UNC or Cornell?

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i'm biased, but to me this is a no brainer. run to nyc and never look back-- go to cornell.
 
RoadRunner17 said:
If you're into PBL, go to Cornell.
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IIRC, Cornell has PBL for less than 6 hours a week. No more or less than many other schools. I don't know where this idea that Cornell is PBL heavy has come from, unless there is something I don't know about.
 
aboutequally ranked so money vs nyc vs fit?
 
If you're from North Carolina, There's no question whatsoever that you should go to UNC. Isn't tuition like $8000 there? Also, I can't imagine slogging through a PBL curriculum. I at least want the illusion that I'm paying for something other than a piece of paper that says I know medical stuff. If you're OOS...I guess Cornell's a better choice. Still, PBL? Ugh.
 
OP, you are already living in NYC. I would certainly choose Cornell unless you do not enjoy living in NYC. Hard to imagine but there are some folks who do not like NYC. Have you received any information on financial aid packages? If UNC is significantly cheaper to attend than Cornell, that would alter my perspective. But all things being relatively equal, definitely Cornell, a great school in a great city.
 
Price would probably lead me to UNC on this one, assuming instate for NC, obviously. If not, then I'd go to which location I liked more!
 
You are a non-trad... what sort of housing is Cornell offering? If it is a dorm room for M1 year, can you tolerate that for a year? Do you love NY?

Would 4 years in NC feel like exile from NY?

Where do you want to do residency/practice? Sure, some people move around but you often have a better shot at your home institution and NY/NC are in different orbits.

What would you do with a rare night off? Do you like college basketball?

Which costs more (after aid)? Is that school worth $$$ more in debt?
 
Instate, dislike cold, like trees: UNC
Out of state, tolerates harsh winters, like urban environments: Cornell
...
Instate, tolerates harsh winters, like urban environments: Still UNC - you'd save so much money...
 
I say you should to go to UNC, but I'm biased. Feel free to message me privately if you would like any more information. I'll emphasize that the UNC community has a culture of kindness and openness that NYC likely would not be able to match. You really feel like you are a part of a community when you're at Carolina. Because UNC and Cornell are so close in quality, you have to look at smaller things more related to lifestyle to make your decision.
 
This discussion would have been a lot more fun if you said Duke or UNC.
 
My fiance and my best friends go to UNC, so maybe I can lend some insight into the school. Their first two years are pretty chill, comparatively-speaking. Classes are graded P/F for the first year and H/P/F for second year. Unfortunately, it is graded on a curve; there were classes in which my fiance had a 94 average and didn't get honors. There are community weeks, in which you spend a week shadowing a primary care specialist somewhere in NC/SC. This happens twice in first year and three times (thrice!) in second year and had mixed reviews. The students felt like it was a good experience but probably overkill, especially if you're not into primary care. You get 5-6 weeks between 2nd and 3rd year to study for step 1, though I believe they may be cutting it by one week. 3rd year rotations occur all over the state, and there's a very good chance you'll have to do at least a couple away from Chapel Hill unless you have young children or something.

The Good
-Chapel Hill is a nice, cool town. NC in general is beautiful. Great weather.
-Cheap cheap cheap!
-Good reputation
-You can do away rotations at Duke, Wake, or ECU during 4th year without it being regarded as an "away" rotation

The Not as Good
-My fiance's biggest beef is that the administration isn't responsive to its students. They'll ask for feedback or suggestions but they rarely take their opinions into consideration. There have been more than one instance where his class got into an uproar about something.
-Primary care focus (could be good or bad)- besides community week, your rotations will include 6 weeks of family med (recently bumped up from 4), 4 weeks outpatient medicine, 8 weeks peds. 10 weeks of essentially family medicine is too much for a lot of my friends I've talked to (an example of where the admin wanted to do something and didn't listen to the students' opinions)
-Rotations around the state
-Tarheel basketball

Despite the "not as good" stuff, my fiance said he would still choose UNC over Duke (a decision he made 3 years ago) because the price is great and he's made some great friends there. You can't go wrong with either, but if you're in-state I think UNC is a no-brainer. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I can ask him. Best of luck.
 
During my interview at UNC (I'm OOS), they assured me that the majority of OOS students get in-state tuition starting their second year. At ~13,500/year for the last three years of med school, that is a HUGE amoung of savings compared to Cornell. It's definitely a factor worth considering.
 
msb1190 said:
This discussion would have been a lot more fun if you said Duke or UNC.
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I'm kinda sad because I'm a crazy college bball fan (I could sit down and watch teams I've never heard of play all day), but none of my choices have a good team. The only one with even a hint of a team is one of my top choices, but it has never made the tourney but has an outside shot this year, but other than that, nothing. I always have my alma mater though 🙂
 
Mdude said:
During my interview at UNC (I'm OOS), they assured me that the majority of OOS students get in-state tuition starting their second year. At ~13,500/year for the last three years of med school, that is a HUGE amoung of savings compared to Cornell. It's definitely a factor worth considering.
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True, but don't use list price to make your decision. Wait until you have a feel for what it will cost YOU after merit & need based aid. Depending on how badly the school wants you, they may sweeten the pot if you say that the reason you are withdrawing is that the cost is an issue.
 
