ngl debt-free was the game changer to me. I was struggling hard to make a decision between Cornell and my 2nd choice, but the grant I got sealed the deal for me.
Other things that I loved about Cornell:
-ivy league name. Probably played a role to some small degree in matches.
-1.5 preclinical, with essentially 6 mos of protected research time through AOC
-focus on research. Can’t find research you like within Cornell? No worries. MSK, Rockefeller, HSS are powerhouses, all within walking distance. As someone who is thinking ortho, HSS is a big time draw
-small class size. I think its around 106 students w/ ~20 MD/PhDs. I mean, look at the all opportunities for such a relatively small class. Felt that this would naturally lead to less competition and cut-throat culture (but obviously I have yet to experience this first hand)
-NYP is a big time hospital. Ranked in the top 5 I’m pretty sure on USNWR.
-upper east side is nice af. this was important to me bc I don't think I'm a NYC kind of guy, but UES appeared to be tolerable lol... plenty of stuff to do outside of school.
-true p/f .. preclinical grades aren't kept track of... except for you award given at graduation for the student who had the highest preclinical grades (won't be me lol)
-diversity of patient population. it's NYC! but also, there so many awesome clinics that you can get involved with ... and those themselves will give you so much exposure (uninsured, low-income, human rights, lgbtq)
