#Brown vs UPenn vs Duke

14 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

supple haven
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Schools: Brown vs UPenn vs Duke
Intended major: Pre-med, Neuroscience
Costs: Not a consideration.

Duke

Duke Pros:

  • Loved the campus and culture, really seems like I could really have fun at the school
  • Pretty good research opportunities and facilities, all on campus, research system + UNC Chapel Hill is very strong

Duke Cons:

  • Being that isolated could be a bit tricky. I don't know if the Duke + UNC hospital and research system is stronger than researching in Boston, Philly, etc. (which is a bit too far away)
  • I heard there's a lot of grade deflation at Duke. Especially now with med school getting more and more competitive, it's essential to make sure I maintain a good GPA in college, which I may not be able to do if the classes are too hard.

UPenn

UPenn Pros:

  • I loved Philly, it is different compared to Duke's campus which is nice in its own sense
  • Pre-professional environment is great for keeping me motivated to do more work
  • The healthcare facilities are world class, especially CHOP/the HOP system. Unmatched. Especially for the type of research I want to do.

UPenn Cons:

  • I heard there's really bad grade deflation there, like Duke, which makes me nervous. There's no point in having all those great facilities if I am constantly studying every single day and don't have time to do anything.
  • I also heard the student body is more or less a bit depressed, which def effects a lot of things, let alone isnt fun (duh).

###Brown
Brown Pros:

  • Loved the campus and culture. Really fun people.
  • Open curriculum will make classes much easier, will allow me to explore more, and maintain a good GPA.

Brown Cons

  • Not a lot of great research facilities or opportunities (comparatively) there. If I go here, I would have to do research elsewhere as well, which isn't ideal.

Tiebreaking considerations

  • How difficult classes are/grade inflation & deflation
  • More info on how accessible research is
sonic comet
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Brown grade inflation is insane

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If you’re worried about GPA for med, Brown will be much easier than the other two

supple haven
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But are classes at Duke and UPenn that much harder that it's still worth it with their research facilities and hopsitals?

boreal bridge
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Duke and UNC research is very strong. I didn't experience grade deflation, professors didn't curve down, your grade is typically just your grade

supple haven
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Ok that's good to hear, tysm. How accessible is the Duke & UNC Research?

leaden merlin
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Did not hear that Duke deflated from anyone

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My family friend had a 4.0 as a bme major

supple haven
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ooooo thats good to hear

boreal bridge
lime ice
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don’t choose based on perceived grade inflation/deflation

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there’s no way to quantify inflation and it’s very departmental based anyway

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so just choose based on quality of life and campus culture

boreal bridge
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Yeah, to that point, you're not going to have an issue finding research or academic or professional opportunities at any of these schools so it just comes down to which do you personally like more in terms of the location, campus culture, etc.