So... Cornell??

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quideam

quideam

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So today I received an acceptance from Cornell Med in the mail. I am totally shocked - I really didn't think that I was going to get in, and I stayed on the waitlist "just to see". But now I don't know - I never seriously considered it before...

I only have a few days to decide because I leave for Germany in seven days. Those of you who went to their second look weekend - how was it? What were the people like? The atmosphere? Anyone who can give me any information on why you like/dislike Cornell, please help!

Thanks so much!!

Quid
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Congrats bud. NYC is a great place. I'd go to Weill.

JH
 
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congrats, quideam. just wondering, did you also get an email too?
 
Nope, no e-mail, just snail mail.
 
quideam said:
So today I received an acceptance from Cornell Med in the mail. I am totally shocked - I really didn't think that I was going to get in, and I stayed on the waitlist "just to see". But now I don't know - I never seriously considered it before...

I only have a few days to decide because I leave for Germany in seven days. Those of you who went to their second look weekend - how was it? What were the people like? The atmosphere? Anyone who can give me any information on why you like/dislike Cornell, please help!

Thanks so much!!

Quid
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Did you get an email? I know a friend of mine is anxiously awaiting word from Cornell, so that info would be helpful for him.

Anyways, I remember you saying earlier that your main draw against NYC schools was that even though they offered an awesome education they were located in dirty, loud place. Cornell Med is a very safe, sleepy area of Manhattan. If you were looking for a small town "feel" in Manhattan, Cornell is pretty much the place to go. I'm obviously biased to NYC, but I think Cornell is an excellent school and I sincerely regret not applying there. I would choose it over Pitt in a heartbeat. As for curriculum, it's very similar to the PBL/small group emphasis at Pitt Med, so they're very even there. Cornell's clientele at its hospital is supposedly very ritzy, another thing to think about when considering what type of environment you want to be in when you're on rotations.

Best of luck in your decision, quid. :)
 
Congrats quid! :D

hey--Had you kept in contact with the adcom at all post-waitlist?
 
Quid,

Won't this place you a lot closer to your significant other? If so, maybe that's a BIG reason to go, even if you're not the biggest fan of NYC...

Congrats! :thumbup:
 
Lux - no, not really. They e-mailed me about a week or so ago asking if I was still interested in being on the waitlist. That's about it though.

Lyragirl - you're absolutely right, and i'm definetely considering that part. Also, w/ Pitt, i'll come out $160,000 in debt, versus $120,00 with Cornell. So that's another plus.

This is so crazy!!! My mind is absolutely spinning. And then there's still hope for Yale, maybe.... ??....
 
Quideam, you're soooo lucky...share some w/ me pleeeeease? :oops:
 
YOU ROCK YOU WOULD BE CRAZY TO SAY NO

but make the best decision for you :D
 
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Thanks Eraserhead.... man, I just don't know what to do! I've had my heart/mind set on Pitt for the past few months... this really threw me for a spin. You've been so sweet and supportive all along; I really appreciate it :). I hope that you get in - If I turn Cornell down, I hope the spot goes to you. Or maybe we'll be classmates next year :D :D :D
 
quideam said:
Thanks Eraserhead.... man, I just don't know what to do! I've had my heart/mind set on Pitt for the past few months... this really threw me for a spin. You've been so sweet and supportive all along; I really appreciate it :). I hope that you get in - If I turn Cornell down, I hope the spot goes to you. Or maybe we'll be classmates next year :D :D :D
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I hope we are! That would be cool.

I really dig Cornell in all ways possible, but you didn't seem as excited. I think the key difference is location and type of clinical experience here... Pitt does seem better for "hands on" experience that you want for EM. But like I said, I think you'd be crazy to say no to Weill.
 
Eraserhead said:
I hope we are! That would be cool.

