Hofstra (full scholarship) VS Mount Sinai

[sbu2012]

Hello everyone,

The topic of the thread is pretty much self explanatory.
I got a full scholarship to hofstra and a need based 50% scholarship at Mount sinai. I would still have to take out another $31,000 for four years.
Hofstra is a relatively new school while mount sinai is very established. I connected very well with the students at hofstra but their classes are mandatory and their curriculum doesn't really fit my lifestyle while I prefer mount sinai curriculum but ddnt really connect with the students.
I would love to hear everyone's input from current students or people that have faced this dilemma before.

Thanks in advance.

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[alpinism]

Mt. Sinai.

IMO their curriculum and extra opportunities are worth the money.

 

[yankees26]

I would go with Hofstra. I do not think full tuition scholarships should be dismissed. That is HUGE. Hofstra has an rising reputation and there new facilities are state of the art. OP, how were your impressions about both schools? It would be helpful to know your preferences and impressions of the schools.

 

[wanderer]

You can't beat free. I'm sure MSSM will give you more opportunities if you seek them but think about 4 years from now you really want to go into a low paying specialty. Sure MSSM will give you a slightly better shot at plastics or derm but odds are you wont go for something that competitive. Don't underestimate 200k of debt.

 

[sbu2012]

Thanks everyone. Please keep it coming.

 

[sbu2012]

I would go with Hofstra. I do not think full tuition scholarships should be dismissed. That is HUGE. Hofstra has an rising reputation and there new facilities are state of the art. OP, how were your impressions about both schools? It would be helpful to know your preferences and impressions of the schools.

Thanks Yankees26. I edited my post already.

I disliked the hofstra curriculum because it is mostly pbl and classes are mandatory but I connected very well with students while I loved Sinai curriculum but did not connect so much with the students.

 

[yankees26]

Someone told me the most important part of med schools is the teamwork with your peers. If you don't connect with them, med school could be pretty miserable. What about the curriculum did you not like? From what you say so far, I think that hofstra would be the better fit.
GL with your choice

 

[cyberchicken001]

Wow how did you get these crazy scholarships??

 

[cookiemonsters]

I would say Sinai, the prestige difference is huge enough to justify the extra $$$.

edit: I misread and thought you said you were getting 30K/year at Sinai. So Hofstra is essentially giving you 180K more money than Sinai? Which will be close to 300K after interest accumulates. Jeez, I would find it really difficult to turn down that much aid -- that's essentially a house a in a decent neighborhood. Tough choice.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

I would personally go with Mt. Sinai. That's a really good price for a school with a well-established reputation and one that you seemed to like better. This is my personal opinion, but I would not want to be a guinea pig at a brand new school. I don't think a price difference of ~$30k is worth it, however you may disagree.

 

[sbu2012]

I would say Sinai, the prestige difference is huge enough to justify the extra $$$.

edit: I misread and thought you said you were getting 30K/year at Sinai. So Hofstra is essentially giving you 180K more money than Sinai? Which will be close to 300K after interest accumulates. Jeez, I would find it really difficult to turn down that much aid -- that's essentially a house a in a decent neighborhood. Tough choice.

That's why the decision is so tough for me. Thank you very much for your input.

 

[sbu2012]

I would personally go with Mt. Sinai. That's a really good price for a school with a well-established reputation and one that you seemed to like better. This is my personal opinion, but I would not want to be a guinea pig at a brand new school. I don't think a price difference of ~$30k is worth it, however you may disagree.

Thank you for your input. Unfortunately, it's not 30,000 every year. It's only for first year. It's about $240,000 or more in the long run without interest.

 

[Lya]

It really depends on your personal, professional, and academic goals. If you just want to go to medical school and become a doctor, Hofstra will be a great choice. However, if you want to pursue academic medicine even a little bit (school reputation matters for academic medicine), pursue particular programs at Sinai, or perhaps want to do research for competitive specialties or just research in general (Sinai seems to have better research funding available), then Sinai will be a great choice.

School needs to fit you, your interests, and your goals.

 

[Dwan]

Hello everyone,

The topic of the thread is pretty much self explanatory.
I got a full scholarship to hofstra and a $30,000 scholarship just for the first year at Mount sinai. I would still have to take out another $31,000 only for the first year alone and over $60,000 ever year afterwards.
Hofstra is a relatively new school while mount sinai is very established. I connected very well with the students at hofstra but their classes are mandatory and their curriculum doesn't really fit my lifestyle while I prefer mount sinai curriculum but ddnt really connect with the students.
I would love to hear everyone's input from current students or people that have faced this dilemma before.

