umich with full scholarship or hopkins?

[wetlightning]

hey guys, i wouldn't normally do this, but i JUST found out that i got into hopkins. i'm thrilled, but considering how late it is in the season, i'm having a really tough time making a decision.

here's the deal: full ride at michigan. probably only fin aid at hopkins. strong interest in international health and academic medicine.

i'm also kind of worried about hopkins' location, but totally in love with the strong clinical training, the diversity of patients, etc.

advice? please?

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[Wahina]

Lol, why not just look at the Harvard vs. Umich thread? Since Hopkins=Harvard=teh ****. Umich=not quite as good but still really good and waaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper.

 

[physicsnerd42]

hey guys, i wouldn't normally do this, but i JUST found out that i got into hopkins. i'm thrilled, but considering how late it is in the season, i'm having a really tough time making a decision.

here's the deal: full ride at michigan. probably only fin aid at hopkins. strong interest in international health and academic medicine.

i'm also kind of worried about hopkins' location, but totally in love with the strong clinical training, the diversity of patients, etc.

advice? please?

I would do michigan. The schools are comparable in terms of quality, but there are several factors counting against hopkins:
1) It's in Baltimore
2) It has a reputation of having very competitive med students (like med school won't be tough enough as it is)
3) it will cost you $100,000+ more than michigan.

Just my $.02

 

[autoimmunity]

hey guys, i wouldn't normally do this, but i JUST found out that i got into hopkins. i'm thrilled, but considering how late it is in the season, i'm having a really tough time making a decision.

here's the deal: full ride at michigan. probably only fin aid at hopkins. strong interest in international health and academic medicine.

i'm also kind of worried about hopkins' location, but totally in love with the strong clinical training, the diversity of patients, etc.

advice? please?

I think you should go to Pitt......oh, whoops.......

 

[Wahina]

I think you should go to Pitt......oh, whoops.......

I agree wholeheartedly. I mean, why don't we just make one big thread like:

"I have been accepted to a really awesome school that will be expensive and also to a school that isn't quite as awesome but with a scholarship."

 

[gottamakeit]

Forget Hopkins, I would go to UMichigan and you have a full ride...also remember you can probably go to Hopkins for your residency. For example, Dr.Ben Carson went to UMichigan for medical school and now works at Hopkins
Just a thought.

 

[owenmichael]

hey guys, i wouldn't normally do this, but i JUST found out that i got into hopkins. i'm thrilled, but considering how late it is in the season, i'm having a really tough time making a decision.

here's the deal: full ride at michigan. probably only fin aid at hopkins. strong interest in international health and academic medicine.

i'm also kind of worried about hopkins' location, but totally in love with the strong clinical training, the diversity of patients, etc.

advice? please?

I would take michigan in a heartbeat. Although it doesn't have the same prestige associated with its name to a lay person, it is definately just as good of a school and well respected within the medical community. There is no way hopkins is worth a hundred grand more.

 

[Depakote]

I would take michigan in a heartbeat. Although it doesn't have the same prestige associated with its name to a lay person, it is definately just as good of a school and well respected within the medical community. There is no way hopkins is worth a hundred grand more.

CONCUR'D

 

[happydays]

Hopkins. You need to live without regrets. If you went to UM, you'll always think "what if I went to Hopkins..." And if anything goes wrong for you at UM, you won't be saying, "I wish I had gone to Hopkins."

 

[OrganLibrarian]

Hopkins. You need to live without regrets. If you went to UM, you'll always think "what if I went to Hopkins..." And if anything goes wrong for you at UM, you won't be saying, "I wish I had gone to Hopkins."

Happydays is so right. Furthermore, it is imperative that you indeed live "without regrets," attend Hopkins, cure AIDS and cancer in the same breath (or biological process, as it were), and donate your scholarship money promptly to the OrganLibrarian School of Medicine Monetary Fund. Trust me, a life without regrets is a life well lived.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hopkins. You need to live without regrets. If you went to UM, you'll always think "what if I went to Hopkins..." And if anything goes wrong for you at UM, you won't be saying, "I wish I had gone to Hopkins."

