Please excuse an interloper, but what kind of housing is available to incoming students at Cornell? Where do most students live? How costly? Walk to school?
And in keeping with another thread I started, comment on the neighborhood safety aspects of Cornell and where students typically live...
Thanks...
Like was said, most students live in Olin Hall which is literally right across the street from the medical school and the hospital. Quite a sweet commute! Also, having visited most med schools in Manhattan, you can't get much sweeter housing than Cornell's for your first year. Each person has a single, and they share a bathroom with one other person. So imagine two independent rooms that open up to the hallway and to a common bathroom. A lot of schools have a more "dorm like" arrangement where bathrooms are shared by an entire floor and some are co-ed, so I think the Olin arrangement is pretty nice. There is a common kitchen and a lounge on every floor, there is a laundry room in the basement and there is a gym and basketball court, also in the basement. If you come in married or with a partner you will be assigned to couples' housing which I hear is awesome, but I can't confirm that.
You can find all the logisitical info you need here:
http://www.med.cornell.edu/housing/building/
They have a table of costs. Cornell highly subsidizes housing so you're getting an amazing deal to live on the Upper East Side.
So yeah, overall I'd say that Cornell housing and facilities are hard to match.
Hey Need, I made the decision to go to Cornell over Vanderbilt because I know I wouldn't be happy staying in Nashville. Vanderbilt also gave me significantly more money, but Cornell made me a reasonable financial aid offer with subsidized loans that convinced me that I would be able to manage my debt when I graduated. I also wanted to be closer to my friends and family. I am originally from the DC area and wanted to be a 4 hour drive away as opposed to an 11.5 hour drive away. Michigan is an amazing school though, so I understand why it is a tough decision, but I hope to see you in NYC this fall!
I agree with the "where you'll be happy" philosophy although I'll admit that my decision wasn't easy. My issue wasn't money, it was more the regard and the prestige of a super big name school that works really hard at recruiting... In the end, I did choose the school that I thought would inspire me the most to wake up every morning, do well, and be happy while working hard. I think money is a big concern and it's something that you definitely need to think about, but I think that coming out of a school like Cornell, you'll have not trouble paying off your loans in a timely manner, and they do have some of the best financial aid packages around. So really ask yourself where you'll thrive the most... ask yourself which school offers you the better overall package, you know the combination of positive and negatives that they all offer. No school will be perfect, so you have to find the combination that you think will mold you into the better doctor (be it by giving you a happy and fun 4 years, by giving you financial solace, by offering a rigorous curriculum, etc) Find out what's important to you, and pursue it... definitely easier said than done, but I really do think that approach will yield the best choice. And like I said, I think the money will come.
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Sorry that was so long, but I hope it helps, and I hope to see you in the fall!
SJason723: Welcome to Cornell!!! Have you joined our facebook group yet? It's bumpin'
😉 Just search for weill cornell class of 2011 and you'll hit us. Hope to see you there!
docs r us: I think they said they'll start mailing stuff after May 15th, so it should be soon.
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