<p>Wait a minute, HC Alum. Am I reading this correctly? You are basing your conclusion that Haverford has more success at top med schools on your observation of more Haverford grads at John Hopkins, where the part-time med-advisor has specific ties?</p>
<p>Don’t you think we’d need a little broader universe of top medical schools to make that kind of conclusion? For example, if I’m a California resident and get in-state tuition at one of the UC med schools compared to full-fare at a private med school, I might very well consider a UC med school “top”. BTW, I think this whole attempt to compare med school admissions between top LACs is an exercise in total futility. It is my experience that a good applicant from ANY top LAC has extraordinarily strong prospects for good med school admisssions. I would say that is true of Swat, Williams, Amherst, Pomona, Haverford, Smith, Davidson, Carleton, Grinnell, Pomona, and so on and so forth across the board. When more than 1 out of every 10 members of a typical graduating class is accepted into med school, it’s very difficult to suggest that there is any significant impediment. Any differences in med school admissions rates among any of these schools are irrelevant, especially looking at it from the viewpoint of a high school senior who has no clue what kind of applicant he or she might be four, five, or six years down the road.</p>
<p>I would also question your conclusion that Swarthmore doesn’t have an athletic culture. In many ways, it may devote more resources to athletics than Haverford. 20% to 22% of Swat’s students play on a varsity athletic team. Swat even has basic athletic facilities like a swimming pool that Haverford does not. I don’t think anyone would accuse Haverford or Swarthmore of being “jock schools”. After all, neither even has a football program. But, I think it misrepresents Swarthmore to suggest that there is not a sizeable contingent of athletes. Actually the percentages of varsity athletes are pretty typical for LACs around the country.</p>