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Dartmouth (Geisel)
It really sounds like Dartmouth would make you happiest. Reading your values and goals, I immediately saw it as a frontrunner and your pros/cons confirm that as they are written.
Your concerns about Dartmouth are valid but ultimately problems you'll only deal with occasionally. Housing would be more of a pain, but once you find a place, you're golden. Buying a car is tough -- I recommend leasing a Subaru in NH! Very affordable cost and amazing in winter. Your SO not being able to visit as often is really tough but unfortunately the inconvenience will only crop up a few times.
Your concerns with the other programs are more educational/career-oriented. I just feel like you'd really thrive culturally at Dartmouth. UIC is too expensive to be a valid option here, imho.
Your concerns about Dartmouth are valid but ultimately problems you'll only deal with occasionally. Housing would be more of a pain, but once you find a place, you're golden. Buying a car is tough -- I recommend leasing a Subaru in NH! Very affordable cost and amazing in winter. Your SO not being able to visit as often is really tough but unfortunately the inconvenience will only crop up a few times.
Your concerns with the other programs are more educational/career-oriented. I just feel like you'd really thrive culturally at Dartmouth. UIC is too expensive to be a valid option here, imho.
buffalo bill
Full Member
We don't have a car of our own in the city, so she would end up having to rent a car (cheapest and quickest option) and if weather was bad she would not be able to visit. NYC - Chicago flights comparatively are easier to arrange and travel to and from. Public transport in both cities are good enough that bad weather would not really prevent her from visiting me. She is planning to visit 2-3 weekends a month.
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I would imagine leasing a car may be worth it in such a scenario. But I get what you’re saying. For NYC alone a car is unnecessary.
buffalo bill
Full Member
In any other city it would, but parking spots cost as much as rent.
buffalo bill
Full Member
I do feel like I fit in well with Dartmouth culturally, and with Rush's mission. UIC is still listed as I am waiting on financial aid decisions from all 3. Should one school offer significantly cheaper education after negotiations are said and done, it may be a deciding factor.
Just an opinion, but I find it hard to believe that you will have enough free time for SO to visit 2-3 weekends per month unless he/she is bringing a lot of work along 😉
effervescentseaotter
Full Member
Just in case you don't know, there is the Dartmouth Coach, which is a bus line that goes directly from Hanover to NYC or Boston. It'd be worth looking into in this situation.
buffalo bill
Full Member
Thanks. We looked into it. Currently only Friday and Sunday departures to and from NYC to Hannover (only departure is at 1:30pm) and coordinating flights from NYC --> Boston then the Bus from Boston --> Hannover takes all day, eliminating a day of a visit.
buffalo bill
Full Member
She'll be a 3rd year law student with a guaranteed job offer. It's like if you got your residency match in MS3 and you're heading into MS4. She has to do nothing but the bare minimum to keep her spot, which means a bit of mandatory day drinking and socializing lol. Sort of makes me regret deciding on medical school....
Of course the following year, she'll be a first year associate and definitely won't have as much time.
buffalo bill
Full Member
Even then, an hour of public transit (trains) out of either Midway or O'Hare and a two hour flight (plus travel to airport) from NYC roughly ends up being the same time of travel as if she drove to NH (4-5 hours).
Disclaimer: I am a non-trad Chicagoan who will likely matriculate at UIC. If UIC gives you a scholarship for IS tuition, this would be my top option of the three you listed. Chicago >> Hanover. UIC > Rush for global health and Research.
buffalo bill
Full Member
Clinical and lab research don't interest me. I prefer public and global health initiatives, health policy work, and community/political activism as a physician. Essentially, serving the under-resourced. I know UIC Chicago has a few programs for policy and global health, but I feel Rush's core mission revolves around community integration and involvement. True, Rush's global health offerings are weak at best. However, unless a school has a dedicated and robust global health offering with clinical rotations abroad, then I've found the program is really nothing more than a few classes and a research poster/thesis.
All this assuming IS tuition from UICOM
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