On weekends, when I assume most people will be going to the city, the train ride is exactly an hour. Factor in the 10-15 minute bike ride to the station and 10 minutes waiting at the station (you’ll be there that early because if you’re late on a weekend you have to wait 1 hour) and it’s almost at an hour and a half. Then the train station is about a mile south of all the action (except AT&T Park) so add a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride. </p>
<p>After all this, 1.3 hours is a conservative estimate.</p>
<p>(Note that due to lack of available access to information, both Stanford law and business schools were excluded from the WSJ survey. Otherwise, the percentage of successful top professional school applicants for Stanford would’ve been even higher.)</p>
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<p>First of all, no one’s “whaling” on anything (except you). </p>
<p>Second, can you be more hypocritical? You’re the one who’s constantly lurking the Stanford forums just so you could whale on Stanford.</p>
<p>Last but not least, it must be convenient for you to throw around a lot of numbers without actually understanding their meaning or context so that you can spread your agenda. Here, let me do the analytical work for you (this is what I posted elsewhere):</p>
<p>We are talking about 17-18 year-old kids . . . right?</p>
<p>After reading these “Pro-Stanford” posts, I think I’ll advise my daughter to pull her Stanford application. I’d hate to think she would turn out like that if she attended.</p>
<p>FallenChemist: D1 has been accepted to Tulane as a PS, and hopes for the DHS, just as your daughter earned for herself. And, you are the only one who made sense on this thread.</p>
<p>OP: Go wherever feels really good. Do your best when you get there. Life always works out for the happy people with a great education.</p>
<p>If your daughter is weak-willed enough to pull her application after her mother read some posts on an online forum, probably better she didn’t go to Stanford. If she can stand the helicopter style, more power to her.</p>
<p>Sorry, Phanta. She’s a Rock Star and has/will be accepted to all schools she has applied to. Further, as the Daddy Grizzly in the family, I can assure you that she will be well advised.</p>
<p>I was simply making a point about your issues. I would not want my daughter to be around that type of thinking. She has options. And, I will advise her accordingly.</p>
<p>Actually, my mother wasn’t able to help out because I’m a first-generation student. There’s no need to make assumptions about my background. But it’s obvious what kind of parenting style you have here if you’re going to tell your daughter to pull her application.</p>
<p>My daughter has both a strong mother and a strong father. She too, is first-gen, not that anyone would ever know it. Class is class.</p>
<p>And, THAT is exactly why she has options.</p>
<p>You, are not presenting a favorable image of Stanford, nor are you being very polite to the other contributors to this forum. Rather, you are both rude and unworthy.</p>
<p>When people start to confuse argument with the person arguing it, and then attack the person for it, yes, I’m not going to be polite in return, especially when they’re annoying parents championing their favorite schools on the Stanford forum.</p>
<p>Guys, there’s no need to argue at all. It’s just a college discussion… calm down. Everyone has different opinions about different stuff. I’d rather have people give good advice and stuff than argue. Please help. Thanks.</p>
<p>The college selection process is pretty straight forward, even if pre-med is the objective.</p>
<p>Rule # 1: Know that you make the college . . . the college does not make you.</p>
<p>Rule # 2: If your surroundings make you miserable, your academic performance will suffer. Know if you want urban, suburban or the sticks. Know if you want brutal winters or warm winters.</p>
<p>Rule # 3: There is not an ounce of difference between any of the top 50 undergraduate colleges in America. They all look at your high school credentials with the same question: “What did you do with the opportunities available to you?” Med schools will ask the same question of your college credentials. Doing poorly at Harvard or Stanford will not be better than doing fantastically at Northwestern or Duke. Doing fantastically at Harvard or Stanford is better.</p>
<p>Rule # 4: See rule # 2 and visit. The school might be in a great city with warm winters, but the “vibe” might not be to your liking. So . . . visit. Stay over a couple of nights, see if it fits. Remember, you need to be happy there for four or more years . . . and you’ll be spending a fortune . . . so be happy.</p>
<p>If you are determined to pursue a medical career AND you are not likely to change mind in the next 4 years, apply the HPME program at Northwestern U. HPME (the Honor Program in Medical Education) is a 7-year combined BS/MD program. It is highly competitive, though. </p>
<p>Students in the HPME program usually spend 3 years at the Evanston campus for an undergraduate degree. Evanston is a beautiful town (but not in winter). The campus is by Lake Michigan. The down side is that it is very cold and windy in winter! </p>
<p>Students will then spend their M1-M4 years at the Chicago downtown campus. It is two blocks east of N. Michigan St. (the Magnificent Mile shopping area). And, yes, it is near Lake Michigan. You will love this area, too. Again, it is very cold and windy in winter there.</p>
<p>@BlueMaizePurple thanks for the advice, but i doubt i could get into that program. i mean yeah i will apply, but it has a 1% acceptance rate and i’m sure there are many other more qualified people who apply. and as for the other accelerated medical programs, i feel like most of the other schools don’t have that great of undergrad/medical schools… for example, UMKC has 6 year, which would be great but their medical school isn’t great from what i hear and same goes for their undergrad. what advice would you give me with regards to undergraduate? i am highly considering michigan as of now as well.</p>
<p>I agree with you - it is hard to get into the HPME program. However, if you are considering schools like Harvard and Stanford, you should have a good chance at NU HPME. In fact, HPME competes with these schools for the prospective students. </p>
<p>Regarding your question on undergrat, I’d suggest to set HPME as a stretch goal. If so, you need to prepare now. For instance, HPME requires multiple SAT IIs, including one in foreign language. It would be very stressful to get these tests done in the first 2 months of your senior year. </p>
<p>As for Michigan, I love this school. Don’t get the wrong impression of a state school in a financially struggling state. Its endowment at ~$6.5B is about the same as NU. Its new addition of the ex-Pfizer campus (30-buildings 174 acres) at the north-east edge of the North campus is mainly for biomedical and life science research, thanks to the vision of the UM president in the “doom” days of deep recession three years ago. </p>
<p>Ann Arbor is an amazing town. UM central campus and the town are fused together. Medical campus is located between the North campus (engineering, music, etc.) and the central campus. Visit there and you will love it. (But don’t go in Feb, it won’t be attractive with gray sky and snow everywhere else.)</p>
<p>There are abundant opportunities both academically and socially for undergraduate students at UM, if you are SELF motivated. After all, this is a huge school. For Premed track, you may want to consider a major in the LSA School (literature, science and arts). College of Engineering is tougher in grade - curved at 2.8 for average, which might inadvertently affect your GPA for future med school application. </p>
<p>BTW, I have no personal experience with Stanford, Duke or Harvard. I cannot comment on how well these schools fit your Pre-med needs.</p>