Thanks in advance.

I would choose Mt. Sinai if your interest is in academia/research. The differences in opportunities are large enough to justify the cost, and the name will additionally help you out in matching to competitive or academic residencies. That price difference is significant though, and its weight will depend on your personal career goals.

 

[yankees26]

It really depends on your personal, professional, and academic goals. If you just want to go to medical school and become a doctor, Hofstra will be a great choice. However, if you want to pursue academic medicine even a little bit (school reputation matters for academic medicine), pursue particular programs at Sinai, or perhaps want to do research for competitive specialties or just research in general (Sinai seems to have better research funding available), then Sinai will be a great choice.

School needs to fit you, your interests, and your goals.

I think we need to not dismiss Hofstra in its ability to prepare you for academic medicine or a competitive specialty. If you crush Step 1, you can def land any specialty you want.

Also dont forget to factor in cost of living, etc.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

Thank you for your input. Unfortunately, it's not 30,000 every year. It's only for first year. It's about $240,000 or more in the long run without interest.

I would still pick Mt. Sinai in this scenario.

 

[sbu2012]

Thanks everyone. This is really giving me sleepless nights . It's such a big decision.

 

[penguinism]

Is it possible that Sinai will renew the scholarship if you do well in your first year, or have they explicitly stated that it is only for the first year? Some schools will renew single-year scholarships based on x and y criteria. Not that you would want that added pressure of needing to be in the top half or something…

I think Sinai is a fantastic school but the money is hard to pass up. It comes down to what you value more. Have you gotten your financial aid package from Sinai yet? Any chance for need-based aid?

 

[cyberchicken001]

Thanks everyone. This is really giving me sleepless nights . It's such a big decision.

 

[indianjatt]

Did you receive your full ride offer at the time of your acceptance?

 

[sbu2012]

Is it possible that Sinai will renew the scholarship if you do well in your first year, or have they explicitly stated that it is only for the first year? Some schools will renew single-year scholarships based on x and y criteria. Not that you would want that added pressure of needing to be in the top half or something…

I think Sinai is a fantastic school but the money is hard to pass up. It comes down to what you value more. Have you gotten your financial aid package from Sinai yet? Any chance for need-based aid?

Thank you penguinism. I just received the official letter. It is a need based aid and will be for four years if my family income remains the same. I edited my original post.

 

[Espadaleader]

OP go to Med Loans and come back. Big decision. Kinda confused with the editing. What is the final damage (the total loan amount) for both?

 

[nemo123]

Have you possibly tried to tell Mt Sinai about your scholarship at Hofstra to try to see if they can send any money your way?

 

[neilpryde21]

Is the Hofstra scholarship a full-tuition or full-ride including living expenses? If it's a full-tuition scholarship, then the living expenses for Hofstra vs the 31K in loans for Sinai may not be THAT different in the end. If it's a full-ride, then that's a different story. Still, if I were in this position, I'd take Sinai in a heartbeat

 

[RoareeTheLion]

A Full Ride to Hofstra! holy smokes, that really cannot be beat. Whoever is telling you that Sinai is worth a quarter million dollars more is crazy IMO haha. The price is significant, and if you saw yourself fitting in with the students and liking the school, that is definitely where you should be. The fact that this is a huge dilemma for you leads me to believe that you should be leaning towards Hofstra. If you work hard in med school, competitive specialities will definitely be feasible. Dont let such a golden opportunity go away! GL

 

[DermViser]

Hello everyone,

The topic of the thread is pretty much self explanatory.
I got a full scholarship to hofstra and a need based 50% scholarship at Mount sinai. I would still have to take out another $31,000 for four years.
Hofstra is a relatively new school while mount sinai is very established. I connected very well with the students at hofstra but their classes are mandatory and their curriculum doesn't really fit my lifestyle while I prefer mount sinai curriculum but ddnt really connect with the students.
I would love to hear everyone's input from current students or people that have faced this dilemma before.

Thanks in advance.

No question, Mt. Sinai.

