Please help me decide which school...I am terrible at decisions!

[SweatPea]

Hey Everyone,

This is actually my first time posting (pretty exciting), but I have spent the past year reading everyone's advice and opinions, and counting down to acceptance dates. Now I could really use some help figuring out where to go next year. I have been really, really, really forunate to be accepted to three excellent schools that I am interested in attending, and I know that any choice won't be a wrong one, but I have no idea how to choose! I could really use your imput on the advantages and disadvantages of each school, so if you have the time, please post some comments. I am trying to choose between Wash U, Harvard, and Hopkins. Thanks so much (in advance) for your help and advice!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DarkChild]

ahahahhaha pulling up a seat for the ensuing flame fest!
i'll be honest though - forget WashU why live in STL when you dont have to? Go to the H which gives you more money.

 

[BrainDrain]

This belongs in the AA thread

 

[kreno]

Wow congrats! I haven't visited either school... but I say Harvard 'cuz it's name is more well-known and its location is soooooooo much better. Curriculum wise is a personal choice, but no matter where you go, you'll be able to do anything you want and there really is no wrong answer. Good luck and See you in the white house

kreno

 

[Bob Dole]

Go to a school that starts with H. All H schools are good.

 

[fava]

wow. the replies to this have been surprisingly nice... maybe it's the innocuous-sounding screen name?
i, for one, am suspicious of any and all sweating vegetables.

 

[SweatPea]

As for the screen name, I am embarassed to say that I mean to type in SWEETPEA, but must have made a mistake and got SWEATPEA I tried to change it or even get a new name, but SDN would not let me!! (I told you Kreno...)

 

[ShaylaFinn]

What an enviable position to be in ... all your choices are good ones. Maybe Hopkins? But really, who wouldn't like to turn down an acceptance to one of the H's?

Go where you're the most comfortable - you'll get a fine med education and a good residency placement from any of the three.

Good luck.

 

[j-snake]

Go to the school with the coolest students. . . WashU!

 

[lotanna]

Ross or St george would be better

 

[Dr. Hugh Hefner]

ugh....i feel like puking

 

[kreno]

cmon everyone, this girl is asking for advice and no one is really giving her anything of substance. Anyone interviewed at both and have some experience or ideas?

one thing I can think of is that i know going to "harvard" might inevidably stigmatizes you as being snotty, or "cream of the crop" or something like that. That's kinda a downfall.. maybe i dunno. Also an upfall (is that a word) 'cuz everyone knows "haaaaaaaarvard" so... hard choice.

i say harvard, nonetheless... hopkins is too traditional and in a shi**y location, and boston rules and I want to marry you!

 

[fava]

i have visited all 3, and would be happy to share my thoughts, but, there are 2 issues here:
1. i'm having a hard time believing that sweatpea is for real. i am sure that there ARE people who are holding acceptances to all 3 places, but honestly, if i was going to start a thread that i thought would make sdners really pissed off, that's exactly what i would have said. pick the top 3 schools, have it be one if my first posts ever... sounds bogus to me.
2. sweatpea, if you do want honest input, how 'bout posing some specific questions? i am sure that me and you are not looking for the exact same things in a school... what do you want opinions on? students? curricula?

btw, what's this little lovey-dovey thing with you and kreno?

 

[lattimer13]

Originally posted by lotanna
Ross or St george would be better

what about Ponce or universidad de guadalajara?

come on man...that's so lame. "i've been lurking for the past year, but now that i've gotten accepted to X, Y, AND Z med schools, i want your opinion to help me decide, seeing as how i've contributed so much to SDN."

why do people do this? WHY????????????????????

 

[JM.]

He he he he he he he

LOL

I can't even think of anything coherent to post, I am laughing so hard. You know, I like humble people. Sometimes I try to be humble. But then I heard this quote - stop being so humble, you aren't that good.

My dog was spayed yesterday and she doesn't have stitches, she has glue, and she is opening it up, and I am a little pissed that I paid 200+ for the visit and the stitches won't stay closed.

 

[SweatPea]

I did not post this thread to make anyone mad or annoyed, and I am honestly asking for help. I am a real person, this is not made up: I met Kreno at two interviews (Michigan and Pitt) and we have been keeping in touch ever since. I mentioned to him about posting and he said I should go for it. However, just foget about it. I don't need a bunch of people saying mean things about me simply because I am asking for advice. Thank you to those who gave me some real advice, and for the rest of you who only laughed or poked fun, I am sure you could spend your time better than that by posting something substantial on a different thread.

