<p>I know it's way late for these "vs." threads, but I just found out I've been been accepted to Harvard's Class of 2013. Right now I'm committed to Case Western Reserve's Pre-Professional Scholars Program, which guarantees me a spot in Case Medical School as long as I keep a 3.6 GPA, no MCAT needed. I'm kind of torn...so I'd love to hear some input!</p>
<p>My biggest dilemma is whether or not to give up the spot at Case Med...when I visited, I really loved the medical school, but was lukewarm about everything else. I love Harvard and have some ideas for my gap year, but I'm worried about the pre-med competition. I did very well in my high school science classes, but I have absolutely no research experience and couldn't fit AP Bio into my schedule at all (I did take AP Chem). </p>
<p>I talked to my Harvard interviewer today, and while she was really supportive, she said that pre-med competition is "absolutely vicious". Any thoughts?</p>
<p>how did you just find out that you got accepted to Harvard '13???
did you defer or something?</p>
<p>EDIT: nvm, I just read the entire thing and you did say gap year....Does that mean you're taking a gap year for Case Western also? dude, I would go with Harvard cause you never know, medicine may not be the right thing for you. Btw, I heard they stopped taking people off the waitlist like 2 weeks ago.</p>
<p>go to ppsp...it is ranked 23rd in research, which is actually pretty good</p>
<p>it doesnt matter if its harvard; chances are you will end at a med school just like case western.</p>
<p>obviously college life is better at harvard, but with no pressure you will have so much fun at case..it will seriously be like national lampoon's all four years.</p>
<p>edit: dedication to medicine shouldnt be a problem. its obvious you want to go to medicine..you already proved that by getting into a guaranteed program</p>
<p>I suggest you stick with ppsp....if eventually you HAVE to try for med, whats the point of going to Harvard and then going through the whole "vicious" competition when you're already gauranteed a place at med school?</p>
<p>I'm surprised that everyone is saying PPSP. First of all, you'll get a much better undergraduate experience at Harvard. Second, if you were accepted into the BA/MD program, odds are that you'll be accepted into the MD program through the regular process if you continue on your current trajectory. So you're really not giving up anything except a year by going to Harvard, and you'll be able to apply to the top medical schools like HMS, Penn, Hopkins, etc.</p>
<p>H gives you options if you decide that med school (or the competition that leads up to it) is not for you. Spend a year and see if medicine is what you want -- volunteer for an EMT squad, work at a hospice -- you can still do medicine after a gap year, but if Case is "meh" in everything except the med program and you decide that's not what you want, you may wind up deciding to transfer to pursue your dreams.</p>
<p>Maintaining a 3.6 may be harder than you think -- if they auto-admit you to med school with a 3.6, you can be sure Case is going to make you bust your tail for it, because I'm sure they don't really expect all the PSPP students to clear that hurdle.</p>
<p>(Note this answer has nothing to do w/prestige of either program.)</p>
<p>As someone going through the process right now from Harvard, I would actually say that you should come here. The median GPA for a Harvard admit to Case Western is 3.54, which is a pretty run-of-the-mill GPA for a Harvard pre-med. Keep in mind, you're pretty much guaranteed admission to medical school if you come to Harvard (92% acceptance rate, 94% if you only count undergrads) so a 'guaranteed' acceptance program may not be the best choice given this comparison. </p>
<p>Also, as a side-note, the competition here is far from 'vicious.' The teachers encourage collaboration, the classes are big enough that you never feel like by helping your friends you're hindering yourself on the curve, and I have never really felt too much competition. It is entirely possible to go out, be social (in a club or not), do extracurriculars, and still be a successful pre-med. And yea, the requirement that you maintain a 3.6 at Case will ensure that you definitely do not get a life "like national lampoon's all four years."</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! I've decided: Harvard 2013!</p>
<p>Just in case anyone interested in Case PPSP comes across this thread, the majority of PPSP students do continue on to the Case SOM. According to a recent Case graduate, the 3 out of 13 who did leave Case chose to pursue their doctorates (one of them was a Rhodes Scholar).</p>
<p>Nothing is solid yet...I will be working a lot for the first few months to save up for traveling expenses. I'm hoping to teach English in China for a bit, maybe volunteering at a nursing home in Thailand, and doing some trips with the Sierra Club and EarthWatch.</p>
<p>"Retention of PPSP medical students has traditionally been above 90 percent." This is directly from Case Western's section on the PPSP Medical program. 90 percent is pretty high. It basically means if you keep yourself focused and work hard, you are nearly guaranteed to make it through.</p>