Tufts vs. Einstein

[walterwhite3556]

Hi all, I’m trying to decide between Tufts and Einstein. I'm currently accepted at Tufts but received a high-priority waitlist at Einstein. I’ve also been accepted at a state school, and WL at BU and Case as well but I have narrowed it down to these schools based on location and preference.

I’m not sure what I want to end up doing but I’m interested in internal medicine subspecialties and possibly ortho. I 100% want to stay in the Northeast for residency. I've listed some pros/cons but I would love to hear what you all have heard about these schools. Thank you in advance!

Tufts

Pros:
+Location - Boston seems great, my SO can move there with me for at least the first year before they begin grad school somewhere (also many universities they could potentially attend for grad school if they get in) also have a few friends that live there already.
+Students seemed the happiest, everyone seemed collaborative
+Administration seemed organized and very friendly
+Curriculum - 1.5 year preclinical, recorded lectures and P/F (not sure if it’s true P/F though)
+Research stipend for the summer after M1
+Has professors doing research in topics I’m interested in (could also maybe do research at other medical schools in Boston)
+Known for producing skilled clinicians
+8 weeks of dedicated time (not sure if this will change in light of Step 1 being P/F)
+New anatomy lab
+very good match list

Cons:

• Cost - very expensive (haven’t received my FA yet but I’m assuming loans so CoA would be around $95-100K per year)
• Further from family than einstein (roughly 4 hours away by car)
• Would be more difficult to have a car (but not impossible)
• Less NIH research funding than Einstein
• 3rd year rotations potentially spread out (lots of affiliate sites, pretty sure selection is through a lottery process so could end up in western Mass. or Maine for numerous weeks)
• New curriculum (mixture of lectures, PBL, case-based, flipped classroom) - could be a positive but not sure since it’s new
• Ranking has been trending down but the school seems to have a very solid reputation (I’m interested in only matching in the Northeast after med school, preferably at a top academic institution in Boston, NYC or philly)

Einstein

Pros:
+Less expensive (CoA is roughly $85 I think, again just assuming all loans)
+Closer to family (about 2 hours by car)
+Close to manhattan (where SO would be living)
+True P/F, recorded non-mandatory lectures
+Very cheap housing (but not the nicest)
+Would be able to have a car
+Great rotation sites in the Bronx (Montefiore - private, Jacobi - NYC public hospital)
+Good reputation in NY
+Lots of research (NIH) funding (I believe they’re in the top 10 among med schools)
+Great match list (especially for NYC)
+Actually has a pretty cool campus feel to the school

Cons:

• On their HPWL (but based on previous years the likelihood of getting accepted is high though)
• Wouldn’t be able to live with SO
• Used to live in Manhattan, so not sure if I’d like living in the Bronx as much
• Very disorganized administration (at least admissions is very disorganized but it’s likely to be pervasive)
• Enjoyed my interview here and thought it went great but I barely learned anything about the school outside of meeting with current students. They didn’t hand out any informative packets or anything and their website is a mess.
• Seemed like their facilities were older than Tufts
• Limited food choices in the immediate area surrounding the school in terms of grocery stores and restaurants (food is very important to me LOL)

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[walterwhite3556]

bump. pls help

 

[walterwhite3556]

I'm visual, so I laid out what you wrote above in a more illustrative way. The symbols are my interpretation; Tufts beats out Einstein in location, student happiness, administration, curriculum, and research opportunities. I think that's where your heart is and to me, it seems you know you will be happy there.

I think the main edge Einstein has is cost. Both are expensive, and the difference in CoA can easily hit 6 figures with interest. You don't mention how important this is to you. Do you think it will weigh on you, despite the fact that you will be able to pay off your loans either way? The reason I ask this is because oftentimes students stress about things like this. Personally, I think the happiness factor is more important in the long run because you will end up in the same place either way. It's just a matter of how long that will take.

