How to choose what school to visit over winter break?

[BundleofHis]

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Hey guys,

I've been accepted to a decent amount of schools and I am planning on taking a trip to visit one over winter break. I'm most interested in seeing what the northern weather is like in December. So, I have narrowed my choices down to two schools to visit: UVM and MCW and I seriously cannot decide. Any insight on how to choose would be amazing. Thanks!

 

[histidine]

let me tell you about winter up north:

 

[Mavs88]

Is it normal for undergrads to visit medical schools before even applying? Or is that just an undergrad school visit thing...

 

[DokterMom]

Hey guys,

I've been accepted to a decent amount of schools and I am planning on taking a trip to visit one over winter break. I'm most interested in seeing what the northern weather is like in December. So, I have narrowed my choices down to two schools to visit: UVM and MCW and I seriously cannot decide. Any insight on how to choose would be amazing. Thanks!

Congratulations on your acceptances.

Presumably you saw both schools when you interviewed. And winter weather in December in both locations is cold. How could visiting one but not the other give you a meaningful comparison between the two? And a two-day visit is just a tiny fragment of time during which the school you visit could be unusually warm or unusually cold -- or totally average, but feel cold (since it's winter) and lead you toward the other school (which is equally cold!)

If you're genuinely looking to compare weather patterns at the two schools, Google is your friend. You'll get much more reliable weather information there: Average snowfall, monthly average high and low temperatures, etc.

If you just want to visit the schools that accepted you again -- well, I can relate to that. But wait until spring second-look, when they'll both look their best and you'll know about any other acceptances also.

 

[armybound]

Is it normal for undergrads to visit medical schools before even applying? Or is that just an undergrad school visit thing...

We had quite a few undergrad and high school groups visit/tour our school. They'd ask general questions about how to get in to school, what it's like to be a student, etc.

It played absolutely no role in admissions, though.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm most interested in seeing what the northern weather is like in December.

Any insight on how to choose would be amazing.

If you don't have access to a very-warm, down-filled winter coat and appropriate accessories, don't make yourself miserable and visit either. If you have all of the above, then experiencing "winter" could be fun (assuming the weather isn't in the 50s the day you arrive).

 

[DoktorO]

Is it normal for undergrads to visit medical schools before even applying? Or is that just an undergrad school visit thing...

No, but this guy got accepted to these schools so he's visiting them to make a decision for himself.

 

[SN12357]

Hey guys,

I've been accepted to a decent amount of schools and I am planning on taking a trip to visit one over winter break. I'm most interested in seeing what the northern weather is like in December. So, I have narrowed my choices down to two schools to visit: UVM and MCW and I seriously cannot decide. Any insight on how to choose would be amazing. Thanks!

Are you going to buy all the appropriate winter gear, or are you planning on showing up equipped for a southern 'winter' and shiver and be miserable the whole time and end up thinking you could never handle a proper winter?

I'm not meaning to be snarky, but just to swap the anaolgy, imagine a northerner showing up for two days in Florida in July and insisting on wearing a wool sweater and coat. What useful information are they going to gain?

If you want to visit to get a gauge on the school culture, sure, but I really doubt you're going to get any useful information about the weather from a visit. Dealing with cold is a state of mind. It's cold and dark and windy all the time, we buy heavy coats, heavy boots, we heat our houses and curl up by the fire. When the days get short we tell ourselves snow is fun and when spring arrives we collectively realize we spent the last 5-6 months borderline depressed but it's ok because we chose to live here anyway and the four seasons are beautiful. Two days aren't going to give you any information on the psychology of living in a cold climate.

Also just a note, but December isn't the coldest month in New England. Jan-Feb are, and IMO March is psychologically the worst because it SHOULD be getting warm but somehow it's still freaking cold and you just want to get to April already.

 

[BundleofHis]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! The trip would be longer than two days, so not quite sure why people assumed I'd be there for 2? Also, I've been accepted to schools in the South so I picked MCW and UVM to visit because I am well acquainted with southern weather, culture, etc.. So I wanted to visit somewhere different because I just won't have too much time to visit schools next semester (especially because my second looks are scheduled during finals weeks and some are on the same days) so I'm just trying to use my time wisely! I didn't feel like I got a good look at either of the cities during the interview days. I guess I just didn't want it to come down to which school I liked better because that is really hard for me to decide right now :/ but I guess I should try to pick and then see if I still like the school in the freezing cold. If I don't, maybe that'll mean I need to stay in Florida.

