@bsmdbamd have little knowledge on GWU, so can’t provide an input on that. For HPME, @NoviceDad D is in HPME program and to my knowledge she is doing great. My S is in NU UG and doing fine, in fact he had a grand slam today in Q2 grades. To me 3.65/3.7 is not a biggy, as long as student doesn’t take it for granted. I would phrase the counter question, if BS/MD student is not capable of maintaining 3.7 GPA, why you want that student to be a Dr? Would that student be able to justify profession and happy in future?
@bsmdbamd Get input from @Mimic17 since he is studying there. If getting good grades with efforts is not hard, then go with NU. If your child studied in a good competitive HS and very focused and works hard, then it should be doable.
It is hard for to infer anything from my only child because she went to a 110 ranked college and did very well. No disrespect to my child. But that college has the highest number of NMS in the country for both private and public. So it is not that other students were slack. So with that I am wondering all these BS/MD students who have worked hard and has the capability, why can not score 3.7 in NU or whatever the requirements in other colleges. So my take is go with NU.
@bsmdbamd -My 2 cents, It comes down to how rigorous your HS is. Not all 4.0s are equal. BSMD admissions are not purely based on stats. If your child went thru very competitive HS (like @rk2017’s D or my S) and came out as one of the top in the class, maintaining 3.7 at Northwestern should not be an issue with proper course planning. On the other hand 4.0 was very easy at your school which enabled your child to focus more on ECs (and hence good admissions) then they may struggle to achieve 3.7 because they are not used to spend lot of time on studying. I have seen all this in my family and friends.
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@grtd2010 - Great your DD shouldn’t have any issues in UG. Since you went to IIT, would you say all public engineering schools in India are same?
Thank you @srk2017 @GoldenRock @PPofEngrDr @grtd2010 For your inputs. My DS is in a college prep school with a rigorous curriculum. He definitely likes the NU campus, but worried about this new GPA requirement that was thrown in. I agree @PPofEngrDr to be a MD you want a kid able to achieve good GPA , but putting a minimum requirement and having students run this rat race again after going through 4 years of tough high school to get to where you are is a bit too taxing (just venting out). I’ll wait for @NoviceDad @Mimic17 opinions.
Accepted to HPME !!! Who else is going HPME? 
@bsmdbamd - Again it comes down if the kid wants to go thru the rat race or not. My DS chose to go thru rat race and putting the effort needed. Only time will tell if he made the right choice or not. I know couple of kids from his HS who declined BSMD and are at top med schools now and that’s his motivation.
@grtd2010 My DS is an alternate in GWU. Called the admissions and heard there are 3 to 4 kids in alternate pool and there are good chances of getting acceptance.
Agree with common sentiment that HS rigor certainly plays a big role on college performance. Most of these kids are in top ~5% of their HS class, the difference is easy grade vs grinding grade in HS.
Thanks for the kind words No my D was not a top student at her ultra competitive HS. But must have been in the top 5% for sure. But she has no problem competing with her fellow students in her current program - and staying at the top - top students from the likes of TJHSST, Stuyvesant and several valedictorians/salutatorians from academically strong state schools across the country. Her gpa at her current program is higher that it was at her high school and I do know she is not putting too much effort either now.
congrats @HPMEhopeful !
@rk2017 top=top 5%
@srk2017, depends on who you ask. For some top = top 5 in the school (even with a 1000 students in the class:-)
I consider that check a necessary evil for benefit/good of students as medical school outcome is going to deal with people lives unlike engineers to most extent. For some reason if one can’t maintain 3.7 GPA then traditional doors are not closed, everyone knows that is not an easy route either. I may sound harsh, if one expects to be a Dr merely based on HS achievements is concerned about college rigor, to me sounds oxymoron.
I love word valedictorian, it still rings in my ear from last year HS graduation and grind is real.
I understand @bsmdbamd 's concern I think. And that is, you can’t predict the level of competition and difficulty in staying at the top based on one’s high school track record. Someone who is his top notch school’s valedictorian may find him or her self as just another Joe in the bunch (especially in the likes of UCB, Cornell and Princeton).
I don’t think NU falls in that category and someone with decent track record from a rigorous high school (need not be the top, like D for example) can do well there.
Everything is relative including Valedictorian status, isn’t it. D was no where near being one in HS and has several of them in her current program and she beats them all without even putting much serious effort
(And to admit it now, in fact that was our biggest fear as she was about to join the program, that how would she fare in such a distinguished crowd)
you just downgraded my valedictorian son. 
:neutral: why I don’t see all emojis to pick from anymore.