NYMC c/o 2011

[Dr. Dukes]

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What I don't think you'll get a lot of at Westchester is trauma -- it IS a level I center, but it's also a tertiary care center and much of the trauma you'll see is either of the MVA type or stuff that has been transferred in after initial work at another, smaller hospital. From the stories I've heard about King's County, I definitely think it has more melodramatic trauma cases. However, the patients on the floor and the unit up at WMC are ridiculous.

A trauma surgeon I know once broke down trauma into two categories: injuries of an interpersonal nature (assaults, like 90% of all penetrating trauma) and everything else (car wrecks, falls...). WMC gets a lot of car wrecks (STAT flight flies them in) but gets very little penetrating trauma. St. Vincent's, however, gets a good amount, so overall, if you do rotations at both places, you get both.

 

[Zweihander]

A trauma surgeon I know once broke down trauma into two categories: injuries of an interpersonal nature (assaults, like 90% of all penetrating trauma) and everything else (car wrecks, falls...). WMC gets a lot of car wrecks (STAT flight flies them in) but gets very little penetrating trauma. St. Vincent's, however, gets a good amount, so overall, if you do rotations at both places, you get both.

I think that's probably true. A lot of people don't like doing city AND Westchester rotations (they usually pick one area and stick with it) but it's certainly quite doable if you want it. The versatility in clinical settings is another strength of NYMC, in my opinion.

 

[Universe_Explorer]

A more typical way to break down trauma is blunt (MVA, fall from height), or penetrating (gunshot, stabbing). WMC sees a lot of blunt trauma. None of NYMC's hospitals see a lot of penetrating trauma (Met gets some occassionally, Vinnies only once in a blue moon - there aren't a lot of shootings/stabbings in Manhattan, it's actually among the safest cities in the country). King's County, on the otherhand, is a notorious "knife and gun club". Two things to remember about trauma though - one, it's a lot more cookbook than you think, and two, it should have very little to do with your choice of med school. As a med student, no matter where you go you'll get some exposure to it, but it will make up a vast minority of what you'll see and need to learn. If you find out you're a trauma junkie, you'll end up doing residency at a trauma-heavy place - that's when you'll actually start being more involved...NYMC vs Downstate comes up a lot. If you're a NY resident money should be by far the biggest factor. If not, you should go where you felt more comfortable. One thing often stated on SDN that should be clear, however, is the location. There are plenty of nice places to live in brooklyn (you don't have to live next door to Kings Co). Many of my non-med school friends live there, and I like it a lot. Almost all of the people from NYMC in the city live and work in Manhattan. Make sure you know which "NYC" experience you want. Many people won't admit it, but the fact is, Brooklynites spend most of their time in Brooklyn, and Manhattanites spend most of their time on the island...For the poster who earlier mentioned "sounds like a lot of studying" - it is. But there are tons of intramurals and ways to relax. Intramural football is very popular, culminating in a powderpuff game btw 1st and 2nd year females (coached by the guys) each season. Softball is also popular (there are lots of fields around campus). There is an ultimate frisbee club - also soccer, basketball, volleyball, yoga, there are even residents at WMC that play cricket on campus. I always liked the ability to have cookouts (and miss them now that I'm in the city). We also had some raging, EtOH-fueled snowball fights when i was a first year...

 

[Dr. Dukes]

What are people planning for housing this year? Are you gonna live in the dorms (and all the fun that comes with that) or venture off campus?

 

[Robizzle]

What are people planning for housing this year? Are you gonna live in the dorms (and all the fun that comes with that) or venture off campus?

Definitely dorming. Can't beat staying 5 min from class, free parking, and dorm room parties!!!

 

[Dr. Dukes]

dorm room parties!!!

...all the fun that comes with that.

 

[Robizzle]

Just curious, did anyone have the choice of choosing NYMC or Drexel? I'm not asking the current students to defend your school anymore, you've all shown me that NYMC is an excellent school. But I'm just wondering if anyone of you had to make a tough choice like this one.

I'm in a similar predicament as you, Bobcat. I have an acceptance at NYMC (and am very happy about going), but I also am waiting on Drexel's waitlist.. Should I get off the waitlist, I don't know which I'd choose yet.

