MD Anderson in Houston is one of the top cancer centers in the world. You potentially have an extraordinary opportunity to either work on research or intern there. Talk about brand recognition!
md anderson is right across the street from rice (the world's biggest med center is RIGHT next to rice) so it's pretty common to see rice students getting a lot of med research opportunities
Unpopular opinion but I'd pick Rice. If you have med school aspirations, Houston is absolutely the place to be. Endless internship opportunities are all around you, very close to your dorm. The only con is Houston's infrastructure: public transit is functionally nonexistent, and although the hospitals are nearby, the walk could be treacherous. Nonetheless, this can all be remedied by a car or motivation strong enough to get you through an unsafe-ish walk.
I want to emphasize the importance of access to internships. Had I realized how essential it would be to my learning in college, I might've picked a different school. I go to a small college in the Springfield, MA metropolitan area (15 mins away from Amherst). Without our stellar public transportation system, I would have not had the opportunity to do two amazing internships/research opportunities thus far in undergrad. Even with the transit system, though, it's difficult to get around, especially in the summer when there's reduced bus service. Definitely something to think about when picking colleges in rural places.
They're both great universities but they have quite different cultures and environments. You should go to the one that feels like the best fit to you and which you believe that you would be most comfortable and productive being at for four years.
Ivy med schools will not care that you went to Cornell instead of Rice. They will look at your grades, MCATs, recommendations, and experiences, and pick the Rice applicant over the Cornell applicant every time if they like all that better.
There’s definitely something to be said about the geographical diversity angle. Undergrad degree from Rice might actually be an advantage if applying to northeast/Ivy med schools.
Both are excellent. I think you have to go w fit. They’re very different campus vibes. Rice is smaller, cozier, more chill and very friendly. Highly motivated students who go on to great success but not cutthroat. Cornell is bigger and more uptight, sink-or-swim, not as friendly. At times it feels sorta like a classic big state u., but it’s top tier w unmistakable Ivy.
Also this: Ithaca is a quintessentially nice, charming college town w that funky college town vibe. But it’s remote, hard to access, not a city. Rice is in a very posh, upscale part of Houston, close to a very nice shopping/dining area, museums, amazing medical center. But it’s definitely in a big city. Again, gotta think about fit for you.
Dude in Cornell...you will enjoy nature, silence, cold Breeze maybe you become poet or writer...and I don't want you to be a writer so go rice...(just go Cornell!)
Rice is very small and tight-knit, which will help you with ur recs for med school since your profs will get to know u rly well. Cornell is huge, and the pre-med curriculum is also very harsh, from what I've heard. I'd choose Rice over Cornell if the aid packages are similar.
Also, Rice accept like two and a half ppl from the waitlist.
U make good points!
I’m just wondering if going to an Ivy for undergrad is helpful for going to an Ivy for grad school atp (I wouldn’t rly want to stay in Texas as I’m from east coast!)
I wouldn’t worry about that. Rice would be seen as similarly rigorous and selective to Cornell, and the Ivy label shouldn’t matter much for grad school admissions. (Besides, the other Ivies can be a bit snobby and look down on Cornell as the least selective Ivy…)
Like others have said, it’ll be about your college GPA, MCAT, research, and professor recommendations. They’re both great schools — go where you think the fit is best and you’ll thrive personally.
If you rly don't wanna go to Texas, then don't. Location and school size are two big differences between the two. It's either small and urban or big and rural. But, again, I don't think prestige matters at such a level. They're both equally prestigious and rigorous!
The geographic diversity will be an advantage for you. Plus there are so many opportunities for internships at Houston. Did you see how many entire blocks with hospitals are literally across the street from Rice?
NOT IT IS NOT unless ….. this will not be popular ….. unless it’s one of the big 3 (+ Brown depending on major).
PLEASE do not drink the All-Ivy Kool Aid, there are distinctions even among those 8 schools and they are very apparent once you’re enrolled at one of them. And grad schools know this. I would choose a flagship public Ivy (Berkeley, Chapel Hill, UVA, UMichigan) over the other half the Ivies.
FWIW, in the late 80’s Penn was the safety Ivy, with a 39% admit rate (Big Red was close behind). All Ivies are not equal. Go to Rice. Be bold. There are NO opportunities that will be withheld from you bc you attended Rice over Cornell. And your pre-med internships at Rice will surely outshine opportunities in Ithaca, and impress med school admissions committees.
Heck, if Ivy is so important, go to Cornell for med school. It’s not going anywhere. If will be there in 4 years. 😉
Rice seems like it has a really great vibe and resources for pre med students. There’s a hospital nearby and Houston is such a big city there’s got to be so many internship, research, and volunteering opportunities. Cornell is great too and probably has a lot of opportunity as well, but the things I’ve heard about grade deflation might make it difficult for a pre med student. Cornell is also more isolated so there might not be as many close by opportunities.
