<p>My oldest son had a similar choice. UPenn for about 20k more per year than Vanderbilt. While I think he would have fit well at UPenn he chose Vandy. His two main deciding factors were he liked the area of Nashville around Vanderbilt much more than the area of Philly around UPenn (we are from a big city in the northeast) and he felt more “at home” at Vandy. He is studying engineering and while UPenn’s name carries more academic weight, both institutions would serve you very well in your studies and are both recognized for very high quality educations. Both schools have excellent Biomedical departments. It seemed to me that UPenn students have a good perspective on the work/play aspects of life, but here I believe Vanderbilt students probably make a little more of an effort to wind down and have some enjoyment (don’t get me wrong both schools students study very hard). He has never regretted his decision and really is enjoying his time at Vandy. Whatever you decide you really can’t go wrong with either choice. If you have not visited both schools you really should. It was the visits that allowed my son to make his decision. Best of luck and congratulations on getting into two great institutions.</p>