I thought Cornell has really good financial aid, no? IIRC, the average in-debtedness of graduates will be below $100K, i.e., $25K/year. Unless most students pay out of pocket to go there, I would say the price tag isn't THAT different from in-state tuition for a state school.

The grading systems are similar in both schools. And I think Cornell isn't entirely on PBL. PBL isn't too bad even if you might have heard a lot of bad words about it. Plus, it may be easier to get into residency spots in all other Ivy-affiliated hospitals (unless you don't like living in the northeast or don't want to do residency in these hospitals). Both schools are great, and there will be no wrong choice here. But I would choose Cornell myself.
 
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The Not as Good
...-Tarheel basketball
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Excuse me?!?!??!😱

If you like college basketball, you should go to UNC. As an undergrad at UNC, I can say that people are crazy over UNC basketball here in Chapel Hill. But college basketball probably shouldn't be the top factor (or anywhere close) in deciding where to go to medical school...
 
phonyreal98 said:
Excuse me?!?!??!😱

If you like college basketball, you should go to UNC. As an undergrad at UNC, I can say that people are crazy over UNC basketball here in Chapel Hill. But college basketball probably shouldn't be the top factor (or anywhere close) in deciding where to go to medical school...
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O rlly?🙄
 
Duke's basketball teams have always tripped me out. When they walk off the bus they are usually one of the least intimidating looking basketball teams out there, but when they get on the court they mean business.
 
LizzyM said:
Which costs more (after aid)? Is that school worth $$$ more in debt?
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i just want to thank LizzyM for bringing this sentiment into the conversation. i am often frustrated that the general SDN attitude is that a full scholarship anywhere >>> debt from anywhere. sometimes debt is worth it because a school will offer you more opportunities pre- or post-graduation, whether it's because of geographic location, philosophy, ranking/reputation... whatever. money is a huge factor, but it is just one factory of many in making decision between schools.
 
dw2158 said:
i just want to thank LizzyM for bringing this sentiment into the conversation. i am often frustrated that the general SDN attitude is that a full scholarship anywhere >>> debt from anywhere. sometimes debt is worth it because a school will offer you more opportunities pre- or post-graduation, whether it's because of geographic location, philosophy, ranking/reputation... whatever. money is a huge factor, but it is just one factory of many in making decision between schools.
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LizzyM can clarify her point, but I don't think she was bringing any sentiment in favor of attending the more expensive school but simply to make sure you are comparing apples to oranges on cost. She went to some length in several posts in this thread to say to not base any decision on "sticker price" but to evaluate the cost post all fin aid, grants, etc...
 
OP,

You are a very lucky person. I'm only going to provide advice on things outside of the medical school thing.

What is most important to you? Do you mind moving to a new location? Do you want to stay where you are and keep the foundation you already have? Are you willing to take the time to get to know a new area? Do you mind or not mind the cold weather? Is the harsh winters going to provide any hindrance to your medical school learning/training?

To me, living in an area that has nice weather for most of the year will provide more happiness than living at a place that has bad weather for more than half of the year. It is much easier to drive (bike or walk) on a road with no ice or snow on it. This leads to lower stress levels. It also provides more time to focus on your studies instead of having to think about this and that and this.

You will also want to take into account the living costs at both places. I'm sure you would spend more money on heat (if it is not included in the rent) for the Cornell place than UNC.

Do you already know people at UNC? Are you willing to foster new relationships?
 
flip26 said:
LizzyM can clarify her point, but I don't think she was bringing any sentiment in favor of attending the more expensive school but simply to make sure you are comparing apples to oranges on cost. She went to some length in several posts in this thread to say to not base any decision on "sticker price" but to evaluate the cost post all fin aid, grants, etc...
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i know she wasn't advocating one thing over another. i am simply appreciative that she introduced another way of thinking about the $$ situation.
 
flip26 said:
LizzyM can clarify her point, but I don't think she was bringing any sentiment in favor of attending the more expensive school but simply to make sure you are comparing apples to oranges on cost. She went to some length in several posts in this thread to say to not base any decision on "sticker price" but to evaluate the cost post all fin aid, grants, etc...
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That's not what she was saying in that post. Reread it carefully.

