Columbia acceptance

[CaipirinhaQuinho]

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congrats to those that got in.

Did anyone send in their acceptance acceptance and the second look forms?

I sent mine in and I received a letter today saying, "Your acceptance has been received and I am delighted that you will be in our next entering class."

I think they're just using strong language to say, we got your letter. I think this topic has been addressed on this forum already but I want to make sure that I didn't commit myself to a school already.

 

[dl2dp2]

I think the assumption is that if you "accept" the acceptance, you have the intention to go. If this is not the case, (i.e. you are not committed), just send Stacy Warren an E-mail. Columbia can't do anything before the official deadline.

congrats to those that got in.

Did anyone send in their acceptance acceptance and the second look forms?

I sent mine in and I received a letter today saying, "Your acceptance has been received and I am delighted that you will be in our next entering class."

I think they're just using strong language to say, we got your letter. I think this topic has been addressed on this forum already but I want to make sure that I didn't commit myself to a school already.

 

[Shatterstar17]

Ah, I did the same thing as CaipirinhaQuinho for Columbia and got the strong letter. The other schools I was admitted to pretty much demanded I "accept" their offers, so I assumed this was similar. Those schools also sent me "So looking forward to you!" letters. I didn't have any problem withdrawing from any of them after "accepting." I don't think it's something to worry about. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing and thinking.

 

[huknows00]

congrats to those that got in.

Did anyone send in their acceptance acceptance and the second look forms?

I sent mine in and I received a letter today saying, "Your acceptance has been received and I am delighted that you will be in our next entering class."

I think they're just using strong language to say, we got your letter. I think this topic has been addressed on this forum already but I want to make sure that I didn't commit myself to a school already.

LMAO, I just got the same letter and was scared for a sec too! I remember distinctly emailing Stacy Warren before I sent back the forms to make sure that they were not binding, so no worries but still...

Are you going on the revisit next month? Are you leaning more toward Columbia or Cornell now?

 

[CaipirinhaQuinho]

I've lost the ability to distinguish what programs I liked. I hope the second looks clear some things up because if I had to make a decision today I would pick out of a hat...I don't think I could make a bad choice.

I liked the Columbia atmosphere. The students were cool and the location was fine with me (spanish harlem means good food and salsa clubs, haha)

With Cornell, the research opps are so powerful it's going to be hard to turn down. If you want to study cancer, how can you turn down Sloan Kettering!!!

Which would you all choose?

 

[huknows00]

I don't have the luxury of choosing Tri-I, but I'm increasingly leaning toward Columbia because it's close to family and it has great neuro. I don't know much about Cornell but I get the impression that their med school doesn't have a superb reputation like its counterparts, but their research is awsome. I would say they're more molecular/genetics focused than engineering/systems focused, so I didn't feel too bad not getting interviewed there. I would def go if I'm interested in cancer, and they have great facilities and administration (both of which is somewhat deficient at Columbia).

I hear what you're saying, everytime I get a new acceptance, that school becomes my favorite for a few weeks. It's gonna be hard to make a decision, but at least we can rest assured that any decision we do make won't be bad (except maybe lifestyle-wise). I hope all the playing-hard-to-get schools (ie. Harvard, Penn, Yale etc.) would let us know already, rejection or otherwise, so we could get on with our lives.

 

[JayQuah]

I've lost the ability to distinguish what programs I liked. I hope the second looks clear some things up because if I had to make a decision today I would pick out of a hat...I don't think I could make a bad choice.

I liked the Columbia atmosphere. The students were cool and the location was fine with me (spanish harlem means good food and salsa clubs, haha)

With Cornell, the research opps are so powerful it's going to be hard to turn down. If you want to study cancer, how can you turn down Sloan Kettering!!!

Which would you all choose?

Cancer=Tri-I.
Stress and Washington Heights=Columbia.
Blue 42, Blue 42, Go to Cornell, hut hut.
Do it.

