Dartmouth or USC

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xcrunner18

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I'm a high school senior trying to decide between two paths for undergrad.

My two choices right now are Dartmouth College or USC. At Dartmouth, I would be a regular premed student (biochem major). At USC, I was accepted into a program that guarantees admission to the Keck School of Medicine after 4 years of undergrad, but I have the option to apply to other medical schools without loosing my guarantee. Financially, both schools are similar.

In either school I plan to work hard, volunteer, research, etc.

Thus, the question is, will Dartmouth lead to a better medical school than what I can achieve at USC? Also, how is Keck as a medical school?

Here are some of my application highlights to help you respond:
4.47 W GPA, 3.98 UW GPA at Top Illinois High School
34 ACT, 2180 SAT, 800 SAT Math 2 and Chem, 5 on AP Chem and AP English Lang
Tons of volunteer experience at local hospital and children's museum
Shadowed and later did research with the director of critical care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
My application didn't have much of a hook, other than me being an immigrant from Sri Lanka
 
The general consensus on SDN will be to go to USC. Medical school admissions are getting harder and harder each year and nobody knows what it'll be like 4 years from now. So take the guaranteed admissions and run with it!!!

Plus, since its not binding, you can always apply for other medical schools if you get sick of SoCal. Congrats on the acceptances!
 
I didn't go to Dartmouth but my brother went there and loved it. most people who i know who went there seem to love it. at this point, try to make a decision based on where you'll enjoy going to school. if you do well at either school, you'll have a good shot at medical school.
for me, the best parts of college were the activities i did outside of classes and being part of an active and engaging student community.
 
You are a smart kid and will have many options for medical school no matter where you go to college. One diff, though, is that if you have any desire to go to an Ivy affiliated med school (and I am not suggesting you should even care about this) then Dartmouth will open more doors...Ivy med schools take a disproportionate number of Ivy grads.

Also - you will not get CA residency by attending USC, so you will be treated as an OOS applicant by all of the other CA schools should you get a hankering to go to UCSF or UCLA or etc for med school...

Personally, I would go to Dartmouth, but I loved the campus, liked the people I met there, and love the small town setting...conversely, have no desire to attend college in an urban location like USC...I would not let the "guarantee Keck admission" be the deciding factor...
 
girls and football are better at USC.
 
Assuming I had similar grades and extra curricular's at Dartmouth and USC, would I get into a better med school solely due to the Dartmouth name?

Also, where would I find it easier to get involved in the necessary ec's to get into med school (research, etc)?

I think my end goal is to end up at a good med school and match into a great residency. I've been reading through profiles on MDApps, and to me, it seems as though upper tier students from usc are gaining acceptance from better medical schools when compared to students from Dartmouth. How reliable are these profiles?

Lastly, is there information that I should request from each school to ease my decision making process?
 
you don't have 4 seasons at usc...just the dry hot summers and the mild wet winters
you don't have four seasons in new hampshire either, you have 6 months of snow, 6 months of warmer
 
Assuming I had similar grades and extra curricular's at Dartmouth and USC, would I get into a better med school solely due to the Dartmouth name?

Also, where would I find it easier to get involved in the necessary ec's to get into med school (research, etc)?

I think my end goal is to end up at a good med school and match into a great residency. I've been reading through profiles on MDApps, and to me, it seems as though upper tier students from usc are gaining acceptance from better medical schools when compared to students from Dartmouth. How reliable are these profiles?

Lastly, is there information that I should request from each school to ease my decision making process?

i think you'd have an easier time at USC finding research and clinical experience because you're in LA, with lots of hospitals, UCLA AND USC, etc. Near dartmouth there is...well, dartmouth. I know multiple people who went to med school at dartmouth and transfered to brown for 3rd and 4th year through a program they have set up because they didn't feel they were getting enouhg clinical variation at dartmouth... and that's as a med student...as an undergrad i'd imagine it might be difficult to find any clinical experience. Keck is a very good med school with a great reputation.
 
Assuming I had similar grades and extra curricular's at Dartmouth and USC, would I get into a better med school solely due to the Dartmouth name?

