I am currently trying to decide between these two schools. UWSOM is my state school and I have been given a full four years tuition scholarship. However, I have also been given a four-year scholarship to Stanford. With this scholarship, I would only have to pay $5,000/year to go to Stanford. I really like both schools and was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to decide between the two. Stanford is more prestigious and is in California, but my long-term significant other (5 years) and sibling will both be going to UWSOM this fall. I also want to become a surgeon. Pros/Cons of both schools? Thoughts, advice?
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Nice choices. Personally, I would pay the extra five grand per year and go to Stanford. Great weather, beautiful campus, close to San Francisco, and the Stanford name opens alot of doors. $20,000 of debt is nothing. Washington is a fine school with a huge focus on primary care but also does a tremendous amount of research. Apparently, you are not interested in primary care. I would not pass up Stanford.
Listen man, you have one shot at life, you got into one of the most prestigious schools in the world. With absolutely no doubt, I would choose Stanford in a heartbeat. 20K will not make a difference in your life, its very much affordable.
Stanford all the way!!
Stanford all the way!!
I would not let $20k keep me from going to Stanford over just about any other school in the country.
The fact that you think you want to be a surgeon is irrelevant.
The fact that you have family and an SO at UWSOM is quite relevant.
For all intents and purposes, the money is not very relevant in this decision.
The fact that you think you want to be a surgeon is irrelevant.
The fact that you have family and an SO at UWSOM is quite relevant.
For all intents and purposes, the money is not very relevant in this decision.
Are you two serious? UW all the way. Of course Stanford is a great school, but UW is just as prestigious and internationally recognized. It is ranked much higher than Stanford in primary care and research. I can't believe you're giving the super expensive school so much credit when UW is a better choice all around. I would turn down Stanford to go to UW any day. Save thousands of dollars and go to the better school.
1. If your "other" is truly significant, go to UW...unless you want to be away from your sibling...(kidding).
2. Seattle >>>> Palo Alto.
3. If you intend on becoming a surgeon, all the more reason to spend time with your family while you can!
2. Seattle >>>> Palo Alto.
3. If you intend on becoming a surgeon, all the more reason to spend time with your family while you can!
Easy UW. While it would be a no brainer to not want to go to school with your sibling, the fact that your significant other goes there should put it in the lead.
UW is an amazing school and in the circles that matter the name carries.
Even Ben Carson went to University of Michigan for med school. The Hopkins name came after.
If you still have no idea who Ben Carson is, you should hang your head in shame.
UW is an amazing school and in the circles that matter the name carries.
Even Ben Carson went to University of Michigan for med school. The Hopkins name came after.
If you still have no idea who Ben Carson is, you should hang your head in shame.
Stanford might be slightly higher ranked for research, but they're both top schools. I say go to UW if you think you'll be happy there. Having a SO and family close by could be a big help, whereas being so far away from them could be a major strain. UW is also FREE (congrats by the way!) Having "Stanford" on your diploma could help with an academic position maybe, but UW is a really good school too.
I vote UW.
I vote UW.
Sorry, UW just does not compute. The decision has to be Stanford. The calibre of med students at Stanford is much higher. Also, I would never make a decision on where to attend med school based upon my girlfriend. Girlfriends come and go. If the issue involved my wife, of course, that would be different but not a girlfriend. Nor would my brother or sister inflluence my choice.
Go to Stanford. Otherwise you will be haunted by the road not taken.
Go to Stanford. Otherwise you will be haunted by the road not taken.
You're the one whos nuts dude, it will cost him/her 20K, not "thousands of dollars". Its peanuts compared to what some people pay.
And is UW just as prestigious and recognized as Stanford???.....Are you kidding me!!!! Stanford is in a whole different level dude!!! And the
fact that he/she has a chance to go to such a school for just 5k a year is just amazing.
The choice should be Stanford, no doubt about it. Its crystal clear!!!
P.S : I think you're kinda jealous of him/her that he/she got into one of the best medical schools in the world.
I agree that Washington is a really good school. But I also suspect that you did not have the option of turning down Stanford. Stanford has the pick of the litter on a national basis. Washington is a state school with a mission mandated by the state legislature - the pool of students that Washington draws from is very different. Washington cannot take the pick of the litter nationally - it is unfriendly to OOS unless you are from Alaska, Idaho, or Montana. Stanford is on a different level. As is Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and a couple of others.