I really dig Cornell in all ways possible, but you didn't seem as excited. I think the key difference is location and type of clinical experience here... Pitt does seem better for "hands on" experience that you want for EM. But like I said, I think you'd be crazy to say no to Weill.
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Congrats Quid, go with your heart :thumbup:
 
Congrats on your acceptance. I liked Cornell best out of the schools I visited for the following reasons:

-nice schedule, you're done in the early afternoon 4 days a week
-chance to live in/enjoy NYC
-PBL curriculum, lecure de-emphasized
-strong reputation and good affiliations
-students seemed interesting and fun, not stuck-up...
-nice facilities

Overall, I just felt a great vibe there, and also had a strong recommendation to choose Cornell over higher-ranked schools from my undergrad pre-med advisor, a person I have much respect for.

Never considered Pitt, but I've heard good things as well. Seriously though, would you really choose to live in Pittsburg instead of NYC??

Good luck with your choice! PM me if you want to chat
 
BaseballFan said:
-students seemed interesting and fun, not stuck-up...
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damn right ;)

hey quideam, you've got a pm forthcoming (its a copy and paste of one i just sent to someone else) :)
 
quideam said:
Thanks Eraserhead.... man, I just don't know what to do! I've had my heart/mind set on Pitt for the past few months... this really threw me for a spin. You've been so sweet and supportive all along; I really appreciate it :). I hope that you get in - If I turn Cornell down, I hope the spot goes to you. Or maybe we'll be classmates next year :D :D :D
Click to expand...

quid, congratulations on this difficult decision :) having been in a really similar situation a week ago i hope i can help you out a bit. my "heart/mind" had basically been with another school for about 5 months...when a number of factors caused me to consider umich very seriously. the biggest obstacle/challenge i faced was figuring out what my freakin' gut feeling was, because for so long i'd visualized and planned on attending another school, it kept clouding my judgment. it was really difficult for me, so i can sort of understand what you're going through.

point being: if you really, objectively evaluate the 2 schools one will eventually stand out as being "right" for you. cornell represents a wonderful opportunity. on the other hand, pitt may well be the right place for you. you have to approach it with an open mind, as though you're comparing both schools from a clean slate. i agree you should ultimately go with your gut feeling, but make sure your gut feeling isn't simply one of familiarity, but is instead *truly* where you think you'll emerge a) a better physician and b) a better person in 4-5 years. i seriously believe you can find happiness, friends, etc. no matter where you go - and you seem like a cheerful person - so don't worry too much about that.

good luck with your decision!
 
Pitt and Cornell are both such great med schools...I'd be really torn between the two as well. Both have great reputations, awesome students, and cutting edge research occurring at their campuses. I'm sure the faculty at the two schools are also at the top of their respective fields. Really...you can't go wrong with either of these two awesome schools...as everyone above said...just go with your gut feeling. You'll get a great medical education at either of the two schools.

In terms of location, I've never been to Pittsburgh so I can't comment on it. Personally, I love metropolitan areas and NYC seems like the perfect place for me. I'll be taking my first visit to NYC this summer but I've only heard great things about it.
 
Bump... any one else have any input? :)... *worried*
 
Talk to everyone you can this week and make a big pro and con sheet.
 
spumoni620 said:
quid, congratulations on this difficult decision :) having been in a really similar situation a week ago i hope i can help you out a bit. my "heart/mind" had basically been with another school for about 5 months...when a number of factors caused me to consider umich very seriously. the biggest obstacle/challenge i faced was figuring out what my freakin' gut feeling was, because for so long i'd visualized and planned on attending another school, it kept clouding my judgment. it was really difficult for me, so i can sort of understand what you're going through.

point being: if you really, objectively evaluate the 2 schools one will eventually stand out as being "right" for you. cornell represents a wonderful opportunity. on the other hand, pitt may well be the right place for you. you have to approach it with an open mind, as though you're comparing both schools from a clean slate. i agree you should ultimately go with your gut feeling, but make sure your gut feeling isn't simply one of familiarity, but is instead *truly* where you think you'll emerge a) a better physician and b) a better person in 4-5 years. i seriously believe you can find happiness, friends, etc. no matter where you go - and you seem like a cheerful person - so don't worry too much about that.

