SUNY Upstate versus VCU, Downstate, AMC and Sophie Davis

[Here42cents]

Hello everyone,

I am a high school senior, I recently got accepted to Upstate's BSMD program. Applying to these was basically a crap shoot with me having no extra hooks or anything. SUNY Upstate was indeed my first choice mainly because being instate, I will have a relatively affordable UG tuition and good research opportunities. My cousin sister also graduated from Upstate and she loved it. But now I have interview invites for VCU, Sophie Davis (CUNY) and have moved to the final stages of AMC. I also have Downstate which will announce by March end. Now that I am accepted to Upstate, I feel like I am so done with all this and just want to withdraw my other applications and commit to Upstate. My parents keeps reminding interviews are a good experience and that since its virtual just to attend it. I hear them but I feel after years of all the prep work, I just want a few months to be relaxing with friends before going away to college.

My question is, do you guys know about these medical schools in detail? Is VCU medical school much better than Upstate? I feel I will get more opportunities in Upstate than in AMC, plus less tuition. But VCU ranking is much higher than Upstate. Is that such a big deal? I really like Downstate medical.( My dad went there) In your opinion how does Upstate compare with Downstate and VCU? I am just figuring out is it worth to attend the interview or to just skip those.

Also does anybody have any info regarding the Binghamton campus during M3 and M4 for SUNY Upstate? How do they allocate you for the campuses? Do we have a choice? My acceptance is only for 2025 ( after my UG) But I read that we have to decide on it within the first couple of weeks of M1. How do we decide? Thank you so much.

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[Cheezin]

Hi so not in med school yet but finishing undergrad in a bsmd program myself. Personally, I like upstate for the reasons you mentioned and the similar points could be made for downstate, it would just depend what city you'd want to live in. I would drop Albany because its private, expensive, and I think albany is bleh compared to cuse or Brooklyn. I don't know too much about cuny but I don't think I would put it above upstate or downstate. VCU is interesting, I think you should definitely continue there, I think its a really solid school.
For Upstate you pick either "Syracuse only, Syracuse preferred, bing only, bing preferred" on the day of your interview and that determines which campus you go to if accepted. Only difference between only and preferred is if they call you off the waitlist for a specific campus, if you are an "only" then they skip you for a spot at the other campus.

 

[Here42cents]

Thank you Cheezin for your reply! Is VCU worthy to pay the more tuition than SUNY upstate is my concern. By being solid did you mean the residency matches or the program in itself?

 

[Cheezin]

Thank you Cheezin for your reply! Is VCU worthy to pay the more tuition than SUNY upstate is my concern. By being solid did you mean the residency matches or the program in itself?

thats probably up to you to decide, its a solid midtier school . may be marginally better than sunys but up to you to decide the higher cost

 

[Here42cents]

thats probably up to you to decide, its a solid midtier school . may be marginally better than sunys but up to you to decide the higher cost

Got it, yup thanks. I hear you. The med school part money would have been ok but I really can’t see me paying almost double for UG. So SUNY upstate will be the lucky med school to have me lol. Thank again and best of luck in your med journey as well.