Threads like this amaze me. Either option and you're an absolute winner. Congrats on winning life 
I say Stanford. Small class, research opportunities up the wazoo. Even if you go to UW, you and your SO will probably be too busy to really do much, other than an occasional movie night out.
Also, keep in mind, that Stanford's program is typically 5 years (they require med students to complete a "scholarly concentration"). You may or may not get money for that fifth year, though, I've heard that Stanford is very generous in its financial aid.
Ultimately, it's your call. Best of luck!
Sure, but California is huge, it dwarfs Washington, it dwarfs most countries on our planet. The pool of students in California, well, there is better moose hunting, or unfortunatley, wolf hunting, in Wyoming. See the photo of the guy who shot the wolf from 30 yards last weekend in Wyoming. Sweet. We need to kill more wolves. It is a huge national problem.The guy held up the dead wolf, next to his snow mobile, and grinned, what a hero. Thirty yards, with a semi automatic rifle. Brave soul.
I'm from Seattle and here UWSOM is extremely highly regarded. Stanford is a great school too, but here (the Pacific Northwest), Stanford isn't known for it's medical school. It's overshadowed by UW.
Compare how UW and Stanford place their students and what their curriculum is like. If you can visit Stanford, that's awesome.
Go to the one that's the better fit. Whether that's being by your sibling or significant other or going to a big name school, it's all based on your preferences.
Compare how UW and Stanford place their students and what their curriculum is like. If you can visit Stanford, that's awesome.
Go to the one that's the better fit. Whether that's being by your sibling or significant other or going to a big name school, it's all based on your preferences.
Stanford is obviously the better choice. The only reason to choose UW is your SO, which is a situation you have to judge for yourself. But in terms of location, student happiness, opportunity, and name, Stanford is better.
hey crystalclear,
out of curiosity, was this scholarship merit or needs based? i thought stanford only gave need based aid.
i would definitely choose stanford though it is a great place!
out of curiosity, was this scholarship merit or needs based? i thought stanford only gave need based aid.
i would definitely choose stanford though it is a great place!
Crystalclear! I think i know you at UW. Last name starts with B and ends with a K?
So what if UW is the number one school for primary care and sixth for research, you'll be going to a top school for free and still can specialize! Plus, you'll be close to home.
Stanford might have a better "brand name" to the lay man, but to the medical community, UW is pretty fantastic as well.
Personally, I'd go to UW but I've always been a sucker when it comes to matters of the heart.
Personally, I'd go to UW but I've always been a sucker when it comes to matters of the heart.
If you care about the school, go with Stanford. It no doubt has more prestige nationally and internationally. But UW is an excellent school, too.
I'm a local San Franciscan and have lived in the South Bay as well. I can tell you that Palo Alto is an expensive place to live. Going to Stanford for only 5K/year is great but you also have to consider cost of living. Also, you will need a car. The only place in the North Bay where you can survive without a car is San Francisco. Even so, I still have a car and motorcycle for convenience. Outside San Francisco, such as Palo Alto, you cannot rely on public transportation... they come in half to one hour, if you are lucky. Remember, this is California. The commute along freeway 101 is almost always bad. Yes, it is near San Francisco, but it is still 20-25 miles on 101. And once you hit the city, you will meet traffic jam again before you can find parking (which is another adventure). So, it is not a 20 minute ride. Your best bet is to live on campus or near campus so that you don't have to hit the freeway, at least not too much, to go to school.
Seattle is not that bad when it comes to commute. Since you are local, you would not have logistics issues.
I have been to Stanford and UW campuses. So I know both. Stanford is huuugge. You cannot simply walk from one campus to another whereas you can do this at UW (UW is big, too, but still manageable on foot).
Both campuses are beautiful although Stanford is prettier.
I'm a local San Franciscan and have lived in the South Bay as well. I can tell you that Palo Alto is an expensive place to live. Going to Stanford for only 5K/year is great but you also have to consider cost of living. Also, you will need a car. The only place in the North Bay where you can survive without a car is San Francisco. Even so, I still have a car and motorcycle for convenience. Outside San Francisco, such as Palo Alto, you cannot rely on public transportation... they come in half to one hour, if you are lucky. Remember, this is California. The commute along freeway 101 is almost always bad. Yes, it is near San Francisco, but it is still 20-25 miles on 101. And once you hit the city, you will meet traffic jam again before you can find parking (which is another adventure). So, it is not a 20 minute ride. Your best bet is to live on campus or near campus so that you don't have to hit the freeway, at least not too much, to go to school.
