Emory, Case Western Reserve, Hamilton College for Pre-med

dagu541 · April 5

Between these three colleges, I was wondering which school would probably be the better choice, not just for pre-med but also food location, etc. I think they are pretty similar and I have a hard time deciding

merc81 · April 5

Hamilton should appeal to any student who is decisive in their preference for a purely undergraduate-focused college with a spatially luxuriant campus. Its setting — overlooking a charming village, with proximity to the Adirondacks — further defines the school, as does its winter snow suitable for the adventurous. With respect to quality, Kiplinger's recently called Hamilton an "Academic Showstopper." Regarding food options, Hamilton offers seven places to eat.

https://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/T014-C000-S002-best-college-values-2019.html

https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/where-to-eat

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/

dagu541 · April 7

Hi merc81 thanks for your reply, I was also curious regarding internship opportunities, ease of gpa, letter of rec, etc. Could you provide some insight regarding these factors

merc81 · April 7

Common grades at Hamilton for students who apply effort, devote time and express interest toward their courses tend to be As and Bs. In some cases an A, in addition to diligent preparation, may require notable aptitude or talent. Over-matched or, particularly, over-confident students can receive Cs.

Medically related ECs, including on-campus EMT service and off-campus, often summer, internships, are opportunities supported by Hamilton.

If you meet the basic requirements for medical school, Hamilton will support you through a personalized committee letter:

The Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) will prepare a Committee Letter for all students who apply to medical or dental school as long as they have taken at least four semesters of science at Hamilton and follow the process for obtaining a Committee Letter. Candidates are not pre-screened and there is no minimum GPA required for consideration by the HPAC.

https://www.hamilton.edu/after/healthprofessions/the-application-process

merc81 · April 7

If interested, try searching "The 25 Best Colleges for Pre-meds." The list of schools itself appears somewhat arbitrary, but some of the points of the greater analysis may offer you insight.

oldlaw · April 7

What's the COA of each? You'll want to keep UG debt low, since medical school is extremely expensive.
Have you visited all three? Which did you like best?

joecollege44 · April 7

Academically these are all great and can get your where you want to go.

Hamilton is much smaller, a true LAC, with a beautiful campus in a tiny rural town. The others are in cities- Atalanta is prob a better city but Case is right in the downtown.
Both have actual campuses though. Hamilton is heavy on writing skills.

Case has a bit of a reputation for perhaps being overly academic and less fun. Emory is known for a good work/play balance and obviously better weather. But they are prob similar.

3 great choices. But I would say it’s between Case and Emory on one side, and Hamilton on the other. I would imagine most people would choose Emory over Case if it’s between those 2, and Emory is ranked higher for what that’s worth.

coolguy40 · April 7

There's not enough information to give any kind of rational advice. How much do they cost? All I can says is that if you have to co-sign loans to pay tuition, you can't afford it and you should go for the less expensive option.

MYOS1634 · April 10

Hamilton has an open curriculum that should be especially attractive to premeds (great flexibility).

sharksFTW123 · April 10

You have great options; know that you can't go wrong!

clubtennisletsgo · April 10

@dagu541
My DS is working on his choices now. I am a physician, in So Cal, trained on the East coast. CWRU has produced a lot of wonderful physicians that I have worked with over the years. The location in Cleveland gives you lots of access to great medical centers in the area, with opportunities for research, and clinical exposure. The food in Cleveland is very good (maybe outside of the school ;-) )I have worked with some physicians who went to Emory, but not nearly as many, I really think CWRU is where it is at for food and chances. Let us know what you decide (Hamilton is great too!)

merc81 · April 11

If you continue to perform well academically once in college, you might be eligible for Hamilton's early assurance program with the highly regarded University of Rochester Medical School:

https://my.hamilton.edu/news/story/hamilton-to-participate-in-university-of-rochester-med-school-early-assurance-program

dagu541 · April 12

Cost isn’t really an issue for me my parents offered to pay for my tuition and we can afford the cost relatively comfortably. I haven’t visited the campus yet because of covid so that’s a little problematic lol

Mwfan1921 · April 12

These schools will all be good for premed.

You must have some preferences...here are some questions to help you sort thru it:

Have you done the virtual tours/admission sessions?

What are your possible majors? Have you looked at the courses in those majors? What research the profs are doing? The schools’ gen eds? The ore-health advising?

Which do you prefer from a location perspective? Setting? Weather? Social perspective? Size?

What is your plan b if you change your mind, or if med school doesn’t work out?

merc81 · April 13

You haven't visited? This explains why you regard your choices as "pretty similar." Other than by narrow aspects of student profile (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9), they're quite different from each other, so I suggest you seriously research their characteristics further so that you can match one to your preferences as quickly as possible. Consider simplifying your decision as @joecollege44 suggested: "I would say it’s between Case and Emory on one side, and Hamilton on the other."

merc81 · April 13

For entertainment suited to your anticipation of college that would offer you an atmospheric perspective on Hamilton College, you can read or watch The Sterile Cuckoo.

Yajarine · April 14

I am a pre-med at Emory, so I can attest to the quality of the education as well as surrounding area. Though there are core requirement as a part of Emory's curriculum, there are ample class options to choose from to make yourself a well rounded applicant. Graduate schools want to see that you're a curious student with a variety of interests, and in all honestly, the required courses aren't that hard to get through. There are tons of opportunities to volunteer in hospitals right on campus or in downtown/midtown (which is literally a 15 minutes drive). Emory's food scene gets monotonous after a while, but Atlanta has amazing food options. Coming from LA, I was scared about not having a variety of international food options like I did at home, but I continue to find amazing spots around the city. I would say that CWRU and Emory give you more to do outside of campus, and I think that really makes a college experience.

MYOS1634 · April 14

The Sterile Cuckoo is about college students in the 1960s though - all of them would be in their 70's now.

merc81 · April 14

@MYOS1634: The film and novel were recommended for their visual and atmospheric perspectives for a student who has not visited the college. With respect to these aspects, much has endured.

Emory, Case Western Reserve, Hamilton College for Pre-med

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