Ohio State vs Emory

[throwaway4329]

Hi I know this is a late post but just wondering if there's anything else for me to consider. I've narrowed my acceptances down to Emory and Ohio State. When applying things that were important to me were 1) true pass/fail curriculum 2) a city where I wanted to live (specifically a city where black people feel like part of the overall culture) and 3) a school where I'd be able to study public health and work with underserved populations. As of right now I don't think I want to match into a crazy competitive specialty(thinking peds ideally in Chicago/Ann Arbor or the east coast), but honestly who knows what I'll be thinking in 4 years.

Emory
+ meets all of my wishlist pretty much; P/F, super supportive non-competitive class, Atlanta, and a chance to study at two hospitals with very different missions and patients and in turn get a great well-rounded medical education.
+ Public health super integrated into the curriculum plus the CDC is nearby. I've done research in public health and infectious diseases for 3 gap years and honestly this is a great time to have that resource available.

- CoA will be about $100k more expensive than OSU where I have in-state tuition
- I will have to move to another city far from everyone I know (family and friends are in the midwest) during a pandemic, which has not stopped sounding crazy to me every time I say it lol


OSU
+ Much more affordable with chances for scholarships in subsequent years
+ Incredible facilities, plenty of opportunity for research
+ Close to my support system

- P/F ranked ... not super concerned about this because I just did an M1 curriculum at an SMP, but still this was the #1 thing I wanted to avoid in med school
- Columbus/Ohio are nowhere near as appealing to me as Atlanta from pretty much every aspect except CoL.
- Larger class size and definitely seems more individualistic than collaborative

So to sum this up, Emory really is the perfect fit for me. In a vacuum, I'd go there in a heartbeat. That being said, I don't think OSU is a bad fit at all, just not as good. Emory has a better and broader match list and seems like it'd give me the most options going forward. Is this worth the CoA difference?

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[Yhwach]

Disclaimer: Emory A but withdrew

I feel obligated to reply because I feel as if I was in the same position as you. Emory was my number 1 but this year they blew it with cost and fin aid admin issues so I decided on a different school.

One thing I ask is what is the cost?

If this is 100k vs 200k then I think Emory is worth it.
If it is 200k vs 300k then I made the calculations and weighed the options and Emory wasn't worth it for me.

Mind you though that the school I picked over Emory didn't really have the problems OSU had. My school is "unranked" P/F (AOA still used but in a more "holistic" way compared to Emory since they don't really use strictly ranked cut-offs. Also Emory nominates AOA twice while the school I picked does it once), a decent city, and the same class size as Emory as well as a diverse class so the differences were really small. Not to mention the school I picked had a better match list.

I think the calculation is tougher for you. If I were in your shoes I would pick Emory. I wouldn't feel crazy in OSU or Columbus at all and I feel like what I would be paying in Emory is worth It compared to what I would save in OSU.

 

[DirtyNewYorker]

Is the COA difference taking into consideration that in-state OSU's tuition goes up to 47K a year in M3 and M4? I think if you're trying to match into a competitive peds program in the midwest, you can safely do that at OSU at a cheaper price. However, medical school is 4 years of your life, and it's important to be in an environment that you're enthusiastic about.

I think ultimately if you decide with Emory, create a financial plan that will give you a blueprint on how you will pay back your debt. There are several ways students can make debt payment more manageable by either enrolling under Public-Service-Loan-Forgiveness (this program has a shaky future) or by refinancing their loans under a lower interest rate.

Ultimately you should ask yourself whether the sacrifices you will make when you have to start paying back your debt is worth being in an environment that you're more enthusiastic about over the next 4 years. If it's worth it, then go Emory. If not, then go OSU

 

[mrcoffee24]

Ohio State.

Emory is not worth $100k more. OSU also has one of the top peds hospitals in the country (Nationwide Children's). Additionally, if you're trying to match in the midwest (Chicago or Ann Arbor), OSU may give you a regional advantage.

 

[humanbean2016]

Emory students match very well in whatever location and specialty they choose. The biggest consideration for you sounds like a support system, and whether or not you're willing to give up being close to family during medical school. This was also the biggest consideration for me and I've loved having the opportunity to drive to see relatives on free weekends. My peers have also quickly become some of my closest friends, and the support (laughs, notes and resources shared) we give each other has been refreshing and very welcome.

- current M1

 

[throwaway4329]

Thanks to all of you for your feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me. I ended up picking OSU and surprisingly to me am not feeling regretful at all lol. Excited for med school 🙂