Tufts vs BC vs Cornell vs USC vs UMich

College Search & Selection
41

<p>Ithaca is gorgeous. There is no doubt about that. That’s actually the low end for acceptance rate to med schools from Tufts. It varies from year to year.</p>

<p>But I think you are misinformed on the 85% 3.4+ at Cornell get into their first choice.
I say this because Cornell’s own website says that for 2010, 74% of students with a 3.4 or above got into med school (It doesn’t specify their first choice):</p>

<p>[Accepted/Applied</a> Charts for Health Careers](<a href=“Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University”>Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University)</p>

<p>That site does a cool job of showing the GPA and MCAT score. It might be some guide for you.</p>

<p>As for the GPA thing. Once you get to top schools like Tufts or Cornell, GPA gets a slight boost, but not much. It’s definitely not like a 3.2 is seen as a 3.5</p>

<p>What the person means is that a person going to a state university probably would be excepted to have a higher GPA. That’s why med schools also look at MCAT scores.</p>

<p>At most, I have heard that schools like Tufts and Cornell would boost your GPA like by .1…and maybe not even that. Look at Cornell’s chart, it really is cool that they show this layout:</p>

<p><a href=“Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University”>Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University;

42

<p>Michigan 1st, Cornell 2nd, the rest of the pack is up for debate. Though toughyear’s response is cute (I especially like how he felt the need to post the same comment twice when no one responded to the first one), he is truly a minority. The prestige of UMich is really the same as Cornell, especially in the northeast. For every toughyear out there (who likely has a countdown until the next USNWR ranking release in his bedroom), there is a CEO who would beg to differ. Pre-med at UMich is hard to beat – don’t turn it down.</p>

43

<p>Here is a quote from another thread by a Cornell alum who is about to enter into his 4th year at med school (he is a frequent contributor to the med boards):</p>

<p>

</p>

44

<p>We’re not talking about “some state school” here. All schools mentioned here are of the highest caliber – the OP can’t lose regardless. To say that it wouldn’t matter if the OP did well at a UMich because it is a state school is pretty…well…elitist, pretentious, arrogant, etc. Also, let’s not forget that the individual who posted the above quote is a Cornell grad – of course he has a horse in this race. Prestige is not the issue here – all are very well known. That should not be the deciding factor.</p>

45

<p>MethodicSquirrel, in Boston, Tufts is naturally going to have a stronger reputation than Michigan. In other parts of the East coast, particularly in the Tri-state area and DC, Michigan’s reputation will match any school on your list. I am not sure what you mean about “academic vibe”, but Michigan has a fairly intellectual feel to it. I would not so easily dismiss the savings you could get from attending Michigan, especially if you intend on going to medical school.</p>

<p>Anyway, between Cornell and Tufts, you cannot go wrong either. Go for fit.</p>

46

<p>Cornell over Tufts. It’s Ivy League. The people here in Michigan will laugh at you if you attend Tufts instead of Cornell. Oh never mind, you hate The State of Michigan.</p>

47

<p>" It seems to be Greek partying or study all day. Does a middle ground exist? "</p>

<p>I thought I addressed this, in part, in #5 above. Most students are not in the Greek system. After freshman year, if you are not part of that system you often have nothing to with it at all. Many upperclassmen live in Collegetown, and a lot of their social life happens there.</p>

<p>Cornell is a very diverse university, with diverse students studying in diverse fields. There are some people who study night and day, some who party quite a bit and everything in between. Most people work pretty hard there though, yet still manage to have fun. My daughter certainly seems to have had time for a very respectable slate of extracurriculars, jobs, and social activities, but has also done well academically. She has not been bored there. My concern now is more getting her out of there, she plans to stay over the summer again.</p>

48

<p>That’s the beauty I think of Cornell. There is a large social life for those so-inclined, but also a large segment of the students who are more academically focused. It’s not partying 24/7.</p>