Also, where would I find it easier to get involved in the necessary ec's to get into med school (research, etc)?

I think my end goal is to end up at a good med school and match into a great residency. I've been reading through profiles on MDApps, and to me, it seems as though upper tier students from usc are gaining acceptance from better medical schools when compared to students from Dartmouth. How reliable are these profiles?

Lastly, is there information that I should request from each school to ease my decision making process?

You have to be careful with MDApps if for no other reason than plenty of those USC grads are CA residents and are getting admissions at UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, etc...Dartmouth is smaller (fewer grads) and I suspect there are fewer Dartmouth profiles to look at, too...

Med school will take care of itself if YOU take care of picking the college you want to attend...and of course you do well there...plenty of opps to get research or ECs at both schools...

Take the med school question out of the equation - where would you go? Then you have your answer...

What kind of pre-med support is there at Dartmouth? What did you find on their website? Do they describe the ECs and research you can get there? Have you gone on college confidential to ask this question? If this is really your worry (it really should not be, but...) then you might contact the person in charge of pre-med student affairs...
 
i think the dartmouth name will carr you further than usc. Given that, pepople are right about you having more research and hospital exp. at USC than at Dartmouth. However, my previous experience has taught me that school name is > extracurricular.
 
you don't have four seasons in new hampshire either, you have 6 months of snow, 6 months of warmer

Actually, that's not true. You have:

winter (snow+ice+cold, long, dark, great IF you like snowsports),
spring (MUD!!!!),
summer (hot, with big biting flies), and
fall (absolutely beautiful - if you have any appreciation of the outdoors, fall in NH is spectacular).
 
DEFINITELY go to USC's guaranteed program over ANY school (yes that includes harvard etc.)
 
One thing that I've heard over and over again about med school admissions are that school name doesn't matter. Is this false?

Also, I have posted this on College Confidential as well, but I thought that it would be in my best interest to ask individuals who are in the field.

What does it take to gain residency in California? Lastly, how likely are medical schools to provide financial aid, and what information is needed? Basically, is financial aid for medical school similar to aid for undergrad?

Thanks again for everyone's help, this is a very difficult decision for me and I need all the advice I can get.
 
One thing that I've heard over and over again about med school admissions are that school name doesn't matter. Is this false?

Also, I have posted this on College Confidential as well, but I thought that it would be in my best interest to ask individuals who are in the field.

What does it take to gain residency in California? Lastly, how likely are medical schools to provide financial aid, and what information is needed? Basically, is financial aid for medical school similar to aid for undergrad?

Thanks again for everyone's help, this is a very difficult decision for me and I need all the advice I can get.

UG school does matter...major does not...all else equal, someone with good grades (3.8+ from Dartmouth will trump same grades at 99 percent of colleges, including USC)...

You are getting way ahead of yourself worrying about CA residencies...aren't you from the midwest? Residency is 8 years away...Also, financial aid for med school is limited - limited scholarships, mostly financed by loans, some additional help for need based on family economics - worry about that in 4 more years...
 
UG school name absolutely DOES matter. People that say otherwise are either ignorant or went to a lesser known / less prestigious school. How much it matters is up for debate.

As far as which school to attend, these schools are so vastly different, I would let that be your deciding factor. Do you see yourself being happy 4 years in SoCal or 4 years at a prestigious Ivy league institution? I'd pick Dartmouth, just because I would hate living in LA, but thats a personal preference.

The guaranteed acceptance is certainly a plus, but how 'guaranteed' is it? If you work hard at either school and play your cards right, you'll have no problem getting into a good school.
 
i think the dartmouth name will carr you further than usc.

the dartmouth name will carry you nowhere, because dartmouth doesn't have a name. i would take the guaranteed acceptance to keck in a heartbeat, especially if they're giving you the opportunity to apply elsewhere if you want - it's like being given a put option for med school admissions. crazy.
 
The general consensus on SDN will be to go to USC. Medical school admissions are getting harder and harder each year and nobody knows what it'll be like 4 years from now. So take the guaranteed admissions and run with it!!!

