What in your eyes makes the AB more special than a Harvard/Stanford education? It’s hard to turn down the name/prestige of the institution when most medical schools/employers wouldn’t know about the AB.
There are no bad options here.
The AB Duke is a free ride at a top 10 school in which you will be given a tremendous amount of support, faculty involvement, research opportunities, etc. It will open doors for you everywhere.
Both Harvard and Stanford are amazing schools. I think Stanford provides a better undergraduate experience, but you can’t go wrong with either.
NU’s HPME would relieve a great deal of stress when it comes to MCATs and applying to med school.
When you say “Luckily, the financials are not of great concern to me” does that mean that they absolutely do not need to figure into your decision? (Remember, there’s also med school to pay for.). Unless your parents are uber-wealthy or you’re on full FA, you should at least consider it a factor.
Have you visited all of the schools? What does your gut tell you?
The AB Duke would be a tough one to pass up unless Duke totally did not resonate with you. The AB is truly a gift.
@premeddecision You are mistaken if you think that medical schools are not familiar with the AB. Any employer worth their salt would be too.
What is the difference between Harvard/Stanford in terms of med school admissions, strength of biology/BME curriculum, and research opportunities?
Let’s not get carried away here. AB Duke scholars is wonderful but it doesn’t make one “almost certainly graduate with a high GPA”. It doesn’t raise your IQ or give you a leg up for your orgo exams.
I have never interacted with an AB Duke scholar who did not graduate with latin honors (not an exaggeration). It doesn’t raise your IQ but your IQ is probably incredibly high to begin with. Also, getting good grades in college has very little to do with your “IQ”. It’s about putting in the work. ABs excel at getting things done.