Yale vs. Columbia vs. Northwestern

[mwriter394]

Hello, everyone. I'm currently trying to decide between Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern. I'm leaning more toward Yale or Columbia, but I'm having some difficulty in choosing. I don't have any financial aid information yet, but I'm hoping to have these schools sorted into some sort of ranking so that I can make the most holistic (I will never escape this word) choice possible. I am extremely interested in health care policy/business, as well as writing within and about medicine. Without further ado, here are the apparent pros/cons of each school:

Yale:
Pros:

• Access to a fantastic undergraduate campus, where I could hopefully collaborate with some pretty interesting economics faculty
• Reasonable access to NYC and Boston by train
• Trained multiple high-profile physicians whose careers and perspectives I admire, especially Paul Kalanithi and Vivek Murthy, and also associated with Anne Fadiman, the writer of "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down."
• I appreciate the history of Yale as an academic institution
• Although this is not a significant factor by any means, Yale has the "biggest" name to an average person off the street. Perhaps this could make a difference (albeit a marginal one) if I someday consider running for a political office; however, I understand that all three institutions are well-respected.

Cons:

• Despite how nice Yale's campus is, New Haven doesn't seem to be the most exciting place
• Wasn't very impressed by Yale's hospital system
• Honestly confused how the whole "no grades" thing that keeps getting thrown around actually works

Columbia:
Pros:

• Living for four years in an incredibly vibrant city
• Brand-new, gorgeous education complex
• Dígame program would be a unique opportunity to focus on care for Spanish-speaking people. This particular element of care is pretty important to me, and for similar reasons, I appreciate the fact that Washington Heights has a large Hispanic population.
• Some high-profile donors have recently given a lot of money to Columbia, and I think that this philanthropy will hopefully fuel the growth of the school over time
• NewYork-Presbyterian is a very well-respected hospital system
• Reasonable access to the undergraduate campus (and economics department)
• Trained Walker Percy (a famous author who lived near my hometown), has an emphasis on narrative medicine, and also currently employs Siddhartha Mukherjee. Not sure if this is wishful thinking, but Columbia seems to offer a good number of opportunities to use writing as an exploration of medicine
• P&S Club seems to offer the most expansive extracurricular opportunities of the three
• I greatly appreciate the history of P&S in the national development of medical education
• Most accessible transportation of the three cities; my significant other will be working in Ohio, so easy airport access is important

Cons:

• MBA program isn't the best, so I'd probably hold off on doing an MBA until later or try to do it at another school if that's an option
• Assuming no aid, this will probably be the most expensive option out of the three

Northwestern:
Pros:

• Access to a top-tiered business program
• Chicago is a nice city; although not quite as tempting as the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, it offers an enviable food scene, fantastic museums, and high-profile festivals
• Was very impressed with the hospital system
• The people I met at Northwestern were probably the most outwardly friendly students I met on my interview trail
• Administration seems extremely receptive to feedback
• Housing options were the nicest of the three

Cons:

• Not quite as highly ranked as Columbia or Yale (although still a very respectable medical school)

I appreciate any help you can provide!

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[pioneer22]

Hello, everyone. I'm currently trying to decide between Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern. I'm leaning more toward Yale or Columbia, but I'm having some difficulty in choosing. I don't have any financial aid information yet, but I'm hoping to have these schools sorted into some sort of ranking so that I can make the most holistic (I will never escape this word) choice possible. I am extremely interested in health care policy/business, as well as writing within and about medicine. Without further ado, here are the apparent pros/cons of each school:

Yale:
Pros:
-Access to a fantastic undergraduate campus, where I could hopefully collaborate with some pretty interesting economics faculty
-Reasonable access to NYC and Boston by train
-Trained multiple high-profile physicians whose careers and perspectives I admire, especially Paul Kalanithi and Vivek Murthy, and also associated with Anne Fadiman, the writer of "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down."
-I appreciate the history of Yale as an academic institution
-Although this is not a significant factor by any means, Yale has the "biggest" name to an average person off the street. Perhaps this could make a difference (albeit a marginal one) if I someday consider running for a political office; however, I understand that all three institutions are well-respected.
Cons:
-Despite how nice Yale's campus is, New Haven doesn't seem to be the most exciting place
-Wasn't very impressed by Yale's hospital system
-Honestly confused how the whole "no grades" thing that keeps getting thrown around actually works

