<p>First of all, please keep in mind that I am probably a bit biased in that I am a current Vassar student. That being said, I do know several individuals currently attending Johns Hopkins, including one on the pre-med track, and have a sister who is considering the school. Thus, although I am not a student there, I would say that I have a decent knowledge of Hopkins.</p>
<p>My gut reaction is that you should apply ED to the school where you think you’ll be happiest. You’re considering two excellent schools, both of which have strong pre-med programs. I know Hopkins is more well-known for pre-med because of its graduate program, but rest assured that Vassar is also a very strong school for pre-med. If you work hard, both schools will help you get into a fine medical school.</p>
<p>Also, there seems to be a bit of a bias in this thread towards Johns Hopkins that I would like to right. I do not doubt that Hopkins is a challenging school which demands much of its students, however, would like to point out that Vassar is quite similar. There’s no “grade inflation” that takes place at Vassar, and the school is certainly not a place for slackers. It might not be as outwardly competitive as Hopkins, but that’s because Vassar students are usually more concerned about doing the best they can do as individuals and less about trying to be number one in the class. It’s about competing with yourself rather than competing with others.</p>
<p>Lastly, I would urge you to check out the Vassar College pre-med program website: [Vassar</a> College || Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.vassar.edu/epage.php?pageURL=http://fellowships.vassar.edu&returnURL=aftervassar.html?vi=true]Vassar”>http://admissions.vassar.edu/epage.php?pageURL=http://fellowships.vassar.edu&returnURL=aftervassar.html?vi=true). It’s a testament to the sort of preparation that a Vassar education gives to its pre-med students and outlines the process you’d be going through as a pre-med student at Vassar.</p>