<p>Hello everyone. I need some advice. I'm an international student that is interested in business as well as medicine. At this point, I am not really sure whether I want to go into medicine or something more along the lines of IB, VC, PE, etc. Which brings me to this question, given that all factors are equal such as financial aid, which would be better, the dual degree program at UPenn where you get a BSc in Econ from Wharton and a BA in a life science from CAS, or Harvard?</p>
<p>I've been thinking about this for weeks, reading hundreds of posts but I am still unsure of which would be better. I know that Wharton has slightly better recruitment in the business world than Harvard, but that a Harvard degree would probably be better for applying to med school (and any advantage possible should be taken due to the abysmally low acceptance rates for internationals to med school). But if I do the dual degree program, I would be able to fulfill the premed requirements and if for some reason I do not end up in med school, I would still have options as I could try to break into the business sector with my Wharton degree, therefore I would have options. If I go to Harvard, and for some reason don't end up in med school having studied something like bio or biochem then while I would still have options, my options would not be as diversified as those I would have with degrees from Wharton and Penn CAS. There is also the fact that if I go to Wharton for undergrad, and decide to stay in business, I would not need to go to business school later on. If I go to Harvard, and decide to go full on in business, I would probably eventually need to end up getting an MBA. Thus, to me, Wharton seems that it would provide me with the opportunity to get an undergrad degree(s), then go to med school and get an MD, and end up with an MD with the knowledge of an MBA as well despite not having gone to business school. This would be an enormous amount of savings in time and money as opposed to the people that end up getting an MD and then later decide to get an MBA to improve the efficiency with which they run their business/private practices. I even believe I read somewhere that only 30% of Wharton undergrads end up getting an MBA.</p>
<p>So, what do you think? Which option do you think would be the better of the 2? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated as I am literally at an impasse right now with regards to making this decision. Thank you for your time.</p>
<p>The thing why I’m asking this now is because if the dual degree program at Penn is the better option then I would just apply ED to Penn, which is binding. </p>
<p>Actually, you don’t need the dual degree from Penn, you just need the 10 or so pre-med courses, although the dual degree might increase your chances at a med school acceptance.</p>
<p>You really don’t want a just bio or biochem degree, even from Harvard, bio BS degrees are a dime a dozen, therefore the Wharton option is superior.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice @MrMom62. I do feel as though the dual degree program would help me to look more unique, and thus help to differentiate me. I forgot to add that if I go to Harvard I would get a BA in econ while still fulfilling the premed requirements (as opposed to a bio degree or anything of the sort), but if I do the LSM program, I would get a BSc in Econ and a BA in biochem or something along those lines.</p>
<p>This is kind of a general question, but do you believe that it is true that most Wharton alum don’t need to go back to get an MBA, and that’s why many of them opt to go for other degrees instead such as a JD?</p>
<p>Dude, you have analysis paralysis. If possible, once you are accepted to both schools (highly unlikely), the best thing to do is arrange a campus visit and choose the school you feel is the best fit for your personality and values. We did that with all the schools that my kid was accepted to and guess what? All the schools that looked great on paper ended up being misfits for my son. We chose the one that he felt most comfortable with and it became apparent soon after stepping foot on campus. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I was going to say the same thing last night but was too tired to write it. OP is suffering from trying to look at this from way too many angles and playing it too safe. Pick the one you’ll be happiest at and go with that - you can’t eliminate all risk in a situation like this, you simply play it with the best information you have at hand. Odds are, it’ll all work out, but you’ll also encounter all sorts of bumps in the road as well, so you have to adjust as you move along the road to your career. </p>
<p>Just pick one and go with it. There really isn’t a bad choice here. Any advantage one has over the other is so small as to be irrelevant.</p>
<p>Bad comments from some respondents here, lol. The OP was obviously having a hard time on picking between the two schools and/or two programs, that’s why he/she sought help from people here. </p>
<p>OP, since you’re undecided on which career path to take, I think having a Harvard degee would be the better choice here. You can get into banking and med school at the same time practically with any degree from Harvard. Plus, you will become part of the rich and powerful Harvard alumni network where you will enjoy recognition and respect bestowed exclusively to Harvard graduates. Whereas you’ll be in a disadvantage position for having gone to Wharton thinking of getting into a top med school someday. </p>
<p>@RML why do you say that Wharton would provide a disadvantage if one were to apply to med school? On the contrary, wouldn’t that help to differentiate him/her from the plethora of people with just a bio/biochem degree?</p>
<p>@OsakaDad I’m trying to figure out whether I should ED to Penn or not. I would love to visit the campuses but I’m an international student so it’s somewhat more complicated. Thank you for the advice nonetheless and the well-wishes. </p>
<p>@MrMom62 Could you please expound on what you mean by playing it too safe? Also, what angles do you believe I should omit in trying to make a decision? I do realize that I’m probably over-thinking the situation however I don’t know what aspects to ignore, as I thought everything that I’m considering was important as they all relate to things such as further education, career prospects, etc.</p>