Happydays is so right. Furthermore, it is imperative that you indeed live "without regrets," attend Hopkins, cure AIDS and cancer in the same breath (or biological process, as it were), and donate your scholarship money promptly to the OrganLibrarian School of Medicine Monetary Fund. Trust me, a life without regrets is a life well lived.

Probably the OP should give up BOTH spots, and join the circus instead of going to med school. S/he won't make as much money, but s/he'll have a more interesting life, and s/he'll make more people happier as, say, a clown than s/he would as a doctor.

 

[jebus]

Hopkins. You need to live without regrets. If you went to UM, you'll always think "what if I went to Hopkins..." And if anything goes wrong for you at UM, you won't be saying, "I wish I had gone to Hopkins."

You just want his scholarship!

edit: after reading the post below mine, i don't care why you're telling him to go to hopkins. I'm just being a smartass.

 

[Modanq]

Hopkins. You need to live without regrets. If you went to UM, you'll always think "what if I went to Hopkins..." And if anything goes wrong for you at UM, you won't be saying, "I wish I had gone to Hopkins."

Happydays, maybe I am wrong in judging your intentions, but why are you always trying to get people who have scholarships at Michigan to go other places. I really don't think that you will get their scholarship $s if they go elsewhere. It is ******ed to think that giving fake advice or whatever on SDN for personal reasons will substantially help you. Spend the effort elsewhere. But then again maybe I am mistaking your sarcasm for something else. In my opinion the OP should go to Michigan.

 

[docmode]

There was another post UMich vs. Stanford and I promoted Stanford. In this case, hands down U Mich. No comparison between Ann Arbor and Baltimore. Given the money issue and both schools being so good, take it and run. You'll love Michigan and will never regret not taking out mega loans.

 

[QofQuimica]

Happydays, maybe I am wrong in judging your intentions, but why are you always trying to get people who have scholarships at Michigan to go other places. I really don't think that you will get their scholarship $s if they go elsewhere. It is ******ed to think that giving fake advice or whatever on SDN for personal reasons will substantially help you. Spend the effort elsewhere. But then again maybe I am mistaking your sarcasm for something else. In my opinion the OP should go to Michigan.

Yes, she IS being sarcastic. Don't hate on happydays; she rocks.

 

[kamui29]

I have the choice between Hopkins and UMich (no $$$), but I think I'm going to have to go with UMich cause the lifestyle is so much better. If you're the type of person that needs knowledge beaten into you through a hard-ass curriculum though, I'd say go to Hopkins.

 

[Tony_]

I'm faculty in a major medical school. Both your choices are great. If you have an extra $100k to burn, go to Hopkins. But when I interview residency applicants, I can tell you that no one is going to look at Michigan as anything less than a great school. I lived in Ann Arbor for 9 years, it's a wonderful college town with minimal violence. <sarcasm> Not sure if the same can be said of Baltimore </sarcasm>.

 

[wetlightning]

yeah, i understand that the money and lifestyle issues are big. i just wonder why so many people have promoted hms over michigan on other threads (even with michigan scholarship money), but don't really seem to give hopkins a chance.

 

[dajimmers]

yeah, i understand that the money and lifestyle issues are big. i just wonder why so many people have promoted hms over michigan on other threads (even with michigan scholarship money), but don't really seem to give hopkins a chance.

I don't know, SDNers seem to hate Hopkins for some reason. From what I've heard, Baltimore isn't a great place to live, but I can't really give advice since Hopkins hasn't contacted me since I finished the secondary in August.

I do think, overall, SDN seems more biased in favor of HMS vs. Hopkins (seems to be location and classmate based). But remember SDN doesn't represent the true population of pre-meds, and none of us are very good at predicting any person's "best school" for them. Since I know next to nothing about Hopkins, I'll just say I think UMich is awesome.

 

[MDClown08]

hey guys, i wouldn't normally do this, but i JUST found out that i got into hopkins. i'm thrilled, but considering how late it is in the season, i'm having a really tough time making a decision.

here's the deal: full ride at michigan. probably only fin aid at hopkins. strong interest in international health and academic medicine.

i'm also kind of worried about hopkins' location, but totally in love with the strong clinical training, the diversity of patients, etc.

advice? please?

