<p>My daughter got into Duke and SLU 8 year med scholar program and is having a hard time deciding between the two. Any comments would be helpful</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter :)</p>
<p>Does SLU = St. Louis University? If I’m reading this correctly, your daughter is deciding between Duke University, and St. Louis University (where she would be in the 8 year medical program).</p>
<p>Both are great schools. 8 year med program sounds good- but what if she (like many- perhaps the majority of- pre-meds!) decides she doesn’t want to do medicine? Would she be able to internal transfer out of the med program after a year or two if she changes her mind? </p>
<p>Also, definitely consider money. Which is more expensive? Does your daughter have merit/need-based aid at either or both schools?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Duke is ranked higher, but… assuming she stays pre-med, she doesn’t have that guaranteed acceptance into med school. Guaranteed acceptance into med school would be awesome, but she may (or may not) want to go to the same med school as undergrad- what if she decides she’s really interested in some medical specialty that isn’t very strong at SLU?</p>
<p>These are all things to consider. But, all other things being equal (cost, quality of education, pre-med/med…), your daughter should choose whichever school SHE likes best.</p>
<p>There are many threads on this topic. In the end, it usually comes down to money and how sure one is about being a doctor. I love being at Duke, but if she is absolutely sure about where she is headed, take the medical program. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if she is still discovering herself in some sense and has room to grow, Duke might be a better place given the resources it has to offer and its strong and diverse student body. </p>
<p>By the way, here are the 2007 medical applicant stats:
<a href=“http://premed.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2007-annual-report.pdf[/url]”>http://premed.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2007-annual-report.pdf</a>
Duke would give her a great shot, but it is by no means a guarantee. </p>
<p>In the end, I don’t think she can really make a wrong decision here. If you haven’t visited the schools yet, you should. Congrats to your daughter and best of luck with her decision!</p>
<p>I would go to Duke.</p>