People who speak about “lower Ivies” usually know nothing about the academic world or the world outside it. It’s like saying an Olympics Silver medallist is a “lower Olympian”. Ok so she/he didn’t get the gold medal but they’re still another universe better compared to all athletes in the world and only a fool would think the Olympics Silver medallist isn’t better than the regional champion.
@trackmbe3: You wrote that (paraphrased):
“Penn State Schreyer won’t help you for medical school and could even hurt you as grading will be as tough or tougher than Penn or CMU.”
What is your source for this ? It seems to me that the reverse might be true; that Penn State Schreyer grading might be easier & that this Honors College might be even more supportive for one of their students applying to medical school. But I honestly do not know, therefore, I am curious on what factors, sources or experience you base your statement.
@Angelababy30 : The Ivies beyond Harvard, Yale & Princeton have been loosely referred to as “the lower Ivies”. Now Harvard, Yale, Princeton & Columbia are viewed by some as the top tier Ivies. Outside of the US, the term “Ivy League” carries tremendous prestige regardless of school.
But for business, the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School is arguably the best & most prestigious school in the country.
With respect to Cornell University, it is often said that while it is the easiest Ivy to get in to, it is the hardest to get out of.
Brown University offers the most academic freedom, while Dartmouth College is well recognized for the success of its graduates & an enjoyable college experience.
UPenn gets my vote in this case too. They will really support your success while in college and it’s a degree that will carry your forward.
Congrats on all the great options and good luck!!
UPenn is a fabulous school, arguably overall the best in terms of rankings etc, AND it will prepare you very well for med school, with plenty of on campus options and connections for premed track etc. Even better, it costs the least for you. Commit to Upenn, unless you actually like it the least/question the fit or there are concerns you are not voicing.
Among Penn State Honors College, Penn & Carnegie Mellon University, you have no wrong choice. Three outstanding options.
If you decide against medical school, then Ivy League Penn is arguably your best choice, although I am unfamiliar with the job placement boost of the Schreyers Honors College at Penn State. But for COA, Penn is an incredible bargain in your situation. CMU grads always place well.
Maybe some of @Angelababy30’s reluctance about UPenn is it’s proximity and the fact that so many kids from certain Philadelphia high schools are admitted (40 kids from my son’s school are attending Penn next year). When you know a lot of kids who attend a school it loses some of its allure and doesn’t seem quite as prestigious to an 18 year old looking forward to new beginnings.
If being too close to home is a concern here is my experience:
FWIW my S went to an urban college that was only about 20 minutes from our suburban home. After all of our searching up and down the east coast the closest college turned out to be the best fit school and he got excellent merit aid. But the distance from home (or lack thereof) was a concern. So before the final decision was made we (parents) sat down with S and had a discussion – we agreed that we would never “pop by” campus, not expect him home for minor things etc. and he would not use being close to home as a “crutch” (no coming over to do laundry etc.). We let his grandparents know the ground rules as well. All in all we treated him like he was a couple of hours away from home. It worked out wonderfully well. Although he was not far, being on a campus and in an urban area exploring the city with his peers made college feel like a very different world to him. He had a full and wonderful college experience. And once in a while it turned out to be helpful (ex. he made it home in a snowstorm after exams, when his laptop broke I dropped off an old one we had to him to use while his was being repaired etc.). Then he went to grad school halfway across the country.
Also the OP could always choose to do a semester or a year abroad or at another US college if a change of scenery is desired.
4 years from now. 10 years from now and onward you will be very happy for the opportunities a penn education afforded you in life. It’s the most economical too.
Your friends from school you may only see at your 10th reunion if ever
In my experience, grading at Penn State / Schreyer has varied by professor, as it will probably do anywhere. One professor of a difficult proof-based calc class bumped students up to the next grade level if they showed improvement over the semester; on the other hand, the required English sequence needed a 95% for an A when I took it. Other than that English sequence, you get to choose which classes you take as honors, so there isn’t one uniform experience. For example, I made one of my required engineering classes into an “honors option,” so the grading for that was just whatever the professor wanted to do for a 400-level engineering course.
Another thing about Schreyer is that you need a 3.4, cumulative and per semester, to stay in it.
Regardless, it’s not worth the extra money when OP already has two great and cheaper options.
I live right across the river from UPenn and have a neighbor with a child there now that is a senior. The neighbor works at UPenn. She says she hardly sees her child and it’s always on the child’s terms. There really isn’t a way to just pop in and see your child if they live on campus. So if that’s a concern don’t let it be. You’ll see your family on your terms when you want to and it’ll be very convenient.
I would also add that I think UPenn has the highest grade inflation of the 3 and will also offer the most research opportunities and will be the best choice if you decide to change from pre-med.
@Cookies510 Yesss, I am go to a high school in Philadelphia (Central High School), and literally 47 students got accepted into UPenn for next year.
@Angelababy30 I wouldn’t worry so much about the proximity. Most of the current Penn students I know live on campus and do feel like they are away at school despite attending college in their home city. Their parents have all commented that they don’t see their kids any more often than parents with kids 3 hours away. Given your net cost to attend Penn it seems like the clear choice.
You’ll also be a part of the Mayor’s Scholarship program.
So, that explains why you’re not beside yourself with excitement at the thought of getting into Penn. Please realize that right now thousands and thousands of kids are jealous. Head to the Results thread for UPenn and see how many got turned down with top stats and passion for the school. Once on campus it wont feel like home at all. You’ll be on campus and it’ll feel like a different city. With the Mayor’s scholarship program, you’ll have an upperclass student mentor and special networking opportunities on top of everything Penn offers .
You got a Lexus. Who cares if others got one too? It’s still a Lexus.
@MYOS1634 No one gets that excited about their match schools 
@Dolemite I already applied for the Mayor’s Scholarship Program, and received the scholarship that they offer, which is why UPenn is cheaper than CMU. (5k scholarship)
@MYOS1634 Because of the high admit rates to Penn from the top city schools kids don’t seem to realize just how big a deal their acceptance is. While they are aware of the low acceptance rates, so many in their peer group are accepted it almost seems like a safety for the top kids when 50% of a graduating class is admitted. Which is just crazy.
@Angelababy30 Have you talked to any current Penn students who graduated from Central or other Philadelphia schools to hear their perspectives? It might be helpful to allay any reservations you have.
@Cookies510 So according to my counselor a couple days ago in a senior class assembly, 46 out of the 103 students that have a weighted GPA over 3.5 got accepted, which is almost 45 percents acceptance rate (including ED and RD). Only 1 out of the rest (126 students that have an overall weight GPA lower than 3.5) got accepted.So overall the acceptance rate to UPenn is like 20.5 percents.