NYMC is positive for all the reasons listed in this forum already. Plus if I want to ultimately get a residency in NYC, I would expect that rotating thru the NYC hospitals would be a big plus.

I like Drexel because they have symptom-based curricula, so the classroom lectures would be more clinically relevant. They're located right outside of Philly (a new city to explore), and their teaching hospital is Hahnneman, which is in Center City. I assume the clinical exposure I'd get there would be atleast on par with NYMC's. They also supposedly have a good advising system and they say they prepare kids for ortho very well, the field i'm currently most interested in.

Their match list and board scores are pretty impressive as well:

1 into Derm, 5 into Optho, 14 into Ortho, 2 into Rad-Onc, tons into Anesthesiology, EM, Surgery, etc.
(http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/admissions/matchplacement.asp)

And I remember my interviewer telling me the board avg was around 230!

So yeah. I think I'd get a good education at both schools. Would you guys say that this choice comes down to personal preference once again? Please let me know what you think, especially if any of you faced a similar decision before.

 

[Universe_Explorer]

You know where I stand on this one - it comes down to where you are most comfortable. The schools are similar in a lot of ways - main campus just outside a large city, rotations at different sites in and out of the city, large class size with similar academic demographics, high cost, etc. So, it really comes down to little things. The basic science curriculum is a bit different, although second year at NYMC becomes a lot more systems-based and PBL-like. Philly and NYC are obviously different. I like them both, but for totally different reasons. Some of the clerkship sites for Drexel are as far away as Pittsburgh, which you may not like. I found the facilities at NYMC to be much better, although this really doesn't matter that much. Step 1 avg of 230 for drexel sounds high to me, but I have never seen evidence to support or deny it (I Do think the people I know there would have pointed it out to me by now though). If that's the case, then they do significantly better than our 225, which I know is a fact. Sounds counter-intuitive, but match lists are not a great way to compare schools - a lot of things change durig the 4 years of medical school, and things that are very important to a pre-medical student (big name, competitive specialty) very often get bumped aside for geographic location, satisfaction with a program, etc. Plus, the number of people applying to different specilties can change drastically year to year - so having 4 people match to derm one year and zero the next doesn't mean 4/5 matched one year and 0/5 matched the next, it may mean no one wanted to go into derm that year...it really comes down to location and personal satisfaction. Another match-list thing to realize is that places like Drexel and NYMC have higher numbers of non-trads than academic powerhouses, and non-trads have a different set of values/concerns when it comes to residency programs and career choices...

Realize this: no matter where you go, it really just comes down to what you make of it. A school with avg step 1 of 201 dosn't stop you from getting a 260. A school that matched no one into derm doesn't stop you from doing it. A school in a little midwestern city doesn't stop you from seeing trauma patients. A school in a boring town doesn't stop you from going to Uganda and working in a clinic. While they seem very different now, every medical school offers essentially the same opportunities as long as you take initiative.
Your education will be similar no matter where you go, but where will you be happy?

 

[Robizzle]

Thanks U_E, I figured that's what it would boil down to. But then again, basing my decision for med school on "do i want to stay close to home and old friends, or do i wanna go explore a new city" seemed a bit silly. I have much more thinking to do.

 

[C.P. Jones]

any updates yet on when we can do the financial aid on their website?😕

 

[ms1finally]

any updates yet on when we can do the financial aid on their website?😕

NYMC's fin aid stuff is done later than most schools. Dean Sozzo has the whole process SO streamlined - it's the easiest process I've EVER dealt with as far as fin aid goes. You probably won't receive anything until at least late March. If you have to file your FAFSA for another school, go ahead and do it and put NYMC's code in as well, but if you are only doing the NYMC process don't stress. Returning students haven't filled their forms out yet, either.

 

[C.P. Jones]

NYMC's fin aid stuff is done later than most schools. Dean Sozzo has the whole process SO streamlined - it's the easiest process I've EVER dealt with as far as fin aid goes. You probably won't receive anything until at least late March. If you have to file your FAFSA for another school, go ahead and do it and put NYMC's code in as well, but if you are only doing the NYMC process don't stress. Returning students haven't filled their forms out yet, either.

great, thank you! already did fafsa and sent it to all schools, including nymc 😀

 

[Robizzle]

great, thank you! already did fafsa and sent it to all schools, including nymc 😀

Me too! First come first serve right?? 😉

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Does anyone know when we get more info (a big accepted students packet or something) from NYMC?

