<p>There is an excellent online handbook at Amherst I recommend you read to get an understanding of the process and what really matters. And lest you think they are just beating their own drum, they start out by saying this
You ask about “medical school placement” and thats dangerous territory. One thing to avoid is placing any importance on acceptance numbers. Some schools boast incredible rates, but it boils down to one of two things. Either they start with great students (think Stanford, etc) or the school weeds out students. Look out especially for the “committee letter” which small schools with average students coming in wield like an axe to prevent all but the strongest applicants from applying right out of college; to no surprise, they often boast 90% or better med school “acceptance” numbers for their undergrads. I don’t know whether the ones you mentioned screen or not, but your daughter ought to check.</p>
<p>Now do I think all 4 of those are the same? No. But nobody here has taken the premed classes at all 4 schools and can offer a personal comparison. So unless you get a few bona fide med school adcoms to reply (I imagine they have a an informed opinion because they see apps from all the schools) all you’re going to get here is speculation, hearsay, and reliance on published numbers which have so many variables affecting them as to be meaningless.</p>
<p>Since this is an advice forum, here is advice. There are much bigger differences among the schools (for example all-women at Smith) than there are likely to be differences in premed experience. Have your daughter find which ones she’d like to attend in terms of her college experience, at least as a starting point (and IMHO that should be enough, but I’m sure you’ll get other opinions).</p>