 

[Shatterstar17]

Cancer=Tri-I.
Stress and Washington Heights=Columbia.
Blue 42, Blue 42, Go to Cornell, hut hut.
Do it.

Ha, well I agree with Jay that Cancer=Tri-I, but I was honestly a bit more impressed with Columbia's medical school. Maybe that's just because Tri-I didn't really choose to talk about it much at all. And say what you will about Washington Heights, but it's still much more of an "alive" and affordable place in NYC than the very sterile UES where all you have are rich old white women and their minidogs. Obviously Columbia's neuro is amazing, and they have some very impressive cytoskeletal stuff too if anyone's interested in more classical cell biology. This is coming from somebody who went to Cornell undergrad, and didn't get into Tri-I, but I had a choice, I'd still choose Columbia.

 

[SeventhSon]

this kind of brings up an interesting point.... a lot of the places had literally nowhere to eat around them. nada. HMS was that way, i really didnt like the first place they took us out to the night before the interview at columbia and that was like the only shack I saw nearby, hell stanford had nothing around it either, WashU had a subway I think, haha.

Exceptions: Yale and UCLA. If you are doing a toss-up for programs, take the food-factor into account 👍 haha

I liked the Columbia atmosphere. The students were cool and the location was fine with me (spanish harlem means good food and salsa clubs, haha)

 

[CaipirinhaQuinho]

If you are doing a toss-up for programs, take the food-factor into account 👍 haha

I never thought about that. I think i'll ditch the MD/PhD and open a chain of restaurants near medical schools. Anyone else want to get in with me?

 

[huknows00]

Opening food carts/trucks is how you make the big bucks. Here at Penn the old lady making chicken lomein on the street across from Wharton make more money in a year than the kids working their butt off going into IBanking.

Yale has good food!? I never realized that, that could change verything, can you please elaborate?

 

[Habari]

The food options around the triI are pretty good, I have to say; ranging from good cheap options to fancier stuff - there are ~500 restaurants on the upper east side (defined from 60->92nd), and about 100 within 15-20 min walking distance: victuals are in good supply.

And say what you will about Washington Heights, but it's still much more of an "alive" and affordable place in NYC than the very sterile UES where all you have are rich old white women and their minidogs.

While I'll more than accept that the UES isn't exactly a number one nightlife destination in manhattan, we do have more than enough local establishments to make going out and having a drink/eating with classmates/professors varied and fun even after 3 years - and I don't see that diminishing in another 4. As someone who knows both areas well, it's also no less affordable than W.H. (since housing costs the same), it simply has more establishments where one could easily dispose of ones income. For better or worse, the the UES has been a destination for young professional renters in the past few years, and so it's usually flooded with 20-somethings on thurs/fri/sat nights who are staying in the area or going out elsewhere. As for more "alive", this always gives me a chuckle, because the subtext is clear...

I usually don't respond to things like this - but given that I live here I thought i'd respond to some of the hand-waving. Columbia has it's strenghts, and whether someone chooses to come here or not is obviously up to them - but misinformed stereotypes shouldn't be a concious or subconcious integration into that "gut" decision.

 

[SeventhSon]

Yale has good food!? I never realized that, that could change verything, can you please elaborate?

i dont remember the names of any of the places, but right by the undergrad campus (maybe 10 min walk from the medical school) my friend took me to a bomb pizza place, sandwich place, and ice cream place. IMO of course. they're all by the main campus.

 

[Shatterstar17]

As for more "alive", this always gives me a chuckle, because the subtext is clear...

I usually don't respond to things like this - but given that I live here I thought i'd respond to some of the hand-waving. Columbia has it's strenghts, and whether someone chooses to come here or not is obviously up to them - but misinformed stereotypes shouldn't be a concious or subconcious integration into that "gut" decision.

Hey, I'm sorry if I touched a nerve. I was just giving my impression of the areas, both from growing up in and around the city, and from my visits to the two schools. The only subtext that I was referring to was that Columbia seemed cheaper, more diverse, and more fun. I'm glad you're enjoying Tri-I and the area. I'll certainly be less likely to give negative impressions of schools I've visited in the future, knowing that there's always a current student, ready to be defensive, lurking somewhere. 😍

 

[Dr.Dr.]

