I was accepted EA to UNC and RD for Cornell and I am having trouble deciding which to attend. With the financial aid they have given me and the NPCs for every other year, the cost for both will be about the same. When I visited UNC I loved the campus and the general atmosphere because all the students seemed to really enjoy it there. The UNC pre med is very well known which I think would improve my chances of getting into an accredited med school. I have not visited Cornell yet but I have heard it is very competitive and it would be hard to get a good GPA. However, I have also been told that simply the Ivy League name will assist me in getting top internships. If anyone has any insight about either school please tell me!! Time is running out and idk what to do
Cornell
Go make a pro/con list of both schools. Does the climate matter? Do you want to be near family? Do you want to be close to a city? Do you want to study abroad? Do you care about prestige? If it’s solely on the opportunities you will get, then look into what programs each school has.
I would personally go for Cornell in a heartbeat. Congrats on getting accepted to both!
@gradclass2022 I’m in the same boat (Cornell vs Case Western or University of Rochester, prospective pre-med). Gpa, mcat, and professional experiences (shadowing, LORs, internships etc) are most important for med school. I’m visiting Cornell for the Diversity Hosting next week and hopefully I will get some questions answered.
@haco9655 thank you!! I strongly dislike the cold but I feel that if I went to Cornell I would eventually get used to it. Both of these schools are about equally as far away from my home. Would being closer to a city help with internships and such?? I have more ap credits at UNC (21) compared to Cornell (13) but I think the prestige of Cornell is pushing me more towards it
UNC. With more AP credits, you should have more flexibility of course choice unless you want to graduate early.
Med school is primarily about GPA & MCAT, then interview.
Either school would be stronger than you need to be taken seriously by potential medical schools. For premed, you need to keep a high GPA and avoid taking on debt for undergrad. I wouldn’t worry about the “Ivy League” name.
Cornell will have “real” winters. The first time that I visited was in early February a great many years ago. It snowed three feet over two days and it was bitterly cold at some point during the trip. I am originally from Montreal so I was at the time pretty used to cold but I still noticed it. I do think that most people will get used to it however.
One issue is that the majority of students who enter university for premed change their mind, and end up doing something else. Of those who do stick with premed, a significant number (at least close to half) don’t get into any medical school. As such, you might want to take a quick look at whatever else you might do if premed doesn’t work out. That being said, I expect that either school would be very good for a wide range of majors.
I don’t think that there is a bad choice here. Both are excellent IMHO.
The Ivy League name will not matter for medical school, and these two schools are not THAT far apart in prestige… as suggested (?) in a previous post ( med schools don’t care about prestige). I am not sure what city is being referenced… maybe Syracuse?
I agree that you should have a backup plan in case you change your mind about medical school, or you don’t get in. Which school has a broader range of majors that meet your interests?
There is no bad choice here. The academics are strong at both schools. Both schools have access to internships and research. I would choose the school that is more affordable and is a better fit. Do you enjoy cold weather? I know somebody who transferred to upstate NY because she wanted to ski. Do you like the town of Ithaca ( I love it) or do you love Chapel Hill ( I love it as well)? Do you have a better feel walking around one campus versus the other? What are you looking to do socially? Is one school more suited to your personality? These are the things that I would consider.
Depends a lot on you: are you a heads down, let’s work the night away mastering that problem set / super-focused student OR a pretty clever soul, for whom the pre-reqs really aren’t going to be much of a stretch, and who really enjoys working to the top of a challenging course? If so, pre-med/STEM at Cornell is calling your name.
Otherwise, UNC.
The name differential is not big enough to make a difference in getting internships, etc., and the difference in getting a good GPA is real. One of my collegekids is at Cornell for grad school, and sees what the undergrads are going through in some of the classes that you would be taking (her info source is watching the upper level STEM students and grad student TA reports). She says that a small number are thriving (the two types above) and the rest are slogging through. She loves Cornell (and has even adapted to the weather) but feels that, for her, Cornell undergrad would not have been as happy.
As @Publisher pointed out: for med school it is very much GPA + GMAT then internships / essays/ interviews. Weed out classes at both places will be tough- it’s not as though UNC-CH will be a cake walk! - but imo, it will be less painful to get a high GPA at UNC than at Cornell.
As a bunch of others pointed out: an awful lot of people change their mind about med school, or get weeded out along the way. Pick the one that is overall likely to be where you will shine.
We are instate for Cornell. The school takes a lot of students from our HS… my D knows close to 20 who attend. She has 2 close friends there.
Cornell is not a walk in the park academically …one of her friends almost transferred, although she is happy now. UNC is no cake walk either… you will have to work hard to earn your gpa, but I agree that it will probably be “easier” to earn a higher gpa at UNC. Medical school requires a high gpa and high mcat scores, among the other things mentioned.
Good luck!
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Everyone thank you for all your advice!!! @DadTwoGirls @twogirls @Publisher @collegemom3717 I decided that during my undergraduate years if I despise the pre med courses or I am just not into it anymore, I will hopefully head off to graduate school and get a degree in something related to to find a job at a medical company or institute but not working as a physician. Does this in any way affect your opinions on where I should go??
You could have any major and be premed. Would research be of interest to you if you change your mind about medical school? You really won’t know the answer… nor should you… until you are in school. Many medical students take a year or two off before applying. This gives them time to pursue other interests, volunteer…etc… before deciding if medicine is for them.
I think at this point you should focus on the school that is a better fit for you. As noted… you have two great options and will not go wrong with either one.
@twogirls I wanted to conduct research during my undergraduate years, but I was not looking as it for a career
Have you visited the schools?
You don’t need to choose a career now. You can pick a major that you like, take the premed classes… and decide later on.
That is exactly what most of the people who start out thinking that they will do medicine end up doing- but not alwasy b/c they don’t like the pre-med courses or can’t cut it, but b/c they discover so many other options.
In general, Cornell is Cornell and UNC is UNC. Ime, Cornell is just more intense a place than UNC. Obviously, what matters, though, is how it seems to you.
@twogirls I visited UNC and loved it and I am visiting Cornell next week and I get to sit in on classes and stay with a current student in the dorms
@collegemom3717 yeah, I think I have to visit Cornell first and see how I feel so I will definitely keep you posted on my opinion because I know that I would absolutely love UNC if I went
Great! Once you visit Cornell the decision may be easier.
@twogirls I’m just nervous I’ll love both of them!! haha