Brandeis and University of Rochester: A conundrum

College Search & Selection
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<p>So, I’ve been looking into colleges for a while now, and my two top choices (Brandeis and UofR) both have their positives. Yet, I have two real career prospects, and I feel like since I don’t know which one I really want to pursue, that I don’t really know what I want to do in terms of college. It’d be cool if someone would help me straighten things out and tell me if I’m thinking about this the wrong way or something. </p>

<p>I’d love to be a psychiatrist, and I think I’d be really happy having that as a career. I also think that I’d be really happy being a biochemistry PhD and college professor. In terms of the medical path, I really do enjoy what I have found psychiatry to entail, that I’d get to deal with people and help them with problems, I like talking to people, and I like the fact that psychiatry (as opposed to psychology and counseling) involves more science and the functioning of the brain, and medicines and stuff. My mom is a school counselor, and she believes that I’d be good at both the therapeutic and scientific aspects of psychiatry. So, assuming that nothing else in the rotations in med school would really entice me, I think that that would be a very rewarding career path. I would also, I think, be very happy as a college professor of biochemistry. I like teaching, and I tutor through various honor societies in school, and I think I can say I’m fairly good at it. I think imparting your knowledge and excitement for a subject onto someone else is really rewarding. I also am fascinated by the research side of being a college professor. There’s an independent science research program at my school, and I’ve been working at SUNY Stony Brook the past three years with professors in their research. This year, I won a research position with a biochemistry professor after a competitive interview (I think I really conveyed to him how cool I thought his field of research was) and I plan to submit my research project to science competitions like Intel and Siemens Westinghouse. I love the fact that the nature of research is that it’s cutting edge, and no one has done it before you. You can explore new things and help people with the revelations that come out of research, especially in science. So, being a professor and a researcher, to me, would be really cool too. </p>

<p>I can’t deny, selfishly, that if all was equal to me in terms of the two careers, that the money I’d receive in the long run in psychiatry is much more than what I’d receive as a professor. That’s definitely desirable. But, my fear with med school is that I might not be able to do it. I’m not the type of person that “rises to the challenge.” Generally, if I’m faced with something that’s ridiculously difficult, I tend to give up a little. I think that this might happen in med school, as I’ve heard that it is one of the hardest things that people do ever in their lives. I wish there was a way for me to see what med school would be really like, but alas, I can’t think of any. I also don’t know if this habit will change in college, or that I’ll realize that if it’s something I really want to do I’ll find a way to make it happen and suddenly get really dedicated or something. That’d be cool, but it might be unrealistic. I’m not a fan of sleepless nights. As of now, I think that I’d probably rather be a professor, but I’m not sure that my view on that career is one-sided because I’ve had such a good experience with my mentor at Stony Brook. I’m sure that there are hardships in that career path, and I don’t want to idealize it in my mind and then end up regretting that I didn’t go to med school. </p>

<p>Ok, so what this all has to do with colleges, is that Brandeis seems to be more the school for the PhD path, and Rochester seems more the school for the med school path. I’d be upset if I changed my mind in college as to what I want to do as a career, and then not be able to take advantage of all the resources that I’d find at the other school. </p>

<p>In terms of Rochester, I’ve been looking at mdapplicants.com, and the students coming out of Rochester seem to have higher MCAT scores overall, and even the students with the lower MCATs seem to do very well in prestigious med school admission. Rochester has a med school right there, which would certainly help with service opportunities, research opportunities, and shadowing. Rochester also has a good language program, which is something I’m interested in. I’ve heard though, that Rochester’s not the greatest environment, which won’t really affect my decision, but it’s certainly undesirable, especially when comparing it against Brandeis’s proximity to Boston. I haven’t visited, although I will in October before I apply, so I don’t really know the level of student happiness of being at Rochester. I’ve heard mixed things from both schools. Some students love Rochester, some feel like the students are “ivy rejects” and are bitter and working their butts off for a degree that many don’t respect. I don’t know if that’s true, as I have no knowledge of how a Rochester degree is seen in the workplace, or in med school and graduate school admissions. But, it does actually tick me off that the general population thinks it’s a SUNY, or RIT. I wouldn’t mind people not knowing that my college existed, but the fact that people get it mixed up with other places is surprisingly annoying. I don’t know, apparently I’m a closet neurotic. And the constant gloomy weather might get annoying. </p>

