Stanford vs Brown PLME

College Search & Selection
1

I am very grateful to be given these options.

Stanford:

Pros:
-Good Cali climate
-Received about $30k more FA than Brown
-Although I am 90% sure I’m going the med route, there can still be the possibility for change
-Splendid quality of education

Cons/Questions:
-Although I’ve heard that Stanford generally has grade inflation, how hard is it to maintain a high pre-med GPA (3.8+) there? What are certain weeder/required courses that may drag it down?
-How detrimental is bad pre-med advising? (lol)
-Does the name help somewhat for med school apps, especially for schools in CA? I’m interested in staying in the state if I go to Stanford undergrad.
-Among brilliant students, is it hard to stand out and compete for opportunities?

Brown PLME

Pros:
-Med school guarantee with no GPA requirement
-Pass/fail courses
-Tight-knit family with excellent resources
-Less stress in general

Cons/Questions:
-Higher EFC; Should I call Brown and present my Stanford FA to see if I can receive more aid? Any advice? :frowning:
-Colder climate, and 8 years in one place
-Do residencies look down upon taking courses pass/fail? How about a background from a BS/MD program; do we mention that in our residency apps?
-Is it hard to enter CA for residency coming from an east coast med school?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and input!

2

Bump!

3

$30K is a lot of money. call Brown and tell them to meet Standford’s FA offer. Stanford is an amazing school with loads of opportunities, but you might enjoy undergrad better without the pressure of getting into med school. can Brown set you up with a PLME student to talk with and ask questions?

4

@stemmmm, Thank you for your advice! I am planning to call Brown, just hope they are as generous as Stanford :confused: I’m wondering if Brown matches/almost matches Stanford’s aid, would one would be the way to go?

5

If you go with Brown PLME, you will save $10,000 and much aggravation with the MCAT and waiting on med school application. Leverage Brown for as much as you can, wait until the last second to decide, and then go PLME.

If you are uncomfortable doing this, go read some guides on how to buy a used car. The negotiation tactics are similar on both sides.

6

Let us know how it goes!

7

If your goal is med school, not having to worry about the MCAT or compete for a spot will take a serious load off. I’d pick Brown for that reason alone if they give more aid. (Schools will sometimes match aid from “peer” schools, which Stanford and Brown are).

If Brown doesn’t give more aid, $30K/year is a lot of money that you’ll need for med school, so that tips towards Stanford.

8

Thank you all for your replies. I appealed for Brown, but because of family circumstances, I’m probably not going to get much more.
Any insights into the Stanford pre-med scene and Brown PLME would be much appreciated! :slight_smile:

9

@illusionspectrum what did u end up choosing?