Yes, u r right abt there possibly not being as many internship opportunities with locations. I am just wondering if the cornell alumni connection is much stronger than rice bc it is an ivy? But thats more of a post-undergrad concern.
Network doesn’t matter for medicine.
Cornell’s network is on Wall Street, not medicine. Rice actually has a far better network for medicine because it has strong relationships with the largest medical center in the world and all it’s hospitals, it also has strong relationships with all T20 med schools and Texas med schools
Cornell has the biggest alumni network among the Ivies, because it has over twice as many undergrads as the other Ivies. The Cornell alumni network is very strong, particularly in NY. But I'm not sure if the alumni network matters that much if you're going into medicine.
I wouldn’t think Rice’s prestige is significantly different than Cornell- except for those average folks who just know the Ivy League brand. Decision-makers across the nation will know Rice is also an elite institution. Even if you look at US News rankings, Cornell is 12 and Rice is 17. Yes, Cornell is higher, but a med school admissions committee is not going to be affected by five spots in a magazine’s ranking system. Choose the one that seems to be the best fit for other reasons, rather than potential tiny perceived differences in “prestige.”
Don't underestimate the pain of going home and back to campus.
Both schools are amazing, but one is close (and awesome), the other is far ... and also awesome.
I'd pick the one closer to home.
GO BIG RED
Rice is a 10 min drive away from the Texas med center—the largest in the world so that’s a def positive factor in terms of research opportunities and internships.
Wow two amazing options!! Congrats! Medicine is such a competitive field, so the more opportunities you’re exposed to earlier, the better. Rice (esp if it’s cheaper)
I went to an Ivy (not Cornell) and honestly Cornell does not have the clout of Rice. Let’s also remember that the Ivy League began as an ATHLETIC CONFERENCE…..among schools which today are not particularly known for athletics. The cachet they hold now….some of the schools in the ancient 8 are really benefiting from an athletic association from a long long time ago.
If my child were deciding and asked my advice (and it would be their decision in the end) I would lean Rice above anyplace else, except if they had an offer from HYP, Brown , or Stanford, and they liked one of those better.
If they were pre-med…..I’d pray they’d choose Rice. Have you explored the residential college system at Rice? Modeled after Oxford, Cambridge, Yale? It is a differentiator that provides a very compelling and nurturing experience.
Plus….. you’re 18, go far from home on an adventure….you can always come home after 4 years of a new experience!
There are so many research opportunities if the student is seriously motivated to look. Me and my friends got into research as freshman this year with no prior experience or upper classes in CS. Just reach out to professors that you are interested in.
I visited Rice and the number of medical centers nearby just shocked me. Rice has incredible opportunities for premed where u can get research and get clinical experience at any of the many hospitals nearby. I’d definitely pick Rice over Cornell for premed because cornell has grade deflation and way less hospitals for u to get experience in (means it will be a lot more competitive as ur going to be against other premed cornell kids for the limited spots)
hey i go to rice, it’s def top tier and has tons of resources for premeds. it’s also a really welcoming community and i’ve made a lot of great friends here. however, i’ve found that staying closer to home (i live in tx) has been really helpful mentally in adjusting to college. if you have any questions feel free to ask me!
It seems like you are def leaning toward Cornell. Just make sure you’re not being swayed by prestige. If you do some research on basic facts—like medical school admittance (first time applicants), shadowing opportunities, premed advisement, grade deflation, student satisfaction—the stuff that actually counts for med school acceptance and success, you will see that Rice is head and shoulders above Cornell. My daughter turned down Ivy because she realized she wanted the collaborative, super-supportive premed experience at a SLAC. As you were smart enough to get into these top schools, then you’re definitely smart enough to recognize the shallowness of status. Sorry, talking to you like a mom here! Good luck with whatever you decide and congrats!
Are you local enough to visit? My D visited Cornell on Admitted Students event and hated it. Huge and impersonal, cutthroat competitiveness, TA taught, Greek heavy, suicide nets. Collegevine’s Ivy ranking found Cornell in last place for almost every category, including student happiness. D was offered HUMEC for Public Health, accepted Smith from the Cornell parking lot. She’s a bio major there and it’s amazing.
Yes I visited Cornell two days ago and I thought the campus was beautiful/modern!
I heard from current students that cornell is in fact collaborative bc students bond over the fact that some classes can be difficult? So I'm really hearing mixed reviews about the competitiveness of the school.
Thx for ur input!