Plus, since its not binding, you can always apply for other medical schools if you get sick of SoCal. Congrats on the acceptances!

:laugh:
 
the dartmouth name will carry you nowhere, because dartmouth doesn't have a name. i would take the guaranteed acceptance to keck in a heartbeat, especially if they're giving you the opportunity to apply elsewhere if you want - it's like being given a put option for med school admissions. crazy.

April Fools a day late?

Get serious...
 
There is absolutely no reason to go to dartmouth over usc + guaranteed med admission.

USC = nationally recognized med & undergrad, california weather, major city location, pretty girls

dartmouth = has no name beyond new england, you're in hanover (that should be enough reason to not go)
 
April Fools a day late?

Get serious...

when i was in high school, i applied to dartmouth (and all of it's ivy brethren). i was summarily rejected. if you had offered me the choice of going to dartmouth over usc, i would have picked dartmouth "for the name." if you had offered me the choice of going to dartmouth over usc+guaranteed med, i still would have probably picked dartmouth. if you had given me those choices and i would have known what i know now about the med school admissions process, there is no WAY i would have picked dartmouth...

however, one of the things that should be taken into account is that maybe the op might not want to go to medical school in 4 years, or maybe 2 semesters, or maybe tomorrow. maybe op wants to go into medicine for the money, but after some shadowing, s/he realizes it's not there, and wants to go into finance. dartmouth has one of the best business schools in the country. while the dartmouth name probably doesn't mean anything in terms of med school admissions (or life in general), there will still be a network of alumni you can fall back on, and it might be a better network than usc's. all the same, the only people i know that bring up the fact that they went to an "ivy league school" are those that didn't go to harvard.
 
dartmouth is more of an academic powerhouse name, but i think the usc experience would likely be greater....
 
Okay, here's my opinion, as a Dartmouth undergrad alum who wasn't premed when I was there:

Don't worry about what's going to set you up for med school when you're making this decision. Pick the school where you think you'll have the best 4-year experience, and go there. First, there's no guarantee that you'll still want to be a doctor after undergrad. You should use college as a chance to get a good education, AND to explore your interests - try classes in new subjects, see what you like, figure out whether there's something else you'd rather be doing, meet interesting people, see the world, etc., etc., etc. If you treat undergrad as just the next stepping stone on the path to your ortho fellowship, you're missing out on one of the best opportunities for growth and education (in every sense) of your life.

So figure out what you care about in a college - location, size, reputation, athletics, whatever - and choose between these vastly different institutions based on that. If the premed opportunity is part of that calculus for you, fine - but if that's your only consideration you won't be doing yourself any favors.

As far as which school to attend, these schools are so vastly different, I would let that be your deciding factor. Do you see yourself being happy 4 years in SoCal or 4 years at a prestigious Ivy league institution? I'd pick Dartmouth, just because I would hate living in LA, but thats a personal preference.

Exactly. These are a huge four years in your life. Go where you'll be happy so you can get the most out of it.

dartmouth is more of an academic powerhouse name, but i think the usc experience would likely be greater....

Here's the personal preference part. For me, the Dartmouth experience was amazing, the best I could have hoped for. Whether it would be for you isn't something any of us can tell you.

Keck is meh, you can do better than that. Go to dartmouth and get the pride of saying you go to an Ivy!

Wow, no. Go for the academics if that's your thing, or for the history, or for the "classic" New England college experience, or whatever. But don't be the guy who's there to stroke his ego with the "Ivy League" name.

I think my end goal is to end up at a good med school and match into a great residency.

You think that now. Two years from now, your end goal might be to study climate change in Antarctica. Go where you think you'll have the best overall experience.

Take the med school question out of the equation - where would you go? Then you have your answer...

!
 
Just to add to the discussion, I shadowed an anesthesiologist at Northwestern for a summer. Thus, I understand the implications of a medical career, atleast to a minor extent.

I visited USC and loved it there, but I'm visiting Dartmouth in a 2 weeks.

Lastly, I wish to thank everyone who is giving their input. This decision is harder than any other decision I've ever had to make, and I truly appreciate each and every individuals input.
 