I've been agonizing over the same decision for a month now and still change my mind everyday. Let me know what you decide. If family is a consideration, are they closer to Michigan or Maryland?

 

[wetlightning]

hmm, not really closer to either one in particular. they're in TX. mdclown, i totally understand your indecision as well. are you going to both 2nd looks?

 

[ND2005]

don't go to Michigan.

Their football team is always second fiddle (either to ND or OSU, depending on the time of year)

 

[gujuDoc]

Lol, why not just look at the Harvard vs. Umich thread? Since Hopkins=Harvard=teh ****. Umich=not quite as good but still really good and waaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper.

Ok, so did you say UMich = not as good?????? Yeah whatever.

Umich has been a top 10 school for the past few years. Although its rankings have slightly fallen, I'd say it has a pretty hot reputation in the research world and rankings. Its program is quite strong as well.

Once you are in the top 10 or so, the difference in reputation is not that much different.

If you are more comfortable with Hopkins's program, then I'd go there.

However, in your position, I'd do the whole Umich free tuition thing so that I wouldn't be in massive debt coming out of med school. Plus Baltimore is a risky city to live in and quite a dangerous city due to high crime rates. I wouldn't want to live around such a bad area.

 

[gujuDoc]

yeah, i understand that the money and lifestyle issues are big. i just wonder why so many people have promoted hms over michigan on other threads (even with michigan scholarship money), but don't really seem to give hopkins a chance.

My guess is that Hopkins is in a real bad location and a bit dangerous of an area. That could be part of it.

 

[gujuDoc]

Happydays, maybe I am wrong in judging your intentions, but why are you always trying to get people who have scholarships at Michigan to go other places. I really don't think that you will get their scholarship $s if they go elsewhere. It is ******ed to think that giving fake advice or whatever on SDN for personal reasons will substantially help you. Spend the effort elsewhere. But then again maybe I am mistaking your sarcasm for something else. In my opinion the OP should go to Michigan.

Happy Days is just being sarcastic as usual. It actually cracks me up to see her posts, because people are always trying to put down UMich for some other top 10 school that she always comes in to defend it through sarcasm.
Its great.

 

[gujuDoc]

Probably the OP should give up BOTH spots, and join the circus instead of going to med school. S/he won't make as much money, but s/he'll have a more interesting life, and s/he'll make more people happier as, say, a clown than s/he would as a doctor.

Discussed long time ago, and totally irrelevant the OP = SHE.

 

[Brickhouse]

take the money - have a t-shirt made that says "I got into Hopkins, too" and wear it daily to help alleviate the inferiority complex.

 

[billybama]

why is this even a question? if it is regret you are concerned with, i would think think you'd regret your choice of hopkins every time you were to write a loan payment check.

this is a no-brainer.

 

[Saluki]

I second the idea that you're going to regret the 200k in debt way more than the slight prestige drop from Hopkins to UMich...

 

[dr.z]

U Michigan.

 

[MDClown08]

hmm, not really closer to either one in particular. they're in TX. mdclown, i totally understand your indecision as well. are you going to both 2nd looks?

I am going to both second looks. I go to school in Baltimore and my family is in Michigan. It'd be great to discuss this in person if you will be in Ann Arbor in a couple weeks.

 

[wetlightning]

bump. anyone for hopkins?

 

[marsupial]

For The Love Of God Go To Michigan...residencies Will Smile On You And You Will Be Debt Free!!!

 

[mellifluous]