 

[penguinism]

Thank you penguinism. I just received the official letter. It is a need based aid and will be for four years if my family income remains the same. I edited my original post.

If I recall properly, Sinai's tuition is somewhat cheaper than other private schools in NYC. If Hofstra's scholarship is just for tuition, then you might only be paying $15k more per year to attend Sinai (assuming tuition & fees ~$45k, though this will rise every year). Sinai has housing for students that is pretty cheap too.

It's a tough call. I'd probably pick Sinai if I was in your situation. Yea, you can always say that you can do well anywhere, but it's not so easy to simply "crush step 1." I chose to forgo a scholarship at a mid-tier school to attend a top 20 school and I don't have regrets about doing so…yet.

 

[bananasandapples]

I would consider posting this question in the physician/resident's forums to see what they have to say.

 

[penguinism]

I would consider posting this question in the physician/resident's forums to see what they have to say.

The appropriate place for this type of thread is right here in the pre-medical forum.

 

[Psai]

I used to think that money was the end all be all. I still think that 120k is something that shouldn't be passed up because it gives you a lot of freedom to choose what you want to do and where. With tuition rising every year and uncertain interest rates, money should play a big part in your decision. But prestige definitely plays a role, albeit smaller than other factors like your step 1 score. Hofstra's dean used to be at Mt. Sinai and I think it's a school that will be going places in the future. However, it's a new school with a different curriculum from the traditional so my guess is that residency directors will be more willing to go with people from schools that they are familiar with that have sent them solid residents in the past. Also, I don't know about the faculty at Hofstra but the ones at Mt. Sinai will most likely be more established which can count for a lot in recommendation letters. A lot of the time, it's not just what they say but who is saying it. If you want to stay in NYC, it'll be easier to make connections with big players that can mentor you and help you on your journey.

Don't worry about connecting with the students, medical students are busy and are too concerned about keeping up with the material to put on a good face for applicants. The people you meet won't be the the people in your class so you don't know what you're going to get. My class has a reputation for being very smart and hardworking among our professors but we are also less social than the class above us. You guys will make your own culture based on who is there so don't worry too much about that because it's not in your hands. Institutional culture counts for a little but it shouldn't be a factor because you're not familiar with it. You'll probably be friends with a small core group, not everyone in class even if your class size is small.

Tl;dr I would go to Mt. Sinai

 

[sbu2012]

I used to think that money was the end all be all. I still think that 120k is something that shouldn't be passed up because it gives you a lot of freedom to choose what you want to do and where. With tuition rising every year and uncertain interest rates, money should play a big part in your decision. But prestige definitely plays a role, albeit smaller than other factors like your step 1 score. Hofstra's dean used to be at Mt. Sinai and I think it's a school that will be going places in the future. However, it's a new school with a different curriculum from the traditional so my guess is that residency directors will be more willing to go with people from schools that they are familiar with that have sent them solid residents in the past. Also, I don't know about the faculty at Hofstra but the ones at Mt. Sinai will most likely be more established which can count for a lot in recommendation letters. A lot of the time, it's not just what they say but who is saying it. If you want to stay in NYC, it'll be easier to make connections with big players that can mentor you and help you on your journey.

Don't worry about connecting with the students, medical students are busy and are too concerned about keeping up with the material to put on a good face for applicants. The people you meet won't be the the people in your class so you don't know what you're going to get. My class has a reputation for being very smart and hardworking among our professors but we are also less social than the class above us. You guys will make your own culture based on who is there so don't worry too much about that because it's not in your hands. Institutional culture counts for a little but it shouldn't be a factor because you're not familiar with it. You'll probably be friends with a small core group, not everyone in class even if your class size is small.

Tl;dr I would go to Mt. Sinai

Thank you psai. You are so right about the various class cultures. The curriculum is also very different from the traditional and that's one of my major concerns. Also, there's no match list available for Hofstra. Money is also a very big factor like you said as I already amassed loans from undergrad.

 

[sbu2012]

If I recall properly, Sinai's tuition is somewhat cheaper than other private schools in NYC. If Hofstra's scholarship is just for tuition, then you might only be paying $15k more per year to attend Sinai (assuming tuition & fees ~$45k, though this will rise every year). Sinai has housing for students that is pretty cheap too.