good luck with your decision!
Click to expand...

that's great advice :thumbup:
 
i was in a similar situation .. and i agree with eraserhead .. i'd like to add that i wouldn't talk to applicants, i'd only speak to the students already attending the schools you're considering .. i emailed a person who hosted me, who forwarded my email to everyone, who wrote back with their personal pros and cons .. it helped out a great deal! and showed how thoughtful and caring a few of these students are .. i'm still waiting for more responses .. i have no idea what my gut says anymore, and logically, the schools i'm considering are all equally awesome ... so i'd definitely go with spumoni's advice .. a better person and a better physician, those are the same standards i used, but you have your own standards as well so try to figure out what those are :)
 
Hello Quid,

When I have faced a big decision, the approach that has been most helpful to me is to identify the 2 or 3 most important factors without respect to the choices. Getting to this point is often difficult, and I will often pick one choice that I like and try to understand why I like it. Or I ask others' opinions to see if they touch on something that I have not thought of yet, and realize that it is really important to me. Understanding what is most important to me is often time consuming, but worthwhile. Then I "rate" each choice as to how well they fit each factor. When I add up the results, if the result doesn't feel right, then I know I missed something, or rated it wrong.

"Gut feel" for me often means that something about a choice is important to me, but I have not yet been able to put the idea into words yet. If its really important or I just want to know what it is that I am feeling in my gut, I spend more time reflecting on this and often can figure out what it is.

I hope this is helpful.

Good luck!

Don
:)
 
Just wanted to say a BIIIG CONGRATS, Quideam!! Look at the decision you've earned the right to!! :D :clap: :hardy:

Have a GREAT time in Germany!! ;)

I'm SO sorry I don't have any advice to add for you. I'm so far away from applying, but I just love seeing you guys succeed!
 
Quidaem, let us know what you decide to do! Hopefully they will dig up my dusty file soon and do something about it.
 
Flip a coin and see if you feel relieved or disappointed in the school that wins out. A quick test to see where your gut is. :) Seriously though, I am of the opinion that it is very difficult to have any idea what will be important to us in the next four years. You have two very excellent choices, so whatever your decision ends up being, go with it wholeheartedly and don't look back. Med school is going to be an awesome ride!
 
YO, I was also accepted off the waitlist and in many ways cornell offers the most well rounded experience of any med school I know of. The research is great (rockefeller U and Memorial sloan kettering affiliated), the curriculum offers alot of freedom to study what you need to know on your own instead of dozing off in lecture, and the clinical experience is varied. Everyone says that Cornell is all hands off and the NYH patients are rich and stuck up...but its just not true. NYH is very advanced and academic but there is a wealth of clinical "hands on" to get involved in. Also, Cornell has a huge number of affiliates in more underserved areas of NY city. Lincoln hospital in the bronx is a cornell affiliate and it is the busiest trauma center in all of New York. Its the kind of place where if you dont see it...then it probably doesnt exist. You really cant go wrong. In the end being a medical student is not about learning all these procedures and being hands on (thats what internship is for) instead it's about learning to think clinically and approach problems in a thoughtful but efficient way.
 
Yes... me...
 
quid, that's awesome, congrats! just wanted to say altho cornell may be cheaper tuition-wise, cost of living in manhattan is probably hella more than pitt...

rock the germs.
 
Newquagmire said:
quid, that's awesome, congrats! just wanted to say altho cornell may be cheaper tuition-wise, cost of living in manhattan is probably hella more than pitt...

rock the germs.
Click to expand...

Not with Cornell's subsidized housing!!! Is there any reason to hate Cornell? Its like a wonderland I think. Well food and entertainment would cost a bit more of course.
 
Hey Quid,
Pitt is a great school for your specialty, but Cornell is Cornell.. :) Besides, apart from being two good schools, remember, you also want to be close to your beau, and Cornell of course is much closer to Jersey than Pitt.

