<p>I think you are the only one that derailed things, actually. In point of fact, BTW, you only modified the “disdain” comment after we commented on the arrogance of it. So I guess we were right that it was quite arrogant as originally stated. Still the fact that some Stanford students do end up at med schools that are not in the top 10 or 20 must mean they are not all disinterested.</p>
<p>Hogwarts - Go to the school that fits you best, period. Only you know what that means. If you want the most prestigious school for the sake of prestige, do that. (I am not saying you do, just saying if). If you want a school with big time sports, better weather, big Greek life, whatever. Only you can balance out these factors. It isn’t all about academics. Yes, it takes intellectual ability to do well in school, especially the schools you mention. But the vast majority of time you won’t get in if you don’t have that ability. Once you are in, it really is more about hard work, discipline, working with profs and fellow students to make sure you are staying on track to understand the material and do well on tests and papers, etc. What I am saying is I suggest you take a completely different approach to this and focus more on what school excites you the most for whatever reason. That’s where you are most likely to do best because you will be happiest.</p>