It's a tough call. I'd probably pick Sinai if I was in your situation. Yea, you can always say that you can do well anywhere, but it's not so easy to simply "crush step 1." I chose to forgo a scholarship at a mid-tier school to attend a top 20 school and I don't have regrets about doing so…yet.

Penguinism it comes out to about 18k like you said. Was it just because of prestige you chose the other school?

 

[sbu2012]

A Full Ride to Hofstra! holy smokes, that really cannot be beat. Whoever is telling you that Sinai is worth a quarter million dollars more is crazy IMO haha. The price is significant, and if you saw yourself fitting in with the students and liking the school, that is definitely where you should be. The fact that this is a huge dilemma for you leads me to believe that you should be leaning towards Hofstra. If you work hard in med school, competitive specialities will definitely be feasible. Dont let such a golden opportunity go away! GL

It's a full tuition though but still..... Debt free is like a dream especially since I have these damn undergrad loans

 

[yankees26]

I think the money issue is more of a deal than most people are making it out to be. It would feel pretty liberating to become a doctor and not have to worry about money. I think you should also factor cost of livingg. there is a huge disparity living in Manhattan vs living in Long Island. In addition, ppl are making it seem that Sinai is a foolproof way to success in medicine. Sure it is a top 20, but we see ppl from top 20s not getting their choices all the time. For the OP I think you should really ask yourself if you are fine with the Hofstra curriculum, even if you would prefer the Sinai one. If you think you can do it, which I def think you will, you should go to Hofstra and save a massive amount of money.

 

[sbu2012]

Is the Hofstra scholarship a full-tuition or full-ride including living expenses? If it's a full-tuition scholarship, then the living expenses for Hofstra vs the 31K in loans for Sinai may not be THAT different in the end. If it's a full-ride, then that's a different story. Still, if I were in this position, I'd take Sinai in a heartbeat

It's a full tuition only. I don't intend to take any loans for living expenses though.

 

[caffeinemia]

their classes are mandatory and their curriculum doesn't really fit my lifestyle

Uhh.. wtf does this even mean?

What -- you got 99 problems but PBL ain't one?

And uhh, your lifestyle will be poor med student.

 

[sbu2012]

OP go to Med Loans and come back. Big decision. Kinda confused with the editing. What is the final damage (the total loan amount) for both?

It's a full tuition. I don't intend to take out loans for living expenses. If I go to Sinai I would need about 18k per year for tuition in loans. Forgive me whats med loans for?

 

[penguinism]

Penguinism it comes out to about 18k like you said. Was it just because of prestige you chose the other school?

I also wanted a P/F preclinical curriculum and better research opportunities.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

No question, Mt. Sinai.

Disagree. Are you from the northeast? Hofstra probably has less national name recognition, but LIJ is a powerhouse medical system in NY. I wouldn't discount it so quickly.

 

[DermViser]

Disagree. Are you from the northeast? Hofstra probably has less national name recognition, but LIJ is a powerhouse medical system in NY. I wouldn't discount it so quickly.

Hofstra is an unknown entity when it comes to medical schools, unlike Mt. Sinai that has national name recognition. That's the issue.

 

[yankees26]

yea, agreed with Quinn
LIJ is a a very reputable known system.

I have also had many friends and colleague not know what Mount Sinai is. So, dont go by national name recognition

 

[cyberchicken001]

yea, agreed with Quinn
LIJ is a a very reputable known system.

I have also had many friends and colleague not know what Mount Sinai is. So, dont go by national name recognition

You have friends in medicine that haven't heard of Mt. Sinai?

 

[ohioguy]

Hello everyone,

The topic of the thread is pretty much self explanatory.
I got a full scholarship to hofstra and a need based 50% scholarship at Mount sinai. I would still have to take out another $31,000 for four years.
Hofstra is a relatively new school while mount sinai is very established. I connected very well with the students at hofstra but their classes are mandatory and their curriculum doesn't really fit my lifestyle while I prefer mount sinai curriculum but ddnt really connect with the students.
I would love to hear everyone's input from current students or people that have faced this dilemma before.

Thanks in advance.

