Yes I would be recruitable at a D3 school. Many of my fellow tennis club members played at D3 schools, and I was better than a lot of them, just didn’t take it as seriously.
I know Brown and Duke are nothing a like, but for prepping one for med school I believe they both are very good choices. They both have relatively small student body numbers (even more so when you don’t include those getting grad degrees) allowing for less competition when trying to get teacher recommendations, and also allowing for students to create personal relationships w/ professors. They both have amazing academics thus preparing students nicely for the MCAT. They both have GPA inflation, allowing students to maintain higher GPAs. They both put out lots of quality research that I hope to participate in, as well as many EC opportunities (not to mention prestige and notability).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZJvYtXSL6k&t=746s
***Plus many other sources
Honestly the “vibe” of the school doesn’t really matter to me. I care less about how beautiful the campus is, or how nice the people are, and more so about the quality of the education and how well it is setting me up for success. Yes, I understand that the environment is an important factor because it will allow me to focus/fit in best, in turn allowing me to work more comfortably; however, it is not my first priority.
I don’t care how big the campus is. I don’t care if it’s urban, suburban, or rural. I don’t care if it’s private or state. I just want a school that gives me the best education for my buck, and allows me to pursue med school to the best of my abilities.