Cornell vs Northwestern vs Emory

[memento_mori]

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I've been very fortunate to be accepted to all three of these schools but I'm really struggling with making a decision and would appreciate any input! I'm interested in public health/global health and looking into a primary care speciality but also interested in cardio and preventive medicine. I understand that my interests may shift when I get to med school. I am also very interested in working with underserved populations. My family is from the NYC area and I would love to be close to home, but I'm trying to be open about going to a new city. The cost of attendance is basically the same for each of these schools. Here are some pros and cons for each of the schools:

Cornell:
Pros:
-close to home
-excellent facilities and hospital affiliations (Sloan Kettering, HSS, NYP)
-strong global health program
-smaller class size (~104), could mean more one-on-one attention
-1.5 year curriculum with breaks
-might be easier to match on the east coast (where I eventually want to end up)

Cons:
-cost of living in NYC
-UES is not that diverse
-didn't really get a vibe for the students during my interview, hopefully that changes during second look
-no MPH program, but I could go somewhere else and do it

Northwestern
Pros:
-great location, right by the lake
-excellent facilities
-seem to have a focus on humanistic medicine
-opportunity to do MPH there if I decide
-strong global health program

Cons
-far from family
-class is on the larger side (~160), don't know how big of a factor that is
-weather 🙁
-downtown Chi seems expensive
-patient clientele seems on the wealthier side

Emory
Pros:
-ATL is a great, upcoming city
-much cheaper cost of living
-people seemed very nice and chill, I could see myself being friends with them
-weather!
-accepted to the MD/MPH program
-the CDC is right there
-Grady hospital is great for working with underserved populations

Cons:
-far from family
-not a fan of the curriculum (18 months without any real breaks)
-less *prestige* than the other schools (trying to break away from following the name of a school)
-lecture is almost every morning from 8-12 during M1, schedule would be less flexible

 

[dark_knight]

Are costs similar between all 3? Looking at your pros/cons it seems like you like Cornell the best. Like you said, you can do your MPH elsewhere (possibly at a "prestigious" place like Hopkins, Harvard, Columbia, etc.)

Also while going to a new city is appealing, you can't overlook the importance of a strong support system and having your family nearby is a massive pro in my opinion.

 

[878956]

Cornell should be your choice.

 

[memento_mori]

Are costs similar between all 3? Looking at your pros/cons it seems like you like Cornell the best. Like you said, you can do your MPH elsewhere (possibly at a "prestigious" place like Hopkins, Harvard, Columbia, etc.)

Also while going to a new city is appealing, you can't overlook the importance of a strong support system and having your family nearby is a massive pro in my opinion.

Yes costs are essentially identical as of now. Also I definitely agree, having a support system nearby would be a really big pro!