<p>@Collegian I recommend you to try and arrange a campus visit to both. Oftentimes, people are attracted to very prestigious universities because of their reputation or perceived future prospects when in reality those things are just part of choosing a college. You have to consider that as an international student, you more than anyone else has to weigh how comfortable you would be living the next four years of your life on campus. I say this because in the US, plenty of people apply to colleges without visiting them and enroll, only to find out that life there isn’t a good fit for them. For you, an international student, you’re changing milieus even more than those American students.</p>
<p>To answer your question, assuming you would be perfectly comfortable in either environment and finances aren’t an issue, I would recommend you go to Harvard. Here’s why. You already touched on the fact that international acceptance rates to med school are very low. As a Harvard student, it’ll be easier for you to pursue premed requirements as well as a business education. This, coupled with the fact that Harvard admissions rates to med schools are higher than Wharton’s, gives you an advantage if you decide to go into the incredibly competitive field of medicine. You also have a slightly higher chance of getting into the extremely selective Harvard medical school.</p>
<p>The reason this is important is the following. Whether you go to Harvard or Wharton, you are essentially guaranteed some position in the business world following graduation, with or without an MBA. If; however, you decide to go into medicine, you’re already at a disadvantage because of your status as an international. It’s therefore more important for you to maximize chances of getting into med school than chances of landing a business job. Harvard is amazing preparation for both fields.</p>
<p>Finally, let me raise one last point. I’m worried about your interest in medicine. Reason being, it’s a field that requires more devotion and commitment than maybe any other. Plenty of people think they’ll do medicine, take a few pre-med courses and drop out because it actually isn’t their thing, or they realize that the commitment they have to make to it isn’t for them. What I’m saying is that you don’t sound like someone whose lifelong passion is medicine, and I think that’ll make it hard for you to keep going in the field. If you have to choose between two disciplines, and one of them is medicine, I think you should go with the other. </p>
<p>@merlion Thank you for the very detailed response. Is there a specific time during the year when it’s best to visit college campuses or would any time suffice?</p>
<p>I completely understand your reasoning as to why you say Harvard would be a better choice in this particular situation. Just out of curiosity, if one were to end up in the business world after graduating from Harvard, do you believe that he/she would still some day require an MBA like pretty much every other non-Wharton alum?</p>
<p>I see why you would be worried about my interest in medicine as I admit that I haven’t really shown much of a passion for the field in my posts here but I assure you that I am fully knowledgeable of the devotion and commitment required, and that I do have a true passion for the field. In my country, medicine is a field that is studied immediately after high school, so I do have quite a bit of exposure to the field (through hospital volunteering, physician shadowing, etc.) as one is expected to get very acquainted with it before one’s application to med school so that he/she may decipher if it’s the right “fit”. That being said, I do in fact feel more strongly about the field of medicine than the field of business (however I still do like the field of business, just not as much as medicine). The reason why my posts seem so business-focused is because with admission rates of approximately 10% for internationals to med school (plus the other caveats if you are accepted, such as needing 1-4 years of tuition already put aside in an escrow account before matriculation, etc.), it only makes sense to look at a plan B. And the world of business as it stands, is much more friendly to internationals than the domain of medicine. So in a sense, what I’m trying to say is that after tons of research, I have discovered for med school in the US (the university you attend doesn’t really matter, mainly just your GPA, MCAT and other things such as research), so seeing as though it would seem that an undergrad degree from Harvard or Wharton or Rutgers or any other school for that matter doesn’t really make a difference in the world of medicine, I thought it would make more sense then to focus on which school would provide the better opportunity in business should that end up being the chosen path (please do not hesitate to correct me if I am wrong). Also, should I end up in medicine, and decide to open a private practice or something of the sort, I thought having the business background of a Wharton undergrad degree would help to more efficiently manage it (as opposed to some doctors who end up having to go back for MBAs after completing their MD training). </p>
<p>@Collegian Any time would usually suffice if you just want to see the campus and general atmosphere. It might be better to visit during the school year because you’ll get a better feel of the student population, but if you live in a country where classes occur at the same time as in the U.S. it’s completely understandable that you don’t have time to go.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about your MBA question, but I would imagine that while a business job is practically guaranteed upon graduation from Harvard, most alumni who go that route would probably end up with an MBA.</p>
<p>You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into your future and that’s a great thing. I understand now why your posts focused on two disciplines that aren’t that connected and it makes a lot of sense. You’re completely right that your priority should be looking for a school that gives you the best opportunity in business while still allowing you to easily fulfill premed requirements.</p>
<p>If you’re pretty much sure that you’ll open a private practice if you go into medicine and if getting an MBA doesn’t appeal to you, Wharton could be a better fit. It is impractical financially and in terms of time to go back and get an MBA after med school, so that’s definitely something to weigh. With Harvard, you’ll probably end up getting an MBA either way (if you do private practice).</p>
<p>Are you considering applying Early Action to Harvard? Unlike Wharton, Harvard’s EA isn’t a binding agreement, which would give you more choice.</p>
<p>I’ll just end by saying that you can’t really go wrong. You sound like someone who has everything planned out very well and who weighs every aspect of their future, so you will succeed in one way or another no matter where you go or what you do.</p>