hehe, so my husband goes to Drexel and his brother goes to SUNY upstate. Here's what I can tell you based on what they say:
SUNY upstate is a great school and really inexpensive. Winters in Syracuse are horrendous, like really awful, so consider how much that will factor into your plans. Syracuse is a pretty boring place (unless you're into skiing!😛), but I'm sure there's something to do anywhere you go. Profs there are reported to be good. It doesn't really have the friendly attitude of Drexel, but it's definitely not ultra-competitive or anything. For clinical rotations you get to choose between Syracuse and Binghamton, so you do have the option of spending your winters without a guaranteed snowstorm every single night, at least in the last 2 years of med school. At Syracuse, you have the option of cheap housing in the dorm, which is really convenient.
I have a few posts on these forums lauding Drexel, and I don't want to seem like a groupie 😛. But really it's a great school. The biggest downside is price, of course. Drexel has an awesome curriculum, wonderful and helpful faculty, and a very friendly, congenial atmosphere. Philly is a great city to live in (e.g. right now we have the Dali exhibit!). Also Drexel is very diverse, which is a bonus that is probably actually due to the lower numbers required to get in. (btw, there are plenty of awesome students; my husband had 3.6 GPA, 36 on MCAT, and Drexel is great for him because he's sort of shy and not an ultra-competitive type).
All in all, though, in your situation I'd truthfully probably choose SUNY, just because it is a good school and so much less expensive. Difficult decision between two schools of similar quality, as mentioned above. Good luck!
