I totally get what you mean, even if it feels bad to admit it. I'm still on hold at NYU, but if I got in I'd also be choosing among those "top" echelon schools too, so I've definitely had those thoughts of "ooh could I choose NYU over Harvard/Penn, etc?" I've had that conversation with family an friends, and it always gets the same reaction - who would ever choose NYU over
Harvard?? Like I do get it, and in some ways I have that in my head too, of like wow if you go to one of those schools everyone will have that reaction and it'll "carry significance." However, I try to remind myself that's only with people outside the medical field. Within it, sure people still think it's cool if you went to Harvard, but there will be no mistake of NYU for a less significant school. More importantly, if you go to NYU you'll likely end up in the same residency and fellowship as if you went to Harvard, and that's what people care about in the end.
Comedic finish: if you go to NYU, non-medical people certainly won't mistake your expensive fancy car for something lesser than, as opposed to that person who went to Harvard driving an old beater because they're still buried in debt.