Hey everyone,
I have narrowed down my two choices for ED between Washu and Duke. I have visited both and love each one i their own way. I am planning to major in some biology class and minor in finance, buisiness, or econ while on a pre-med track. I hope to attend an elite medical school. Any advice you have on why I should go to a particular school is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
For pre-med, they are both very similar. Go with the least expensive, unless you like basketball and football, then go with Duke.
In general I would lean toward Duke, but for pre-med, I might learn toward WUSTL. It is definitely their strong suit. Having said that, when you consider the information they give you, be sure to ask the right questions.
For example, schools will publish the % of pre-med grads that are admitted to med school. The number may sound great, but you have to compare it to the number of students who began as pre-med.
For example, assume that School A had 400 students starting as freshmen in pre-med, 100 of those graduated, and 95 of those were admitted to medical school.
They will then publish that 95% of pre-med grads were admitted to medical school. That is true, but deceptive. A more objective person might also point out that fewer than 25% of freshmen pre-meds successfully graduated in pre-med and enrolled in a medical school. Schools tend to like the sound of 95% better than fewer than 25%. It is up to you to ask the proper questions.
Both are great schools with excellent programs that prepare you well for gaining admission to Medical School. Both have beautiful campuses, are roughly the same size in terms of undergraduates. That said, they are sufficiently different from each other to warrant a visit so you can gain your own impression.
As noted above, Duke plays Div 1 sports while Wash U is Div 3. St. Louis offers professional sports while you need to go to Charlotte for hockey and football. I don’t know about the research opportunities at Duke, but our sophomore at Wash U is working at the Medical School – considering STEM major with Great Books/Latin/Political Science Minor (decision later this year). Loves St. Louis – its close proximity to Forest Park, the Loop, downtown (15-20 minute light rail ride), etc, Great nurturing environment.
You cannot go wrong with either school. Good luck!
Tim