<p>i've been admitted to hopkins and uva's echols program.. the cost difference is not much, and the distance from home is about the same. i know for sure i want to go to med school.. for prospective med students, would it be better to go to hopkins, where its premed is top notch, or uva, where it will be easier to do succeed academically?</p>
<p>The benefit of the Echols program is that it give you the academic freedom to take whatever courses you would like to take. There is also an element of prestige. If you are certain you wish to follow the pre-med route, however, that freedom is minimized because so many courses become required courses. Hopkins is a smaller school but with a greater international presence. You won't get lost in the crowd at JHU and you will have all of the opportunities available at any major research university. (To be fair, UVA tries to keep Echols Scholars as a group to distinguish them from the rest of the students.) Because JHU is private, JHU's classes usually have fewer students. If you can make it through JHU's pre-med program, you are almost assured admittance to a medical school. That is less likely at UVA. Both schools are great. Congratulations on your achievement of getting into these schools.</p>