Mandatory classes? That may make up for the higher Mount Sinai price tag. I'd go with MS.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

I used to think that money was the end all be all. I still think that 120k is something that shouldn't be passed up because it gives you a lot of freedom to choose what you want to do and where. With tuition rising every year and uncertain interest rates, money should play a big part in your decision. But prestige definitely plays a role, albeit smaller than other factors like your step 1 score. Hofstra's dean used to be at Mt. Sinai and I think it's a school that will be going places in the future. However, it's a new school with a different curriculum from the traditional so my guess is that residency directors will be more willing to go with people from schools that they are familiar with that have sent them solid residents in the past. Also, I don't know about the faculty at Hofstra but the ones at Mt. Sinai will most likely be more established which can count for a lot in recommendation letters. A lot of the time, it's not just what they say but who is saying it. If you want to stay in NYC, it'll be easier to make connections with big players that can mentor you and help you on your journey.

Don't worry about connecting with the students, medical students are busy and are too concerned about keeping up with the material to put on a good face for applicants. The people you meet won't be the the people in your class so you don't know what you're going to get. My class has a reputation for being very smart and hardworking among our professors but we are also less social than the class above us. You guys will make your own culture based on who is there so don't worry too much about that because it's not in your hands. Institutional culture counts for a little but it shouldn't be a factor because you're not familiar with it. You'll probably be friends with a small core group, not everyone in class even if your class size is small.

Tl;dr I would go to Mt. Sinai

True, it's not all about money per se. It's important to consider the mental FREEDOM that a full scholarship gives you. You will be able to pursue what you really want to do in medicine,without worrying about paying back your loans. You don't want to feel forced into a certain path because of your economic status. That freedom is a great thing.

Your response essentially says you think he should pay 120k because Sinai will give him better recommendation letters. There are cheaper ways of getting those prestigious letters. One example: do an audition rotation at Sinai.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

Hofstra is an unknown entity when it comes to medical schools, unlike Mt. Sinai that has national name recognition. That's the issue.

True, I forgot they are a very new school. If they have a match list availale, this should be a non-issue though.

 

[DermViser]

True, I forgot they are a very new school. If they have a match list availale, this should be a non-issue though.

Yeah, but the OP would have to wait several years for the first match list.

 

[Azurophil]

OP, Go to Sinai. Non-mandatory classes, honor code exams, plus fully unranked and P/F M1-M2 has a way of bringing our med school class together.

Also, I don't understand the dire picture you're painting with these costs. You're talking about a tuition-only scholarship at Hofstra, right? You say you're not taking out loans for living expenses. When you ignore living expenses and compare apples to apples, you say it's $12k/yr extra at Sinai. Taking out $50k in loans over four years to go to a school with good name recognition, great institutional support, large network of clinical affiliations, and you live a block from Central Park? Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

 

[Rmaurer754]

I'm not a medical student yet, but I do go to Hofstra. So far I've heard nothing but good things about our school. I've been inside and it looks very well put together. I visited a few friends at Hopkins who say that they're seriously considering it. However, if Mt. Sinai has a curriculum that you're comfortable with then I would head in that direction... otherwise you're measuring your quality of education with possible future friends.

 

[lmn]

Personally I don't think the money is as big of a deal as people make it for what you get, I personally would much rather live in Manhattan than out by Hofstra, and sure you may have to live a bit more frugally for a little while, but 20-30 years down the line it won't really make a difference. I would go with a school that I liked much better, and get to live in a place I wanted to (it really isn't like we have all the time in the world). Also, although I didn't apply/interview at Sinai, I did interview at Hofstra and although I found their new curriculum/program very interesting, I personally really didn't like the way they "taught". The way the administrators explained, and the students at lunch explained their experiences, the curriculum essentially seemed like you had little to no oversight or direction given to your learning and that basically you would just learn completely on your own with books/w.e internet resources you chose, and then would go to mandatory classes that doesn't seem to give you all that much. I personally didn't see the point in working so hard to get into medical school, and paying so much to attend medical school, to basically teach myself everything from books/websites. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having to do the work myself, but I am going to medical school to be trained to be a physician, that's what I expect to get from my school, and Hofstra just really didn't seem to fulfill that to me. So even though you have scholarship I would still go with the option of what to me seems like a real school (Sinai), that I believe would give you the chance to become the better physician.

 

[sfwtboy]

Correct me if I'm wrong (which is certainly possible), but I was under the impression that Hofstra was primary for people seeking to become primary care physicians. If that's not what you're planning on doing I think Sinai is the way to go. Were it me, I would go to Sinai regardless living in Manhattan is worth the $$$.