<p>It has a great science program and its closer to home than all the schools you mentioned. I really like the idea of living close to boston but I’m not really into tufts. Cornell is a great school and is my first choice as of now, but idk if I’ll get in. I have a solid shot but I don’t want to get my hopes up too high in case I don’t get in. Michigan is also on my list of schools, but it’s really far away. I want to stay in the northeast, michigan is the only school I’ve considered that’s really far from home.</p>
<p>Cornell is certainly the bigger frat party school but is not necessarily the better of the two schools. It’s really an apples to oranges comparison and a personal choice. I’ll address the “right fit” question at the end of my post.</p>
<p>With 20,000 students in the middle of upstate New York, Cornell is similar in many ways to a very large, rural state university–and in fact part of it is a state university–e.g. Cornell’s state-funded Agriculture School, Home Economics School, Labor Relations School etc. are part of the campus in addition to a college of arts and sciences. In fact, they even have a Hotel school—one of the better trade schools of its kind. </p>
<p>Brandeis, on the other hand is most similar to a small liberal arts college with an important difference. The Brandeis “LAC” functions within a world-class research university. It’s a trick to pull that off, but they do, and the undergraduates benefit from that combination. Brandeis truly is an amazing school. Its small student body- the smallest I believe (about 800 in a class) of any top tier national research university–is matched with high-powered professors who actually teach in small classes. So, the research opportunities are tremendous.</p>
<p>Brandeis’ intellectual environment is comparable in many ways to its University Athletic Association sister school, U Chicago (perhaps no coincidence that the President of U Chicago is a Brandeis alum). Yet its students are down-to-earth, friendly and non-competitive with one another. Contrast thatperhaps with Cornell which is known for its high student suicide rate.</p>
<p>As for pre-med, Brandeis’s acceptance rates are excellent (and the early acceptance program with Tufts Med is a big plus).</p>
<p>Take a look at this: [Find</a> Out What?s Cooking in the Chemistry Lab | Brandeis University](<a href=“BrandeisNOW”>BrandeisNOW)</p>
<p>This piece, including the video, may be helpful to you in understanding the excellent undergraduate research opportunities that are available at Brandeis. These are the foundation of both its exceptional med school acceptance rate and excellent rates of admission to top doctoral degree programs. One great example is Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Rod MacKinnon who began his research career as an undergrad at Brandeis, went on to med school and then returned to Brandeis for post-doc studies. Another good example of the exceptional science teaching/research environment at Brandeis is Biochem Professor, Greg Petsko who left MIT to come to Brandeis to conduct his ground-breaking research and teach undergrads in a nurturing environment. All of this is possible because of Brandeis’ special position as a top tier research university combined with a small liberal arts college. Oh yes, the brand new Science Center is fantastic as well.</p>
<p>Also, here’s a brief article describing the impressive ranking of Brandeis’ own doctoral programs (many among the best in the nation):</p>
<p>[Brandeis</a> doctoral programs rate high in national survey | BrandeisNOW](<a href=“http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2010/november/nationalresearchcouncil.html]Brandeis”>Brandeis doctoral programs rate high in national survey | BrandeisNOW)</p>
<p>This is very relevant to undergraduates because, at Brandeis, undergrads and grad students both work side-by-side with the same professors.</p>
<p>Also, here’s an article about the large number of recent Brandeis undergrads, including Physics majors, receiving NSF graduate research fellowships:</p>
<p>[NSF</a> graduate research fellowships soar in 2011 | BrandeisNOW](<a href=“http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2011/april/nsf.html]NSF”>NSF graduate research fellowships soar in 2011 | BrandeisNOW)</p>
<p>Despite its small size and relative youth, Brandeis’ alumni are very distinguished–to name just a few: in the sciences, in addition to Rod Mackinnon, Fields Medal winning physicist Edward Witten (often called “Einstein’s successor”); in journalism and literature, 3-time Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Friedman of the NY Times, The Earth is Flat etc. and Mitch Albom of Tuesday’s with Morrie (about his Brandeis professor); in the performing arts, the Creators/Producers of Friends and actress Debra Messing; and in business, Robert FX Sillerman (billionaire businessman–currently owner of American Idol and Graceland), Jeff Lurie, billionaire owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Christy Hefner, former CEO of Playboy). </p>
<p>Finally, on the question of whether Brandeis is the right fit for you, I believe the kind of person who would feel comfortable at Brandeis is an intellectual and/or creative sort who is friendly and comfortable with himself or herself and not competitive or pretentious. Intellectual but down-to-earth and friendly I think is an apt description of the student body. Unlike some preppy place or frat-oriented environments where social interaction is based on the “exclusivity” of the frat system, Brandeis has a welcoming, relatively-nonjudgmental environment–yet there are some off-campus frats for those who like what they have to offer. There is no pressure to party, but parties are there if you want them. Often social interaction centers around the numerous clubs and other terrific extracurriculars like music and theater–if you’re into theater/music/art, there’s a ton of high quality opportunities and it’s a very exciting place to be. </p>