	Tufts wins	Einstein wins
Location	+ can live with SO for 1 year Boston seems great (you seem more certain about this than the Bronx)	closer to SO (after 1st year??), but can't live together unsure if you like the Bronx limited food options cheap housing
Student happiness	+ happiest collaborative	Unless I missed it, you didn't say anything about this, so it must not have stood out
Administration	+ organized, friendly	very disorganized admissions (I agree this is strongly indicative of the school) website is a mess did not proactively provide information for you to take home (this is weird to me)
Curriculum	+ <2 years preclinical (I'm assuming Einstein's is longer?) recorded lectures is newer, could be good, could be bumpy transition	recorded non-mandatory lectures
Grading	? - call to find out if there are rankings behind-the-scenes pass/fail	? true pass fail
Research	+ fits your interests & stipend available - this is what makes me give Tufts the edge less NIH funding (would a stipend compensate for this? I'm asking because I don't have familiarity with this)	lots! more NIH funding
Clinical training	? strong reputation potentially spread out clinical sites	? great sites, would not need to move
Dedicated time	equal 8 weeks	equal b/c of Step 1 change you did not mention
Facilities	? new anatomy lab	? cool feel seemed older
Match list	equal (though you say the ranking is trending down, you say both have good/great match lists)	equal
Cost	$60k more expensive	+
Distance from family	equal 4 hrs	equal slight edge here, either way you can get there in an afternoon (2 hrs)
Car	harder, not impossible	+ easier to have
Counts	5 + 3 ?	2 + 3 ?

Wow this is awesome. Thank you so much. This is definitely a better way to view and compare things! Money is definitely a factor because I will be paying with all loans if I don't get FA (I come from single parent household). But I have a very solid repayment plan in mind and strongly believe I will be able to stick to it.

 

[meronebib]

I'm visual, so I laid out what you wrote above in a more illustrative way. The symbols are my interpretation; Tufts beats out Einstein in location, student happiness, administration, curriculum, and research opportunities. I think that's where your heart is and to me, it seems you know you will be happy there.

I think the main edge Einstein has is cost. Both are expensive, and the difference in CoA can easily hit 6 figures with interest. You don't mention how important this is to you. Do you think it will weigh on you, despite the fact that you will be able to pay off your loans either way? The reason I ask this is because oftentimes students stress about things like this. Personally, I think the happiness factor is more important in the long run because you will end up in the same place either way. It's just a matter of how long that will take.

	Tufts wins	Einstein wins
Location	+ can live with SO for 1 year Boston seems great (you seem more certain about this than the Bronx)	closer to SO (after 1st year??), but can't live together unsure if you like the Bronx limited food options cheap housing
Student happiness	+ happiest collaborative	Unless I missed it, you didn't say anything about this, so it must not have stood out
Administration	+ organized, friendly	very disorganized admissions (I agree this is strongly indicative of the school) website is a mess did not proactively provide information for you to take home (this is weird to me)
Curriculum	+ <2 years preclinical (I'm assuming Einstein's is longer?) recorded lectures is newer, could be good, could be bumpy transition	recorded non-mandatory lectures
Grading	? - call to find out if there are rankings behind-the-scenes pass/fail	? true pass fail
Research	+ fits your interests & stipend available - this is what makes me give Tufts the edge less NIH funding (would a stipend compensate for this? I'm asking because I don't have familiarity with this)	lots! more NIH funding
Clinical training	? strong reputation potentially spread out clinical sites	? great sites, would not need to move
Dedicated time	equal 8 weeks	equal b/c of Step 1 change you did not mention
Facilities	? new anatomy lab	? cool feel seemed older
Match list	equal (though you say the ranking is trending down, you say both have good/great match lists)	equal
Cost	$60k more expensive	+
Distance from family	equal 4 hrs	equal slight edge here, either way you can get there in an afternoon (2 hrs)
Car	harder, not impossible	+ easier to have
Counts	5 + 3 ?	2 + 3 ?

You’re a good person. I don’t know who this is, but I would trust what they’re saying.

 

[deleted903608]

I'm an Einstein student and can address any questions you may have. What really drew me to Einstein was the student body; it's such a collaborative, supportive environment. That said, it is also very close to my SO, which is huge. Having that support network is so incredibly important in medical school. I want to address something you said about your SO not being able to live with you at Einstein; if you're referring to on-campus housing, you can 100% have your SO live on campus with you as long as you get some paperwork done with housing to prove your relationship. With regards to reputation/match lists, both have great reputations in the northeast; if you want Boston specifically Tufts probably has the edge there, but if you want NYC Einstein definitely has a leg up there. Both are great schools and you won't go wrong with either one.