Columbia:
Pros:
-Living for four years in an incredibly vibrant city
-Brand-new, gorgeous education complex
-Dígame program would be a unique opportunity to focus on care for Spanish-speaking people. This particular element of care is pretty important to me, and for similar reasons, I appreciate the fact that Washington Heights has a large Hispanic population.
-Some high-profile donors have recently given a lot of money to Columbia, and I think that this philanthropy will hopefully fuel the growth of the school over time
-NewYork-Presbyterian is a very well-respected hospital system
-Reasonable access to the undergraduate campus (and economics department)
-Trained Walker Percy (a famous author who lived near my hometown), has an emphasis on narrative medicine, and also currently employs Siddhartha Mukherjee. Not sure if this is wishful thinking, but Columbia seems to offer a good number of opportunities to use writing as an exploration of medicine
-P&S Club seems to offer the most expansive extracurricular opportunities of the three
-I greatly appreciate the history of P&S in the national development of medical education
-Most accessible transportation of the three cities; my significant other will be working in Ohio, so easy airport access is important
Cons:
-MBA program isn't the best, so I'd probably hold off on doing an MBA until later or try to do it at another school if that's an option
-Assuming no aid, this will probably be the most expensive option out of the three

Go Columbia or Yale; I'd say Columbia for the NYC experience and connections.
Also, Columbia MBA's are incredible, and are one of the E7 biz schools in the world, so not sure about where you heard they weren't the best, especially for an MD/MBA program in NYC with access to the top finance companies in the world. Also, Columbia would likely be very generous with aid, given your other acceptances.

 

[scienceguy95]

I think it goes without saying you can't make a bad choice here. Some of your pros/cons don't really make any sense though. How is not having grades or ranks at Yale a con? It's one of the most compelling reasons to attend. Also, listing whom each school trained as a reason for attending is silly. You can explore writing at Yale just as well as Columbia. Finally, the ranking difference between these schools is irrelevant.

What you should really base your decision on is your gut feeling and finances. Which school do you see yourself happiest at? Because ultimately the opportunities will be virtually identical at all of them, so trying to tease out arbitrary pros and cons isn't very helpful. It's not like your choosing between Columbia and a low-tier school. From my own impressions, it seems like Columbia, NU, and Yale have very different academic cultures.

Columbia: Much more intense. Additionally, NYP doesn't exactly have a great reputation for treating its residents the best, so I would be concerned about a malignant academic culture.
Yale: Known for the Yale System and otherwise being super laid back (no AOA, no shelf exams, anonymous pre-clinical exams, etc). Not a good choice if you value structure and competition.
NU: Also known for being a generally supportive place, but they still have AOA, exams, and internal rankings. This is a big turn off for me personally. But they have the best MBA program of all three options.

 

[Willy38]

Yale seems the best fit for you given your interests. For anyone interested in writing or anything tangential to medicine I would argue it’s the best fit. Excellent brand recognition outside of medicine and the flexibility inherent in the curriculum to actually pursue those tangential interests. The other options are obviously excellent as well but Yale really does put their money where their mouth is when they say you can pursue other interests by bending over backwards to help support you with all the resources the institution has to offer (which are quite extensive). I go here so I’m obviously biased but feel free to PM with questions if you like. And congrats on some great choices!

 

[Master_of_Savage]

I think it goes without saying you can't make a bad choice here. Some of your pros/cons don't really make any sense though. How is not having grades or ranks at Yale a con? It's one of the most compelling reasons to attend. Also, listing whom each school trained as a reason for attending is silly. You can explore writing at Yale just as well as Columbia. Finally, the ranking difference between these schools is irrelevant.

