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BB4Green

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2+ Year Member
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Hi everyone!

I was accepted into several special masters programs (SMPs) and have narrowed them down to Tufts and Vanderbilt masters in biomedical sciences.

The Tufts program has a large class size (130) and a well-structured curriculum, whereas the Vanderbilt program is relatively new and has had a small class size (~20) and a flexible curriculum whereby you can take basically any graduate class. I assume that medical school acceptance rates are similar enough, although Tufts has a guaranteed medical school interview for the top ~50% of students.

My only concerns are how hard it is to get a >3.7 gpa and the weather (a far second concern).

There is almost nothing online about the Vanderbilt program. What is it like from a student's perspective? While both programs are difficult, and Vanderbilt has a more difficult undergrad and medical reputation, I don't want to underestimate the competitiveness of smp students. How hard is the Vanderbilt smp?