<p>Which is better for getting into med school? ( ex: higher GPA, higher MCAT, better reputation, etc) </p>
<p>Pretty much the same.</p>
<p>I assume Duke curves their science classes as well. If so, exactly the same. Go with fit and where finances make the most sense. What you do yourself (in terms of your GPA and MCAT; and no school will affect your MCAT as much as you yourself) will have a far bigger effect than whether you pick Duke or Northwestern.</p>
<p>Which university is more academically focused? I really could care less about NCAA basketball at whatnot even tho I am an avid basketball fan 
. I’ve heard rumors that rich families send their kids to Duke and leave with a bachelors and search for a job because they graduated from a brand name university. Is that true? </p>
<p>You’ll find academically focused folks at both; work-hard/play-hard people at both. You really need to visit to get a feel. You will definitely have to study hard and will learn a ton in the science classes if you’re pre-med at Northwestern. Someone at Duke can talk about them. </p>
<p>Duke does have a reputation for liking kids from rich families in admissions (and this practice goes back a long ways there), but there are plenty of rich kids at Northwestern as well.</p>
<p>Duke does have more lenient academic requirements for their athletes than Northwestern does for their’s.</p>
<p>Duke is more successful at sending students to med school and Duke Med is significantly better than Feinberg. This shouldn’t really be a very difficult decision to make. </p>
<p>What’s Duke’s med school admission rate?</p>
<p>Also, why do you think the medical school matters?</p>
<p>
Developmental admits have made up less than 2% of admits for well over a decade, and the percentage has fallen with increased fundraising. Much of the common wisdom about Duke admissions that derives from Rachel Toor and other past adcoms is antiquated in the extreme. </p>
<p>50.4% of Duke students are on financial aid; 47.9% of Northwestern students are. The average Duke student on financial aid in 2013 received $42K; the average Northwestern student on financial aid received $37K. 14% of Duke students have Pell Grants; 15% of Northwestern students have them. No glaring differences here!</p>
<p>
Nonsense. I think few would turn down HPME for Duke! Taking HPME out of the equation makes the two a toss up, and the student should decide based on personal preferences. The two are pretty different in a lot of ways (size, academic schedule, location and weather, campus appearance, academic diversity, etc.). </p>
<p>realcoolman, both Duke and Northwestern (among so many others) are perfectly capable of sending you to a good medical school. This is not a useful question to ask. </p>
<p>Be aware that the odds are against you actually applying to medical school. Hordes of high-achieving high schoolers are positive they want to go to medical school, but very few of them stick with it. Only half of the people taking the MCAT apply to medical school, and countless more drop out well before that point. Pick a college that you’d be happy attending regardless of your future plans. </p>
<p>Did you get admitted into both? </p>
<p>GMT : No I’m applying ED to one of them next year. I think I have a shot.</p>
<p>warblersrule: I doubt I will get into Northwestern HPME. What about the regular undergraduate program?</p>
<p>Northwestern claims that ~80% of undergrads that apply to med school from Northwestern are accepted. Is that data skewed or is it true?</p>
<p>I was planning on trying to go to a public university so I can save money for med school but I heard they deflate GPA to " weed-out " the top students.</p>
<p>@realcoolman:</p>
<p>How do you know that Duke and Northwestern don’t curve their science courses (essentially doing the same thing)?
What would you do if you didn’t get in to med school?</p>
<p>@PurpleTitan:</p>
<p>People everywhere, including gradeinflation.com, say that both Northwestern and Duke curve their science courses. I just know that at some public universities it is extremely hard to get A’s. </p>
<p>If I didn’t get into med school I would go to a graduate engineering program. </p>
<p>I’d answer that the right school is the one where you can graduate with the smallest amount of debt. Med School is expensive enough without debt from undergrad.</p>
<p>So if they both curve, the two are roughly identical, then. The kids who’s grades in science coures are too shoddy won’t apply. Go with fit.</p>
<p>Oh good lord, this is dancing on a head of a pin. This comes down to fit, personal preferences, and finances (if a difference). </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This. </p>
<p>My suggestion would be to go to a school with grade inflation (read: Dartmouth, Penn, something like that) over NU/Duke, or go to your local state school and minimize debt. </p>
<p>Regarding med school admissions, it’s all about where you can get the highest GPA for the lowest cost (unless you’re doing HPME). Your local state school might be best; they don’t usually “deflate” grades there like you said earlier. At HMS/CMS, you’ll see your classmates have their undergrad degrees from UF, Rutgers, etc. etc., and probably paid a lot less than those who shelled out 60k/year on an undergrad degree. </p>
<p>Duke and NU both have as much grade inflation as Penn and Dartmouth. Brown and Harvard are the outliers but picking a school based on grade inflation is a horrible idea!</p>
<p>@warblersrule Just because you call it nonsense doesn’t make it less true. Duke has significantly more success at sending students to med school than NU does. Your opinion can’t change the facts.</p>
<p>@Victory could you name a couple more schools with grade inflation that I might have a shot at. I posted my stats on another thread (2290 sat 35 act 3.86 UW GPA 4.39 W GPA)? I couldn’t find a real difference on gradeinflation.com</p>
<p>Depends on the local state school, I would say. The tons of pre-meds at UMich would kill the science curve. MSU would likely be a better bet if you are in MI (and are just looking to optimize med school admissions and don’t consider other options), as an example. However, some directional schools may not cover enough material to prep you well enough for the MCAT.</p>