 

[C.P. Jones]

Does anyone know when we get more info (a big accepted students packet or something) from NYMC?

let's take "bets"....i'm going with march 26th.

 

[Robizzle]

I'm betting over. April 15th.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Does anyone remember off the top of their head when the deposit is due for NYMC. I can't remember one being specified but that doesn't sound right and now I'm concerned.

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Didn't the snail mail letter that came after the acceptance e-mail say something like two weeks?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Didn't the snail mail letter that came after the acceptance e-mail say something like two weeks?

Nevermind - I found a copy of the letter - not due until May 15th

 

[Robizzle]

Didn't the snail mail letter that came after the acceptance e-mail say something like two weeks?

Accepting the acceptance is within 2 weeks, the deposit is anytime between acceptance time and may 15th, and refundable anytime between that should you choose to withdraw.

 

[Anjlprincezz]

I interviewed at NYMC on 12/12 and am still waiting on a response (seriously 4 months is a long time).. anyways, i was recently accepted to SLU (1 week after my interview) and was wondering if anyone had any input on that comparison (assuming i have a choice to make)...

 

[Robizzle]

Hey congrats on your acceptance to SLU. I think it's really tough to compare these 2 schools, like many other NYMC vs. ____ decisions, it comes down to more than just the education in my opinion because they're probably similar.

As far as matchlists go, here's SLU's: http://medschool.slu.edu/matchlist/index.phtml?page=matchlist_2006

and here's NYMC's:
http://nymc.edu/admit/Medical/info/Match2006.asp

Sometime's it's good to compare how many people matched into competitive specialties (although this will depend on several factors, e.g. what students actually wanted to specialize in) But it's a good start...

Neurosurgery: 4-NYMC, 0-SLU
Dermatology: 1-NYMC, 0-SLU
Ophtalmology: 4-NYMC, 3-SLU
Orthopedic Surgery: 8-NYMC, 4-SLU
Rad-Onc: 0-NYMC, 2-SLU
Anesthesiology: 23-NYMC, 9-SLU

So NYMC's got SLU beat in most of these... but it's tough to say that that actually makes it a better program. It also depends on class size (I'm pretty sure NYMC's is bigger) and what people were actually more interested in.

Where did you feel most comfortable? What kind of city are you looking for? Are you more of a southern hospitality type person??

 

[C.P. Jones]

When I was offered an interview at SLU a little while ago, I decided that I would not enjoy St. Louis over Valhalla/NYC or Omaha (Creighton). I heard many bad things about the city, and I believe SLU borders a bad area. I'm sure the school is nice, but I did not want to live in St. Louis. I don't know anything for the school comparison...as a matter of fact, I'm probably going to start my NYMC/Creighton comparison now....here we go.

one of the things that i'm afraid of w/ NYMC is that it sounds like it's competitive, especially w/ that matchlist, it can be likened to a higher competitiveness in students to get into those specialties. I don't know what i would like to specialize in, but I do want a supportive/noncompetitive student body. Can someone tell me how NYMC REALLY is in respect to this?

Also, what is the curriculum like? How often are exams? For some reason I also have a feeling that everyone there just goes to a corner and stares at a book (although I know otherwise from my interview day...i found students to be interactive and such)

 

[Zweihander]

When I was offered an interview at SLU a little while ago, I decided that I would not enjoy St. Louis over Valhalla/NYC or Omaha (Creighton). I heard many bad things about the city, and I believe SLU borders a bad area. I'm sure the school is nice, but I did not want to live in St. Louis. I don't know anything for the school comparison...as a matter of fact, I'm probably going to start my NYMC/Creighton comparison now....here we go.

one of the things that i'm afraid of w/ NYMC is that it sounds like it's competitive, especially w/ that matchlist, it can be likened to a higher competitiveness in students to get into those specialties. I don't know what i would like to specialize in, but I do want a supportive/noncompetitive student body. Can someone tell me how NYMC REALLY is in respect to this?

