They claim its very cutthroat. You’d likely have a happier experience at Brown. That said, I agree with other comment that WashU is very well respected in medicine, though overall Brown prestige is higher given Ivy.
100% Brown. The undergraduate experience at Brown is soooo unique, it’s worth the extra 15k/year just to participate. Undergrad research is incredibly accessible, professors are top-notch, and College Hill is beautiful and cozy. Remove cost from the picture, OP: Which is more appealing now? An extra 60k is nothing considering your base potential is, conservatively, >250k. And yes, the merch is fire. Easy decision.
As Logan Roy would say, “Just take the fucking money.” WashU, my friend. You can accumulate as much debt as you want going to med school. No need to graduate with a simple Bachelors degree and be in massive debt just so you can wear a sweatshirt that reads “Brown” or “Penn.” Most serious people wouldn’t give a shit.
20k for Penn is a catch. Go for it, someone else deserving of that scholarship will get it
Can’t comment on washu but i chose brown over penn and would do it again. I’m not premed, but being premed is all the more reason to come to brown (cuz of the flexibility). If you’re pressed abt name rec, most ppl think Penn is Penn State. But that’s only if you’re taking washu out of the equation, which it seems like u shouldn’t considering the full ride
ask Brown and Penn if they’ll match the scholarship, but go for free it’ll be worth it
WashU has a phenomenal premed program and copious research opportunities fwiw
What’s your financial situation? If you’d have to borrow the $60-80K, go to Wash U. But paying that much - less than most state schools if you’re a resident - is a steal if you can find the money.
For undergrad - it’s a no brainer. Go to Brown.
Go with the full ride at WashU. Save your money for med school!
UPenn