What you should really base your decision on is your gut feeling and finances. Which school do you see yourself happiest at? Because ultimately the opportunities will be virtually identical at all of them, so trying to tease out arbitrary pros and cons isn't very helpful. It's not like your choosing between Columbia and a low-tier school. From my own impressions, it seems like Columbia, NU, and Yale have very different academic cultures.

Columbia: Much more intense. Additionally, NYP doesn't exactly have a great reputation for treating its residents the best, so I would be concerned about a malignant academic culture.
Yale: Known for the Yale System and otherwise being super laid back (no AOA, no shelf exams, anonymous pre-clinical exams, etc). Not a good choice if you value structure and competition.
NU: Also known for being a generally supportive place, but they still have AOA, exams, and internal rankings. This is a big turn off for me personally. But they have the best MBA program of all three options.

NU has actually changed their AOA policy recently (aka last year). The first year exams and internal rankings in the two years no longer contribute to AOA.
Alpha Omega Alpha: MD Education: Feinberg School of Medicine: Northwestern University

 

[mwriter394]

I think it goes without saying you can't make a bad choice here. Some of your pros/cons don't really make any sense though. How is not having grades or ranks at Yale a con? It's one of the most compelling reasons to attend. Also, listing whom each school trained as a reason for attending is silly. You can explore writing at Yale just as well as Columbia. Finally, the ranking difference between these schools is irrelevant.

What you should really base your decision on is your gut feeling and finances. Which school do you see yourself happiest at? Because ultimately the opportunities will be virtually identical at all of them, so trying to tease out arbitrary pros and cons isn't very helpful. It's not like your choosing between Columbia and a low-tier school. From my own impressions, it seems like Columbia, NU, and Yale have very different academic cultures.

Columbia: Much more intense. Additionally, NYP doesn't exactly have a great reputation for treating its residents the best, so I would be concerned about a malignant academic culture.
Yale: Known for the Yale System and otherwise being super laid back (no AOA, no shelf exams, anonymous pre-clinical exams, etc). Not a good choice if you value structure and competition.
NU: Also known for being a generally supportive place, but they still have AOA, exams, and internal rankings. This is a big turn off for me personally. But they have the best MBA program of all three options.

I plan to attend all three Revisits, so I will have another opportunity to gauge my gut feeling for each school. And while I agree that these schools are very similar academically, I'm merely trying to tease out differences, such as academic culture, specialized programs, or unique strengths, that may cause me to lean toward a particular school. Although I don't think alumni should be a huge indicator of my potential enjoyment of a school's program, I think it provides (at the very least) some marginally valuable anecdotal evidence. However, I don't mean to suggest that I would choose School X just because of a couple "famous" alumni; that would indeed be silly.

Outside of being offered any financial aid, I strongly believe that the main factor impacting my medical school decision is the availability of programs and mentorship opportunities that are specifically tailored to my interests. Culture and location are my next major concerns.

I suppose I should have classified the Yale system as a neutral for me right now. Although I really appreciate the opportunity to craft your own med school experience (I've often wished I could have that ability for undergrad), part of me wonders how easy staying on top of everything is without many of the checkpoints present in other school's curricula. @Willy38 I will certainly take you up on that offer. Thanks to everyone for the input so far! Please feel free to offer any insights or advice.

 

[pioneer22]

I plan to attend all three Revisits, so I will have another opportunity to gauge my gut feeling for each school. And while I agree that these schools are very similar academically, I'm merely trying to tease out differences, such as academic culture, specialized programs, or unique strengths, that may cause me to lean toward a particular school. Although I don't think alumni should be a huge indicator of my potential enjoyment of a school's program, I think it provides (at the very least) some marginally valuable anecdotal evidence. However, I don't mean to suggest that I would choose School X just because of a couple "famous" alumni; that would indeed be silly.

Outside of being offered any financial aid, I strongly believe that the main factor impacting my medical school decision is the availability of programs and mentorship opportunities that are specifically tailored to my interests. Culture and location are my next major concerns.

I suppose I should have classified the Yale system as a neutral for me right now. Although I really appreciate the opportunity to craft your own med school experience (I've often wished I could have that ability for undergrad), part of me wonders how easy staying on top of everything is without many of the checkpoints present in other school's curricula. @Willy38 I will certainly take you up on that offer. Thanks to everyone for the input so far! Please feel free to offer any insights or advice.