Seattle is not that bad when it comes to commute. Since you are local, you would not have logistics issues.
I have been to Stanford and UW campuses. So I know both. Stanford is huuugge. You cannot simply walk from one campus to another whereas you can do this at UW (UW is big, too, but still manageable on foot).
Both campuses are beautiful although Stanford is prettier.
Go where you want, and don't let money be your deciding factor here - either way, you're not paying much. And you'll be able to pay it back. 
They are both amazing schools. Just a note to ppl on the thread: UW is just as highly ranked as Standford and is one of the few schools in the country to be in the top ten for both primary care and research. So I really fail to see how the 'caliber of students' could be lower, or how it could open fewer doors than Stanford.
People who know what they're talking about will be phenomenally impressed with either school, so pick based on where you want to live and your quaility of while in med school.
Congrats, and hope to see you in September at UW!!
They are both amazing schools. Just a note to ppl on the thread: UW is just as highly ranked as Standford and is one of the few schools in the country to be in the top ten for both primary care and research. So I really fail to see how the 'caliber of students' could be lower, or how it could open fewer doors than Stanford.
People who know what they're talking about will be phenomenally impressed with either school, so pick based on where you want to live and your quaility of while in med school.Congrats, and hope to see you in September at UW!!
Seriously though. R u guys really saying that UW isn't a great medical school? I hope you're joking. UW is ranked first in primary care and what top 5 or 6 in research! Being a private school doesn't make you better than a public school. UC San Fran is amazing and so is UCLA. Dont forget UNC Chapel Hill!
Stanford is more recognized for its undergraduate programs than graduate programs.
UWSOM and Stanford are pretty comparable in terms of funding and prestige.
UWSOM and Stanford are pretty comparable in terms of funding and prestige.
- Thread Starter
- #33
Thank you for all of your responses so far! This has been really helpful. Another thing that I am thinking about is total $$$. So the total costs of attending either school (room, board, transportation, etc.) would be:
UWSOM: ~$19,000/year
Stanford: ~$37,000/year
UWSOM: $76,000 in loans
Stanford: $148,000 in loans
UWSOM: ~$19,000/year
Stanford: ~$37,000/year
UWSOM: $76,000 in loans
Stanford: $148,000 in loans
That is a far cry from what you told us ($5000 more to attend Stanford) in the original post.
Changes my advice completely...
Oh my lord! That is a big difference. Having interviewed at the two, I liked UW much more (but that's because I felt I meshed better with the students and the school's mission), but I was not accepted unfortunately.
Ultimately, it will depend on your gut feeling. The above posters are right in stating that whether you want to go into primary care or academic medicine, UW is an amazing option. I might give a slight edge to Stanford in terms of academic medicine, but this is only because the school is so focused on training clinician scientists.
Others are also right in pointing out UW's prestige within the medical and scientific community. There are many, many top researchers who are at UW. It is definitely on par with Stanford, and may even be better due to its outstanding program in community healthcare.
Of course, the family situation and one with the SO will come into play. If this is important, you need to weigh it in. But, remember that either choice will be fine.
You have two great options! Either way will be amazing.
- Dec 18, 2004
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Just break it down
Price: UWSOM, since appaerntly you now save 70k total. Not to mention living w/ your SO will save some more off of that as well as saving on travel expenses.
Satisfaction: Good thing about Stanford is that is P/F all 4 years so the atmosphere is probably more relaxed, especially with its smaller class size. But you're with your SO at UWSOM, that's a big plus. From the sounds of it, it's a pretty serious relationship that could lead to marriage? Not to mention you save in travel expenses etc.
Prestige: Stanford, by a hair. Is it worth the other factors? People tend to underestimate UW because it's a state school and its UG is so crappy compared to Stanford. But in medical circles it's very comparable
Price: UWSOM, since appaerntly you now save 70k total. Not to mention living w/ your SO will save some more off of that as well as saving on travel expenses.
Satisfaction: Good thing about Stanford is that is P/F all 4 years so the atmosphere is probably more relaxed, especially with its smaller class size. But you're with your SO at UWSOM, that's a big plus. From the sounds of it, it's a pretty serious relationship that could lead to marriage? Not to mention you save in travel expenses etc.
Prestige: Stanford, by a hair. Is it worth the other factors? People tend to underestimate UW because it's a state school and its UG is so crappy compared to Stanford. But in medical circles it's very comparable