A few years ago, I was in a very similar predicament as you. My home State U vs. Dart. In the end, I decided I just couldn't be so far away from home and took the full ride to State instead of pushing myself into debt for 40K a year. Dartmouth was also only about a thousand or so kids bigger than my HS, and I wanted a bigger school.

One of my good buddies ended up going to Dartmouth. He loves it. Really outdoors/hiker type.

The first couple of months after turning down the Ivy name, I felt like I was screwing myself. I wish I would have never worried about it. If I wouldn't have, I never would have applied to any of the Ivys. Fact was, the only driving force behind me applying to them was a name. And it only tore me down just to get rejected or waitlisted from one after another. :laugh:

Just a couple of things: Dart has a big greek scene. It be a good choice if you are thinking about that. You will get to learn to play "real" pong over what they call beirut. Every time I have been up there, whether visiting my bud or when I visited the college, the atmosphere was neat. The Frats were real chill, not so much like your typical greek system. Not into it myself, but it might be something to look farther into. If you are scared of it or don't want to be around it, Dartmouth might not be the place. Moreover, if you don't want to be in the middle of no where, in the outdoors, on the verge of , go the USC. You really have two completely opposite schools to choose from. If you visited USC and loved it, I doubt you will see Dartmouth in a similar light.

Forget the premed stuff. I couldn't let that go when I was deciding, and it really threw me through a loop. My buddy says that Dart pre-meds are plain cut-throat and that there is just insane competition. Which can be good or bad. But you are going to get that wherever you go. He isn't pre-med, so maybe he does not know what it is like.

Since then, I have gotten over the name issue for pre-med and have been happy learning regular beer pong over some ridiculous ping pong drinking game. 😀 People still question me all the time why I chose to go a few hours away from home instead of an Ivy. Don't lie to yourself. Go where you will enjoy the next four years the most. For the next 3 months, just worry about where you will get layed the most, or whatever gets your passion turning. After that, your slate is wiped clean and almost none of what you did in HS means a thing to the Med Schools.
 
So figure out what you care about in a college - location, size, reputation, athletics, whatever - and choose between these vastly different institutions based on that. If the premed opportunity is part of that calculus for you, fine - but if that's your only consideration you won't be doing yourself any favors.

HanginInThere is so right about it all. I also graduated from Dartmouth (was pre-med there) and just finished applying to med schools this year. Couple things to add:

-I absolutely LOVED my dartmouth experience and couldn't imagine myself loving another college more. That said, it's not for everyone. I grew up in a city and like cities but didn't want to go to college classes on the 12th floor of some building downtown. I wanted the ivy covered (i mean the plant, not the group) CAMPUS feel with historic old buildings. New England is BEAUTIFUL (I grew up in AZ) and it was so much fun to live in 4 seasons. I loved being able to go for runs in the fall, ski after class in the winter, and float down the CT river in the summer. Winters get cold but they're not deadly and it's a badge of pride to live through them and be ok. You'll buy a good coat and be fine. When you visit, just talk to AS MANY people as you can and ask why they like/don't like dmouth...my host actually hated Dartmouth so it was good I talked to others. Dmouth kids are def a work hard, play hard culture and it was a great environment for both. Dmouth is pretty much ONLY focused on its undergrads and is known for its undergrad name (I'd say USC has a better name for med school than undergrad). And yes Hanover is a small town but people forget that 4000 of your friends are living in the same town as you. You end up hanging out with friends in apts, having house parties, or doing other random cool things. I have the rest of my 20s to go to bars in cities and see shows and whatever and didn't really miss that for four years as long as I had all my best friends around. Also, the Dplan is really unique so learn about it when you're there and look at some student's sample Dplans. It gives you the opportunity to do some really cool stuff as an undergrad that most people can't get till med school (I had 4 months of international medical experiences on my app for med school that med schools were pretty impressed with).

