<p>Pre-med at Harvard Vs Princeton Vs MIT Vs UPenn's LSM</p>
<p>Please help me decide! Any insight and advice is greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>LOL. I’m in similar shoes as you iluvcake w/ Yale. Hmmm I hear that if you are interested in Harvard medical school then Harvard college would be the best choice as Harvard tends to admit proportionally more students from Harvard than any where else. After all, Harvard sticks to Harvard…as the saying goes. I think I just made that up, but I also hear Harvard premed is almost suicidal. :o</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing! Really suicidal?!?! In what way? Is it because of how competitive it is?
I was thinking that since a lot of people are majoring in Bio at Harvard, there might be more students who apply so that’s why Harvard Med School accepts what appears to be more? I’m not sure either.</p>
<p>So from what I have heard, which may be true or not, Harvard students only have about 4 classes a semester to fulfill the premed and your Major’s credits. That means that you have less “Extra” classes and that there is less room for error. So if you do not gain one of those credits or are falling behind you have to take summer classes at Harvard. Which is both a good and a bad thing I think. 
</p>
<p>Yeah Bio is a popular major at Harvard. However, I think Harvard admits more of its own students because it knows the classes and can easily tell the rigor of the courses. It also assures them that the individual is getting a quality education. Yeah I don’t know the stats at all, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough…hopefully. What school are you leaning towards right now?</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying! I just hope the environment is more collaborative and not competitive to the point that people are willing to sabotage each other lol Right now, I am definitely leaning towards Harvard. What about you?</p>
<p>I have never seen this supposed “competitive” environment among Harvard premeds. There is so much support from professors, older students, and fellow students… I’m also not so sure about there being less “extra” classes although admittedly I’ve never gone to another college so I can’t know how Harvard compares. But for example, a major like Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology (horribly long name ) basically fulfills all the premed requirements and leaves room for about 18 other classes to take. And no, I don’t think it’s “suicidal” either - as a Harvard premed, I’m perfectly happy. Best of luck with your decision :)</p>
<p>Here is a link to the suggested premed curriculum at Harvard.
<a href=“http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/careers/medicine/premedguide11.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/careers/medicine/premedguide11.pdf</a></p>
<p>With the upcoming changes in MCAT, this curriculum may not be sufficient. One clear missing element is psychology.</p>
<p>Hey iluvcake! Right now I am completely split. I applied early to Yale as it was my first choice and education wise both are very equal in all aspects. Yet Harvard, I believe, will make it easier for me to achieve my goal…i’m weighing everything. I think Harvard flatters you so much by sending a ton of information and it is after all Harvard (enough said). Yet I don’t think that will sway me at all. I have to think it through carefully. :0. I’ve gotten a ton of advice though, which I enjoy.</p>
<p>@SpeakerBoxer: It looks like you have a great decision to make (one I also made last year). Wait to decide until you come visit both, and then you’ll likely know!</p>
<p>@SpeakerBoxer Good luck with your decision making! 
Hope to see you next year! </p>
<p>@physicsnut1 Thanks for voicing your opinion on the state of pre-meds at Harvard. Do you know why I can’t find any med school statistics online for Harvard? I know Yale publishes pretty extensively, MIT does a little, and Princeton a little as well, but I haven’t been able to find anything on Harvard. Do you think I will be able to find out at Visitas by dropping by at the Career Services office or something?</p>
<p>@physicsnut1: Thank you! I unfortunately live too far away to go to either Bull dog days or Vistas, but what factors made you choose Harvard over Yale? :)</p>
<p>@iluvcake: Thanks!!! Same to you, as physicsnut1 said, either way it will be a win-win-win-win situation. 
Cya next year possibly!</p>
<p>@iluvcake: That’s a great question, and I don’t know. Sorry 
I assume the acceptances are pretty darn high, as classes here are great preparation for the MCAT (and coming from Harvard likely doesn’t hurt). I’ll bet the Office of Career Services (OCS) will have those kind of data if you stop by during Visitas! I’m sure they’re hosting some kind of event, but if not then try dropping in Monday at 54 Dunster St!</p>
<p>@SpeakerBoxer: Like you said, it’s a win-win! When I visited Yale, I came knowing fully that it was definitely the equal of Harvard academically and probably in most ways. Something that just really turned me off was that in talking to students, a large number resented the very fact that I was considering Harvard - one said “I guarantee that you will be miserable if you go to Harvard.” I just found a negative attitude that I never saw at Harvard. Though that could have just been me or Bulldog Days or something, and definitely could have been a wrong impression (I still think Yale is a great school). Slightly more objectively, Harvard is surrounded by a beautiful small city - and as a runner who hates the treadmill, it’s awesome to be able to pick any direction and be able to go for miles and see so much beauty without worrying about safety. I had also heard that Harvard was slightly better in the sciences and Yale may be better in humanities, though I’m not sure if that is true. Anyway, let me know if you have more questions, and hoping to see you next year!</p>
<p>(And like really, those differences are really insignificant. The schools are so equal overall that you should go to whichever for whatever you reasons you want )</p>
<p>@ physicsnut1 Thanks alot! I’ll be sure to check out the OCS at Visitas. Also, another question, just curious, judging from your username, are you a physics concentration doing pre-med? I know that Biology is a very common concentration for pre-meds but what other options/ paths are commonly viable for pre-meds? Are there a fair number of those who do something in the harder sciences such as physics or even applied math while following the pre-med track?</p>
<p>No but yes! I’m actually a bio major - although at the time of creating a CC username I thought I was going to be a physics major But it is certainly possible to be whatever kind of major and still do pre-med - I know Psychology, Literature, Social Studies, Math… etc. pre-meds!</p>
<p>My daughter made a hard decision between Harvard and Stanford two years ago. She later selected Harvard and is still happy as a Harvard pre-med. It is competitive but not in “Sabotage” way at all. Fellow students are very friendly and willing to help each other.</p>
<p>@ physicsnut and jazzfanzz Thank you for your answers! I’m leaning more and more towards Harvard Haha</p>
<p>@ physicsnut Not to pry or anything but what made you decide you wanted to switch to bio instead of physics?</p>
<p>No worries. After taking a bio class in college, I just realized that was my real passion. I still really like physics, I had just never had any great bio classes and loved it so much.</p>