She said "Which costs more (after aid)? Is that school worth $$$ more in debt?"
 
shindotp said:
That's not what she was saying in that post. Reread it carefully.

She said "Which costs more (after aid)? Is that school worth $$$ more in debt?"
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Frankly it is a poorly written sentence - I don't know exactly what that sentence means.
 
flip26 said:
Frankly it is a poorly written sentence - I don't know exactly what that sentence means.
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jeez, people! i did not intend to start a "let's pick apart LizzyM's words" party. i'm just glad to see mention of the fact that money might not be the only deciding factor for everyone in all situations-- that debt can sometimes be worth it. not saying it's necessarily worth it here, but in some situations it is. that's all.
 
Let me spell it out:

Let's say that school A offers you a generous aid package. You'll need to borrow $80,000 over 4 years to meet cost of attendance.

School B offers you some aid such that your debt at graduation would be $125,000.

Is school B worth $45,000 in debt more than you'd accrue if you attended school A?
 
LizzyM said:
Let me spell it out:

Let's say that school A offers you a generous aid package. You'll need to borrow $80,000 over 4 years to meet cost of attendance.

School B offers you some aid such that your debt at graduation would be $125,000.

Is school B worth $45,000 in debt more than you'd accrue if you attended school A?
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That's what I thought you meant...I can't imagine very many situations in which the more expensive school is worth it.
 
Frankly, I see this more from the lifestye perspective and some of those issues that have been pointed out in this thread include:

Cold winters vs. mild winters
Pedestrian/public transit vs. car
Metropolitan Opera vs. UNC b-ball
Subsidized Student housing at Cornell (Upper East Side NYC) vs. Chapel Hill

We can't tell the OP what would be better for him; he needs to figure that out himself based on what he values.

Other factors might be the number of hours of lecture per week, number of hours of small group work per wk (some love it, some loath it), grading system, opportunities for research and overseas rotations.
 
LizzyM said:
Cold winters vs. mild winters
Pedestrian/public transit vs. car
Metropolitan Opera vs. UNC b-ball
Subsidized Student housing at Cornell (Upper East Side NYC) vs. Chapel Hill
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Well, when you put it this way, UNC wins by a mile!

Great win for the 'heels today too! Now to get my own team back on track... 😡
 
LizzyM said:
Frankly, I see this more from the lifestye perspective and some of those issues that have been pointed out in this thread include:

Cold winters vs. mild winters
Pedestrian/public transit vs. car
Metropolitan Opera vs. UNC b-ball
Subsidized Student housing at Cornell (Upper East Side NYC) vs. Chapel Hill

We can't tell the OP what would be better for him; he needs to figure that out himself based on what he values.

Other factors might be the number of hours of lecture per week, number of hours of small group work per wk (some love it, some loath it), grading system, opportunities for research and overseas rotations.
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FYI Chapel hill has FREE public transportation.
 
AdmiralChz said:
Well, when you put it this way, UNC wins by a mile!
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hahahaha i read the same list and thought, "wow, nothing can beat NYC!"

(for the record, some people actually like cold winters! i feel it's pretty mild here in new york, especially after growing up in new england.)

to each his/her own...
 
dw2158 said:
hahahaha i read the same list and thought, "wow, nothing can beat NYC!"

(for the record, some people actually like cold winters! i feel it's pretty mild here in new york, especially after growing up in new england.)

to each his/her own...
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haha me too! You can't beat the subsidized housing of Cornell. Name another time in your life you will be able to live on the UES for $600/month? NeVeR that's when
 
DRLyss said:
haha me too! You can't beat the subsidized housing of Cornell. Name another time in your life you will be able to live on the UES for $600/month? NeVeR that's when
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ill be living in a nice apt in chapel hill for 350 a month lol...so crazy how much cost of living differs.
 
DRLyss said:
haha me too! You can't beat the subsidized housing of Cornell. Name another time in your life you will be able to live on the UES for $600/month? NeVeR that's when
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Cornell's in the middle of nowhere... They probably sell land in Ithaca at the rate of $600 per amount of distance one can travel in a day by foot.
 
Look, I'll make this really easy for you: Go to UNC so I can get off the Cornell waitlist 😀😀. I have no problem with your attending UNC since I didn't apply there.
 
pianola said:
Look, I'll make this really easy for you: Go to UNC so I can get off the Cornell waitlist 😀😀. I have no problem with your attending UNC since I didn't apply there.
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that sounds like a compromise... 😀
 
Dr Lyss said:
IIRC, Cornell has PBL for less than 6 hours a week. No more or less than many other schools. I don't know where this idea that Cornell is PBL heavy has come from, unless there is something I don't know about.
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4.5 hours/week exactly (sometimes less if facilitators choose not to meet for the 3rd day)
 
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