Okay, Michigan is probably the way to go? BUT, I will give Hopkins some much-deserved credit. Do you remember at your interview, when you had lunch with some Hopkins students and physicians? Well, one physician at my interview was particularly convincing with his spiel on Hopkins. He was one of several individuals at all of my interviews who said something like this: "Go to the best medical school that you can. Don't care about the money....blah blah" Even at interviews at top fifteen schools, the med students there thought that, if accepted, I should go to one of the 'fancy schools' over them. Quite surprising. Back to Hopkins...then the guy continued... He said that at Hopkins, you have the opportunity to work with the best physician in the world in a whole number of areas. A student at our table was doing research with the world-renowned expert on something to do with corneas. She scored a highly competitive ophthalmology residency in L.A. and I'm sure that a call from "famous cornea expert" to the folks at L.A. helped quite a bit with her securing this position. He went on to say that at nearly all of the competitive residencies, the interns are from either Hopkins or Harvard. It made a lot of sense; I had never really thought about it like that. It's not just about prestige, it's about reputation. And reputation is important, it's not a bad thing! I mean, somebody's got to be the best and they're the best for a reason. Hopkins has got clout. The opportunities for research, networking, residency, what have you, cannot be underestimated. Although I think that a full ride at Michigan is probably the best bet (if Hopkins gives you nothing but loans), unlike some others, I do not think that this is a no-brainer. It's a tough decision. Think about your career goals and then decide. And make a decision that you won't regret later.

 

[wetlightning]

mellifluous, thanks so much for a more considered response than many others on this thread. it isn't a no-brainer...it's a really hard decision, especially since i'm considering hopkins, not for the name factor, but b/c i was impressed by the high quality of education/public health opportunities available there. not to say that michigan is not an amazing medical school...it is.

 

[somewhere2010]

totally go to hopkins! that way, your full scholarship can go to me, and i will no longer be *somewhere* 2010

ok, seriously though, i can't give any actual input cuz i didn't apply to hopkins and don't know much about the school, program, etc. but if you don't have a strong preference when not considering money, go to michigan because it is cheaper! if that doesn't feel right, then you subconsciously like hopkins more and should go there. i'm an advocate for happiness over money (in most cases)

 

[Saluki]

mellifluous, thanks so much for a more considered response than many others on this thread. it isn't a no-brainer...it's a really hard decision, especially since i'm considering hopkins, not for the name factor, but b/c i was impressed by the high quality of education/public health opportunities available there. not to say that michigan is not an amazing medical school...it is.

I know it's not a no-brainer, but even with your interests I would still pick the full ride at UMich... If you're really interested in public health, then you want to come out with a small enough debt burden that you can take a lower paying position... Why not get your MD at UMich and then apply to do the MPH program at Harvard or Hopkins? I know Harvard has some good scholarship money for the MPH program if you're a med student... So, you'd come out with the best of both worlds- and MPH degree to really prepare you for working in public health and a medical degree from an excellent school w/o the burden of excessive debt...

 

[lookslikerain]

i'm an advocate for happiness over money (in most cases)

I am also, but I think it's important to consider the degree of happiness. If you know you are going to be much happier at Hopkins (or even unhappy at Michigan) than by all means, go to Hopkins. If you think you'll be happy at both schools, but Hopkins has a slight edge, it would be foolish to give up a full ride to a fantastic school like Michigan.

 

[attaboybambeeks]

hopkins

 

[happydays]

Happy Days is just being sarcastic as usual. It actually cracks me up to see her posts, because people are always trying to put down UMich for some other top 10 school that she always comes in to defend it through sarcasm.
Its great.

Thanks everyone, for defending me!

Well, there's always a little bit of truth to all my sarcastic comments. If anyone doesn't like UM, I'm not going to try to make that person like it. That's just the way I am. Plus, I really do believe in living without regrets. If you think that you'll regret coming to UM down the road, then you should reconsider.

 

[gujuDoc]

take the money - have a t-shirt made that says "I got into Hopkins, too" and wear it daily to help alleviate the inferiority complex.

I have talked with the OP out of SDN. This isn't about prestige and just wanting the highest ranked school for her. She's not that kind of person. I think she is just having a hard time picking between two good schools with great reputations.

I think the important thing to do is go to the second look weekends and talk with students at the schools and the faculty members and try to get a feel for where you see yourself happier and getting the best out of medical school. You don't want to go to a school and really be regretting making the decision you did, so trying to get a feel for the atmosphere is important.

If you have a few ideas about what kinds of fields you are considering within medicine and whether you want to go into academia or clinical practice, then take a look at where they have put out people in residency programs. Compare the trends in the match lists and look at the other factors mentioned above. Consider location as well and whether you'd feel ok living in Baltimore vs. Ann Arbor.

