<p>So after receiving my acceptances and rejections from schools, it has come down to these three Duke, UPenn, and UChicago. I believe I plan to major in something dealing with biology and I might eventually be PreMed. So to anyone out there who has had to make a decision between these schools I would love to receive your reason for picking your current school or any other analysis of the schools.</p>
<p>Among the schools you have listed, Duke is the best pre-med school and has a very strong biology program. Chicago is strong in biology, however it is quite difficult for pre-meds because of it’s grade deflation and such- it’s much more research (phd track) oriented. Penn is strong for biology and is decent for pre-med. I think your decision, given your plans, should be between Duke and Penn- a very tough call. Penn and Duke are both great schools, and are academic equals at least for the bio field. I think it comes down to which school you like more (location, students, opportunities, cost, etc.) Good luck in making your decision!</p>
<p>Breaker’s analysis is correct - but were you accepted to Duke’s BME, or some other program?</p>
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Based on what??? I wouldn’t make assumptions like this based on success rates reported by particular schools. No self-respecting med school admissions officer is going to admit an applicant from Duke over a comparable applicant from Penn or Chicago (e.g., similar GPAs and MCATs) because of where that applicant attended undergrad. All 3 of these are excellent schools with phenomenal academic reputations, and all 3 are excellent springboards to medical school, assuming sufficient individual academic performance.</p>
<p>And don’t assume that reputations for grade inflation or deflation will be a factor. Grad and professional school admissions officers are more keenly aware of this–if it does, indeed, exist at a particular school–than are high school and college students, and will not be blinded to excellent potential medical students because, e.g., the curve in organic chemistry at Princeton or Chicago may be steeper than it is at other top schools.</p>
<p>So, bottom line? At this level, you should pick a school based on personal preference and fit, and not worry about med school placement stats, etc. Go to the school at which you’ll be happiest and thrive academically, socially, and otherwise, and the rest will take care of itself, as any knowledgeable and experienced adult who’s been through this process will tell you.</p>
<p>45percenter’s analysis, as is often the case, is spot-on.</p>
<p>As opposed to what jungah or breaker746 say, don’t discount any of these top schools, and make your decision carefully. Duke may have the “best” pre-med placement by very rough metrics (a whole lot of Duke students apply to med school, even when compared to, say, Penn, by size, and so Duke is very well-represented in the med school world), but these three schools are all extremely comparable.</p>
<p>The atmosphere at all 3 schools, though, is quite different. As I said in another post, choose based on fit. These other concerns (i.e. which school has the “best” pre-med culture, etc.) are quite irrelevant.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys. Im going to be visiting all the schools over these next few weeks. So i will keep the comments in mind.</p>
<p>If you are serious about pre-med, I would chose Penn. First, they have one of the best hospitals in the nation, they are a serious research institution with many hospitals, they have lots of communities you could work with, and the pre-med advisors there are AMAZING. Look at their website, they have a 39page guide for pre-med students. They also have an online system where you upload your resume, essays, and letters of rec…these advisors look this over before you send your information out…do any of these other schools do that? I honestly, truly believe that Penn is the best school out there for pre-med.</p>
<p>The above post is blatantly biased. The poster makes the assumption that Duke and Chicago (specially Duke which is an impeccable pre med school) do not offer the same opportunities as Penn. That is absolute hogwash. Furthermore the very fact that the poster asserts that Penn is the best pre med school in the country (ahead of schools like Harvard and Stanford) makes her bias painfully apparent. Take his/her advice with a pinch of salt, and continue making wise decisions (such as choosing based on fit after visiting all three campuses).</p>