Stanford FULL COA vs. U Penn vs. Johns Hopkins

[BernieBabylon]

So... I just received my aid package from Stanford and I am getting a full CoA grant to go! I can’t even imagine doing better than that but I figured I’d ask before I give up my seats...

Does anyone know if the other schools mentioned can even approach this level of aid? If not, I think my decision is done here...


Stanford
Pros
- loved campus
- subsidized housing that’s paid for
-some family near by
- suburban feel
Con
-maybe their curriculum isn’t quite as appealing as others? But I’m not sure now with the step 1 change


U Penn-
Pros
- close to home
Cons
-close to home

Johns Hopkins
- Pros
Reputation
-Cons
Scary

Sorry, it’s hard for me to come up with reasons to attend a school aside from really basic things like cost, reputation and location. Any advice?

Thanks guys!

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[TempuraOreos]

Congrats on the options. I would probably take the time to really think about what you've liked and disliked about these other schools.

Then, I would definitely send your Full COA offer to these other schools especially if you're not set on Stanford (you may get some serious counteroffers). I wouldn't go based on reputation since literally all three options are basically interchangeable in prestige. Go based on factors that matter more to you.

 

[Saturday’s Child]

I’m pretty sure Penn gives full-tuition merit scholarships to a good portion of their class. Hopkins only does need-based. Did you have any major feeling toward the current students you met at any of these schools? Do you know what kind of medicine you want to practice? Do you want to move further from home? Is money a tremendous factor for you/family?

 

[Pluto98]

I think penn will match. Would you go to penn if they matched?

 

[BernieBabylon]

Congrats on the options. I would probably take the time to really think about what you've liked and disliked about these other schools.

Then, I would definitely send your Full COA offer to these other schools especially if you're not set on Stanford (you may get some serious counteroffers). I wouldn't go based on reputation since literally all three options are basically interchangeable in prestige. Go based on factors that matter more to you.

Thank you, I’ll do just that!

 

[BernieBabylon]

I’m pretty sure Penn gives full-tuition merit scholarships to a good portion of their class. Hopkins only does need-based. Did you have any major feeling toward the current students you met at any of these schools? Do you know what kind of medicine you want to practice? Do you want to move further from home? Is money a tremendous factor for you/family?

I felt like I clicked really well with the students at Stanford and Hopkins, maybe a little less at Penn but I wasn’t feeling well that day so I don’t know if that had something to do with it.

I don’t know what kind of medicine I want to practice but I do find it appealing that Stanford grants more flexibility to see the other avenues an MD degree can take you. I have no idea if that feeling is a novelty or if I’d actually pursue a different path. Working to some degree with tech sounds amazing and borderline unreal but I’d potentially love to do that!

I don’t care that much about distance from home. I’ll be far enough either way that I’d have to plan a trip to go home and so a few hours difference for travel means little.

Money is a large factor. My parents and I have no resources to contribute to medical school at all, so I’d likely accumulate a decent chunk of debt even with free tuition.

Thanks for giving me some ideas to think about!

 

[BernieBabylon]

I would wait to see if the other schools match! However I wouldn’t say Hopkins is scary, if you meant in terms of Baltimore. It’s a small city with lower COL, which is a plus!

Maybe I was a bit biased but my colleagues kept reminding me that the people they know at Hopkins always seem to have a friend or a friend of a friend who was robbed or mugged. I love the idea of serving an underserved community but these anecdotes definitely freaked me out and primed me to be a bit scared when I went...

 

[BernieBabylon]

I think penn will match. Would you go to penn if they matched?

I’m not sure! I received the advice to carefully analyze their curriculum and compare it to the others to see if something jumps out at me, since the curriculum at these schools will dictate my life there. I’m struggling with this though :/

 

[SleazySalesMed]

Assuming no one matches a full CoA, Stanford.

 

[TheDataKing]

Stanford - graduate debt free

 

[ItAintEasyBeingCheesy]

I would reach out to Penn. The financial aid officer made it pretty clear during interview day that they're good at matching. If they do match, I would choose Penn.

 

[BernieBabylon]

I would reach out to Penn. The financial aid officer made it pretty clear during interview day that they're good at matching. If they do match, I would choose Penn.

Would you mind elaborating why you prefer Penn?

