I’m interested in pre-med, and majoring in economics and biology. I already posted this in the NYU forum, and I decided I should post this here to get more diverse opinions. 
Which one costs more?
Brown would cost 15k total (I’ll be dorming), while NYU will cost 5k in direct expenses and probably around 8 to 10k total (I’ll be commuting). I can afford both though.
Since both are affordable, I would go to Brown just for the experience of getting to stay in a dorm. You won’t get the full college experience commuting, and it’ll be something new. You could always experience that city feel for grad school.
What if I don’t mind dorming or commuting?
then discount melissa’s advice. You’re the one here asking for differing factors.
@T26E4 That’s true.
Since med school is expensive, the more money you can save as an undergrad the better. I do agree with Melissa, though, that it seems sad to miss out on the dorm experience. I can’t comment at all on NYU academically or its pre-med program.
We’re talking about 5-7k total though. On the scale we’re talking (unaided UG+ med school being ~500,000) that’s ~1% of the whole budget. I would personally consider these schools to be the same cost.
If it’s 5-7K over four years, I’d agree. If it’s 7K x 4 = $28,000, then that’s a fair amount of money.
If money were not an issue, I’d go to Brown over commuting to NYU any day.
If med school is your goal, and you are positive about that – understand that what you need to get into med school is a high GPA and good MCATs. I’d compare relative difficulties of classes at the 2 schools. Organic chemistry, for example – my understanding is that this is a weeding out class at Brown and many students do poorly, and so abandon their pre-med plans. Of course, this could be the same at NYU – I have no idea. But ask yourself at which school would you get higher grades.
Yeah it’d be a 30k difference. I can still afford it though.
They are really different places so I don’t know how anyone can pick for you, absent any information about your likes and needs. Except that cost does not seem to be a factor. Are you saying that dorming vs commuting isn’t either? I would be eager to get away and live on my own with my cohort. there is a lot to be said for learning from your peers at Brown. But who has time to commute? What about late nights in the lab/library and rolling on to your dorm? I think you might be aware that there is a difference of scale and sense of community and I think the scale tips to Brown over that. Having access to NYC already, you aren’t one of the people who want to go to NYU to experience the City, so why do you want to go there? I think Brown is a very superior place having a student who graduated and enjoyed very close relationships with professors, the ease of access and opportunities for undergraduate research.
I don’t know how meaningful this article is but both your choices are listed here at least for the bio aspects.
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/13/top-%C2%AD%C2%AD%C2%AD10-colleges-for-a-major-in-biology/