Undergrad Pre-med advice?

[desi0chick]

So I've been accepted to both Cornell and University of Rochester but I still have no idea where I should go for undergrad. Cornell's been my dream school but i'd have to pay 10,000 a year while Rochester's giving me a full ride. On top of that, I hear being a pre-med at Cornell is insanely tough, but isn't that the case with wherever you go? Any advice with where I should go or where i would fit the best as a pre-med student?

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[chman]

So I've been accepted to both Cornell and University of Rochester but I still have no idea where I should go for undergrad. Cornell's been my dream school but i'd have to pay 10,000 a year while Rochester's giving me a full ride. On top of that, I hear being a pre-med at Cornell is insanely tough, but isn't that the case with wherever you go? Any advice with where I should go or where i would fit the best as a pre-med student?

Rochester for sure. You will thank yourself when you have 40g's less debt after med school.

EDIT: Yes, it is tough no matter what. However, some of the big state schools and Ivy schools make it even tougher. So yes, one institution can have a harder pre-med curriculum than another.

 

[jm192]

Pre-med isn't going to be cake regardless of where you go.

It's FOUR years of your life. Don't view it as simply getting into med school. Pick the school you think you'll enjoy being at the best. Pick the party school, or the school with the nicer scenery.

Unless of course, one school is putting in 90% of their pre-meds and the other is putting in 9%...but I'm doubting that's the case.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Rochester no doubt. 0 Debt and you have some of the greatest programs offers there. It might not be ivy, but its easily top 20. They also have a higher medical acceptance rate if im correct.

 

[schrizto]

10k a year isn't a bad price to pay for Cornell. If it has been your dream to go there, why not? That said, URochester is an underrated school.

Rochester no doubt. 0 Debt and you have some of the greatest programs offers there. It might not be ivy, but its easily top 20. They also have a higher medical acceptance rate if im correct.

Um, Rochester's not top 20, at least not on the US News rankings. Even Cornell is on the back end of the top 20.

 

[vc7777]

I assume you are posting on SDN because you have aspirations of higher education?

I had a similar situation as I was accepted to the #1 engineering school (M.I.T.) for my undergrad many moons ago. The only other place I applied as a "backup" was the University of Michigan (in-state for me) late in the application season. Michigan gave me a quick acceptance and a surprise merit-based full-tuition scholarship the day before I was accepted to MIT. This of course was not what I had hoped for. I chose Michigan because of the cold hard facts. Let's face it, it is hard to pass up the money.

To be completely honest, it was a hard pill to swallow to stay in Michigan and not go to my dream school for about the first year. After that first year, I met my wife and things got pretty groovy. I really do appreciate my choice retrospectively.

I have a much, much better perspective since that decision took place 16 years ago. It was the right move. No regrets.

Much like the medical school you will choose in the future, your undergraduate institution will be what you make of it.

Note too that having a notable scholarship on your med school application may help you stand out. It probably contributed - in a small part - to my receiving a couple full-tuition scholarships this cycle to medical school.

Good luck with your decision.

-vc7777

 

[chman]

A disclaimer to my earlier suggestion; if it is your dream to go to Cornell then it might be worth the 40g's. I just think that since you have a full ride to another very good school you should take that opportunity. Have you visited both campuses? Maybe sat in on a class or two? Checked in to specific programs/majors? These are the things I would be doing.

 

[she woolf]

Hey I thinking of transfering to U of R. Their top 40 ranked and have great research programs. Also they have a BS/MD prgram and the way they structure their majors to me is very cool. I wanna go their because it seems like a great school that prepares you for med school as oppose to other NY schools I looked into. Maybe go U of R undergrad and shoot for Cornell med school? I would love to go to NYU Cornell or my dream Columbia for med school..Good Luck choosing!

 

[jboz]

Op

 

[schrizto]

Op

 

[jboz]

I don't know what that means, but I actually said something derogatory and decided to edit the post.

 

[MilkmanAl]

We're gonna cart this little beauty over to hSDN. Yeehaw!

 

[fastfingers]

if it's your dream school, go for it. i think 40k total isn't bad for being able to go to your dream school.