 

[wetlightning]

awww, i love you guju

 

[QofQuimica]

I have talked with the OP out of SDN. This isn't about prestige and just wanting the highest ranked school for her. She's not that kind of person. I think she is just having a hard time picking between two good schools with great reputations.

I think a lot of the sarcastic responses (at least mine, anyway) are stemming from two things:

1) The OP's choice isn't really very urgent. She FEELS like it is, but in the whole scheme of things, she will get an absolutely fantastic education no matter which of these two schools she picks. That's not to say that it isn't a DIFFICULT choice, but it isn't an URGENT one, where if she does the "wrong" thing, she'll ruin her whole life or something. There IS no wrong choice between those two schools.

2) We don't know her. Why she (or various other posters who start these kinds of threads) thinks that a bunch of strangers on an internet message board should tell her where to go to school is beyond my understanding. I'm all for getting advice, but wouldn't it be better to get that advice from some knowledgeable sources, instead of from a bunch of pre-meds she's never met? I have a hard enough time figuring out which school is the right one for ME, and the task just gets exponentially harder when I branch out to helping make decisions for friends, then acquaintances, then perfect strangers.

wetlightning, I think the suggestion to attend both second looks was good advice. I also would suggest that you talk to your premed advisor, your parents, and anyone else who knows you well and could help you bounce ideas and brainstorm. SDN is a great resource, but you aren't going to be able to use it to tell you which school is the right choice for you.

 

[wetlightning]

Q, i understand your sentiments. i also think it's slightly ridiculous to think that i'm not looking for advice from other (definitely better sources). i simply posted a thread on sdn, as many others do, to get some general opinions from my peers. i don't think that's asking too much, and i certainly don't think that it deserves sarcastic responses.

yes, the decision is ultimately mine. i merely think that sdn would be useful if other premeds could post PROS/CONS for either school, rather than making judgments on whether or not the thread should have been created in the first place. i don't need people to tell me where to go...i need concrete advice about specific details.

 

[silbil]

ann arbor is a truly unique and awesome city. i've grown up in this area and i love it and most people i know love it here too. if you get the chance, come back and check out the city and campus again and see what you think

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, i understand your sentiments. i also think it's slightly ridiculous to think that i'm not looking for advice from other (definitely better sources). i simply posted a thread on sdn, as many others do, to get some general opinions from my peers. i don't think that's asking too much, and i certainly don't think that it deserves sarcastic responses.

yes, the decision is ultimately mine. i merely think that sdn would be useful if other premeds could post PROS/CONS for either school, rather than making judgments on whether or not the thread should have been created in the first place. i don't need people to tell me where to go...i need concrete advice about specific details.

I understand where you're coming from as well, and I didn't mean to suggest that you aren't getting advice from other sources. It definitely IS agonizing to choose between schools. At the same time, I think you're asking/expecting too much from other pre-meds. Maybe these A vs. B school threads would be more useful if they were posted in the allo forum instead of here; at least med students have some anecdotal experience with their schools to offer. In contrast, all of us who have multiple acceptances are essentially in the same position that you are in. But none of us has any experience whatsoever with attending medical school. So when you ask people just like you and me to post the pros and cons of School A versus School B, I'm going, how the h*** would I know? I've never gone to med school ANYWHERE, and I can't speak with any more authority about the pros and cons of these schools than you can. (Plus, I didn't even apply to Hopkins, so I basically know nothing about them at all.)

Anyway, I have nothing more useful to say, so I'll refrain from further cluttering up your thread, and leave it at wishing you the best of luck with your decision.

 

[happydays]

Yes, Wetlightning, just call up your student host from JH or UM and see if they know someone who was in your position, and you can talk to them about why they made the choice that they did.

 

[wetlightning]

mods, can you move this to allo? please!

 

[whoispittsnogle]

Hopkins owns medicine period. Umich is good at football. holler

 

[JHU1984]

Pick Hopkins!!!!!!!!! Hopkins gives GREAT financial aid (if you have need), and Baltimore is not nearly as bad as everyone seems to think. I have lived in Baltimore, and it is a great, ecclectic city. You will never regret going to Hopkins. While Michigan is a great school too, just dropping the name Hopkins is going open so many doors.