Columbia is easily the best choice for writing; its Creative Writing / Journalism / English depts. are consistently top 3, and they have a unique Narrative Medicine program for writing + medicine.

 

[scienceguy95]

I plan to attend all three Revisits, so I will have another opportunity to gauge my gut feeling for each school. And while I agree that these schools are very similar academically, I'm merely trying to tease out differences, such as academic culture, specialized programs, or unique strengths, that may cause me to lean toward a particular school. Although I don't think alumni should be a huge indicator of my potential enjoyment of a school's program, I think it provides (at the very least) some marginally valuable anecdotal evidence. However, I don't mean to suggest that I would choose School X just because of a couple "famous" alumni; that would indeed be silly.

Outside of being offered any financial aid, I strongly believe that the main factor impacting my medical school decision is the availability of programs and mentorship opportunities that are specifically tailored to my interests. Culture and location are my next major concerns.

I suppose I should have classified the Yale system as a neutral for me right now. Although I really appreciate the opportunity to craft your own med school experience (I've often wished I could have that ability for undergrad), part of me wonders how easy staying on top of everything is without many of the checkpoints present in other school's curricula. @Willy38 I will certainly take you up on that offer. Thanks to everyone for the input so far! Please feel free to offer any insights or advice.

I’m in a similar boat as you—trying to decide between a few highly ranked schools. Honestly I’ve spent hours writing and revising pros/cons for each school, but it hasn’t helped. When I stepped back and asked which school I would be most upset at turning down, I knew my choice. Obviously I’ll retest this feeling after second looks, but gut feeling is very powerful.

Don’t discount your gut feeling.

 

[Willy38]

Columbia is the obvious choice here. No-brainer, especially since Yale Med pales in comparison in almost every respect: location, diversity of clinical opportunities, and the areas that fit your interest. Don't confuse undergraduate and medical school rankings here; Columbia is the stronger medical school. You'll really appreciate being in NYC in your 4th year when you have to travel all over the place for rotations and interviews. Being in a place like New Haven would be a pain in the butt! The convenience of doing elective rotations in NYC, research and pursuing other opportunities in NYC, and interviewing for the countless number of NYC residency spots.

They're peer medical institutions lol (and Yale has the obvious advantage in recognition outside of medicine). And the med school rankings swap around every few years (literally us news weighting their parameters differently to produce an interesting mixup in the list lol), when I matriculated Yale was ahead of Columbia. The big differences here are the Yale system and location.

To OP, if you need structure and want a solid education I'd lean toward Columbia, I have friends there and they love it although they say its very intense, especially during 3rd year when you have to take shelf exams (we don't). If you value research or lifestyle more, I think Yale has the edge. Location, Columbia obviously has the edge. New haven is meh, its fine (better than people give it credit but still ... its no NYC). It is however, really easy/cheap to get there and many classmates go regularly. Since you’re interested in writing it may be a toss up- great opportunities at both schools. All i can say is that if you actually want time to write, you'll have it at Yale for sure.

 

[scienceguy95]

I'd beg to differ. Columbia P&S is in the upper echelon of medical schools in the world, but Yale falls just below that. Yale, while an excellent school, is on a slightly downhill track, whereas Columbia is a school that's going to continue to climb. That's incredibly important to keep in mind. I'm pretty sure that Yale won't even make the top 10 USNWR research schools in 2019, and while both schools will fall in ranking, Yale will have the biggest downfall. That's an indication of what's happening there. Students and faculty are great, but the place is slowly, but surely, going downhill. When you pick a medical school, make sure it's one that's going on an upwards trajectory. You'll regret it in 30 years if you pick a school that is consistently falling. I know we're not comparing these schools, but just take Vanderbilt, Mount Sinai, Mayo, and NYU as examples. There have been on an even faster upwards trajectory than either of these two schools for the past 30 years. Not saying that you should look into these schools, but I'm just making the point that trajectory matters. Columbia wins overwhelmingly in trajectory.