 

[SweatPea]

By the way JMWalker, your vet ripped you off. He should have used invisible stiches and if there was a thought of your dog ripping her surgical incision open, he should have used an elizabethan collar...If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

 

[fava]

well then kreno, you should've warned her what she'd be getting in for, posting something like that.

 

[TeinVI]

Originally posted by SweatPea
I did not post this thread to make anyone mad or annoyed, and I am honestly asking for help. I am a real person, this is not made up: I met Kreno at two interviews (Michigan and Pitt) and we have been keeping in touch ever since. I mentioned to him about posting and he said I should go for it. However, just foget about it. I don't need a bunch of people saying mean things about me simply because I am asking for advice. Thank you to those who gave me some real advice, and for the rest of you who only laughed or poked fun, I am sure you could spend your time better than that by posting something substantial on a different thread.

come on now, in your initial post, you did not give any kind of information or detail (e.g., what your impressions of the three schools were, what your priorities are in choosing a medical school (location, money, family, curriculum, etc.), why you're having a problem choosing between the three schools, blah blah) that could possible allow other sdners to give you constructive advices. all you said was pretty much: i got into top three schools, i can't choose among these three top three schools, please help
it may not have been your intention to annoy others, but you gotta realize your post came off as sounding just that, especially for those who haven't even gotten an acceptance yet. if you want better advice, give us more detail.

and all i can say to you about your "problem" is...they're all ****IN good schools!!!! go wherever that'll make you happy. is that so hard????

 

[kreno]

Poor sweatpea!

Although I understand where you are all coming from regarding her not posting specifics, it's actually my fault because I thought she should get some objective advise and ideas.

I mean, it's obvious that all those schools are amazing... but that isn't reason for people to be mean to her. In real life she's such a nice, humble, cool (and also very attractive, which is why I joke around with the love-smiles and such) person which is why it doesn't surprise me, personality alone, that she was fortunate enough to get into those schools. So I don't think it's appropritae for you guys to give her shi*

And in practicality... it's really *NOT* an easy choice. mean, obviuosly you can't go wrong anywhere, but.. when great things are all your option, it makes the choice kinda difficult.

So, if any of you have interviewed at either of those three schools, please be kind enough to post your ideas on the school.

 

[GoodMonkey]

here is a thought.

1) write down each school on a piece of paper
2) write a "pro" column and a "con" column
3) list things that you recall from your visits at each of these schools and from your researching their curriculum and categorize them into Pro and Con for each school (i'm going to stretch and give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume you chose these schools because you really liked something about them in the first place other than the fact that they are top ranked schools).
4) pick the one that has the most "pro"

i mean seriously... yeah maybe she came looking for honest advice, but come on. when i visited each school at which i was fortunate enough to be interviewed, i took notes. what i liked (location, curriculum, facilities, students, etc) and what i didn't like (same stuff) -- then i kept these for future reference should i get into those schools. this is common sense. you mean to tell me, OP, that you have absolutely no opinions as yet on these three great schools? were you not paying attention during your interview/visit/tour? have you not looked into their curricular differences? if you were bright enough to get into these schools, i would hope that you are bright enough to have at least researched what it is about them that makes them so good and why they may or may not be a good fit for you.

i actually agree with tein - it looks a lot like "i got into the top three schools and i can't decide."

 

[DW]

ok, while you will ulimately make this decisions yourself, (if this is serious), answer a few ?s that you yourself can only answer:

do you think you like hands off pbl learning or not?

would you like to live in Boston, STL, or Baltimore?

does "ranking" or "notoriety" mean anything to you, even though at this point we're splitting something even thinner than hair, more like atoms or quarks or something?

have any of these schools offered you any $ yet? The fin aid packages will be coming later on i guess, so you can compare then.

are any of these factors most important (location, curriculum, cost, prestige) to you?

 

[Doc Ivy]

Way to go SDNers for not turning this into an all out flame war...deep down inside a lot you wish you had this dilemna...
Sweatpea, didn't apply to Hopkins or washu, so I can't give you anything really constructive, Haaaarvard was the one ivy that, rejected me post-secondary so I also can't weigh in on my impressions.... all I can say is that you've got 3 great schools on your hands, and you are in the fortunate position to make a choice based on the most superficial criteria:
i.e. which school has the hottest boys, which hospital cafeteria has the most extensive salad bar etc.... good luck in your decision