Also, what is the curriculum like? How often are exams? For some reason I also have a feeling that everyone there just goes to a corner and stares at a book (although I know otherwise from my interview day...i found students to be interactive and such)

I suspect that the level of "cutthroatedness" or competitiveness will vary (perhaps drastically) from year to year, but in my own class I've had very good experiences. I want to go into a pretty competitive field, but I have discussed very openly with some of my classmates the programs that we are interested in and exchanged information and impressions of places freely. My experience has been that we don't view each other as rivals but as colleagues, and we're trying to help each other reach the same goal.

There are exceptions to this of course, and I've heard a couple of horror stories about rotation-mates from hell, but I've found that this sort of experience is not ubiquitous, and the people that complain about it are usually btching about the same couple of people causing problems.

On some level though, I think everyone has to accept that it's all a bit of a crapshoot. It's obviously tough trying to decide what to do with the next four years of your life based on four hours of experience on interview day, but make it easier on your conscience by realizing that there's only so much you can plan before you go ahead and toss the dice. Just cross your fingers.

Posting on this thread is as good a way as any to find out what the "inside scoop" is. It's a hell of a lot more than I did, but I can honestly say I'm very, very happy with where I ended up and how things have worked out for me so far. Good luck to all of you still trying to make a decision; just remember that "having" to choose between one of the multiple medical schools that accepted you doesn't suck. 😉

 

[fiatlux]

robizzle, dont forget radiology for NYMC - it seems to do quite well every year (>10% of the class every year)

 

[Universe_Explorer]

It's tough to compare competitiveness at different schools - you sort of have to go to school somewhere to gauge it, and most of us only go to one place. I agree that it probably changes from class to class no matter where you go. I can tell you that my class is very supportive for the most part, and that as a whole, NYMC tends to not be very cut-throat. In fact, during second year there is a program where students from the same class tutor eachother - I don't think this could be successful if everyone was worried about beating the other guy on an exam...grading is honors, high pass, pass, fail, and there will always be some people with competitive streaks, but I don't think it's bad here. I cannot speak for any other school.

As for going to a corner and studying, well, welcome to med school. I can't imagine there are too many places that you won't find a lot of 1st and 2nd years holed up studying at any given time. Also, because of scribed lectures and a very self-study oriented 2nd year, students spend more time in the mods and/or library than in lecture halls. There are lots of fun things to do at NYMC (see above posts), and compared to my friends at other schools, I feel like we hang out more often as a class (probably because of the living arrangements) than most. And of course there's NYC...next time I get a chance I'll give a little NYMC student in NYC overview for those interested...

 

[Robizzle]

robizzle, dont forget radiology for NYMC - it seems to do quite well every year (>10% of the class every year)

Hey def. true. I know Rad is competitive, but I wasn't sure if it was just oncology or diagnostic also.

And I found out first hand why they match so well. My interview, Dr. Rachlin, is apparently the power-house of radiology over there and pulls strings for students all the time... atleast that's what the students told me when I interviewed. Haha, I'm gonna guess you're a student/alum yourself and didn't need me to explain that to you.

 

[Zweihander]

Hey def. true. I know Rad is competitive, but I wasn't sure if it was just oncology or diagnostic also.

And I found out first hand why they match so well. My interview, Dr. Rachlin, is apparently the power-house of radiology over there and pulls strings for students all the time... atleast that's what the students told me when I interviewed. Haha, I'm gonna guess you're a student/alum yourself and didn't need me to explain that to you.

I met an attending at another institution (rads chairman there) who told me that in his opinion NYMC is the best school to go to for anyone who happens to be applying to radiology. True say. 🙂

 

[Robizzle]

Didn't wanna do a useless bump.. so current students, can you guys tell me bout the gyms nearby? Is one easily accessible (i.e. 5 min drive)? I know there is one on campus but I hear it's a piece of crap. Is there one outside that everyone goes to? I know there won't be as much time to partake in lifting during med school but I hope to keep up as best I can. Maybe even do some personal training 2-3 hrs a week a make some decent weekend change?

 

[Zweihander]

Didn't wanna do a useless bump.. so current students, can you guys tell me bout the gyms nearby? Is one easily accessible (i.e. 5 min drive)? I know there is one on campus but I hear it's a piece of crap. Is there one outside that everyone goes to? I know there won't be as much time to partake in lifting during med school but I hope to keep up as best I can. Maybe even do some personal training 2-3 hrs a week a make some decent weekend change?