Lol dude what the heck are you talking about? I sincerely hope you’re trolling. Looks like Columbia also didn’t make the top 10 list for 2019. So much for your overwhelming trajectory.

They’re all excellent schools that will give students the same opportunities.

 

[chr23]

Tough one, now that none of them is in top 10...

Jk. Honestly I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. They all are awesome (congrats!). I think it depends on your goals.
Clinically, if you look at the specialty ranking and their affiliated hospitals' ranking, Columbia and Northwestern are stronger than Yale. The patient populations also vary to some extent: I believe Columbia and Yale have more underserved populations, whereas Northwestern sees more upper/upper middle class (this is what their students told me). Research-wise, not much difference between the three. Location-wise, gotta say New Haven is definitely a less safe and less fun area than both North Side, Chicago and Uptown, Manhattan.

 

[pioneer22]

Honestly have no idea how Columbia is not in this years top 10 research ranking; Im sure they will be in the future, and have the potential to be stable in the top tier alongside Penn and UCSF, as they devote $1+ billion to research and just got two of the largest donations in a universities' history (~$250, 600 million).

 

[AvocadoCamera]

I’m in a similar boat as you—trying to decide between a few highly ranked schools. Honestly I’ve spent hours writing and revising pros/cons for each school, but it hasn’t helped. When I stepped back and asked which school I would be most upset at turning down, I knew my choice. Obviously I’ll retest this feeling after second looks, but gut feeling is very powerful.

Don’t discount your gut feeling.

If you ever want to learn about the power of your gut reaction, you should check out the book 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell. An exceptional read that discusses the importance of knowing when to trust your implicit reactions and when not to.

 

[Willy38]

Honestly have no idea how Columbia is not in this years top 10 research ranking; Im sure they will be in the future, and have the potential to be stable in the top tier alongside Penn and UCSF, as they devote $1+ billion to research and just got two of the largest donations in a universities' history (~$250, 600 million).

True but aren’t they officially Vagelos / “the Vag” now? Lol

 

[scienceguy95]

Columbia will come back. I'm sure it just missed the top 10 by a little this year. It will continue to be a premier medical school. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Yale flops out and never makes a comeback. Some faculty I've talked to at top medical schools don't even consider Yale to be a peer institution (in terms of medical schools) anymore. It's second-rate. It has been and will continue to be stuck there unless the school revitalizes its faculty, facilities, and research enterprise.

Geez, who at Yale hurt you?

 

[pioneer22]

Columbia will come back. I'm sure it just missed the top 10 by a little this year. It will continue to be a premier medical school. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Yale flops out and never makes a comeback. Some faculty I've talked to at top medical schools don't even consider Yale to be a peer institution (in terms of medical schools) anymore. It's second-rate. It has been and will continue to be stuck there unless the school revitalizes its faculty, facilities, and research enterprise.

Their match lists are very impressive considering the # at MGH, etc; the Yale brand is still well alive in the medical community

 

[Willy38]

You're right, but that poster certainly isn't wrong either. Yale's a nice school, but there's huge selection bias. Applicants who were incredibly strong but couldn't get into Harvard, JHU, Stanford, Columbia, or Penn end up going to Yale. They're smart and they're bound to do well whether they go to a top 10, Yale, or a state school. They would probably match very well anyway. The point is that Yale has been on a decline for the past two decades. It's the cold, hard truth. It's a fine school that will probably continue to decline and plateau to about where Dartmouth and Brown are now, but again, it's nothing like Columbia's strength. Just the facts. OP, I would go to Columbia too.

Lol almost everyone I know here was cross admitted to one of the schools you just listed.

 

[scienceguy95]

You're right, but that poster certainly isn't wrong either. Yale's a nice school, but there's huge selection bias. Applicants who were incredibly strong but couldn't get into Harvard, JHU, Stanford, Columbia, or Penn end up going to Yale. They're smart and they're bound to do well whether they go to a top 10, Yale, or a state school. They would probably match very well anyway. The point is that Yale has been on a decline for the past two decades. It's the cold, hard truth. It's a fine school that will probably continue to decline and plateau to about where Dartmouth and Brown are now, but again, it's nothing like Columbia's strength. Just the facts. OP, I would go to Columbia too.

