<p>Precisely. That’s why hankering after Harvard when you have a full ride at Wash U is foolish.</p>
<p>I’d say forget about Harvard, you have plenty of other amazing top schools to choose from</p>
<p>So Dartmouth or WUSTL/NU (Free or less than 2K)?</p>
<p>It is honestly up to you. Go with fit. If money is a big deal go to WUSTL. Med school will cost a lot too, so WUSTL might make sense.</p>
<p>Frankly, I am not too certain with my career plan. I also want to know the cost amount of attending a top 5 medical school. If I go to Wharton as an undergrad, I don’t have to go to grad business school?</p>
<p>Don’t assume that you will get into a top 5 medical school. Plenty of people who come out of all of these schools don’t.</p>
<p>How are harvard’s placements to top 5 med/business/law schools? and how can I prepare for graduate school right now?</p>
<p>At this level, the school doesn;t really matter. Your grades will. Honestly, go to WUSTL. It is a great school. You will pay nothing. And if you want Medicine, its great. If you want business you can get into a good business school. And if you want law, at least you will still be able to afford it.</p>
<p>How’s Dartmouth? I heard Dartmouth and Wharton and among the very top schools for business. I want to know more about Dartmouth and Harvard’s previous placements</p>
<p>I’d suggest you do some research on these college’s websites or call the colleges to get statistics. Do you honestly think you can go wrong with any of these schools? Which one fits you best? Which one works best financially for you?</p>
<p>A full-ride to WashU would be my first choice by far. Good luck with your decision. You’re lucky to be in the situation that you’re in.</p>
<p>If it is helpful to you to hear from a University Professor who has been on graduate school committees for almost 20 years, and also has done Medical School Matches (at Brown University):</p>
<p>Take the free ride at WUSTL. Even if it was even money between WUSTL and Dartmouth, I would still make this recommendation. WUSTL has everything you want including excellent placement to Med School or Business School. Also remain on the Harvard Wait List. I think you might be over rating what Wharton business school can give you. The professional schools at WUSTL create a stronger undergraduate pre-professional track.</p>
<p>OK – if your goal is to get into medical school… any of those schools will prepare you for the MCATs just fine. any of those schools will give you good courses to prepare you just fine. getting into those schools shows that you are probably a motivated student.</p>
<p>If you want to get into med school - look at other things… locations and opportunities for service while in school and opportunities for obtaining knowledge about the medical field while in undergrad. WashU works very closely with BJC in St. Louis (Wash U med school). They also have SLU med school in St. Louis. You have several opportunities to make contacts for gaining some experience with medicine. Some of those other schools also have med schools that they work closely with. With that said - some schools say they work closely - but don’t.</p>
<p>Med schools are very different - some are looking for making primary care physicians. some are looking for making researchers. some are looking for making specialized physicians. If you’re wanting primary care (IM, Peds, FM, OB/gyn to a point) - and you’re coming in with a boatload of debt from undergrad, you will be laughed at behind your back at your med school interview. We know, without a doubt - a student coming in with over $50K of undergrad loans is SO UNLIKELY to be going into primary care. They won’t be able to afford to after med school loans. Having someone coming in with no loans actually makes less stressed students and makes them more open to possibilities. (Yes, they know your loan amounts you come in with.) So the “buzz words” during admissions are usually “I want to go serve the underserved.” and again, we laugh if the student is already coming in with a lot of debt. They are showing ignorance of the field. (Yes, it’s possible – but not very likely.) Coming in with no debt will actually help your chances - taking into consideration all other things (grades/scores) equal.</p>
<p>Med schools will know any of those schools you listed. One will not top out the other as better or give you an edge - not at all… When it comes to residencies… not a one will top out the other for undergrad. (Someone may say “oh, look s/he went to XX for undergrad.” but others will shrug and say “ok.” They will care about your med school and then your USMLE scores.</p>
<p>One thing to think about is location… If you eventually want to go into a field with the best training for a particular specialty at MD Anderson in TX. You go to undergrad in MA and med school in MO, the residency program may rank you slightly less than say perhaps a student who went to undergrad in TX and then med school in MO. They have that tie already to TX. (You want happy residents – if you think someone is already familiar with the TX heat, then that’s one less thing you have to worry about.) </p>
<p>SO – look at the area you want to go into… You may not have a clue… and that’s MORE NORMAL. But, if you have always wanted to be let’s say ---- a hematologist. Hands down - get your tush to St. Louis for undergrad and put your ties in there. Or - let’s say you think you may want to get your MD/PhD – start building ties with undergrad institutions that work with med schools that have strong physician-scientist pathways.</p>
<p>So - in a nutshell…</p>
<p>(1) no undergrad loans will help entry (when comparing all other things equal – grades, similar school levels, MCATs)
(2) look for a school that will give you opportunities to connect in the medical field and get some experience (again – speaks volumes when you can say “our pre-med program did a 6-week summer tour to Honduras doing preventive exams”)
(3) look for a school that will afford you easy opportunities for community service (med schools like people who can show that they aren’t always in books but are well-rounded). Being in St. Louis (but from all over) - I can say St. Louis is very easy to find community service. Harvard area – also very easy to find community service.