There are several gyms in the area, and at least a few of these will give discounts to NYMC students. The two closest are a Court Sports and a NYSC, both of which are within a couple of minutes' driving distance from campus.

 

[FenderHM]

Didn't wanna do a useless bump.. so current students, can you guys tell me bout the gyms nearby? Is one easily accessible (i.e. 5 min drive)? I know there is one on campus but I hear it's a piece of crap. Is there one outside that everyone goes to? I know there won't be as much time to partake in lifting during med school but I hope to keep up as best I can. Maybe even do some personal training 2-3 hrs a week a make some decent weekend change?

New York Sports Club is pretty sweet, u're from Boston? Similar to BSC...literally 5 minutes from campus, $70 to join, $70 a month and u can work out at all the other ones around the city off peak (2-4pm 8:30-11pm all day on weekends) which is cool cause there's a bigger one in white plains and if u're around the city with some time to kill u can hit the gym....

 

[C.P. Jones]

New York Sports Club is pretty sweet, u're from Boston? Similar to BSC...literally 5 minutes from campus, $70 to join, $70 a month and u can work out at all the other ones around the city off peak (2-4pm 8:30-11pm all day on weekends) which is cool cause there's a bigger one in white plains and if u're around the city with some time to kill u can hit the gym....

70 a month? seriously?....i pay 20 a month now. is this just b/c it's in westchester area? even the "expensive" ones around here are probably 55 tops. idk, that seems a bit outrageous for a gym membership.

 

[Zweihander]

70 a month? seriously?....i pay 20 a month now. is this just b/c it's in westchester area? even the "expensive" ones around here are probably 55 tops. idk, that seems a bit outrageous for a gym membership.

I felt the same way when I moved here. The gym prices here are pretty crazy -- I used to live in Boston and my monthly for Bally's was $20 a month. However, Westchester is much cheaper than memberships in Manhattan. Those can apparently go upwards of $100, for people who decide they actually want to go live there.

 

[Robizzle]

Grr That's it! I'm not going to NYMC! These gym prices are an outrage!

 

[randhail]

70 a month? seriously?....i pay 20 a month now. is this just b/c it's in westchester area? even the "expensive" ones around here are probably 55 tops. idk, that seems a bit outrageous for a gym membership.

I view anything over $30 a month as a ripoff and anyone paying $70 a month is insane in my opinion. There's a Planet Fitness in White Plains (and a few others within driving distance) that usually has good deals. I got a 12 month membership for $99. No sign up fees, no nothing, and it's a great gym.

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Isn't planet fitness the gym where you can't grunt? What is the point of a gym where you can't grunt?

(Disclaimer, I'm a runner, so I hate the gym, but I do think its funny that a gym has a no grunting rule...)

 

[Zweihander]

Isn't planet fitness the gym where you can't grunt? What is the point of a gym where you can't grunt?

(Disclaimer, I'm a runner, so I hate the gym, but I do think its funny that a gym has a no grunting rule...)

wtf? 😕

 

[Robizzle]

Isn't planet fitness the gym where you can't grunt? What is the point of a gym where you can't grunt?

(Disclaimer, I'm a runner, so I hate the gym, but I do think its funny that a gym has a no grunting rule...)

Damn.. no grunting.. I'm sure they wouldn't approve of my breathing heavily, looking angry, pacing back and forth, and slamming weights either.

 

[Universe_Explorer]

The cost of gyms are representative of life in the NYC metro area (if you think $70 a month for a gym is bad, wait until you see how much it costs to rent a place here!) The cost of living in this part of the country is astronomical, and everyone complains about it, yet more and more people just keep moving in (a recent article suggested that NYC alone, not including the surrounding areas, will have a census over 12 million by 2020). The funny thing is, after some time your reference changes and you don't even realize how expensive things are (for example, you'll see a one bedroom apt for sale in a nice area advertised for $750,000 and you think to yourself "that's a steal!" because all of the other ones you see are over a million...) Anyway, there are some cheaper gyms near vahalla, as mentioned above, but few places in the city are less than $60-70 a month. The NYSC near campus seems popular with people who like to take classes - aerobics, step, etc. The free gym on campus is small, but plenty for those who aren't big-time gym rats.. There is talk of building a new gym. It may just be talk, but I think the right people know that having a nice gym on campus would help attract and maintain healthy, happy students. There are lots of places to run/cycle in westchester. NYMC also has a deal with a school in tarrytown so students can use their gym and pool...There are tons of gyms in the city, and most of them are very expensive. There are YMCA's that are cheap, but I don't know anyone who uses them. If you love to run/cycle, Manhattan has some great places to do so...