Oh, and I'm a pretty educated gal, I know I can't show up to Wisconsin and Vermont in a bikini. I'll dress appropriately. 😉

 

[SN12357]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! The trip would be longer than two days, so not quite sure why people assumed I'd be there for 2? Also, I've been accepted to schools in the South so I picked MCW and UVM to visit because I am well acquainted with southern weather, culture, etc.. So I wanted to visit somewhere different because I just won't have too much time to visit schools next semester (especially because my second looks are scheduled during finals weeks and some are on the same days) so I'm just trying to use my time wisely! I didn't feel like I got a good look at either of the cities during the interview days. I guess I just didn't want it to come down to which school I liked better because that is really hard for me to decide right now :/ but I guess I should try to pick and then see if I still like the school in the freezing cold. If I don't, maybe that'll mean I need to stay in Florida.

Oh, and I'm a pretty educated gal, I know I can't show up to Wisconsin and Vermont in a bikini. I'll dress appropriately. 😉

Pro winter tip: long underwear is your very good friend. Lots of people layer only on the top half of their body and then walk around in like, jeans. Cold wind + jeans = misery. Long underwear is possibly the least sexy item of clothing on the planet but it is a lifesaver in the cold.

Also proper footwear, because cold wet feet are also the wooorst. Forget sneakers if it's snowy out. Also wool socks are the best.

Actually, in terms of the weather, the cold is less important than figuring out if you can handle the darkness. Days get a LOT shorter up here. Right now in Boston the sun goes down at 4:30pm. You will have many many days when you leave your house in the dark and get home in the dark. It is as important to consider that aspect of our winters as it is the temperature.

 

[BundleofHis]

Pro winter tip: long underwear is your very good friend. Lots of people layer only on the top half of their body and then walk around in like, jeans. Cold wind + jeans = misery. Long underwear is possibly the least sexy item of clothing on the planet but it is a lifesaver in the cold.

Also proper footwear, because cold wet feet are also the wooorst. Forget sneakers if it's snowy out. Also wool socks are the best.

Actually, in terms of the weather, the cold is less important than figuring out if you can handle the darkness. Days get a LOT shorter up here. Right now in Boston the sun goes down at 4:30pm. You will have many many days when you leave your house in the dark and get home in the dark. It is as important to consider that aspect of our winters as it is the temperature.

Thank you!! I had not even considered the darkness... And Boston is on my list (they aren't rolling.. so won't find out til Jan/March.) So I certainly need to take the lack of daylight into consideration too. Nobody wants to be around a miserable med student! 😉

 

[therealfinale]

Pro winter tip: long underwear is your very good friend. Lots of people layer only on the top half of their body and then walk around in like, jeans. Cold wind + jeans = misery. Long underwear is possibly the least sexy item of clothing on the planet but it is a lifesaver in the cold.

Also proper footwear, because cold wet feet are also the wooorst. Forget sneakers if it's snowy out. Also wool socks are the best.

Actually, in terms of the weather, the cold is less important than figuring out if you can handle the darkness. Days get a LOT shorter up here. Right now in Boston the sun goes down at 4:30pm. You will have many many days when you leave your house in the dark and get home in the dark. It is as important to consider that aspect of our winters as it is the temperature.

Depending on how cold it is, you'd also want to get some thermal underpant things that you can wear under jeans and such.

 

[DokterMom]

Depending on how cold it is, you'd also want to get some thermal underpant things that you can wear under jeans and such.

Tights or nylons actually work pretty well for a visit without adding a lot of bulk.
Why buy long underwear unless you know you're going to live there?

 

[Pose]

I'd visit UVM. Mostly because I love Burlington. It has a great little beer/food/coffee culture, and is totally worth exploring. I try to go up from Boston with friends every couple of months. But yes, it'll be cold and dark. I'd say not to worry much about that though. I seriously doubt weather will present any problems. You can totally rock the bikini.

I know I can't show up to Wisconsin and Vermont in a bikini.

 

[iceman55]

I'd visit UVM. Mostly because I love Burlington. It has a great little beer/food/coffee culture, and is totally worth exploring. I try to go up from Boston with friends every couple of months. But yes, it'll be cold and dark. I'd say not to worry much about that though. I seriously doubt weather will present any problems. You can totally rock the bikini.

I'd visit VT as well, you could always go skiing or snowboarding if you like winter sports...

 

[BundleofHis]

I'd visit UVM. Mostly because I love Burlington. It has a great little beer/food/coffee culture, and is totally worth exploring. I try to go up from Boston with friends every couple of months. But yes, it'll be cold and dark. I'd say not to worry much about that though. I seriously doubt weather will present any problems. You can totally rock the bikini.

I'd visit VT as well, you could always go skiing or snowboarding if you like winter sports...

I think I'm leaning toward Vermont as well.... I've just heard so many people tell me how great Burlington is and all I saw was the inside of a gorgeous medical school. 🙂