-Premed at Dartmouth: it pretty much sucks but what's important is that I don't think it sucks more than anywhere else. You're going to take hard classes with lots of labs and in general work more than your anthropology majoring friends. The benefits of premed at dmouth is that dmouth is small so you can REALLY know your profs and use them for help like at very few other schools. I really dont know much about USC and have friends that liked it there but dmouth is personal. The biggest premed class you'll take is gen chem at 100-150 students. A negative is that there's not a great premed advising support system in place but it didn't really matter to me because classes were so small that I could always get help/advice from profs and upperclassmen that I knew.

-Dmouth's name: I don't think it terribly helped me or hurt me in the med school app process. Go to either school because you like the very different characteristics of each, not really for the name. A 3.8 from either school will get you very far. It's getting the 3.8 that's hard at either school.

-Extracurriculars: In reflection, I think my app was hurt because I had too MANY ECs, most all of them medically related. So those of you that have never been to Hanover, please don't comment on the availability of med related ECs. DHMC (dartmouth's hospital) is an AMAZING huge place that sees every referral case for 4 states north of Boston which means you do get to see a lot if you shadow/volunteer there which a lot of premeds can easily do. It's also SUPER easy to start researching your freshman fall at the hospital, med school (which is on the same campus as undergrads with a lot of overlapping profs), or undergrad campus which you can't necessarily do at other bigger schools. There's a TON of international health opportunities. Also, most of my friends coming out of Dmouth who did great in the app process had mostly non-med related ECs that they loved and could talk about with passion so that's something too.

My advice is just look at what your EXPERIENCE will be like at both schools b/c i'm sure it will be pretty different (and not bad at either school). Ask yourself what you want. I'm not gonna lie, the auto accept to USC med is great but if you're motivated, you can have a great undergrad experience at Dmouth and then go to a great med school of your choice. Really talk to PEOPLE (profs, students, etc) at both schools...are they cool? Are they people you want to be friends with and hang out with for four years? And stay open too once you get to college - be a biochem major if you really love it but if you love history or whatever, major in that and kick ***. Try some non-med ECs too...med schools want you committed to a couple great ECs, even if they're not all med related.

Good luck with the choice! I'm sure you'll make a great decision whichever way you go and have a fun four years (let's face it...college is great). Feel free to PM (personal message) me if you have more questions about Dmouth or anything.
 
Im sorry, you want to turn down a "guaranteed" acceptance for the possibility of being accepted in the future? 🙄

Go to USC if getting into med school is your highest priority.
 
The general consensus seems to be to go where I like best, and to not let the guaranteed admissions or the ivy name influence that decision. I'm hoping that after visiting Dartmouth, I can pick which lifestyle will suite me best for the next 4 years.

I guess beyond that, the suggestion is that even if I chose USC, I should work hard academically, and maintain a few strong EC's and explore the possibility of applying out.

If anyone else wishes to chime in, please feel free. Thank you for the outpouring of responses, I am sure that SDN will continue to be an asset in my future endeavors.
 
Take the guaranteed med acceptance. One fewer thing to worry about; you'll probably enjoy your college experience more at SC.
 
For undergrad, Dartmouth is wayyy better than USC. It's an ivy, and congrats on the acceptance!!
Now, for med school, both are pretty much at the same rank. If you are really really really sure about med school, pick USC because you don't have to deal with what we all have to go through... MCAT, applying, interviews, ... plus tons of money spent for one spot in medical school.

But if you are not sure, pick Dartmouth because its undergraduate education is much better than USC (arguably, of course), but an ivy is an ivy for a reason. Additionally, if you want to have the real ivy experience, Dartmouth is the place. USC undergrad is well,... as long as you have a decent GPA and can pay for it, you are in. But since it is a rich school, the network is one of the best in the country. USC is somehow famous (or notorious, I may add) for its price tag. It is, in fact, one of the very few institutions that offer aerospace engineering (have you seen the facilities?)... just to illustrate how rich the school is.

As far as med schools go, as long as you have a great GPA, killer MCAT, and excellent ECs, you will get into a med school anyway. Choose wisely. Good luck.
 
One thing that I've heard over and over again about med school admissions are that school name doesn't matter. Is this false?