 

[communitysjw1996]

Ok I’m pretty much in the opposite boat as you haha. Accepted to Einstein and deferred at Tufts

Speaking from experience, Tufts faculties are much nicer than those at Einstein, although you’ll be paying for that luxury through the higher COA.

Plus, at tufts you’ll most likely live in Cambridge, Alston, South End, or one of the other neighborhoods. This means you’ll have to commute to campus to use all these nice facilities. My guess on average commute time is 20-30 mins.

 

[communitysjw1996]

Ok I’m pretty much in the opposite boat as you haha. Accepted to Einstein and deferred at Tufts

Speaking from experience, Tufts faculties are much nicer than those at Einstein, although you’ll be paying for that luxury through the higher COA.

Plus, at tufts you’ll most likely live in Cambridge, Alston, South End, or one of the other neighborhoods. This means you’ll have to commute to campus to use all these nice facilities. My guess on average commute time is 20-30 mins.

Updated my post

 

[walterwhite3556]

Updated my post

Thank for your input, I really appreciate it!! I'm definitely accustomed to city living and commuting. My current commute for work is long so 20 minutes would be an upgrade LOL. Right now I think I'm leaning towards Tufts because of Boston and the potential for more opportunities for me and my SO.

 

[walterwhite3556]

Update and need more help please. Any help is much appreciated!!

-just accepted to Einstein with $75K scholarship over 4 years (IDK if I would receive need-based on top of that)
-Tufts offered $16K need-based aid for M1 (not guaranteed for next 3 years) (total = $65K over 4 years assuming my financials won't change much)

I've been very put off by Einstein's administration and love how supportive Tufts' admin is. Also love Boston way more than the Bronx lol.

 

[deleted903608]

Update and need more help please. Any help is much appreciated!!

-just accepted to Einstein with $75K scholarship over 4 years (IDK if I would receive need-based on top of that)
-Tufts offered $16K need-based aid for M1 (not guaranteed for next 3 years) (total = $65K over 4 years assuming my financials won't change much)

I've been very put off by Einstein's administration and love how supportive Tufts' admin is. Also love Boston way more than the Bronx lol.

I am still willing to answer any questions about Einstein, just PM me any time. Admin has been very supportive especially so during covid for my class especially with Step 1 rescheduling, rearranging our M3 rotation schedule, etc. The Bronx/NYC definitely isn't for everyone, but it's an amazing place to learn medicine with a very unique and very sick patient population. All that said Tufts is a great school also and judging by your posts seems to be where your heart is.

 

[treatem-and-streetem]

How much is the tuition for the state school you got into?

 

[Wolvvs]

Update and need more help please. Any help is much appreciated!!

-just accepted to Einstein with $75K scholarship over 4 years (IDK if I would receive need-based on top of that)
-Tufts offered $16K need-based aid for M1 (not guaranteed for next 3 years) (total = $65K over 4 years assuming my financials won't change much)

I've been very put off by Einstein's administration and love how supportive Tufts' admin is. Also love Boston way more than the Bronx lol.

When will you find out about need-based aid? 10K isn't a massive difference, but if they give you additional aid it could add up.

 

[walterwhite3556]

How much is the tuition for the state school you got into?

I already withdrew from my state school due to location reasons

 

[walterwhite3556]

When will you find out about need-based aid? 10K isn't a massive difference, but if they give you additional aid it could add up.

Unfortunately, I probably wouldn't find out about need based from Einstein until after the 5 day deadline to respond.

 

[Wolvvs]

Unfortunately, I probably wouldn't find out about need based from Einstein until after the 5 day deadline to respond.

Okay, that sucks that you have to make a decision without complete information. Was the 75K a merit-based scholarship?

Tufts is notoriously stingy with need-based aid. I don't know anything about Einstein--did you ask about how need-based aid intersects with your scholarship? If they do generally speaking give need-based aid, there's a decent chance you'll get it.

Also, I didn't realize that the $10K difference I called out was just in the scholarship. The real difference is $10K + $10-15K per year, meaning $50-$70K in favor of Einstein. And it could be even more if you get need-based aid. It's a significant difference, at least equal to another year of tuition--you'll have to decide whether it's worth paying that much.

