Northwestern HPME vs. Princeton vs. Vanderbilt

hitmeandmyfriend · 04-02-2008, 04:42 PM

Hey,
I am stressin. I don't know whether to take Northwestern HPME offer (7 years into med school, keep up a 3.5 GPA), Princeton, or a 75% scholarship to Vanderbilt. I've been getting about 10,000 in financial aid, and I'm hoping Northwestern will give me more because I'm HPME.

I know that I want to go to med school to become a surgeon, but my dad and grandfather went to princeton, and the experience there seems unmatched.

i also am worried about debt, so the vandy scholarship seems very appealing

lastly, i want to go somewhere with a SOCIAL LIFE, i am not into studying 24/7 and my main interests involve soccer and jazz and GIRLSSSS....so vanderbilt is also appealing because of the social life, and northwestern would be nice because i wouldn't have to work to get the 4.0 or take my MCATs, so i could take more advantage of life there---i've been working my ass off, so i wanna relax....but at the same time, princeton is princeton.

Could you please offer me some advice? I've visited all the schools except vandy, cause i'm from pennsylvania, and i've been talking to many doctors about what route they would recommend

mrchipmunk90 · 04-02-2008, 04:46 PM

I would say take vanderbilt or princeton, but northwestern would be fine too so you can't really go wrong. With a 75% scholarship, Vanderbilt is definitely the best value of the 3. It is an excellent school and you would be going for really cheap, comparatively. Also, i've heard that vanderbilt has the best social life of the 3. There are lots of parties and stuff, but that's just what I heard. However, i can see how it would be hard to turn down princeton.

Good luck, but keep in mind that you really can't go wrong.

hitmeandmyfriend · 04-02-2008, 04:48 PM

what about the direct route to med school? i would have to only keep up a 3.5 to get into northwestern med---a ridiculous deal...that to me seems most appealing, and i'm actually leaning toward that...not having to deal with the stress of getting into medical school is just soooo awesome

acarey617 · 04-02-2008, 05:06 PM

As far as social life is concerned, Vanderbilt is far and away the best of the three.

I have heard less than stellar-comments regarding its med school placement though.

I would recommend NW or Princeton. If you really don't want to take the MCAT and would like to have a little leeway, obviously NW is a great option. But if you got into Princeton, chances are you aren't the type to slack off or underachieve. I don't think scoring high on the MCAT would be a huge difficulty for you.

FredFredBurger · 04-02-2008, 05:14 PM

I have a friend who was accepted to several ivies last year, including Yale and turned it all down to attend Northwestern HPME, if it helps. You really have a difficult decision on your hands. I think you'd have a lot of fun at Vandy, but Princeton seems "too good" to turn down. If you're 100% sure you want to attend medical school I'd choose Northwestern. However, you may be able to get into a top med school without a guaranteed med program. Good luck making the choice!

viperm90 · 04-02-2008, 05:16 PM

If you go to Princeton..its basically like having a direct route to med school

If you go to vandy...you go for cheap and you can stand out there
and northwestern you got the direct admit

cant go wrong..

hbart724 · 04-02-2008, 05:34 PM

You really can't go wrong, as the poster above noted, but I would say come to Princeton!! You seem pretty set on Medical School, but many, many college kids who are as convinced of their desire to go to Med School as you are now ultimately change their mind. Wouldn't you regret turning down Princeton for Northwestern if you ultimately decided that Medical School wasn't right for you? I must say though, if you go to Northwestern and still end up wanting to go to Med School after undergrad, HPME is a pretty sweet deal...

Did you apply for FA at Princeton? Are you happy with it?

Narcissa · 04-02-2008, 05:37 PM

HPME; they only accepted like less 20 ppl this year...and its not really hard to keep up that 3.5 gpa

hiawatha1919 · 04-02-2008, 05:38 PM

To counter that, if you go to Princeton and remain set on med school, will you be kicking yourself for not choosing HPME while you are working so hard for MCATs, essays, recs, etc?

bigreddawgie · 04-02-2008, 05:40 PM

u need a 3.0 not 3.5 3.2 for the sciences. go to nu and have a chill and great time knowing ur into med school.

hiawatha1919 · 04-02-2008, 05:40 PM

Contrary to someone's belief above, going to Princeton is not going to guarantee you a spot in any med school. You are going to have to work very hard, which I'm sure you're aware of.

DSC · 04-02-2008, 06:09 PM

I would rank them:

Northwestern HPME (assuming decent aid)
Vandy
Princeton

Getting out of the MCATs and not needing such a hard core GPA is HUGE. Mega-HUGE. That makes your social life 10x what it could be at another school that offers a seemingly better social life, as you would have some free time.

And Vandy is a great school and a bargain with a 75% scholly.

And Princeton is about the best 3rd choice school a person could have.

Sam Lee · 04-02-2008, 07:40 PM

When you are a HPME, your undergrad is 3-yr. So you are already getting 25% discount assuming you don't change your mind and pursue something else.

hitmeandmyfriend · 04-02-2008, 07:41 PM

Thanks guys this is all really helpful

hbart, I applied for FA at princeton, and i'm not happy at all...i come from a middle class two-parent family so we got screwed on our EFC (40K)

also, the only thing that keeps me from Northwestern is the weather, the maybe dull social life, and the huggeee debt i might have...any thots on these factors?

thanks again!!!!

Sam Lee · 04-02-2008, 07:52 PM

how much is the total cost for the undergrad years for each school? remember, it's only 3-yr for NU.