Lol buddy if you dislike Yale for your own reasons, that’s fine. But at least have the integrity to admit that rather than try to couch your subjective opinion on nonexistent “cold hard truth”.

 

[letmeinplox]

Columbia

 

[lakeofavalon]

Wow, congrats! Have you made a decision yet?

 

[pilgrampirate86]

Columbia

 

[EUNJI967335]

You're right, but that poster certainly isn't wrong either. Yale's a nice school, but there's huge selection bias. Applicants who were incredibly strong but couldn't get into Harvard, JHU, Stanford, Columbia, or Penn end up going to Yale. They're smart and they're bound to do well whether they go to a top 10, Yale, or a state school. They would probably match very well anyway. The point is that Yale has been on a decline for the past two decades. It's the cold, hard truth. It's a fine school that will probably continue to decline and plateau to about where Dartmouth and Brown are now, but again, it's nothing like Columbia's strength. Just the facts. OP, I would go to Columbia too.

Could you speak a little more on this and why you think that they are trending downwards? I'm trying to make a similar decision and have been leaning Yale..

 

[marieskiier]

Columbia for sure is the right choice here. Going to New Haven would be a big mistake. You'd be throwing away all of the opportunities in NYC for a crummy "city." YSM's facilities and buildings are very outdated, and the research has been gradually plateauing (if you look at the impact metrics and things like NIH funding per capita, i.e., PI). The infrastructure and quality of education at Columbia is just much, much better.

 

[jhibbert]

Even though NW is a good school, it is not at the level of the other two imo. I think it really comes down to Columbia and Yale here.

 

[lakeofavalon]

Hey OP have you made up your mind yet?

 

[InactiveLurker]

I would go to Yale for the more humane student treatmeant and wealth of opportunities outside of med school itself.

 

[imgonnabeadoc]

Why are we still debating this? Columbia won long ago by a mile. Columbia's new med ed building is sick, located in the world's greatest city. I'm not sure how people even compare that to New Haven.

 

[rball]

OP, I’d be wary of posts saying that Columbia is the obvious choice, seems like there is a lot of unfair Yale bashing going on in a couple of these X vs. Yale threads. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice, both are fantastic. I do agree with Willy38 above; based on your preferences I’d go Yale.


The flexibility that the Yale curriculum gives you to pursue your interests in writing and health care policy/business is unparalleled. A major goal of the curriculum is to give students the flexibility to pursue outside interests. Also, having immediate access to the undergraduate campus is a big plus that cannot be overstated for pursuing those tangential interests. I think the fact that they’ve trained the physicians you talked about is evidence of this strength. Columbia has great brand recognition, but IMO, in policy, the Yale name will be at least as advantageous, if not more so.


A big advantage of Yale is that almost all students get clinical honors, from what I have heard. I have friends at Columbia who say the clinical experience can be stressful/competitive at times (it is NYP, after all) and honors can be hard to come by. I don’t think this is something you should underestimate; while it’s pretty clear Columbia has the more expansive hospital system, Yale is going to give you a less stressful clinical experience and you can rack up the honors, which will help come residency application time.


Both schools are great; it’s true Columbia is in NYC and has a renowned hospital system. If those are significant draws to you, then it would be a great choice. But I think based on your interests, you should go with Yale. It will give you a better chance to flesh out those interests outside of medicine, as strong a clinical experience, and provide a lower stress experience too. And don’t listen to anyone arguing that Columbia has a much stronger name or is a much better school; Yale students get phenomenal clinical and research training, and match just as well.

 

[rball]

Yale might be a more relaxed time but for name and career aspirations its not even close

I disagree sadkmladkds, look at both of their match lists and you can see there's no substantial difference. Ask any attending and they will tell you at this level, you need to go where you will be happiest. It is ridiculous to say Columbia is miles ahead in name and career aspirations. I'd argue for OP's specific career goals, the opportunities at Yale will actually give a significant edge. As a med student from a top west coast school, I can guarantee you both schools are seen as equal back here. You seem to be really bashing Yale and New Haven on a couple of these threads, not sure why, but I think its undeserved as Yale is a fantastic institution.