<p>Brandeis’s premed website seems to indicate that if you don’t want to kill yourself and you still want to study abroad, you kind of need to take a fifth year. Is this the case with all colleges and premed students? In the Fiske Guide to Colleges, it says that Brandeis premeds are “catered hand and foot” with various premed resources. Yet, I’ve heard that the classes are “weed-out” classes, and the professors care more about prospective PhDs than premeds. I don’t really know how to verify the info on either side. And then, the lower MCAT scores and admissions to med school thing. On Brandeis’s website, it says that 80% of their students get accepted to med school. That seems insane to me. Are they lying? Also, Brandeis seems to be a “love it or hate it” place. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. But, for the positives, there’s a professor at Brandeis who is doing very similar research to my mentor at Stony Brook. They know each other, which is a plus, and I really would like the opportunity to continue the research I’ve been doing over the summer, in college. Brandeis students seem to be pretty socially aware, which is cool. They have a program in “Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies” which I’d take a few electives in if I had the time. I like sociology, and I’m fascinated by the fact that as a species, we can’t just get it together and stop fighting each other. Brandeis class sizes are smaller than those at Rochester, and I definitely learn better in smaller classes, so that’s a plus. Brandeis, in being a generally better known school, enjoys the fact that its kids are really smart. But, I’m not sure if the intelligence level at Rochester is the same. I’d certainly like to be around an intelligent and intellectual community, but I’m not sure how to judge the schools one way or another on that issue. They’re also both about the same tuition, which takes away that issue in their comparison. </p>

<p>Please be aware that I’m only going to be a senior next year. I haven’t applied to college yet, and this post in no way is intended to be a post where I decide which college I’m going to. I know I have some time still, and some flexibility. I’m just trying to see which schools would be best for me in the future, and looking at the comparison between the two schools I like best at this point seems to be a good way to do that. I’m also looking for some advice regarding the career paths, and if I’m being too narrow-minded as to how college will affect my career, or the other way around. So, if someone could just post thoughts on anything, that’d be really helpful. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Go to Tufts.</p>

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<p>I know someone who is a premed at Brandeis and who just finished up a semester abroad. He's finishing up in 4 years, and he's been involved in alot of extracurriculars too.</p>

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<p>oh that's awesome thanks for that</p>

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<p>University of Rochester is more of a full-fledged University than Brandeis is. I believe that you have access to more diverse courses at U of R, I don't think Brandeis is comparable to it.
I agree that Rochester city is a dead place. The Mount Hope cemetery is right next to U of R, so those who die of boredom in the campus don't have to go far to RIP :-)</p>

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<p>yeah, I'd agree that Rochester might have more diversity of programs, which might be better in the long run. I'm also concerned about med school admissions at Brandeis. But it would be really cool to say "I go to Brandeis" and not even that, it would be cool to do the same research at Brandeis that I'm doing in high school. I don't know. Maybe when I visit I'll have a clearer picture? Again, I just don't want to change my career goal in the middle and wish I had gone to the other school.</p>

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<p>I have visited Brandeis and I thought the campus was sub-par to say the least, it seemed dirty, and in poor condition, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. However I dont know if the appearance of the campus is important to you, my father is an architect so a school's buildings and campus appearance is pretty important to me...</p>

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<p>Brandeis does just fine in med school admissions. Go to the school where the "fit" is right, and you'll do better and increase your own personal odds of getting into medical school.</p>

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<p>yeah. i will visit to get my own opinions of the campuses, and to see which one's a good "fit" for me. i guess it's true that the "fit" is what matters most.</p>

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<p>Would money make a difference? What if one offers you merit aid? They are both good schools. If you maintain focus, and use the right strategies (gearing up for good recommendations, making sure that the professors know you, etc) you should be able to enter medical school from either.</p>

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<p>I tend to doubt that either will offer me merit aid. My UW average is around 95, and my SATs are 1320. So, Brandeis is kind of a reach for me, and Rochester is a match. I don't think I'm meritorious in either of their eyes. It would be nice though. Fortunately, I'm lucky enough to be able to pay full price if that's necessary. But yeah, that's true, that I do plan to get to know my professors and everything. That's one of the "pros" for Brandeis, it's smaller, so I assume I'd have an easier time getting to know the professors?</p>

<p>I know of some schools that have such high med school acceptance rates because they only allow the top students apply. If 50% of students don't get in to med school every year, doesn't it seem that Brandeis's claim of 80% placement is inflated? Is there any way for me to know if they have a method where they only allow the best to apply? I would certainly try my hardest in college, but I'm not sure if I'd be one of those "best" especially at schools like Brandeis and Rochester.</p>

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<p>Brandeis doesn't have a program by which they "let" you apply to med school. You apply if you want to. Of course, that doesn't mean in any way that everyone who starts out as pre-med stays a pre-med. The courses are rigorous, so there's quite a bit of "self-selecting" out of the program.</p>

<p>If you have any questions about the programs or the application process, give a call to the pre-med advising program office - I know Brandeis has one and Rochester probably does too.</p>

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<p>Brandeis has a large Jewish enrollment. That could be positive, negative, or neutral.</p>

<p>I don't know too much about Brandeis but Rochester has a larger graduate program and it has the med school adjacent with a medical research center.</p>

<p>Rochester does not have a little community of shops and restaurants adjacent to it. You have to walk a little to get to restaurants and shopping, but there are shuttle buses.</p>

<p>I am a native of Rochester, NY and like the city and the area quite a lot. There is more to do than you could possibly have time for. As a college student, you might not have as much time as you think to enjoy the cultural and recreational amenities.</p>