<p>When I was an undergrad at Brandeis, I knew several folks who turned down Cornell to attend Brandeis in part because they did not want that rural, big school experience. You should definitely check both of these schools out for yourself. Yours is the only opinion that ultimately counts for you. Good luck with your applications.</p>
<p>Wow thanks for that B77, that was a great post.</p>
<p>Well-2 very solid choices there. Both elite reputations you can’t go wrong. Of course cornell has the med school. Cornell’s med school has a branch in nyc i think, otherwise the town of ithaca is known to be hilly town w/ cold climate. Brandeis of course is near the other fine art center of boston.</p>
<p>lol oldfort, lkf is totally different from ctown…</p>
<p>Brandeis has Anita Hill.</p>
<p>Brandeis (like it or not) still has the Rose Art Museum; reminder to self to visit again this fall.</p>
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<p>What Cornell’s medical school doesn’t have, as far as I know, is a branch in Ithaca. A medical school on the Upper East Side doesn’t add a lot of value if you’re an undergraduate in Ithaca.</p>
<p>You can (and probably will) get a very fine education at either and either will probably be sufficient for you to achieve your goals. Both have very fine faculties, good facilities, and very talented students. But they are very different institutions. It is not a question of which is better; the right question is which is a better fit for you. And no one who doesn’t know you well can give you any helpful advice on answering this question. Only you and your family and, perhaps, your college advisor if he/she is a good one can help. Certainly, high school students who have no more experience or knowledge than you do are not in a position to provide useful advice. </p>
<p>Cornell is a very large university; Brandeis is a very small one. There are courses at Cornell where the class enrollment will be larger than the entire freshman class at Brandeis. But some people prefer the hustle bustle of a huge campus, while others prefer the more contemplative atmosphere that a small campus provides. This is a subjective thing; there are no right or wrong answers. Some people love the hugeness of New York City and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Others prefer Boston’s more compact and cosy environment. Who’s right? The best advice I can give is to suggest that you spend some time on each campus during a comparable period of time. One will feel more right for you than the other. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Cornell. Also, the campus is stunningly beautiful.</p>
<p>I’m a student at Brandeis who wanted to go to Cornell, so maybe I can help out. </p>
<p>Reputation does matter to an extent, but does it matter if a lay person doesn’t know Brandeis? Educated people will know it, and I’m assuming you want to remain in those spheres. Just putting things into perspective.</p>
<p>Cornell beats Brandeis in most academic departments, sports and social life. But, as I’ve realized, a lot of Brandeis students don’t stay on campus on the weekends. Brandeis has a free shuttle service to Boston from Thursday - Sunday (aka, the weekend). So, if you’re not into frats and college parties, Brandeis, in the “social” aspect, would be better. </p>
<p>In academics, Cornell will have more world-renown professors, but Brandeis doesn’t necessarily have horrendous professors. </p>
<p>Lastly, if you’re considering medical school, </p>
<p><a href=“Pre-Health Advising | Academic Services | Brandeis University”>Pre-Health Advising | Academic Services | Brandeis University;
[Brandeis</a> Admissions | After Brandeis | Graduate School](<a href=“Life After Brandeis | Why Brandeis | Undergraduate Admissions | Brandeis University”>Life After Brandeis | Why Brandeis | Undergraduate Admissions | Brandeis University)</p>
<p>No one here is actually speaking from experience having attended both schools. So most responses are subjective and some even emotional.</p>
<p>You, OP, need to figure out what is best for you. You can get into med school from both schools if you have a high GPA and a good score on the MCAT.</p>
<p>Consider a few things–
–10 years from now, which school would you be prouder to have on your resume when being announced when you are about to give a presentation, or run for office or whatever.
–Which one will give you a great college experience for 4 years? Both schools offer different experiences. Cornell’s is the more on campus (concerts, lectures, clubs, collegetown bars, house parties, greek, beautiful surroundings and gorges and a lake, etc). Brandeis is near a great city, Boston, and the big city excitements, but seems to be mostly residential, ie., many students leave on the weekend.</p>
<p>You probably have a gut feeling as to which school you would prefer to attend op. Go with it.</p>
<p>One last thing. Over half of Cornell’s students are not involved with the greek system. I think that means over 6000 students in this fairly small community are independent. So there is really no need to join to have a social life if you are so disinclined.</p>
<p>^^^ What do you mean “Brandeis seems to be mostly residential, ie., many students leave on the weekend.”</p>
<p>Are you saying it’s a commuter school? It certainly is not. Students might go into the city on the weekend, but they live on campus. (or in off-campus housing, but it is NOT a commuter school)</p>
<p>OP – have you actually visited Cornell and Brandeis? If not, I’m wondering how you can apply ED without having seen either place??</p>
<p>Why don’t you post on both the Cornell and Brandeis sub-forums with specific questions about social life, etc.</p>