<p>I got accepted into CALS as well as the University of Rochester.
I'll be majoring in Biology (most likely focusing on Molecular Biology)
What are the Pros and Cons of each school??
I understand that UR has a tight affiliation with Strong Memorial Hospital and is considered a big plus....
Thanks</p>
<p>The pros and cons between Rochester and Cornell are generally a function of the type of student you want to be and the type of academic and social environment you want to surround yourself with.</p>
<p>A couple of general questions:</p>
<p>Do you consider yourself to be pre-med or are you interested in a research track (e.g. PhD) or some other long-term goal (Law School)?</p>
<p>Would you be in-state at CALS? Did you qualify for any merit based aid at Rochester?</p>
<p>What type of extracurricular activities are you interested in? Do you fancy yourself joining a musical group or writing for the student newspaper? Conducting undergraduate research? Following Division I varsity athletics?</p>
<p>What type of student are you? Would you be intimidated by large lectures for introductory courses or by classes that function as auto-tutorials?</p>
<p>The University of Rochester is significantly underrated, in my opinion. Academically, it's definitely on the same level as Emory or NYU, and maybe even WashU (which is significantly overrated). Cornell students are generally a notch above Rochester, but in certain programs, like Eastman or Optics, Rochester excels.</p>
<p>The connection to Strong is a big plus for Rochester. Cornell obviously has Cornell-Weill, but that's a five hour drive away. The University is spending significant resources to bridge the gap between the two campuses and foster more inter-campus interaction. Even so, there are seemingly limitless opportunities for undergraduate research in biology at Cornell. </p>
<p>Cornell</a> Biology :: Undergraduate Research in Biology</p>
<p>And the amount of money Cornell is investing in the biological sciences these days is unbelievable.</p>
<p>I honestly don't think having a med school or an academic hospital nearby is a significant advantage. If you want research opportunities, there are more than enough on campus. If you want some place to volunteer/shadow, Cayuga Med is just a bus ride away. </p>
<p>If you want to do clinical research, you're out of luck. Most premeds I know don't do clinical research though.</p>
<p>Don't know for sure but i would assume pre-med to be easier in Rochester mainly because it's easier to get higher grades. I have a friend there who's getting 4.0s in every class who isn't even a hard worker. But it depends I guess. Cornell probably prepares you better for MCAT. For research I'd say go to Cornell. The professors are nice, plenty of opportunies.</p>