 

[DrAverageJoe]

NYMC needs a 2nd look weekend!

 

[ironhill]

hey guys,
first things first: congrats on getting in!

so i'm interviewing at nymc in a few weeks and was looking at the interview feedback... the people that recently posted mainly had negative things to say, so it's put a sour taste in my mouth. since you guys got in, i'm wondering what your impressions have been (except the gym costs... i've been reading the thread 🙂 ) k thanks guys! and again, congrats!

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Interview feedback: I thought my interview went fine. I interviewed with Dr. Juster (Associate Dean of Admissions, or something), and was her second of three interviews. The girl who walked out her office before me looked like she'd been eaten, and that she was about to cry. I thought the interview went perfectly well. Dr. Juster makes you defend whatever you say, but once I figured that out and got ready to defend myself, it went fine.

Overall impression of the school: I really liked the school and its grounds. The building where the classes and whatnot are is basically brand new, and the classrooms had comfy chairs (basically all I care about). The anatomy lab doesn't smell, the library is nice, and there are lots of other places to study.

Hope this helps, PM me with any other questions.

 

[Robizzle]

hey guys,
first things first: congrats on getting in!

so i'm interviewing at nymc in a few weeks and was looking at the interview feedback... the people that recently posted mainly had negative things to say, so it's put a sour taste in my mouth. since you guys got in, i'm wondering what your impressions have been (except the gym costs... i've been reading the thread 🙂 ) k thanks guys! and again, congrats!

Here's mine:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/interview/show_entry.asp?ID=16196

Basically, loved the school, didn't like the interview. But apparently the interviewer didn't mind me so much 🙂.

It's not a stressful interview, but be prepared to explain everything you've done, why you want to be a doctor, and why NYMC, and you'll be all set. Seriously. Good luck!

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Bump...does anyone know if/when NYMC is send out accepted students info?

 

[Robizzle]

Bump...does anyone know if/when NYMC is send out accepted students info?

What do you mean accepted students info?

 

[Dr. Dukes]

What do you mean accepted students info?

I just got a packet of stuff from USUHS about the area, housing, food. Its basically a random packet of stuff, similar to what I got for college.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Yeah - has anyone received ANYTHING from them? Financial aid info? Anythign?

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Yeah - has anyone received ANYTHING from them? Financial aid info? Anythign?

Negatory...is it weird that not getting anything from them is making me think less of the school.
I know people will kill me for this complaint, but I wish I didn't have to choose between two schools. I would be happy at either USUHS or NYMC, but having to make the choice is killing my BP...

 

[ms1finally]

Yeah - has anyone received ANYTHING from them? Financial aid info? Anythign?

Financial aid info should be coming in the near future. The reason you haven't received anything yet is that Dean Sozzo has this whole process down to a science - it's so much easier than fin aid at any other school I've been to. If you feel like you MUST do something, fill out the FAFSA. But really I suggest waiting until you get everything. I think once I filled out all the forms first year the whole process took about 2 weeks, if that. Last year it took me one trip to the fin aid office.

NYMC interviews for a longer season than most schools. The year I applied I interviewed in March and received my acceptance in early May. You guys were accepted pretty early by NYMC standards! 🙂

 

[C.P. Jones]

Financial aid info should be coming in the near future. The reason you haven't received anything yet is that Dean Sozzo has this whole process down to a science - it's so much easier than fin aid at any other school I've been to. If you feel like you MUST do something, fill out the FAFSA. But really I suggest waiting until you get everything. I think once I filled out all the forms first year the whole process took about 2 weeks, if that. Last year it took me one trip to the fin aid office.

NYMC interviews for a longer season than most schools. The year I applied I interviewed in March and received my acceptance in early May. You guys were accepted pretty early by NYMC standards! 🙂

when did you get your fin aid final packet? since we have to make a decision by may 15th......i'd like to know what each school will give me instead of taking one and rejecting the other that for all I know was actually going to help me out financially.