Choosing a Premed School: WUSTL vs Vanderbilt vs Berkeley

[t0rtillachips]

I'm currently a senior in high school just finished with college applications and am deciding between schools.

Money's about the same between each of them.

Here are the current advantages of each that I am considering based on what I think I know, which might just be wrong.

Berkeley advantages:
-credits going in (1st, ~2 years because of the school I go to)
-weather (1st)
-student life (1st)
-name prestige for medical school applications (3rd)


Vanderbilt
-credits going in (n/a, ~1 semester)
-weather (2nd)
-student life (2nd)
-name prestige for medical school applications (2nd)

WUSTL
-credits going in (n/a, ~1 semester)
-weather (3rd)
-student life (3rd)
-name prestige for medical school applications (1st)

Based on premed stats, berkeley has about a 56% acceptance rate which is kind of subpar when compared to Vanderbilt's 67% or WUSTL 71%.


Source:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/hpao/documents/2013 Annual Report.pdf
https://prehealth.wustl.edu/Documents/Handbook.pdf
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/national.stm

I'm not sure how much these stats matter though or what to make of them.

Which school should I pick and why?

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[jturkel]

Cal = best weather, best student life. honestly, any of those schools have a great name and will get you into a great medical school IF you do well in college. from those three, choose the one you will be most happy at me (for me that would be Cal lol). Vandy would be my 2nd choice. St Louis sucks IMO

 

[Ismet]

moving to hSDN

 

[TX515]

I pretty much echo JT, with the exception...

1. Wash U, based purely on academics and name recognition.

(In reality, students smart enough to get into Wash U are smart enough to do well on their MCAT. )

I don't know, are you even accepted to any of the schools? That may help you narrow down your choices.

 

[HinduHammer]

As an alum of one of these schools, I suggest you go the place that makes you happiest.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Aside from the weather etc factors above, or some fairly arbitrary prestige rankings, you need to actually look at the structure of the schools and what you need for a successful environment.

Compared to a large state school like UC-Berkeley for example, a relatively small private school like Vandy is going to have a markedly different environment and feel. Which is preferable to you ? Why?

Also look at the nature of the campuses. Although located in a city, Vandy has a very insular campus and you notice that immediately in the student life. Similar but slightly less so at WashU. Not sure about Berkeley but state schools in general tend to be less insular as they have a higher proportion of commuters. So do you prefer a college environment where everything centers around the college and the campus ? Or do you prefer more of a spread out, integrated into the town feel?

I think when you are choosing between schools of such high prestige, it's silly to base your decision on the relative prestige of each. It's like choosing between Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. Sure we can argue about which is the best - but all three can get you to the Super Bowl.

So focus your decisions on the aspects of the school that will matter to you on a day to day basis.

 

[jvquarterback]

First, it doesn't matter - any of those schools will be seen as equivalent for undergrad by med schools.

The only tough thing about Berkeley is not having a medical school nearby. My cousin goes to Berkeley and does her research at UCSF but has to commute an hour to get there. WashU med school isn't on the undergrad campus either but it's just across the park (3.5 miles). Not sure about Vanderbilt.

I went to WashU (9 years for med school and residency) and love St Louis, but I was married and started a family there. Great place for that. I think for undergrad I would have chosen Berkeley from your options (though I didn't choose it when I did have the choice for undergrad).

Good luck.

 

[mimelim]

I too lived in St. Louis for 8 years (Undergrad and med school). When I was at Wash U, I could not imagine being a pre-med (decided in Junior year to go to medical school). Life was just terrible for my classmates that were declared "pre-med". I also specifically told my high school to dissuade future students from going to WUSTL if they wanted to go to medical school. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed my time there and would go back in a heartbeat, but it is just not a great environment. Half of the incoming class is "pre-med" which gets wittled down to about 10%. Unless you thrive in an uber competitive setting, go somewhere else.

Disclaimer: I obviously didn't go to any other undergrads and this may be true at a lot of places.

 

[pyrrion89]

Not sure about Berkeley but state schools in general tend to be less insular as they have a higher proportion of commuters. So do you prefer a college environment where everything centers around the college and the campus ? Or do you prefer more of a spread out, integrated into the town feel?
.

I went to Berkeley for 4 years. It is urban living, most everyone lives nearby---few few commuters. Definitely a tight-knit college town in what feels like San Francisco.

 

[skab]

If balancing academic work with social life is important to you, I'd consider Vandy. You can definitely fill your weekends by staying on campus, but Nashville is an amazing city and college town. I didn't find the pre-med culture to be overly competitive, either. People strive to do well but aren't out to get one another. Med campus is adjacent to undergrad so plenty of opportunities for research and clinical exposure within walking distance. If you can perform well at any of these schools, you will set yourself up well for medical school applications. Each school has a distinct vibe, however, so just go where you feel most comfortable. You'll perform your best when you feel supported and happy with your school environment.

 

[beto]

Do not, I repeat, do not go to WUSTL. The head of pre-health advising there is a racist and condescending bitch who tries to prevent people from going to medical school. Mimelim: you are my hero. Way to tell your high school what you did. I will do the same.

 

[PapaGuava]

I went to Berkeley for 4 years. It is urban living, most everyone lives nearby---few few commuters. Definitely a tight-knit college town in what feels like San Francisco.

They all are great schools, but a "tight knit" environment is something that makes your college experience better in my opinion, especially your first year. It opens up many opportunities as well as having the community close around you, rather than non existent. I suppose this wouldn't be a determining factor, but it is surely something to consider.

 

[DermViser]

I too lived in St. Louis for 8 years (Undergrad and med school). When I was at Wash U, I could not imagine being a pre-med (decided in Junior year to go to medical school). Life was just terrible for my classmates that were declared "pre-med". I also specifically told my high school to dissuade future students from going to WUSTL if they wanted to go to medical school. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed my time there and would go back in a heartbeat, but it is just not a great environment. Half of the incoming class is "pre-med" which gets wittled down to about 10%. Unless you thrive in an uber competitive setting, go somewhere else.

Disclaimer: I obviously didn't go to any other undergrads and this may be true at a lot of places.

Are undergrad premed students at WUSTL more cutthroat?

 

[cokeisbetter]

@beto: who would that be?

@OP: I'm a WUSTL grad, pre-phd turned pre-med at the end of my sophomore year. I don't agree with the comments about the pre-med class being extremely cutthroat; in fact, friends and peers around me were very cooperative and I didn't identify any "gunners" around me. That being said, I did envy my friends who went to CA or the east coast for college because they seemed to experience a lot more of the culture around them. Cal and Vandy are great schools and I think you would thrive as a pre-med in any of those institutions.

 

[johnston9234]

prestige for med school applications? You have to be kidding me.

Take my advice and go wherever you take out less loans.

 

[Time Table]

prestige for med school applications? You have to be kidding me.

Take my advice and go wherever you take out less loans.

Gonna have to definitely agree with that. Take the school that'll give you the least amount of debt. You'll have plenty of time to look for research positions, shadowing, volunteering, etc. all in good time.