Good luck! :)
 
I think there's more chances to play hockey in Pitt...better go there :D
 
ZekeMD said:
I think there's more chances to play hockey in Pitt...better go there :D
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Yes, hockey! How could we have overlooked that oh-so-important factor?

Quid- Think about it!
 
:laugh: Eraser, you're so shameless.

quid, what'd you end up deciding?
 
TheFlash said:
:laugh: Eraser, you're so shameless.

quid, what'd you end up deciding?
Click to expand...

Hehe, I think I have to kill off a few males to get in, I don't think Quid matters.
 
Eraserhead said:
Not with Cornell's subsidized housing!!! Is there any reason to hate Cornell? Its like a wonderland I think. Well food and entertainment would cost a bit more of course.
Click to expand...

there's more to cost of living than just housing.
 
Paying an exorbitant amount of money for a worthless, rathole managed by the most shady slumlord imaginable is part of being a Berkeley student. :) lol. I wish they would have told us about the housing situation at CalSO...I would've gladly signed the Letter of Intent to Register at **insert east coast private undergrad here** instead of coming to Cal. Well, too late now.

**packs more stuff into boxes in preparation for moving into another rathole on the other side of Berkeley**
 
Hi everyone,

Okay, so last Friday I visited Cornell with my good friend Sam, and I hung out with DW (who, by the way, has the NEATEST and CLEANEST room I have ever seen ;)). It actually turns out that an old friend from college is his suite-mate (shares a bathroom).

DW gave me a tour of the school and the dorms... and I have to say, I LOVED it. I also found out that they DO have an emergency medicine interest group (my tour guide was an idiot) and they even have a subsidized outdoors club :D. Plus, I will be close to my sweetie :).

So... I've decided - I'm going to Cornell. Thanks to everyone for your adivce... I appreciate it tremendously. And Eraserhead, hang in there, I heard that the waitlist is still moving!

Quid
 
quideam said:
Hi everyone,

Okay, so last Friday I visited Cornell with my good friend Sam, and I hung out with DW (who, by the way, has the NEATEST and CLEANEST room I have ever seen ;)). It actually turns out that an old friend from college is his suite-mate (shares a bathroom).

DW gave me a tour of the school and the dorms... and I have to say, I LOVED it. I also found out that they DO have an emergency medicine interest group (my tour guide was an idiot) and they even have a subsidized outdoors club :D. Plus, I will be close to my sweetie :).

So... I've decided - I'm going to Cornell. Thanks to everyone for your adivce... I appreciate it tremendously. And Eraserhead, hang in there, I heard that the waitlist is still moving!

Quid
Click to expand...

Yay! I'm glad you get to be close to your dude! And if I go to Cornell maybe I'll try this "outdoor" stuff a bit too.
 
Glad to see that another person who once derided New York as a less-livable place than Hades has fallen under the spell. Congrats!
 
Congrats, Quid!
 
congratulations on the acceptance!!! I think you need to make the decision based on what you want. :thumbup: :thumbup:

well after I put in this post I went back and read the rest of the replys and it seems that you have made your decision. congrats and the best of luck!! :clap:
 
quideam said:
Hi everyone,

Okay, so last Friday I visited Cornell with my good friend Sam, and I hung out with DW (who, by the way, has the NEATEST and CLEANEST room I have ever seen ;)).
Click to expand...
Wow...my tour of Cornell must have been a real winner for you to post a blatant lie like this...even "DW is the sexiest man I have ever met" would have been more believable :laugh:

My room isn't always that gross...I swear :p
 
Hey guys, so I wrote an update and letter of intent to Cornell (150% I will wait till the last minute intent) towards the end of March. Do you think I should write something restating my committment since it is after May 15th now and many people's situations have changed recently?
 
I'd say it couldn't hurt. I sent one last week to reiterate my interest in the post-May 15 world.
 
congrats quid on your decision

see you in the fall :)
 
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