<p>Newmassdad - thanks for the informative post. All you assert could very well be true, but I would still think that, for students at elite colleges, getting into a top medical school, just like getting into a top law school - if possible - trumps any regional preferences. Of course, you should see more regional representation at the TOP schools in the region. So, Chicago undergrad should be well represented at Wash U Men, Pritzker Med, NU Med, and Michigan Med (roughly the top 4 overall med schools in the midwest). I simply don’t know if, outside of Pritzker, this is the case. I’d imagine Princeton or Brown grads could very well outnumber Chicago grads at places like Wash U or Northwestern. </p>
<p>Please note - I did not mean to imply that U of I or Michigan were "lowly’ schools. The schools I mentioned, however, UIC and SIU, are a step down from major research institutions like Michigan. </p>
<p>As you note, the MCAT is a huge deal. In the majority of the circumstances you list, however, the students also had extremely good grades. </p>
<p>Perhaps Chicago is much better on the med school front now. When my friends went to look at the med school placement list available in the advisors office - they, just like me when I looked at the law placement list - came back decidedly underwhelmed. </p>
<p>It may be unfair to think that, in the world of elite institutions, elite begets elite, but many students - even the one’s choosing to face the challenges at Chicago - head to Hyde Park with this assumption in mind. Moreover, unlike students at Yale, Princeton, etc. - where the phrase elite begets elite really does ring true (look at any placement list to confirm this) - for Chicago, this does not seem to be the case. For many, this is a disappointing realization.</p>