 

[walterwhite3556]

Okay, that sucks that you have to make a decision without complete information. Was the 75K a merit-based scholarship?

Tufts is notoriously stingy with need-based aid. I don't know anything about Einstein--did you ask about how need-based aid intersects with your scholarship? If they do generally speaking give need-based aid, there's a decent chance you'll get it.

Also, I didn't realize that the $10K difference I called out was just in the scholarship. The real difference is $10K + $10-15K per year, meaning $50-$70K in favor of Einstein. And it could be even more if you get need-based aid. It's a significant difference, at least equal to another year of tuition--you'll have to decide whether it's worth paying that much.

Yes, the 75K over 4 years is a merit scholarship (it's spread out unevenly across the 4 years). I haven't been able to ask about need-based from Einstein. I think the overall difference between Tufts and Einstein (after interest & before Einstein need-based aid) is about 70K over the 4 years. My heart says Tufts but my wallet says Einstein

 

[iluvmedicine528]

Yes, the 75K over 4 years is a merit scholarship (it's spread out unevenly across the 4 years). I haven't been able to ask about need-based from Einstein. I think the overall difference between Tufts and Einstein (after interest & before Einstein need-based aid) is about 70K over the 4 years. My heart says Tufts but my wallet says Einstein

A 70k difference over the 4 years, in my opinion, is not a big difference for you to choose Einstein over Tufts because of finances. Go where your heart is!

 

[Wolvvs]

$70,000 over 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency turns into $96,000 assuming you take grad plus loans. Paying $5000 a month, it will take you nearly 2 years to pay off.

If Einstein matches $16K per year of need-based scholarship, that difference turns into $134,000, or $182,000 after med school and a 3 year residency. That adds an additional almost 4 years of paying $5000 per month above choosing the less expensive option.

It could be worth it. If being in your preferred location is going to help you do well/have a better chance at achieving your goals, then go for it! I think it's important to understand exactly what future you will be responsible for when you choose a more expensive option.

 

[iluvmedicine528]

Just a heads but Einstein does not match need-based aid! The Max they provide for each student is 10k a year.

 

[Wolvvs]

Just a heads but Einstein does not match need-based aid! The Max they provide for each student is 10k a year.

Thanks, that's good to know! Let me recalculate: $70K+$40K = $110K.

After 4 years of school and 3 years residency, it's just under $150K. That will take you about 2 years 10 months to pay off at $5000 per month.

 

[walterwhite3556]

$70,000 over 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency turns into $96,000 assuming you take grad plus loans. Paying $5000 a month, it will take you nearly 2 years to pay off.

If Einstein matches $16K per year of need-based scholarship, that difference turns into $134,000, or $182,000 after med school and a 3 year residency. That adds an additional almost 4 years of paying $5000 per month above choosing the less expensive option.

It could be worth it. If being in your preferred location is going to help you do well/have a better chance at achieving your goals, then go for it! I think it's important to understand exactly what future you will be responsible for when you choose a more expensive option.

The 70K difference I calculated includes accrued interest throughout medical school. Tufts also gave me a small interest free institutional loan as well as the grant.

Location and happiness are super important to me. I went to a cheap undergrad and have no debt currently. Being able to live with my SO in Boston in contrast to living with a roommate on campus at Einstein is huge for me in the long run I think.

 

[Wolvvs]

Got it, I'm not going to recalculate again as I think you get the point

I think it's really just a judgement call for you now. Make life easier for yourself during medical school in exchange for living like a resident for a few years more, or make things harder during medical school and being able to enjoy your attending lifestyle earlier? I don't think any of us can answer that for you, but I hope we've helped at least!

 

[walterwhite3556]

Got it, I'm not going to recalculate again as I think you get the point

I think it's really just a judgement call for you now. Make life easier for yourself during medical school in exchange for living like a resident for a few years more, or make things harder during medical school and being able to enjoy your attending lifestyle earlier? I don't think any of us can answer that for you, but I hope we've helped at least!

Thank you so much for your input and perspective. I really do appreciate it!

 

[brainreducio]

What did you end up deciding?

 

[walterwhite3556]

What did you end up deciding?

Tufts!