<p>S just got admitted to Cornell through waitlist. He is fairly certain that he wants to go to med school. Any suggestions and advices on choosing between the two premed programs will be VERY much apprecaited. We are from North East region.</p>
<p>Personally, Vanderbilt is better pre med. I think they’ve got a better program for it, however Cornell is a better name. If you’re looking for depth, go Vandy. If you’re looking for superficial ivy names, Cornell. Not saying Cornell is bad, Vandy is just better for pre med.</p>
<p>Thank you Curtiss! I have similar thoughts. In addition, Cornell’s student population is almost twice as big. I am a little concerned that S might get lost more easily. I also like Vandy’s liberal art curriculum. I got the feeling that Vandy might be less cut throat than Cornell?</p>
<p>Cornell is only really the better name in the Northeast. I would go with Vandy, in the south you can’t beat the Vanderbilt name.</p>
<p>Vandy has hospitals on site which might be an advantage for pre med students - shadowing, volunteering opportunities? Where do Cornell premed students find hospitals to volunteer during school time?</p>
<p>Neither school has any difficulty whatsoever in getting their qualified students into medical school so I don’t think the “pre-med program” makes any difference here. Both schools attract top students and each is going to be competitive. You can pursue a liberal arts curriculum at either place. There is no such thing as a “pre-med” major; it’s just a set of prerequisite courses. So what does the student actually want to major in? What environment does he prefer? Both schools are going to be very competitive academically; Vanderbilt will not necessarily be easier than Cornell so it wouldn’t be a good idea to choose it on that basis alone. Keep in mind that the majority of students who enter college as pre-meds don’t end up going to medical school, no matter how much they think they will at age 18, so it’s a good idea to look at the total picture when comparing two very fine institutions. Personally I’d focus on cost; which is cheaper, in the absence of other preferences? If med school is in the cards, lower or no debt is a good thing.</p>
<p>Thank you NJSue for the excellent advices and insight. He wants to major in biology since that his favorite subject. He is very strong in math and all science subjects but not so strong in humanities. He prefers the environment in Vandy over Cornell - bigger city, nicer weather, seemingly more relaxed atmosphere and smaller student population. He felt that he has lived in update NY for all his life and wants to step out of his comfort zone now. We are still waiting for the financial package from Cornell; it will most likely be slightly worse than Vandy since he got a small scholarship from Vandy and Cornell is 100% need based.</p>
<p><<<
Vanderbilt is better pre med. I think they’ve got a better program for it,
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<p>???</p>
<p>based on what???</p>
<p>both are fine for premed. both schools will have a cut-throat premed atmosphere. i know for sure vandy has that atmosphere, but likely Cornell would as well. </p>
<p>pick the one he likes the most, </p>
<p>If you are up-state NY, then your son is probably a NY state resident, and could graduate from HumEc or CALS with a very fine degree in a biological science and then head off to med school in four years. Have him look at those programs too.</p>
<p>Anecdotally, Cornell has a very cut-throat pre-med atmosphere. Of course, some people thrive and do fantastically and go on to the best medical schools out there. </p>
<p>If you had to be completely truthful, is he a “math-and-science” person? Does your son have any 5’s on any of the science APs? If both of those answers are “no,” you may be in for some complicated gymnastics come pre-med time (in general, but in Cornell specifically). This may include summer courses, easy major, tutors, etc. Maybe it was a fluke that he got in off the waitlist, but I gather he is not in the top quarter of his class at Cornell. </p>
<p>How much does he want to do pre-med? Does he want to “give it a try,” but frankly has a few different interests he may be suited for just as well? If so, Cornell may be not a bad choice. </p>
<p>From my experience with friends, Cornell is one of the few top schools where smart, hard-working kids get slaughtered. </p>
<p>Does your S have a preference? If the price is the same, his idea of where he’d fee happier/more comfortable should come into play. I know many Northerners who liked Vandy, but a few I know did feel a bit out of place. But he sounds like he prefers Vandy so I’d probably stick with that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the Saturday morning posts and suggestions.
Happymomof1, excellent point. Unfortunately, he did not pick the state NY programs in his application (he should have). He picked the regular biology in college of art and sciences which will not have the NY resident tuition reduction. I am wondering whether Cornell allows for transfer after admission and we could take the advantage of the lower tuition. </p>
<p>@worth2try Great questions, He is very strong in math and sciences - 800 SAT in math, physics and chem. AP5 in physics, at least will be 4 for chem, bio and bc cal. He said he really wants to do premed and it seems to be genuine.</p>
<p>@happy1 He slightly prefers Vandy at this time. He wants to try to step out of his comfort zone and try a different place.</p>
<p>Yes you can transfer between colleges at Cornell. Students do it all the time. If he’s interested, he should contact the college(s) that are interesting to him, and ask.</p>
<p>If he is as math-sciencey as you say, he probably would like CALS or HumEc better than CAS, and your family would most likely save a boat-load of money that could be put toward his Med School fees.</p>
<p>@happymomof1 Thank you again! It’s good to know it will be easy to transfer. It will make a big difference for us if we can get the NY resident tuition rate.</p>
<p><,<,<<
Anecdotally, Cornell has a very cut-throat pre-med atmosphere.
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<p>I am sure it does, but so does vandy. </p>