OSU (50% Tuition) vs. Colorado (50,000k scholarship) vs. Hackensack (Full CoA)

[LivinLike-Larry]

Hey everyone,

I'm kind of struggling to figure out which scenario seems to be the best for me and was wondering if anyone else had some more insight to these choices and the process than I do. So really, thank you guys in advance.

I don't entirely know what specialty I want to pursue. I'm interested in some uncompetitive specialties but also some competitive surgical specialties, so I really don't want to close any doors in terms of residency just in case I end up pursuing a super competitive field. Therefore, research and connections are pretty important to me.

I was lucky enough to get a free education up until this point because of my low SES and am presented with the opportunity to do so again, so I'm conflicted with some of my choices. Also, I'm from CA just for reference in terms of relocating geographically and I am not bound by any family really.

OSU
Pros:
+ Most prestige (I think?).
+ Really top notch/new facilities and equipment.
+ 50% tuition scholarship (puts me at ~$224,000 COA. Have to maintain 85% grade average though).
+ P/F pre-clin (Students say that clinical is P/F but is ranked and you can still honor).
+ In-state tuition after MS1.
+ Super community orientated and everyone there seems super genuine.
+ Their free clinics are apparently some of the best.

Cons:
- I don't think I would be happy living in Columbus as a city, my gf doesn't seem as excited either. Place seems to be lacking in culture and diversity (I'm sorry if I offended any columbus-ians). The sports aren't a plus for me since I'm unfortunately not into them.
- Maybe I'm tweaking but the match list seems a bit underwhelming compared to CU. Good specialties but a lot of midwest matching which really isn't what I'm going for.
- Ranked clinical…
- Large class size of 226

CU
Pros:
+ More abundant research opportunities than the rest.
+ I could definitely see myself enjoying living in the Denver area.
+ Larger Spanish speaking population. I have been learning Spanish for a year now and want to be somewhere where I can continue to practice and utilize it.
+ Seems like a generally better match list, especially for the West coast.
+ Lots of activities to do in terms of being outdoors (hikes and skiing and such).
+ P/F preclin and no internal ranking at all
+ Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships curriculum seems good for building connections.

Cons:
--- Expensive af. About $406,344 for all four years with the $12,500 scholarship applied annually. This is lowkey a big turnoff but I like the school and city.
- 1 year preclinical.
- Specifically where the school is located is reportedly pretty unsafe.
- H/HP/P/LP/F clinical grades.

Hackensack
Pros:
+++ Damn near full-CoA scholarship (I have to pay ~$10,000 annually).
+ Right next to NYC which would be super nice to have nearby. Lots of culture, things to do and diversity.
+ No AOA.
+ Smaller class size ~150

Cons:
- Unranked and little research. Definitely the biggest concern for me because I'm trying to keep my options open for residency. Match list lackluster compared to OSU and CU.
- Mandatory class attendance in preclin.
- Seems like a corporation, not a school.
- Lot's of driving for required away rotations.
- Step 1 and 2 are one month apart? I think this is bad, seems like a lot.

Thanks again for any advice, it's super appreciated!!!

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[Tibial.Tuberosity]

Personally I'd go with OSU!

 

[Mayocarditis]

I had the same decision between OSU and CU as an OOS student, and I ended up choosing OSU.

The combination of cost, one-year preclinical, LICs, and distance from home shied me away from CU. It was a coin toss for me, but I'm very happy with my decision. Try to find what's important to you and choose your school based on that. I wasn't a fan of the one-year preclinical as well, and the extra $150,000 wasn't worth it in my eyes for CU. Now to be honest, I can say that Columbus isn't fun/diverse, but I knew I'd be worse off thousands of miles from home in a region that I didn't vibe with. As far as research, OSU is funded extremely well both at Wexner and Nationwide, particularly in surgery, pediatrics, urology, otolaryngology and emergency medicine if that floats your boat. We're also incredibly known for ultrasound education supposedly.

The difference is match lists is self-selecting, so I'd take that with a grain of salt. It's hard to truly appreciate until you're in medical school, but folks have different values when it comes to residency selection. At least for me, I'm shooting for academic programs in the South and they aren't the fanciest of names.

I think the deciding factor for you is how much you're willing to pay to live and thrive at CU as opposed to your other options. There's no wrong or right answer, so just trust your gut and it'll work out. Let me know if you have any questions about OSU and I'll try my best to answer. Good luck!

 

[hydroflaskhomie]

I agree leaning towards OSU but the 85% grade average seems high without knowing how difficult the curriculum is - do you know if current students ever struggle to meet this benchmark?

 

[LivinLike-Larry]

I agree leaning towards OSU but the 85% grade average seems high without knowing how difficult the curriculum is - do you know if current students ever struggle to meet this benchmark?

This is what they said in the fin aid email, "Our scholarship recipients have demonstrated a strong track record of meeting these renewal requirements, with 95% of all admissions merit-based scholarships being renewed on average." I'm gonna try to reach out to one of the few students in our groupme to see if they have any personal experience with it cause I'm skeptical about the 95% statistic.

 

[hydroflaskhomie]

This is what they said in the fin aid email, "Our scholarship recipients have demonstrated a strong track record of meeting these renewal requirements, with 95% of all admissions merit-based scholarships being renewed on average." I'm gonna try to reach out to one of the few students in our groupme to see if they have any personal experience with it cause I'm skeptical about the 95% statistic.

That's very reassuring! Do your due diligence but I think OSU is the right pick for you. I'm sure you can make the best of Columbus.

 

[tweedledumb]

Does CU negotiate? Have you asked them to match OSU’s offer?

 

[LivinLike-Larry]

Does CU negotiate? Have you asked them to match OSU’s offer?

I have a draft written but they're website says they do not negotiate aid from other schools so I never sent it.