<p>I'm having a fairly difficult time deciding between these two schools. I've visited both schools and from what I've seen it seems like Wash U has a slightly stronger premed program, but I just loved Cornell and Ithaca. Not that I don't like Wash U, they were both great. I just have a slight preference for Cornell. I really don't know what to do.</p>
<p>As for money, that really isn't an issue as I'd be paying almost the same at either school.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Anyone in favor of WashU? I’m getting tons of hits for Cornell on the other threads :(</p>
<p>To be honest, when you are choosing between these top tier schools, which one has a stronger premed program is not really that significant. What you should be looking for is the best fit for you. I can’t really say anything about Cornell, but I have heard from many students from WashU that the students at WashU are really friendly, laidback, and willing to help each other.
That aside, WashU as you know has the 3rd strongest medical school in the country according to US rankings, but also has a phenomonal undergrad medical program. According to the presenters at WashU during the bio info session I attended, people with bio majors applying to medical school has an acceptance rate of 87%. The overall acceptance rate I think is 74% (This is accumulated over 5 years and includes some people who have below 3.0 GPA and 30 MCAT (amazingly some of them still get in) since WashU does not appear to screen.) WashU’s primary strength, from what I’m seeing, is within the bio program, which is associated with premed. There are tons of opportunities for research, shadowing doctors with excellent premed advising. The majors are also really flexible are WashU with tons of people double majoring, so you can still pursue your interest while fulfilling your requirements for premed.
If you want to know more, go into the WUSTL 2014 forums and find the premed Q&A. You’ll get some additional info there.</p>
<p>Here’ my opinion on these two:</p>
<p>WashU: midwest friendly, suburban, great dorms & food, accessible professors, undergrad size: midsize 7M, </p>
<p>Cornell: northeast rural, undergraduate program: large 14M, (be sure to research how big their grad programs are. They take precedence) ivy league “name”</p>
<p>Negatives: Cornell is best for graduate programs, not undergrad (opinion!), it’s more competitive and isolating (again: my opinion). Difficult to get to. Med school is in NYC, nowhere near Ithaca.</p>
<p>Yeah Limabeans pointed out one thing that I forgot to mention. WashU’s med school is like right next to campus, so it’s pretty accessible when you’re doing research, volunteering, or shadowing opportunities. Undergrad is much more connected to the med school so you’ll get a better experience in that regard.</p>
<p>i say WASHU!</p>
<p>any more help? :/</p>
<p>go to the one you like better. Both will offer first tier pre-med educations (even though that’s not the best basis for choosing, because lots of students who start college "pre-med don’t stay pe-med)</p>
<p>I’ve told this story before, but I’ll tell it again for the OP. I have boy-girl twins, boy twin attends WashU. We were moving girl twin into her dorm for freshman year at a high-ranking east coast LAC, and while she was getting settled in her dorm, hubby and twin son and I went into town for lunch.</p>
<p>While we were walking in town, we ran into high-ranking east coast LAC president, who is a premier educator, and we all stopped to chat. He asked twin son “so where will you be going to college?” and twin son said “Washington University in St. Louis.”</p>
<p>High-ranking east coast LAC president exclaimed “what a fantastic school! And they have what I consider to be the best undergraduate biology department in the country!”</p>
<p>Twin son blushed and quietly replied, “I probably won’t be taking any bio courses though.”</p>
<p>I generally re-tell this conversation as an anecdote about my son. But when somebody asks about biology at WashU, it’s as good a story as any. ;)</p>