<p>First, I disagree with your perception that you have to work harder at places like U of M, NW and even Harvard. Pre-meds at regular state publics work extrememly hard, including those valedictorians that would have been accepted to Elite schools, but decided to attend state publics instead. They kick their …to keep up their GPAs and they also get derailed in high numbers from the pre-med tracks if they do not step up from their regular High School work load. They see other majors enjoying watching TVs while they cannot afford any of this, no breaks on the weekends either. And if they do good they have high chances of getting accepted into top 20 Med. Schools.</p>
<p>Another point I want to make is no matter where you go, please, study Spanish. This is not related to the topic and this has NO effect on your Med. School acceptance. However, Spanish opens so much opportunities while at Med. School. Of course I can only base it on my D’s experience. She is third year Med. Student and had a great advantage and opportunites starting way back in her frist year. She does not considers herself fluent, she also took Medical Spanish while at Med. School. Currently she is using Spanish with about 60% of the patients that she sees during her family practice rotation and one of her MDs is asking her to present the patient history to him in Spanish in front of the Spanish speaking patient. It is a nerve racking, but very rewarding. I would say that her college Spanish class was one of the most important and one of the best UG classes. She took only one semester.
D. has graduated from the state public (she ranked #1 in her private HS class). She and her pre-med friends did not have any problem getting accepted to few Med. Schools, including top 20s. There are many (most?) in her Med. School class who graduated from Ivy’s and other Elite UGs and she has never felt any inferiority in comparison to them.<br>
What you do in UG is much more important than the name of your UG. Ultimately though, it is your personal decision. if you have your hear set up on some Elite school, then go there.</p>