This admissions process has been hectic (but such a blessing); at the end of it all I have come down to UChicago vs Harvard, and I am torn. Now obviously there is the fact that Harvard is the world class institute that it is – just the name alone is enough to get people interested in you, qualifications aside. But the dilemma arises in the fact that I was admitted EA to UChicago and RD to Harvard; I have had time to grow with the UChicago community and I love it wholeheartedly. Each individual adds something unique and insightful to the conversation that it is hard to deny the intellectual and often “silly” (to put it very tamely) environment. This is not to say that I would not make friends at Harvard, but going in with a solid base is always helpful when trying to branch out (applicable in all aspects of life).
The main snag comes in me comparing the two in terms of pre-medical placement and outlook. Pre-med is hard everywhere, that’s a given. But with hopes of going to a top medical school such as HMS, Stanford, Feinberg, Pritzker, even CWRU (my “hometown” school; I’ve interned with Cleveland Clinic and UH) after the completion of my undergraduate studies, I feel that the schedule at UChicago may be a negative in terms of my GPA when applying. The CORE curriculum present in combination with the quarter system makes tremendously well-rounded students, yes, but it makes it difficult for prospective pre-meds who need to maintain a high GPA to remain competitive. At Harvard I feel like the absence of this CORE would allow me to tune my scheduling in order to help with the process. I am, however, not enamored with Harvard in the same way as I am with Chicago. This may be a result of me not being exposed to the student group as much, but I feel myself the “Harvard” name driving the experience, not the actual experience driving the experience (as in my time spent at the university, if that makes any sense), which I feel is where my decision lies in currently. Would it just be worth going to UChicago on merit, or would the Harvard logo help me in a way that would drastically change my standing as a medical school applicant?
I would hate to turn down Harvard, but is it worth me looking at the name over the experience – well not me looking at the name, but more the view of those in society on me as an individual due to the connotation the name holds? Also, is it worth choosing Chicago for the people and the environment over the potential damage to my pre-med chances? I am extremely dedicated to what I do and my goal of becoming a doctor. I will go out and intern, shadow, gain experience, but that alone does not drive medical school acceptance. And thus, I am torn. Any advice (I will likely post on the UChicago side of things to gain other opinions)? Thank you in advance.
Sounds like you really like UChicago. I wouldn’t select Harvard for the sole reason that you may be able to construct a schedule that will help you keep a high GPA for med school. You go to college to challenge yourself, not to hide out in some easy concentration. Go to UChicago - someone on the Harvard waitlist will be eternally grateful.
I went to Harvard for medical school, and did my residency at the University of Chicago, where I also attended the law school, and was on the medical school faculty. My brother and cousin went to Harvard, and I grew up around it. Harvard and UChicago are very different environments. Harvard has unparalleled reputation and resources, but I personally found it somewhat large and cold as an environment, with a large bureaucracy. I believe it has improved in some respects in terms of flexibility and interdisciplinary studies. UChicago is a smaller, more intimate campus with a tremendous intellectual vitality. I personally preferred UChicago.
I agree with the above poster. It sounds like your heart is with UChicago. You should never take the name over the experience. You won’t get in to a top medical school by “playing it safe”, and grades alone won’t be enough. You will get in by throwing your heart and soul into your undergraduate studies, and by challenging yourself in ways that make you stand out.
We found Harvard to be a warm and supportive environment at the undergrad level. Fairly recently. The house system is part of that vibe, certainly. It also depends on the department where your concentration lies.
It sounds to me like you should go to University of Chicago, which has an incredible reputation for academics and intellectual stimulation. Harvard has gen eds- how different are those from the CORE?
You know you don’t have to think about being premed at all. You can major in anything and go to med school as long as prerequisites are covered during college or between college and med school (and there are post grad programs for that specific goal).
I understand your dedication to the idea of medical school. Many students want to be doctors but you have done some work at a hospital and sound like one of the ones for whom this might stick.
Nevertheless, try to live undergrad years in the present and enjoy, explore, grow in all ways available Med school can be achieved in a variety of ways.
@AceSquad23 A practical consideration is that Harvard has way more grade inflation than Chicago so your chances of getting a high GPA are far greater than at Chicago. Also as a Harvard grad, your chances of getting into Harvard Med, the best medical school in the world are higher. Also in terms of research opportunities and volunteering the opportunities at Harvard are superior. Partners healthcare system has some of the very best hospitals in the world and its flagship, MGH is arguably the most famous hospital in the world along with Hopkins. Lastly, as much as many people hesitate to admit this in fear of appearing shallow, the Harvard name does have a certain impact than Chicago does not. Lastly, in terms of location and social life Harvard wins hands down.
