<p>i've been debating this for a while now..
by the way i'm pre-med biological sciences.
cornell has the better program right?
but northwestern has chicago =/</p>
<p>Cornell has the better premed program. Northwestern is largely known as a journalism school; that is their specialty.</p>
<p>Northwestern is also about half an hour away from Chicago. You will not be able to go there every weekend to shop and stuff. Evanston is a collegetown unto itself and so is Ithaca. Ithaca is pretty close to Rochester, Syracuse, and about 4-6 hours away from NYC.</p>
<p>If you're just thinking about biology and premed, the difference really is negligible. It's mostly about where you feel more comfortable and would be more happy.</p>
<p>Rochester and Syracuse don't count...I'm from Rochester, enough said</p>
<p>The difference in premed programs is nonexistent. They have similar study bodies and, not surprisingly, similar med school acceptance rates (~80%). Go to the school you like better.</p>
<p>but the question is.. does that 80% get into top med schools & their first choices.. or just any med school</p>
<p>80% is only for getting into any med school. That 80% is also after people have been weeded out due to the intenseness of the premed track with low average grades in your general chems, bios, physics, maths, and orgos. Also, there has been weed-out from the MCAT scores, so that 80% is pretty much all the people who even have a decent chance of getting into any med school. I'm pretty sure norcalguy can give you that stats on how many people start out saying they're premed and how many people actually end up applying to med school in their junior and senior years. </p>
<p>But I have to say, that if you like hockey and snow in April, the Cornell is the place for you. :)</p>
<p>After you've been through premed, you'll appreciate how satisfying it is to get in ANYWHERE. From reading some of the posts in the premed forum, I can see that some of the HSers think it would be a failure not to become a neurosurgeon from Johns Hopkins. More often than not, I usually reply with some sarcastic and mean comment to set them in their place.</p>
<p>People rarely get into their first choice. My first choice is UCSF. Even with my stats, I'm putting my chances at 10%. I'm willing to bet I don't get into any of my top 5 choices.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any statistics on Cornell's Weill Medical Center? I hear it's the third toughest medical school to get into in the country and one of the best.</p>
<p>Its acceptance rate actually went up last year...to 4.5%. I will be applying since I'm hoping for a courtesy interview but it won't be among my top 5 choices. Avg. GPA of accepted applicants is 3.72. Avg. MCAT of 34.2. It's in a really nice section of Manhattan and there will be subsidized housing (the Dean of Admissions said $450/month; pretty good rate for east Manhattan).</p>
<p>norcalguy, I've been following your posts for three years now. You will get into more than one of your top 5 choices.</p>
<p>I have some definite weaknesses in my app, although not the obvious ones like GPA or MCAT, and I acknowledge that. I'm applying to around 25 schools (15 of which are in the top 30) so it wouldn't be a travesty if I don't get into one of my top 5 choices. I'm prepared to get rejected by HMS/JHU/UCSF's of the world. In the end, I'd be satisfied with an acceptance from a CA med school that is reasonable in cost. If I can get into a prestigous med school, that'd be a bonus.</p>
<p>I agree that you will probably get into one of ur top choices. I donno how far from now that will be but u should update us if u do! (pm me if im not regularly looking at forums if that's like a year or two from now). I def think u will get into a good med school. I understand that u may not think that you will get into THE top med school...but everyone has weaknesses and strengths...and u seem like one of the ones who has some really strong strengths. GL with it, I'm sure u'll be one happy guy when u get ur acceptances.</p>
<p>in regards to the origninal post, there was once this kid here on CC...</p>
<p>...he hated everything about Cornell - the weather, the student body, the school's reputation, the tough academics, the social life, the town, the location .... everything!</p>
<p>so, after much research he transfered to Northwestern.</p>
<p>...and he called it the biggest mistake in his entire life.</p>
<p>I wonder what our old friend bball is doing now?</p>
<p>i go to northwestern, and am hopefully transferring to cornell next year. people think of NU as a journalism school, but its science department is one of the most rigorous in the country. premed students here are notorious for taking organic chemistry at harvard or mit or yale over the summer because it's so hard here, but the school caught on and now only NU's chemistry is accepted if you're a science major. it's a challenging department with tons of research opportunities and genuine academic greatness- the students are brilliant, the professors are famous. as a student here, trust me the education here is rewarding, brutal but rewarding.</p>
<p>Not to mention that the kellogg business school is ranked 2nd or 3rd every year (to wharton, obviously), and the engineering department has produced some of the most touted engineers in the nation. the theatre program is the best, and mathematics, my major, has more course offerings this year than mit.</p>
<p>other than that, not only are you a short trip from chicago (~25 min, 2 dollar train ride) from the heart of chicago, evanston is gorgeous itself and the school is on a beach! i don't know what i'd do if i didn't have south beach or the lakefill to go to at nights with friends, some of the best times ive had.</p>
<p>all this being said, im trying to transfer to cornell simply because im a ny state resident and it would cost me half of the money for an academically equal institution.</p>
<p>hope this helps</p>
<p>lmao I thought of bball too. oy veh</p>
<p>gomestar, mistake for transferring to northwestern? or by enrolling in cornell in the first place</p>
<p>by going to Northwestern</p>
<p>gomestar thought that kid had absolutely no credibility when he was badmouthing Cornell. Now he embraces him once he said it was a mistake to transfer to NU. </p>
<p>elm,
The real answer is actually both.</p>
<p>I can see myself living in Evanston, which shares city boarder with Chicago. But Ithaca? No way!</p>