<p>If you can afford it, I second the recommendation that you go with a LAC. The smaller class sizes and close faculty and interpersonal relationships that students develop tend to mitigate against ‘cutthroat’ behaviors and result in better, more personalized letters of recommendation. There is also less tendency to use ‘weeder classes’ grades on a curve to ‘thin’ the ranks of the pre-meds. And frankly, you want a LAC where you are likely to be in the top 25% of the class - not one where are you get in by a hair.</p>
<p>S attended Grinnell, a midwestern LAC, where the sciences are excellent, the largest intro science class is 24 students, and they don’t grade on a curve. His organic chem class went out together for Chinese food every Thursday and when the group next to his botched their lab results, he and his partner shared their results (with the profs permission) because that’s the culture. And if someone got sick, no one would refuse to share his/her notes, unlike at some schools where one person’s A means someone else has to get a C. This sort of environment is much more supportive of pre-meds than the one you’ll find at most large universities on your list.</p>