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Help me choose

  • UPenn

    Votes: 14 60.9%

  • Harvard

    Votes: 9 39.1%
  • Total voters
    23
K

kandaka

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I feel like Mayo is definitely out of the running.

If you were to go to Harvard you’d have to ask yourself what exactly are you paying 120k for? Do you think those pros are worth the 120k: p/f, close to support system, etc? (There’s no wrong answer)

If worth it, go to Harvard! If not, then Penn!
 
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It sounds like location is very important to you, and that you aren’t a big fan of Rochester. You also seem to potentially want a dual degree MBA! With that in mind, I wouldn’t consider Mayo here. Everyone and their mother knows Mayo (even abroad), but as you noted, the name is recognized due to the hospital and clinical excellence, not other fields like business! Harvard and Penn would give you a serious leg up there.

Regarding Harvard’s mandatory classes… this could be a good thing! It really depends on how you work. If you benefit from daily structure and like a good rhythm but don’t have the discipline to force it on yourself, mandatory classes could be a pro!

With that being said, $120,000 is a serious sum for two peer schools. Especially at 8-9% interest. I would evaluate if Boston+support system is worth that much to you! Given the pros and cons you listed, I would pick Penn!
 
Omg Penn! Also that's so cool you can take classes at the other schools!
 
kandaka said:
I've heard that they are usually not willing to match aid but I'll try my luck. But I'm more so less concerned about the money and more about which school is a better fit for me in the short and long term if that makes sense
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Any of these 3 schools will match you wherever you want to go, and help you achieve whatever you want to achieve.

Fit matters, but I completely agree with Mr. Smile, finances should be a major concern. These schools are too similar in potential to easily justify $120,000. That’s a down payment on a house.
 
All excellent schools! I would say UPenn since that also covers cost of living too.
 
Taking on 100k of loans is definitely a lot but in the grand scheme of things can be paid back relatively easily once you reach an attending salary (others on this thread have situations with 200k or 300k in loans). Of course, in the end, you only have one medical school experience and Harvard is Harvard and the name will carry weight wherever you go - so if you genuinely value this and its edge in global health opportunities and can see yourself thriving there, it is probably worth it in your case.

That said, I doubt Penn would hold you back.
 
This is very tough. Going to echo that Penn is not going to hold you back.

Couple thoughts on your pro/cons list.

- The immediate area around Penn itself is not ridiculously shady or sketchy, it's actually decently nice. The part of Philly that it is in is actually more vibrant in my opinion than the area of Boston that HMS is in. I would say overall Philly does feel more sketchy/scary than Boston as a whole though; but you should focus on the area around the medical school since that's what your life will revolve around.
- $100k is not make or break but it does sound anxiety inducing to you - this is a very personal decision but if I were you making this decision in 2025, I probably would follow the money here given the state of student loans in this country/uncertain future altogether.
- As I have said on many other threads, as a student at another school, my opinion is that Harvard/Hopkins/UCSF are a half step above everyone else in the T10 but this does not matter in practice. I can confidently tell you that you are going to match the same out of Penn and Harvard. You will have equally high class research opportunities and equal access to the Northeast sector of medical excellence.
- I'm a huge proponent of a unified campus and think that's a big pro for Penn (being able to take part in the other amazing offerings), medical school is busy and you might find it harder than you think to make it over to Harvard's other campuses (especially with that much mandatory class).
- P/F is really nice, but haven't there been substantial rumors about HMS going back to clinical grading? I haven't heard anything about clinical grades at Penn being particularly tough.
- Family/friends/support system is important but there also is some value in a fresh start/making new connections in a new city.

Altogether, I'd easily pick Penn here primarily for financial reasons and because I don't see a strong compelling differentiator for Harvard aside from the name/familiarity. But I definitely don't think you're making a huge mistake if you pick Harvard. Congratulations on excellent options!
 
+1 for Penn. There is no meaningful difference in opportunities available for a medical student between Penn and Harvard, and you will not be passing up opportunities by choosing Penn. To be guaranteed debt-free upon graduation, especially in the current climate with PSLF and even Grad Plus loans being under attack, is huge. Penn is a powerhouse in policy and interdisciplinary work, especially with its integrated campus, and you will absolutely have access to more opportunities and resources than you could take advantage of as a medical student at Penn. Philly is a great city to live in (and agree with the above that the area around PSOM is more vibrant and fun than Longwood), and while staying with family/support system is nice, expanding your network and living in a new city in your 20s is also cool and extremely valuable. Take the full ride!!
 
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Take Penn. I was in a very similar position to you last year. Debt should be avoided at all costs. There is no difference between Penn and Harvard for prestige in medicine, especially given the extremely prestigious scholarship. It's far more impressive to be given a merit scholarship to Penn than to have debt out of Harvard. Do your future self a favor and take the title and cash.
 
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