OP again you can't go wrong, both schools are phenomenal. In your case, based on your interests, I'd agree with Willy38 and go Yale.

 

[Willy38]

If Columbia was truly the paragon of medical school education, they wouldn't have to defend themselves at every corner by trashing peer institutions with baseless claims lol

I think there is a little wounded pride going on here, perhaps from NYU's meteoric rise in the life-determining USNWR rankings lol /s

OP, they are both excellent schools with high NIH funding. Big decision points should be NYC vs New Haven, and Yale System vs. More traditional curriculum.

 

[mwriter394]

Thank you to everyone for all of the helpful feedback. With the April 30th deadline fast approaching, I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to attend Columbia. My choice has absolutely nothing to do with any of the Yale-bashing, as I honestly enjoyed visiting both institutions.

I've decided on Columbia because of the following reasons:
1) NYC - I really like the city, but also, based on where my S/O will be living next year, having easy access to transportation is important
2) NYP - This is a more personal preference thing, but I was impressed with the NYP healthcare network. As someone who is interested in healthcare delivery, examining the delivery of healthcare in such a massive city intrigues me
3) Money - They ended up surprising me with some financial aid, so I've decided to take the money and run - rather unexpectedly, Columbia has become the cheapest option

I also probably have a slight preference for the traditional curriculum, but in the end, the differences in curricula between the schools evened themselves out, so this element did not play too heavily in my decision.

I have absolutely no doubts that either school would have set me up for what I hope to do. I enjoyed meeting the students at both institutions and felt like I would have had the academic and personal support I desire at either institution.

 

[Meredith92]

Thank you to everyone for all of the helpful feedback. With the April 30th deadline fast approaching, I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to attend Columbia. My choice has absolutely nothing to do with any of the Yale-bashing, as I honestly enjoyed visiting both institutions.

I've decided on Columbia because of the following reasons:
1) NYC - I really like the city, but also, based on where my S/O will be living next year, having easy access to transportation is important
2) NYP - This is a more personal preference thing, but I was impressed with the NYP healthcare network. As someone who is interested in healthcare delivery, examining the delivery of healthcare in such a massive city intrigues me
3) Money - They ended up surprising me with some financial aid, so I've decided to take the money and run - rather unexpectedly, Columbia has become the cheapest option

I also probably have a slight preference for the traditional curriculum, but in the end, the differences in curricula between the schools evened themselves out, so this element did not play too heavily in my decision.

I have absolutely no doubts that either school would have set me up for what I hope to do. I enjoyed meeting the students at both institutions and felt like I would have had the academic and personal support I desire at either institution.

Congrats on making your decision!!! Welcome to the P&S fam!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Thank you to everyone for all of the helpful feedback. With the April 30th deadline fast approaching, I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to attend Columbia. My choice has absolutely nothing to do with any of the Yale-bashing, as I honestly enjoyed visiting both institutions.

I've decided on Columbia because of the following reasons:
1) NYC - I really like the city, but also, based on where my S/O will be living next year, having easy access to transportation is important
2) NYP - This is a more personal preference thing, but I was impressed with the NYP healthcare network. As someone who is interested in healthcare delivery, examining the delivery of healthcare in such a massive city intrigues me
3) Money - They ended up surprising me with some financial aid, so I've decided to take the money and run - rather unexpectedly, Columbia has become the cheapest option

I also probably have a slight preference for the traditional curriculum, but in the end, the differences in curricula between the schools evened themselves out, so this element did not play too heavily in my decision.

I have absolutely no doubts that either school would have set me up for what I hope to do. I enjoyed meeting the students at both institutions and felt like I would have had the academic and personal support I desire at either institution.

Congrats on your decision! Hard to go wrong here in any capacity.

Feel free PM me if you have questions about Columbia.