u/Available_Young_5118

Hi! I'm committed to Haverford, but I just got off the Vanderbilt waitlist and only have two more days to decide (😭). I’m stressed and genuinely need help deciding so any personal experiences, thoughts, or comments would be super helpful and appreciated.

I wanted to ask a few questions:

- How is being pre-med / a student in general at Vanderbilt? Do you feel supported, is advising good, etc.

- Would doing pre-med at Vanderbilt give me a good chance at gaining admission to top 20 medical schools? Or would the weed-out classes and grade deflation make me more likely to fail to gain admission?

I’m interested in neuroscience on the pre-med track, so Haverford’s 95% acceptance rate to med school, access to professors, and the close pre-med advising sound appealing. I feel like opportunities to do research are easier to obtain due to the invested faculty and not having to compete so much than at Vanderbilt (please correct me if I’m wrong). I also went to the fly-in program, and I really liked the cozy, friendly, non-stress environment. Although I’m not so sure if I want to be in such a small setting, I feel like I can genuinely be happy at Haverford, feel supported, and find my people. Haverford seems really inclusive and welcome to diversity (I’m Asian and from the Northeast). That said, it is less well-known and a bit more expensive than Vanderbilt by a few thousand for me.

On the other hand, Vanderbilt has great resources and more opportunities for research and experience, vibrant social life, and urban location that I wouldn’t want to miss out on. As a pre-med student, I’d really benefit from the close proximity to VUMC and name recognition from med schools. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be in the center of Nashville and be surrounded by high-achieving students. Vanderbilt also doesn’t expect me to take loans or do work study. I heard it’s really hard there, especially with the weed-out courses. Vanderbilt is probably a bit more stressful/competitive and has less pre-med advising/support than Haverford as the med school acceptance rate was 68%, and I don’t know if I would find my place at Vanderbilt.

I hope I’m not settling down to safety or limiting myself from valuable resources if I end up choosing Haverford. Again, I’d tremendously appreciate any opinions or experiences right now. I was also waitlisted from Case Western, so any opinion on that would be helpful as well even though I’m not really considering it. Thanks so much for your time

Hi! I'm committed to Haverford (and I love this school), but I just got off the Vanderbilt waitlist and only have two more days to decide. Any personal experiences, thoughts, or comments would be super helpful and appreciated!!!

I’m interested in neuroscience on the pre-med track, so Haverford’s 95% acceptance rate to med school, access to professors, and the close pre-med advising sound appealing. I feel like opportunities to do research are easier to obtain due to the invested faculty and not having to compete so much than at Vanderbilt (please correct me if I’m wrong). I also went to the fly-in program, and I really liked the cozy, friendly, non-stress environment. Although I’m not so sure if I want to be in such a small setting, I feel like I can genuinely be happy at Haverford, feel supported, and find my people. Haverford seems really inclusive and welcome to diversity (I’m Asian and from the Northeast). That said, Haverford is less well-known and a bit more expensive than Vanderbilt by a few thousand for me.

On the other hand, Vanderbilt has great resources and more opportunities for research and experience, vibrant social life, and urban location that I wouldn’t want to miss out on. As a pre-med student, I’d really benefit from the close proximity to VUMC and name recognition from med schools. Vanderbilt also doesn’t expect me to take loans or do work study. I heard it’s really hard there though, especially with the weed-out courses. Vanderbilt is probably a bit more stressful/competitive and has less pre-med advising/support than Haverford as the med school acceptance rate was 68%, and I don’t know if I would find my place at Vanderbilt.

How is being pre-med at Haverford? Is advising good? Can Haverford students get as much resources and opportunities from Philadelphia and other surrounding areas as students at Vanderbilt from VUMC? Would Haverford give me a good chance at gaining admission to top 20 medical schools?

Again, I’d greatly appreciate any opinions or experiences!! I was also waitlisted from Case Western, so any opinion on that would be tremendously helpful as well even though I’m not really considering it. Thanks so much for your time!