Is anyone unsure about the final year at Columbia? It seems a little redic to try and choose a residency after so short a clinical experience. Add to that the pressures of Step 2, REQUIRED clerkships, and the actual residency application/interview process and it seems to equate to a pretty busy time.

Did anyone get a really good answer as to how this actually works? I would like to talk to someone who has actually done it at the revisit.

 

[Oak]

Is anyone unsure about the final year at Columbia? It seems a little redic to try and choose a residency after so short a clinical experience. Add to that the pressures of Step 2, REQUIRED clerkships, and the actual residency application/interview process and it seems to equate to a pretty busy time.

Did anyone get a really good answer as to how this actually works? I would like to talk to someone who has actually done it at the revisit.

From what i hear from regular MD students, 4th year at P&S is considered a vacation compared to 3rd (with the exception of a SUB-I). Additionally, there seems to be a large emphasis on picking your 4th year rotations in an order such that you do the ones you're interested in first. In theory, there is also a required shadowing component during the PhD years where one follows a preceptor in a specialty of interest (although i have no idea how well this works in helping students decide on a specialty).

As far as food options in Washington Heights go: They are adequate, but not spectacular. The upper west side offers far more options, but is a 10-15 min subway ride away.

 

[CaipirinhaQuinho]

I just got back from a Cornell revisit and I'm absolutely psyched about the school. This is really the first time I got to hang out with students and live in the housing. The students (mostly MD and some MD/PhD that I met) were some of the coolest people I've met since beginning the process. I honestly can't believe that the housing is soo cheap. I stayed in the second year housing and I was very pleased. The weather was amazing, the night events were perfect, and the food was good. If I had to pick right now, Cornell would be it. That being said, I am impatiently waiting for Penn's decision and I'm keeping an open mind for the Columbia revisit.

Addition:

Addition,

For those interested, I got a chance to sit through a mock PBL session. Essentially 6 students sat with a first year moderator and we all talked together about solving a proposed problem. When we reached a certain point, we were given another clue on the problem. By the end, we actually had a pretty good model of what was going on. I was impressed by how well this method worked for learning material. My question is does this work in practice. Is PBL an adequate way to learn the material? Also, the med students all said they liked Cornell because of the lack of lecture and the freedom they have. How much lecture does Cornell actually have?

In a related question, I got the sense from the MD-only applicants that Cornell Med is "easy." I can't really define "easy" but I heard this description from multiple prospectives. Since we have a current student reading this post, I was wondering if he could talk about the strengths of Cornell med. We all know that Rock and Sloan are huge selling points, but is the medical school too easy? I guess a good readout would be board scores and matches. How does Cornell stand in comparison to Penn/Hopkins Med? I know the rankings, but (practically) so those matter.

I would like to hear all opinions, so applicants feel free to post what you've heard through the grapevine.

 

[Habari]

Partially my fault, but this is definitely a high-jacked thread -- should allow it to get back to Columbia. If there is another thread about Cornell revisit/questions/comments i'll respond, or i'll just PM.

 

[Neuronix]

Opening food carts/trucks is how you make the big bucks. Here at Penn the old lady making chicken lomein on the street across from Wharton make more money in a year than the kids working their butt off going into IBanking.

Which truck? Do you have a source on this? I'd love to put this in my useless trivia file!

 

[huknows00]

Which truck? Do you have a source on this? I'd love to put this in my useless trivia file!

I'm thinking of YueKee's, that place has so much business you have to call in thiry minutes ahead just to hope that you'll only have to wait less than twenty minutes when you go pick up your food. I've heard they easily make 150k a year if not much more...

Just think about it, they get much much more business than McDonald's and charge about the same per meal, and their costs only include themselves, the truck, and ingredients. Everything is done in cash, I wouldn't be surprised they make more than 200k (about 620/day).