<p>Hey there! I was recently accepted to both these universities (Class of 2014 WOO!!!) and I need help deciding which one is better for what I want to do. Keep in mind, I will also be visiting the campus this month so I'll also be interacting with students and professors to make an informed decision. However, I'd like to know what the public's opinion would be on my decision. </p>
<ol>
<li> I'm planning on pursuing an MD/Ph.D. with an emphasis on neuroscience.</li>
<li> I plan on pursuing independent research from Day 1 and getting published at least once a year for my research. This would most likely be in the field of biology. </li>
<li> I want a university that will provide me with closer, personal relationships with the professors. I don't want to get lost in the crowd... </li>
</ol>
<p>I'm aware that in the end, it isn't the college you go to, but what you make of it ( I got into Columbia and Yale but can't afford either and I forgot to file financial aid on time.... Cornell and U of C both offered me money based on merit alone). </p>
<p>So essentially, my question is... which university has the necessary resources for me to achieve 1, 2, and 3 above.</p>
<p>both are equal in terms of their neuroscience departments and overall sciences (outside of physics where chicago is much better). as far as class size goes, chicago has one of the best ratios of student/faculty amongst top colleges. i think the latter would afford you more opportunities to be published based on the overall academic experience you would receive.</p>
<p>To bayvcroberts: Thank you so much for that input! :] I’m confused about what you meant when you said “the latter would afford you more opportunities to be published based on the overall academic experience.” Do you mean that I would be more likely to get publications out since my faculty/student ratio is much smaller, allowing more individualized attention?</p>
<p>The number of undergraduates has nothing to do with the student-faculty ratio (Chicago’s ratio is definitely lower, something like 6 to 1, compared to 9 or 10 to 1 at Cornell). As for the physics departments, they are peers.</p>
<p>To hippo2718: Wait lol are you being sarcastic? Like, do you think Cornell is probably a better “fit” for my goals? And what year do those rankings come from/ what are they evaluating? Overall undergraduate education? Research opportunities? The neuroscience department?</p>
<p>to Woody: I haven’t gotten my letter/packet in the mail yet, so idk if I got one. I haven’t heard about any Cornell merit scholarships yet. I wish I did though!</p>
<p>To modestmelody: My lab at UCLA generates 3-5 publications a year in the field of addiction research… But you’re not the first to say it’s naive of me, and I completely understand where you’re coming from. After all, I’m just out of high-school and I genuinely don’t know what the “research output,” if that’s the best way to express it, will be like at U of C or Cornell. If research is my main goal, do you think I should remain where I am situated near a large research university? UCLA and UC Berkeley (R &C) are among my other admits.</p>
<p>Many labs will produce multiple publications in a year, but it’s nearly impossible as an undergraduate to have your hand on enough disparate projects that are progressing fast enough to produce that kind of number of applications that you’ll have a significant enough hand in to be an author.</p>
<p>That’s just reality in a lab. If you want to do really great research and build your own project, starting your freshman year and sticking with it and working hard will maybe produce 2 publications. It takes time for results and things don’t go as planned and you don’t publish just because you’ve worked hard-- you actually have to find some interesting things rather definitively. You can work 80 hrs a week on a project for 3 years and get very little that’s publishable, maybe a short communication. You can work for one year and get three publications. It’s just not in your control.</p>
<p>If research is your goal you should be in a lab that has a higher undergraduate to graduate student ratio so that you’ll be taken seriously, be an essential part of the research, and have a mentor who is used to the unique supports an undergraduate researcher needs. Larger labs and larger schools will be more likely to put you on more menial work and not actually have you designing much and will have you reporting to graduate students or post-docs not working closely with a PI.</p>
<p>to modest melody: I love you. Like, I love you. Thank you. That was probably one of the most insightful and helpful posts in my life I’ll never forget you!</p>
<p>to bluebayou: I know it totally sucks but I didn’t file the financial aid on time… I doubt they’d be accepting of that. Like I didn’t file my fafsa by the deadline. which is 100% irresponsibility on my part.</p>
<p>I do think that Chicago provides a more intimate academic experience. It’s rather disingenuous to suggest that the other undergrad colleges at Cornell shouldn’t be part of the analysis for someone considering Cornell CAS. Everyone is allowed to take CAS courses, and most do. As for science labs, of course hotelies are unlikely to pursue that kind of research, but ALS and Hum Ec students do.</p>
<p>There’s nothing evil about any of this. A bigger school brings pros and cons. The great strength of Cornell is the number of choices and opportunities to take courses from all the schools. But the OP is especially interested in “close, personal relationships” and doesn’t want to get “lost in the crowd.” That sounds more like Chicago than Cornell to me.</p>
<p>I have zero knowledge of Yale, but I refuse to believe that a college of that level is so sticky about deadlines. Yes, my local state public Uni is as bureaucratic as they come, but that is the point, it is the public Uni that deals with thousands upon thousands of apps. And since Yale (along with Harvard) offers the best need-based packages out there, you would be foolish to NOT call them and apply today. The worst that will happen is that they say no.</p>
I’ll never forget you!</p>