<p>I just got offered a place for Brown 2013 off the waitlist. I was just wondering how you guys would compare Cornell and Brown, especially in terms of pre-med preparation. If any of you have also taken a gap year in between highschool and Brown, i would really like to hear about ur experiences. thanks a lot.</p>
<p>Hey Jaaese, before I get into this I'd like to point out that I'm a rising senior, not a college student. I'm currently considering taking a gap year after high school, depending on whether or not whatever college admits me will allow it. From the research I've done, I've found that most people who have weighed in on the subject think that a gap year is a very rewarding experience. Without rehashing too much of what I've read, students who take gap years end up going back to school with more vigor than they would have if they hadn't taken time to do something else. You can volunteer in a foreign country, get a job and live in the "real world" for a year, etc.</p>
<p>Like I said, I'm a rising senior so it's not like I've gone through this or anything, but I'm interested in hearing from people who have. So this is basically just a really long-winded bump.</p>
<p>Brown is generally easier with grades than Cornell and has a really high % of premeds getting into medical school (the data is somewhere, I'm sure someone can find it--it's over 90% IIRC). </p>
<p>As for a gap year, almost everybody enjoyed their experiences. I would've liked to have taken one but didn't have the money (or even know what a gap year was until after I applied to college); if you plan things out well you'll enjoy it</p>
<p>I've also heard that the gap year is an amazing experience, but also that for a pre-med student, it only lenghthens the amount of time to become a physician, seeing as you will have years ahead of medical school, residency, etc. to do also.</p>
<p>I figure you only live once. Go with your gut. If it's Brown, there are AMAZING things you can do with that year off. It may be a blessing in disguise and you can discover things about yourself that you never knew existed in that one year. If it's Cornell, then good luck! It, too, is a fantastic school.</p>
<p>I just happened to see your post--my son took a gap year between high school and college, followed up on those experiences during college, which led DIRECTLY to his admission at a medical school that was far more selective than the college he attended.</p>