Thread derail: Stolenspatulas, I see that we've been visiting a lot of the same schools (I kind of half wonder if we weren't at P&S the same day). I've been trying to make lists and detail what I like about Pitt/Penn/Hopkins/Columbia and I always end up balancing everything out for the most part (e.g., I love the school but hate the location/living arrangements). Granted, I probably won't have to decide between the four of them come March (DENIED! battleship sunk), but I'm wondering what your take on the schools is. You leaning one way or the other?
My top 4 for schools that I have received invites to:
1. Penn - global health HUGE, students, faculty, philly, near atlantic city, sold on the preclinical curric, awesome match list
2. Hopkins - its hopkins, the name carries more weight than any other school (even the other H in my opinion), students didnt seem competitive as rumored, baltimore doesnt seem to suck that much, awesome AWESOME hospital -> prob best clinical experience available for med student, my brother is a 3rd year there so i could live with him (haha, my parents would love that)
3. Columbia - NY, just as reputable as other ivies, surgery powerhouse, lot of friends in NY, lots of stress on complete student (ie, P&S club)
4. Duke - I went to ugrad here and work here currently, dont want to be stuck in durham for another 4 years... though, its an insane program, sold on the preclinical (i know a lot of kids in medschool here), and awesome match list and 3rd year oppurtunities, if i didnt go here for ugrad and didnt have an itch to just move, it'd be higher on the list for sure.... i also feel that they could've sold the school better on interview day (i work in the hospital and was quite disappointed with their tour and total interview day... it doesnt speak for the awesomeness of the school)
Now, If I get some sort of scholarship from vanderbilt, pitt, or UChicago, then those will definitely jump up on the list (but maybe not first depending on the financial packages from the other schools... many of the top privates are awesome about needbased aid).
I am pretty pessimistic about Penn even though I railed the interviews.
I am pretty optimistic about Columbia and Duke.
Hopkins has alternate-listed me. We'll see what happens with that. If only I could have that interview day back. argh.
I am still waiting to hear from washu, harvard, cornell, yale --- i dont really care for cornell (too PBL, not better than columbia) and yale (yale system, eh); harvard doesnt love me b/c im not unique enough on paper, and damnit washu!! gimme some love, im stats heavy!