WashU, Duke or Cornell?

Hi, These are the three schools that I’m considering applying ED to in the fall. I have visited many schools and have narrowed it down to these three as my favorites. I’m considering being pre-med, or possibly going into medical research in some capacity, but of course that could change. I realize all three of these are reach schools, but my credentials should give me as good a shot as any qualified candidate, and I’d like to apply to one of them ED. I really love learning, and am looking for a supportive and collaborative environment as well as one that has good med school or grad school placement in general. I know all three are great, so just looking for some comparisons/ differences in campus cultures and learning environments, as I gather information before making a decision. Thanks for any insight you can share!

This sounds more like Wash U than Duke, I think. It sounds a lot like Rice too, which is adjacent to the largest medical complex in the world.

Have you considered any liberal arts colleges? They are often great places for science majors – no 200 person lecture classes or overworked PhD students in the research labs.

Collaborative environment for a potential premed does sound like WashU. Although there is a certain amount of grade deflation at the school.

If you want school spirit, Duke is the place with the basketball team and the Cameron Crazies. Cornell has the Ivy cachet, but the weather is not so great and it has worst reputation among the Ivies besides Princeton for grade deflation.

All 3 schools have top ranked medical schools. Cornell Weill is located in New York City which is pretty far away from Ithaca though.

I’m more familiar with WashU since my son goes there.

Also I would consider Vanderbilt as well if WashU is on your list.

Agree with Rice as well as a possibility since Houston is a major city and Baylor Med is in Houston.

If you like the academic environment at all three, maybe you should base it on where you want to live for 4 years. I’ve heard Cornell can be depressing in the winter. I guess Duke would have the best weather. There does seem to be a pretty good consensus that Wash U has a supportive environment. Do you like cities? I’ve never been to Wash U, but I think I read that it’s in a pretty good part of the city.

WashU is actually located in Clayton, which is an upscale suburb of St. Louis.

St. Louis is actually quite underrated. Good music scene, excellent museums, and good food. And if you’re into sports, the Blues and Cardinals are competitive in their respective leagues.

OP: Are you a full pay student ? (Meaning, of course, that you will not be applying for financial aid.)

Based on the information shared in your post which started this thread, there is no reasonable way to differentiate among the three schools as all will have collaborative, as well as competitive, students.

If you are not completed committed to one of these as your first choice, doesn’t that suggest that you shouldn’t apply ED to any of them?

I think that OP is trying to increase the odds of acceptance by applying ED. And many think that that is an acceptable reason to apply ED for a full pay applicant not concerned about financial aid.

For some, applying ED to a particular college does mean they fell in love with that college. But for vast majority of ED applicants, applying ED is just a calculated bet, an optimal play of the early application card.

Thanks for the input. I’m going to revisit and do more research before deciding which to ED. I loved different things about each. Will update again as things progress!

I would also recommend Case Western, Emory, and Rochester. Not absolute matches since we don’t know what OP’s GPA/test scores are, but all excellent premed schools with good medical schools.

Consider Hopkins and Michigan if you want to do medical research. They are the #1 and #2 medical research institutions, measured by grant funding.

Don’t really know much about WashU. Duke and Cornell are both excellent. I’d pick Duke for the following reasons.

1). Smaller student body + larger endowment = more resources per capita
2). School spirit + good weather = an excellent college experience

My child will be a freshman in the fall at Wash U. His final choice was between Duke and Wash U. It was very tough and finally came down to some intangibles, like feel and school culture. He really liked the warm, friendly midwestern vibe at Wash U and the huge urban park with museums, the zoo, ice skating, plus the Loop with all its funky shops and restaurants… he kind of fell in love! But there’s nothing like Duke basketball! Academically they’re both top notch for pre-med so go with your gut. My son didn’t ED anywhere because he wasn’t sure at that point where he wanted to go, so only ED if you’re 100 percent sure, don’t do it just to increase your chances of getting in. Good luck!

I would choose Wash U. They are truly collaborative and the pre-med kids help each other succeed. They also have the highest admission rate to medical school. Keep in mind that Wash U now also has ED2 and Cornell and Duke do not. As such, you could also consider applying to one of those ED1 and if you don’t get in, you could try WashU as ED2.