(4) Med schools don’t like “inbreeding” – all their students coming from their affiliated medical school. Unless you are the top of the top at your undergrad applying to the affiliated medical school, they may not take you. And believe me - you may not be top of the top at these schools. If you are at a comparable school level and do relatively well, they’d rather have you because you will bring a little different perspective to the program. There is NO pipeline from undergrad to med school at the same institutions – in fact, it can hurt more than help.
(5) Seek well-rounded ness in locations and look to things such as “residency locations” and “practice locations.” If your entire family is on the East coast, and you want to be there when all done. You may want to at least do undergrad there. Even when you go to interview for your practice opportunities you will have an edge over somone who has never lived there. (So - like St. Louis or the Midwest?0</p>
<p>Now – personally, I don’t like WUSTL - but if my child wanted to go into medicine (which after growing up with most of their family in the field – they are staying clear of with a 10-foot pole) and had a full ride there and partial funding at any of the other school, I’d say IN A HEARTBEAT. WUSTL all the way. It’s a good school academically. It will prepare you well. It’s well-known. (I just don’t like it because I find the students there a touch unworldly compared to some other schools and honestly a tad more “elitist” – but that’s frankly St. Louis – which before I offend anyone I can say that. I’m a St. Louisan. You’re not exactly going to be hearing Spanish here or finding people who have traveled a lot (some but not, by far, a lot). One other component – if you are wanting to head to TX, CA, or many East coast areas for residencies – you will be rated MUCH higher if you have experience with medical Spanish.)</p>
<p>sorry for the rambling… TAKE WUSTL… I’d tell my own child that. Despite everything. It comes down to funding, and you will get almost everything else to give you advantages for getting into good med schools.</p>
<p>Accept a spot on the waitlist, deposit your moola with Brown…</p>
<p>I think you should stop thinking so much about 4 years from now, or 10 years from now, and concentrate on where you would be happiest this fall. Do you like city or country, big or small, do you want prerequisites, etc. Have you visited all of your feasible choices and gotten the “vibe” of each place? Have you talked with students there? </p>
<p>Money is an important issue but we have also found that when you are in a place that fits, opportunities to make money seem to come easier, both during the school year and in the summer. So that is something to consider.</p>
<p>Harvard is trying to get students to think of the school as a place to explore, rather than simply prepare for medicine, business or law. This will be a new emphasis at top colleges, I predict, since you are not alone in your ambitions, at all. Also, things are shifting around a bit with the recession, in terms of secure goals.</p>
<p>how about consider the flexibility of curriculum at Wash U? Since you are interested in many disciplines, bio,pre-med, law, etc, Wash U would be a good fit for you. Because you can easily change, not only your majors, but also, which is pretty rare, your school divisions! In addition, you are able to double major, even with a minor in different schools! And earning double degree is possible too at Wash U! oh, considering you get a full ride of it, omg, i have no idea why you are still hesitating!? hehe, hope you can find the one fits you the best! Congrats on your color flying offers!</p>
<p>it can’t hurt to accept a spot on the waiting list</p>
<p>Congratulations on the WUSTL full ride!!! that is amazing and you should be very proud. I have always told my kids that it’s not just and acceptance to a school, but what a school is willing to pay for you to attend. They have so much faith in you that they are willing to pay for your college education, which is HUGE. That’s an honor. all your hard work in high school has rewarded you with a check (basically) of at least $150,000! WOW, that’s great. I’d take that and relish in the thought that you are getting a top education for FREE.</p>
<p>Best of luck and again Congratulations!!!</p>
<p>Hey, USNAmomBGO: I hail from St. Louis originally myself (family member on Law School faculty there) and grew up putting in lots of service hours in the inner city. I think Wash U has expanded in terms of size and student diversity and outreach to the inner city based on my last visit there. Some of my friends from H.S. were premed there and went on to top medical schools.</p>
<p>To the OP: I think compmom makes a really good point in general about the next four years of your life; and USNAmomBGO makes probably the best argument of all for going to WUSTL–much greater flexibility in your financing come the huge cost of Med school.</p>
<p>And hang in there on the wait list! Good luck to you!</p>
<p>WUSTL Full-ride > Harvard (with how much financial aid)?</p>