 

[ItAintEasyBeingCheesy]

Would you mind elaborating why you prefer Penn?

I feel there’s more of an emphasis on medical education at Penn than at other T5’s. From what I’ve heard, the reputation at Harvard/Hopkins largely comes from the faculty/residencies, whereas at Penn, the medical education stands out just as strongly as everything else. I feel like Penn gives their med students more attention than a place like Hopkins, where the residents outshine the med students to some degree.

Not that it really matters, all 3 are amazing institutions and you should go wherever you see yourself fitting in the best, I just feel that Penn takes medical education a bit more seriously than the others.


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[Doc_Avatar]

I can tell you that so far in my time at Hopkins, nothing has been more apparent to me than their excessive dedication to students. The care that deans, course directors, and professors put into their lectures, mentorship, and research opportunities is honestly mind-boggling. I’m talking about Nobel Prize/HHMI-level faculty members staying after class to speak to students every single day. There is also constant student-driven improvement to our curriculum through multiple mechanisms. The faculty really listen to what we have to say about our curriculum and make every effort to give us the best learning we can. I went to a small liberal arts college that was “known” for it’s exceptional teaching (because very few grad-students around) and nothing in those 4 years compares to my daily experience in small-groups, etc.

TL;DR -- don’t take rumors/assumptions at face value. Speak to students at each school, ask them what they think, and try to remember how you feel when you revisit each school. Good luck!

I feel there’s more of an emphasis on medical education at Penn than at other T5’s. From what I’ve heard, the reputation at Harvard/Hopkins largely comes from the faculty/residencies, whereas at Penn, the medical education stands out just as strongly as everything else. I feel like Penn gives their med students more attention than a place like Hopkins, where the residents outshine the med students to some degree.

Not that it really matters, all 3 are amazing institutions and you should go wherever you see yourself fitting in the best, I just feel that Penn takes medical education a bit more seriously than the others.


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[ItAintEasyBeingCheesy]

Thanks for sharing your experience. While it is important to learn about how current students feel, that also should not be taken at face value. In my experience, students tend to paint a rosy picture of wherever they attend, perhaps from a subconscious effort to validate their own decisions.

Completely agree. At the end of the day you have to remember everything you read on here is a biased account and should be taken with a grain of salt. The best advice is to make a decision based off what feels right. Again, no wrong choice going with any of these 3 schools. Just have to be able to live with your choice.

 

[Biscuitboy11]

You're from the Northeast, and have a chance to spend 4 years in California at a tiptop school for free? "You had me at hello..."
Palo Alto today- high 77, partly sunny

 

[deleted994247]

I feel like Penn gives their med students more attention than a place like Hopkins.

Is that just because they’re so generous with financial aid? Or have u heard stories?

 

[Icebird]

I need to start copy pasting my response to these threads:

TAKE THE DAMN MONEY AND RUN!

 

[BernieBabylon]

At this point I’m just waiting for my Penn financial aid package. I am no longer considering Hopkins due to poor fit. I shared my aid package from Stanford with Penn and it appears that it will be matched/surpassed. It turns out that because I had a job during my gap year, my Stanford aid could drop a bit for the two years that my tax returns reflect that income. It won’t drop much but it won’t be that glorious full CoA. Penn appears to be primed to make me an offer for a proper full CoA scholarship. If that happens, penn will be anywhere from 5-40k cheaper overall. Not a lot, but still worth considering both options very seriously now. I’ll update in a week!

Thanks guys 🙂

 

[BernieBabylon]

It looks like both options are just about full CoA now! I sort of wish that wasn’t the case, this decision just got harder...

 

[A Ryan Seacrest Type]

It looks like both options are just about full CoA now! I sort of wish that wasn’t the case, this decision just got harder...

At this point think where you would like to end up for Residency (East vs west coast) and go to the school based on that coast (not that it would make a terrible difference except for easier time obtaining research/networking opportunities in a place you might ultimately end up). Also think about where you would rather be if you matched at the respective home program of either school for your specialty of interest. One last thing: season affective disorder, hard to beat sunny Cali

 

[blurb_123]

It looks like both options are just about full CoA now! I sort of wish that wasn’t the case, this decision just got harder...

If you're open to the possibility of living on the west coast/experiencing a new area, the south bay is a nice area and will be a smooth transition.

Both schools will match you very well regardless.