<p>I cannot decide which school to go to and would greatly appreciate any comments helpful in making my decision
I am looking for a good school to get into a top med school that also has a fun, not stressful, and great college life for students. Which of my choices would be the best?</p>
<p>**Wesleyan
**
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<p>Wesleyan’s science department is also HEAVILY funded if you plan on majoring in the sciences and than go onto to Med. School.</p>
<p>Haverford sends graduates to medical schools at</p>
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<p>Tufts…I can’t find any published stats, but they seem to have good pre-health advising.</p>
<p>I can’t really speak to the student life aspect at any of the schools, but I highly suggest visiting each one to see which one fits you best.</p>
<p>Some of these schools are on the selective side, are you confident that you will get in? To all of them?</p>
<p>I would put Wesleyan as your best bet, though it is the hardest of these three to get into…</p>
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<p>Oh, I don’t know about that. Admissions stats for Haverford and Wesleyan are almost identical EXCEPT % of entering freshmen in top 10% of HS class: Haverford 94%, Wesleyan 70%.</p>
<p>Haverford is known and widely respected for the strength of its sciences, producing one of the highest percentages of science Ph.D.s in the country. Wesleyan sciences are also good, and they’re making a big push in this area. These were two of my D1’s top schools. On academics it’s really tough to favor one over the other but personally I’d give an ever-so-slight edge to Haverford. At the end of the day, though, that won’t make or break your professional plans. Apply to both and if you are admitted to both, choose the one that’s the best “fit.” Wes is the more artsy, Haverford more cerebral and quirky. Visit and see what you like about each.</p>
<p>Tufts has strong pre-med reputation. Other East Coast schools with strong pre-med-Hopkins, Duke, F&M, and Holy Cross.</p>
<p>LOL at Duke being considered east coast</p>
<p>Visit and then decide.</p>
<p>Since I think LACs offer a superior education, I think you should lean toward Haverford or Wesleyan. But you have to want that type of environment. </p>
<p>Haverford and Wesleyan both have terrific science programs. IMHO, you could not find a better undergrad science/pre-med institution than Haverford.</p>
<p>@Sefago</p>
<p>How is North Carolina not the east coast?</p>
<p>North Carolina has an Atlantic coastline, but Duke is a 3-4 hour drive from the coast. It’s pretty far inland. Guess it just depends on what the OP meant, exactly.</p>
<p>from my post on the Wesleyan forum:
</p>
<p>Tufts = Would you go to a school with Jumbo as a mascot?</p>
<p>Have you visited them? I have. If I were applying to colleges today I would choose Tufts, of these three. But that’s me.</p>
<p>Some differences I perceived:
Tufts seems to make a relatively big deal about international orientation and language requirements. Larger school, a university.Near Boston. Nice campus. I prefer its size, its campus, and its location.</p>
<p>Wesleyan will likely have a higher proportion of politico, arts and hipster types on campus. Middletown is not Boston.</p>
<p>Haverford is big on “Honor Code”, small on # students. Too small for my tastes, I prefer bigger. Combined M/F ratio,with Bryn Mawr considered, is quite lopsided. Can get into Philly very easily.</p>
<p>I doubt "get into a top med school " will wind up being highly consistent with “not stressful”, at any top college such as these. FWIW, when we visited, the Haverford and Bryn Mawr students appeared clearly burdened with their workloads, but really I can’t imagine there’s much difference among these three, for comparable majors.</p>
<p>re Boston; it’s a great place to visit, but, one has to wonder whether having it so close to campus has a kind of “brain drain” effect in terms of weekends and nightlife? Also, do all the Boston people simply go home on the weekends?</p>
<p>Why not just apply to all three and then see where you’re accepted?</p>
<p>Re: #12, good question, I asked it to those who hopefully know:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tufts-university/1020580-weekend-campus-life.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/tufts-university/1020580-weekend-campus-life.html</a></p>
<p>These are all good schools that will get you into a top med school. That would be the wrong way to choose between these in my opinion. The social differences are pretty stark.</p>
<p>1) Haverford is probably more on the “nerdy” side for a college, in a “nice” way (not intense). It doesn’t have a big party scene and has lots of quieter students. Some love the comfortable atmosphere, others find it boring and feel as if they are missing out on some fun. They do have access to Bryn Mawr and Swat, none of which add much craziness to the experience.</p>
<p>2) Tufts is a little like Haverford in that it also has a relatively quiet student body, however it has quicker access to Boston. It does have a party scene but its still not huge. Less of a green campus then Haverford and a bigger school.</p>
<p>3) Wesleyan is pretty hipster-y, its where the movie PCU was based on and its not far off. Lots of drug usage, very gay-friendly, and lots of super liberal types. You can love it or you might totally not love it, I know people in both camps. </p>
<p>Knowing very little about you (OP) have you thought of Colgate, Middlebury, Emory, UNC, WashU, or Rice? They might be more balanced overall between more relaxed students and a fun student body.</p>
<p>"re Boston; it’s a great place to visit, but, one has to wonder whether having it so close to campus has a kind of “brain drain” effect in terms of weekends and nightlife? Also, do all the Boston people simply go home on the weekends? "</p>
<p>Tufts draws a geographically diverse enough student body that it does not suffer from the “commuter school” syndrome that I saw with some other Boston area schools or how NYU was during the '90’s. </p>
<p>According to friends and colleagues who attended Tufts, there is a tendency for students to go off to Boston for parties and for leisure activities, but that’s limited by the amount of free time their workloads may allow them. Pre-meds won’t be going to Boston too often unless they are geniuses and/or don’t mind risking being weeded out in the harshly graded intro science courses/pre-med core. One Tufts alum friends who was a bio major said around 60% of his intro bio classes flunked by the end of their first-year in college.</p>
<p>@#15: >Lots of drug usage, very gay-friendly, and lots of super liberal types<
= huge party scene.</p>