<p>Coupla thoughts, based on the following: went to and teach at HYPSM, went to med school at big state U (UW Salmon), D a very happy physics major at CU:</p>
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<li><p>Depends alot on whether your kid is a homebody or wants to get the heck outta Dodge. HYPSM is a whole different experience than CU, where he will be surrounded by HS peers or clones thereof. </p></li>
<li><p>While students at the top of their Big State U class can do great, it is incorrect to claim HYPSM is irrelevant. Especially if he is interested in returning to CO for med school - those adcoms will want to diversify their class with CO residents who did their UG elsewhere, especially at top schools. Most of my in-state peers at UW did not go to UW for undergrad.</p></li>
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<p>Flipside:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>While CU Honors is more Honors Lite than a rigorous LAC-like program, the research enterprise at CU is robust and there are many opportunities for undergrad research, and strong advising support for top students.</p></li>
<li><p>CU has a quasi-early access program for its med school: The Medical Scholars program ([PreHealth</a> Advising | PreProfessional | AAC Home](<a href=“http://www.colorado.edu/aac/medScholprelapp.htm]PreHealth”>http://www.colorado.edu/aac/medScholprelapp.htm))</p></li>
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<p>" This program is designed for sophomores (second-year students) and is a form of “Early Assurance” Program. Students selected for the program will be assured that, if they meet the continuing requirements of the program, they will be accepted into the University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM) after completing their undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado.</p>
<p>The purpose of this program is three-fold: 1. To encourage these excellent students to do highly advanced work in their final two-three years of college and/or postgraduate study. 2. To recruit outstanding undergraduates to the SOM. 3. To decrease the cost, both in time and money, of the medical school application process for these students."</p>
<p>Congratulations on the Boettcher.</p>