Also, I have posted this on College Confidential as well, but I thought that it would be in my best interest to ask individuals who are in the field.

What does it take to gain residency in California? Lastly, how likely are medical schools to provide financial aid, and what information is needed? Basically, is financial aid for medical school similar to aid for undergrad?

Thanks again for everyone's help, this is a very difficult decision for me and I need all the advice I can get.

3.8+ GPA from an ivy is not the same as a 3.8+ from non-ivy schools. Some schools put different weight on different undergrad institution.
But a 3.8+ GPA from a non-ivy school is better than a 3.0 from an ivy.

There is an exception though.. and probably irrelevant to med school: if you get a 3.0+ from MIT and you are a Math/Physics/Engineering major, kudos to you. You'll get more respect than those who get a 3.8+ GPA in history from other schools. You will get a job from prestigious companies regardless.
 
3.8+ GPA from an ivy is not the same as a 3.8+ from non-ivy schools. Some schools put different weight on different undergrad institution.
But a 3.8+ GPA from a non-ivy school is better than a 3.0 from an ivy.

There is an exception though.. and probably irrelevant to med school: if you get a 3.0+ from MIT and you are a Math/Physics/Engineering major, kudos to you. You'll get more respect than those who get a 3.8+ GPA in history from other schools. You will get a job from prestigious companies regardless.

A caveat on those low GPAs from MIT / Caltech...there is some SDNer who graduated from CalTech in engineering with something like a 3.1, scored something like high 30s or even 40 on the MCAT, who applied broadly (20 schools) and got an admission to just one, a state school. The caveat - even from a place like MIT or CalTech, there is such a thing as too low for med school...
 
For undergrad, Dartmouth is wayyy better than USC. It's an ivy, and congrats on the acceptance!!
Now, for med school, both are pretty much at the same rank. If you are really really really sure about med school, pick USC because you don't have to deal with what we all have to go through... MCAT, applying, interviews, ... plus tons of money spent for one spot in medical school.

But if you are not sure, pick Dartmouth because its undergraduate education is much better than USC (arguably, of course), but an ivy is an ivy for a reason. Additionally, if you want to have the real ivy experience, Dartmouth is the place. USC undergrad is well,... as long as you have a decent GPA and can pay for it, you are in. But since it is a rich school, the network is one of the best in the country. USC is somehow famous (or notorious, I may add) for its price tag. It is, in fact, one of the very few institutions that offer aerospace engineering (have you seen the facilities?)... just to illustrate how rich the school is.

As far as med schools go, as long as you have a great GPA, killer MCAT, and excellent ECs, you will get into a med school anyway. Choose wisely. Good luck.

its an ivy because its OLD and its in the NORTHEAST, and formed as a sports conference.. ivy is also known as ancient 8. i went to columbia myself. did you know, that when they were forming the ivy league, they were considering army and duke as well?just a little trivial useless knowledge here.

I would pick dartmouth over usc, just because im an outdoorsy type (found this out later in my life).
 
This Thread is a joke right.....

The OP really can't be serious... 2100 on the SAT? ...Top Illinois High School?
 
I'm sorry, that was a typo. I scored a 2280.

Anyways, I think my plan of action is to visit Dartmouth. Afterward, I'll choose the school that fits me the best.
 
What high school do you attend if you dont mind me asking?
 
I agree with HanginInThere. First things first--you should decide where you want to go to undergrad. People change so much in those four years and if you sign away the next 8 years of your life, you're losing an element of adventure in the unknowing.

Good luck!
 
I guess with all the advice I have received, I'm leaning toward Dartmouth. If I continue working hard, I can probably get into medical school from there (hopefully better than Keck)
 
Just a little update:

I visited Dartmouth for its Dimensions program this past weekend (thurs, fri, sat). I somehow managed to like the experience almost equally as that of USC. The student body seemed similar, relaxed, somewhat focused, etc. Socially, Dartmouth was heavy on the greek system.

Thus, now I'm stuck in a position where I like different elements of both schools, but can't decide between one or the other.