Well, I am a Harvard fan but when I hear U. of Chicago I think bright and authentic, someone who chooses a school for the right reasons. It is also very possible to choose Harvard for the right reasons
The thing about getting a higher GPA for med school comes up all the time on this forum but personally, I don’t think that should be a top reason for choosing a school. And Harvard’s reputation for grade inflation is a bit dated, to tell the truth.
Whatever you choose, congratulations on such wonderful options!
My wife attended U Chicago, and started off as a pre-med. After about a year, she dropped out because it was too difficult to get high enough grades to be competitive for med school. She said that the UofC professors didn’t grade on a curve and made the tests unnecessarily difficult. It may have changed now, but that what she told me.
Although you are interested in top-notch med schools, in reality it doesn’t matter a whole lot. Patients rarely ask where their doctor went to med school. So unless you are interested in academic medicine, it doesn’t matter a great deal where you do your MD degree from.
For medical school admissions though, it is highly dependent upon undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores. The higher the GPA, the better. The medical school admissions committees do take into account difficulty of course (engineering vs liberal arts degree), but undergraduate college prestige does not factor in a great deal.
I would call up both schools and ask to speak to the Health Professions Counseling office. They will have stats on the % of students who got accepted to med school, and their average GPAs. You might also ask what percentage of students who started off as pre-meds in freshman year and then dropped out. This will give you a sense of the attrition rate.
Bottom line: go where its possible to get the highest GPA (in particular science GPA).
This may be a shot in the dark, but if any current Harvard pre-meds see this can you PM me about your experience thus far? In terms of if it is competitive and cutthroat or more collaborative, and also how guidance from advisors is. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.
Ace, go with your gut since your family is ok in funding either schools. Also, haven’t you received any calls from students at Harvard welcoming you as an admitted student?
In our experience, the student who call was usually one who majored in the same field as the prospect they were calling. There you can tap into them about their experience.
So at the end of everything, I enrolled at Harvard last night. The decision was extremely difficult for me, as I truly wanted to attend the University of Chicago for the next 4 years (my “gut” feeling). Ultimately, the choice came down to a spiritual/religious matter (very very long story), and in the end I realized after talking to my youth pastor that obedience (to my parents) will be blessed by God, even when it comes at a sacrifice (in this case, UChi). Both places are truly amazing, but I am excited for what is to come at Harvard in the fall! I will be concentrating in the Medicine and Society track when I attend so I can combine my interests of medicine, technology, and public policy all into one.
I mean this from the bottom of my heart, but thank you all for the wonderful advice and insight on my decision as I was struggling with it over the past two weeks or so. The fact that people who I barely know where able to provide amazing and thoughtful perspectives is honestly such a great thing. I hope this thread (and any subsequent topics) can serve as a guide for others who have to make a difficult decision like or similar to this in the future.
“After Med School no one, no one, cares where you did your undergrad degree.”
I don’t know where people hear these things but they are not really true. Not about grades and scores being the only important thing for law and medical school and not the idea that nobody cares where you go to college if you go to medical school.
It was not that I was forced into the decision by my parents in the end; I could have very easily declined my offer of admission and chosen Chicago. Like I said, the whole story is very very complex and personal.
You seem to be a genuinely thoughtful and intellectual person and through this fantastic choice, you seemed to be working out the healthy processes of discovering who you are, who you wanted to be, and what was important to you. I don’t think either choice would have been a bad choice.
However, you made it seems like in the end that you relinquished the healthy process of self-discovery before it’s natural conclusion and succumbed to parental and pastoral coercion as though some mere mortal pastor “knows” that God wants your obedience to your parents. This greatly saddened me because 1) you are obviously capable of critical thinking beyond obedience, and 2) because your parents actually LET you terminate the self-discovery process before it’s natural conclusion.
FWIW, I made my kids milk that process for all it was worth, and I think it was worth a lot.
@AceSquad23 And now you get to go to college with Malia Obama! She also had chosen Harvard over what appears to be much better programs for her interests (film). Unless she’s changed her mind about film.
Med school can be achieved in a variety of ways.