<p>Tell me what you want in the way of culture and recreation and I will tell you what Rochester has. Of course, everything in Boston is on a grander scale.</p>

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<p>Keep in mind that even if you want to be a professor of biochemistry, you should still go to medical school. The best professors are the ones with stories about and experience in real applications of the theorical things they're teaching. The man teaching you surgery is, obviously, going to be a surgeon. So I don't see how your desire to teach at med. school, but not go through it, is reasonable.</p>

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<p>That's good to know about Brandeis's premed advising office, and I think it's a good idea to call, and I might, I'm just weary that representatives from the school are biased of course because they want you to come to their school. </p>

<p>I don't really care about the Jewish population at Brandeis. I guess I'm neutral. In terms of graduate programs, I'm only looking to go for an undergraduate degree at this point, and I'll look into graduate admissions later. I'm not sure if I'd rather have a fresh start at another school for graduate school. As of now, that's not really my concern. The only thing I'd worry about at this point regarding graduate school is graduate school placement, meaning if many of the kids go on to graduate or professional schools, and what kind of schools are they. And yes, the adjacent medical school is certainly desirable for med school admissions if that's the path I choose. </p>

<p>When looking at colleges in the beginning of my search, I didn't make many specifics as to location. I feel that as long as I have friends to hang out with, I can make my own fun in a more rural environment, and I can also enjoy the resources of a more urban one. So, the fact that it takes a little walking to get places in Rochester doesn't bother me. And I've heard that there's a system of underground tunnels around the campus to deal with the weather, so that's good too. (Even though I assume that this doesn't include more of the stuff out of the way, like shops etc.) </p>

<p>I've heard emphasis that Rochester isn't the greatest of areas, but if you can state the opposite, that's great! Like I said, the condition of Rochester won't really be a deciding factor in my decision if it turns out to be the better school for me overall, but it's good to know I won't have to worry any more than usual about crime and stuff like that. And yes, I agree that I probably will be occupied with my studies whether I end up at Brandeis or at Rochester.</p>

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<p>yougotjohn, I never said I'd want to be a professor at a med school. I'd actually rather not. I think I'd feel that I was missing out on not being the doctor that the students I'm teaching will become. I want to be a biochemistry professor at the college level. For that, I don't think I'd need to go to med school.</p>

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<p>If, after I visit, neither school jumps out at me as "the one," it might come down to the fact that I'd be happy at either. Both have research opportunities in biochemistry if that's where I'd want to go, and both have excellent records of med school placement, if that's where I'd want to go. I just feel like I'd be really excited by the biochem research at Brandeis, especially since I'd have a background in it from working over the summers. The prestige is also nice, but doesn't matter if a different school would be better for my career goals. And the information on mdapplicants.com makes me feel that Rochester would be better for med school than Brandeis. Also, Rochester was recommended in Rugg's for its French program, whereas Brandeis wasn't, and it seems to have more quality departments in other fields besides the sciences, based on books like Ruggs. I don't know if that would make a difference to me because I want to go into science either way, and I don't necessarily care if they have a good history program (I hate history) but if I wanted to go into another field in college, I might have more opportunities to do so at Rochester. Rochester has no core curriculum. I could see this as both a good thing and a bad thing. I wouldn't have to take history classes, or gym, which would be really nice, and I wouldn't be taking time away from the necessary science classes to take something I don't care for, but I think I'd miss out a little on being an informed adult. So that's a toss-up. I gotta go, but a I've got more later.</p>

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<p>If you like classical music, Rochester is great because of its affiliation with the Eastman School of Music.
Rochester has:
lots of golf courses
variety of good ethnic restaurants
professional theater
opera
Rochester Philharmonic
near skiing
boating
Finger Lakes wine country
fair variety of coffee shops
lots of malls (yuk)
interesting shops scattered, so you have to know where to find them
professional ninor league soccer
professional minor-league baseball
professional minor-league hockey
" lacrosse
touring Broadway musical theater (4-5 shows per year)
Lake Ontario and Finger Lakes boating
I love Letchworth State Park
canoeing on the canal
cider mills
apple orchards</p>

<p>Rochester does not have huge traffic jams and crowds.</p>

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<p>true, all good things about Rochester. To finish what I was saying before, it seemed in my little paragraph that I was citing more positives for Rochester than for Brandeis. This, logically, would make it seem that maybe Rochester would be a better place for my interests. Yet, my mom always says that when you need to make a tough decision, hypothetically state that you're doing one of the options, and then if you regret that, do the other option and your decision is made. Whenever I do that in reference to Rochester and Brandeis, I always end up "regretting" the decision to go to Rochester. I think that maybe when I visit I'll have a real picture of what it would be like, so I'd be able to make a better informed decision as to which decision i'd "regret" making, but it just seems weird that Rochester seems to have more positive things, yet, I'd rather go to Brandeis.</p>