Some real negatives about Dartmouth are that most of its graduates tend to apply to medical school 1 to 2 years after. A negative about USC would be that its academic climate is not close to Dartmouth's.

Should this also be taken into consideration: this past year, there were 30 graduating seniors of the USC bacc/md program. Around 15 chose to keep the guarantee, and attend Keck. The other 15: 3 went to yale, and 10 to UCLA
 
The reality is that your choice of undergraduate does not really matter for Med School, because every Med school student is treated the same. Getting into Med School is the most important thing. After that, it's up to each student to create his/her own grades/evals/resume for a good residency.

Good luck.
 
Some real negatives about Dartmouth are that most of its graduates tend to apply to medical school 1 to 2 years after.

Why is that a negative for you? I took a year off between college and medical school and consider it one of the better decisions I've made in my life. Those I know who made the same choice feel the same way. Even if you're dead set on medicine as a career, a year off can be a chance to explore an area of medicine (international, research, etc) in depth that you might not get a to once you're in school.
 
I would go with the "guaranteed" acceptance. At the college I am going to attend in fall they do have a similar program with Texas Tech med school. However if I was to apply to different school I would loose my spot. USC is a great school and you will get a great education there. If you are really determined to go into a competitive field like medicine, I would go with the guarantee.
 
Just a little update:

I visited Dartmouth for its Dimensions program this past weekend (thurs, fri, sat). I somehow managed to like the experience almost equally as that of USC. The student body seemed similar, relaxed, somewhat focused, etc. Socially, Dartmouth was heavy on the greek system.

Thus, now I'm stuck in a position where I like different elements of both schools, but can't decide between one or the other.

Some real negatives about Dartmouth are that most of its graduates tend to apply to medical school 1 to 2 years after. A negative about USC would be that its academic climate is not close to Dartmouth's.

Should this also be taken into consideration: this past year, there were 30 graduating seniors of the USC bacc/md program. Around 15 chose to keep the guarantee, and attend Keck. The other 15: 3 went to yale, and 10 to UCLA

if a negative to you is applying one-two yrs after graduating, you may want to go to USC and keep that guaranteed admission, because avg. entrance age to med school is 24 (1-2 yrs out of college) ..not implying that you won't get accepted when applying as a college senior, but that you might not

i dont think going to dartmouth would put you at any advantage over USC when applying to med schools...at least any serious advantage.. like many other ppl on here, im from a big state school and got a good # of interviews this past yr... and to echo what others have already said, go to where you'd have the best time...and if you feel like both schools are even in that category, go to USC-- you have the cherry on top w/ that guaranteed admission (and its not just any admission, keck's a great school), w/ the option of giving it up for another school...and even if you end up deciding against medicine, i dont think where you went to undergrad is going to make/break you...that's what grad school's for :laugh:
 
It is a wash. If you do very well at either school and kill the MCAT, then you will have a variety of options for med school. So make your decision on where you will have the best undergrad experience. For me, it would be Dartmouth, no question. Not even close, Dartmouth.
 
Socially, Dartmouth was heavy on the greek system.

Some real negatives about Dartmouth are that most of its graduates tend to apply to medical school 1 to 2 years after. A negative about USC would be that its academic climate is not close to Dartmouth's.

couple things in response:
-dartmouth is greek heavy for sure and there's no way around that but with that many frats also comes a LOT of variety. i was not a big party person but found my own niche within the greek system (though stayed unaffliated). as a guy, you can probably find a frat that fits you or stay unaffliated and either way it will be just fine. frats/frat parties at dartmouth are NOT like other schools from what i know from friends...just chill places to hang out and play pong or whatever.

-dartmouth also sends a bunch of people straight from undergrad to pretty spectacular med schools (harvard, columbia, etc). personally i didn't think i was going to take a year off when i was in high school but it's been a good decision and has in no way harmed me. i've changed and grown just as much in the last year as in four years of college. i honestly can't imagine what i would even talk about in interviews and stuff if i went direct...i'd just be a much more boring applicant and less "worldly." but anyway, dartmouth follows the national trend in what percentage take time off and what don't for the most part.
 
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