Harvard vs Stanford for Biology/BME premed

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

Hey CCers,

I have been fortunate enough to be admitted to both schools so I have a tough decision to make by May 1. I initially applied for computer science, but I have now decided that I want to do a biology/BME premed. If I go to Harvard I will do bio but if I go to Stanford I have to choose between bio and BME. The following factors will have the greatest impact on my decision, so I would appreciate any and all input:

  1. How accessible are faculty, project/research funding, internships, and medical shadowing/volunteering opportunities?
  2. What advantages does one school have over the other for med school admissions and md-phd admissions?
  3. Does med school favor biomedical engineering majors over biology majors?
  4. How much time does premed at the school leave for other things like ECs, research, volunteering, etc?
  5. How chill/fun is the overall campus life?

Thanks for the advise!

2

There are lots and lots of threads on the Harvard/Stanford comparison, you can do a search… they are both academic peers, and you will have pretty much similar opportunities at either in bio related fields. With respect to your 5 questions above, Harvard & Stanford will pretty much be equal on questions 1, 2, and 4.

Ultimately, this will come down to personal fit. Visit both if you can.

3

Harvard has Biomedical Engineering and Stanford has BioMechanical Engineering and Bio Engineering.

So you could technically do engineering in both places which means major is really not the issue for you.