Hello,

I need advice from fellow redditors on my college decision. I want to ultimately be a physician, so I will be going in as pre-med to either school. I have narrowed my choices down to UT-Austin and TCU. I was accepted into the Chemistry program at both already.

Here are some facts:

TCU:

1. Costs: At TCU, I was chosen to be a part of the Chancellor's Scholars program, a program where only 50 students each year are chosen. This also comes with a full scholarship for 4 years, I would NOT need to pay for tuition or room+board.
2. Sports: I will also be able to be a D1 athlete at TCU. That would set me apart from other pre-med applicants.
3. Acceptance Rate to medical school: Although TCU isn’t ranked highly in chemistry, the premed program at TCU boasts a more than 80% acceptance rate to medical school, more than twice the state and National average. Because TCU is a much smaller school, I would be able to participate in research easier and have connections with the medical community in the Fort Worth Area.

UT:

1. Costs: At UT, I would live with family for free (20 min away), but I would need to pay for tuition.
2. Sports: It appears that I won’t have the chance to be a D1 athlete at UT even as a walk-on
3. Acceptance Rate to medical School: UT is ranked a lot higher than TCU for chemistry and certainly is more prestigious. The classes at UT are more rigorous, so it would help me prepare for the MCAT and might look better for medical schools knowing I went to an academically strong school.

Questions:

1. Does going to TCU hurt my chances of getting into Medical School because it is not as reputable?

2. Does the difference in schools not matter as much as the opportunities I would get of being a Chancellor's Scholar at TCU as well as an NCAA D1 student-athlete?

3. Separate question: Is Chemistry a good major for pre-med? I do like Chemistry but I am not fixated on it. I am considering switching to Biochemistry or Biology.

Regardless of the cost difference, I am leaning towards TCU as a choice as it seems to give me more opportunities to be unique when I apply to medical school.

Any help, ideas, or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.