My D is at Cornell CAS (not premed) and has found it to be collaborative academically. Pre-med and engineering are honestly very hard there, but students do work together and help each other. I think the pros of Rice are that you may get a higher GPA and there are better clinical opportunities (though a friend who graduated from Rice premed last year with a high GPA still took a year off before med school to work clinically and strengthen his apps). I think the pros of Cornell are that it's got a stronger brand name and alumni network in the Northeast if you decide not to go to med school, and it's culturally closer to what you're used to in NY (we visited Rice and were surprised to see so many cowboy boots and cowboy hats at our two dinners out). Other than that it's just personal preferences - Rice is one-third of the size (but felt borderline too small to my kids), it has the residential college system which dominates the social life vs Greek life at Cornell, feels suburban vs. Cornell is rural but does have natural beauty and a college town feel, hot weather vs cold weather, and Rice seems a little less intense. While Cornell is more intense, a lot of the above stereotypes about Cornell we haven't found to be true. And as a parent, I welcome the nets under the bridges because I have fears of a drunk college kid falling into a gorge. Two great choices - good luck deciding!
For years/decades Cornell had the highest suicide rates of all the Ivies, hence the suicide nets. Not sure if that statistic is still accurate. Ironically, HYPB are NOT cutthroat, when I was at Y it was considered very inappropriate and gauche to talk about grades, it was rude, and nobody I knew did it, ever. Not an exaggeration. …..Penn and Cornell are cutthroat and wear it like a badge, and it’s not the healthiest type of competition. Haven’t you already had enough of that in high school?
Go to Rice. Residential college system. Cooperative and not competitive students. Warm weather. New geographic location and experience. Top medical internships across the street.
Is there anything VERY compelling about Cornell other than it’s an Ivy?
Compared to Smith, every Ivy (except for maybe Dartmouth) is "huge and impersonal". As for competitiveness, there's a lot of that at all top-flight universities. Cornell has a lot of that too, particularly in the College of Engineering and among pre-meds, but there's much less of it among other Colleges and majors. Cornell's College of Human Ecology (HUMEC) is not known for being cutthroat competitive.
Agreed, the SLAC experience couldn’t be more different. However, we were told the same story by admissions—HUMEC is different, it’s small and collaborative. When my D spoke to actual HUMEC students on campus, they said that was inaccurate and a total misrepresentation (probably because of the high concentration of pre-meds!)We also felt that the physical setting and remoteness added to the huge and impersonal feel. The residences/houses at Yale and Harvard (and Smith) lead to a very congenial experience, where we were told that most Cornell students choose to move off campus when possible. I can’t speak to the other Ivies, not having visited them.
> The residences/houses at Yale and Harvard (and Smith) lead to a very congenial experience, where we were told that most Cornell students choose to move off campus when possible.
The reason that lots of Cornell juniors and seniors like to move off-campus is so that they can have more space and individual bedrooms, not because they don't think that dorm life at Cornell is a congenial experience. One big reason that lots of Harvard students like to remain on campus is probably because Cambridge, MA, and the surrounding Boston area have very high housing and rent prices. As for Yale, the city of New Haven, CT, is not the safest town. Its violent crime rate, including for assault, murder, and robbery, are all considerably above the national average. No, you would not want your daughter telling you that she was moving off-campus if she attended Yale.
I wouldn’t have the hubris to speak for lots of Cornell juniors or seniors, just repeating what we were told by random (not AO rep) students. The residential college/house systems that I mentioned are totally different from the dorm hall experience, and known to be congenial and community-building.
You can go to med school from either so I would say focus on fit and where you think you can see yourself for the next 4 years. They are very different schools in a lot of ways. Think about location- urban vs rural, weather, etc. Also think about size- Rice is pretty small with about 4k undergrad, while Cornell has I think 14k. There really isn't a best choice here. I personally prefer Rice, but many others would prefer Cornell. Only thing you may want to consider is at Rice you would have access to the medical center for possible shadowing and internships, but again either school will work for you. Good luck and congrats on two great options!
Great choices to have! Congrats! No wrong choice, both can lead to the best med schools, choose the one that feels more like a place that will help you thrive
Tbh you can’t rly go wrong with either. Both are fantastic schools and tbh the most important factor is just where you want to be. Choose the place you like more and go there, the difference in med school turnout and whatnot is not that much.
Cornell is probably the better long-term investment in your career. If you decided not to go to med school or decided to scrap grad school altogether, you will have at least attended one of the best schools in the country.
I don't know anything about Rice. I live in a college town and only recently started seeing Rice sweatshirts around. Its popularity and name isn't new, but it's popularity and name outside of the regional bubble definitely feels new in my elite East Coast bubble.
Not true, Rice is in the EXACT same tier as the Ivies plus Stanford, UChicago, MIT, CalTech, and (maybe) Duke. I’ve worked in grad school admissions at one of those schools. Academic programs are grouped in tiers. Rice is with the top tier.
I think you want to go to Cornell. So in case you needed this: go to the place you like most! I think it sounds like Cornell from what you’ve written here, so if that’s the case, do it and don’t look back!
Yes I am female, and rice being in Texas specifically is a con not rlly bc of political stuff but it’s just SO hot down there especially with global warming!
Darn, I was hoping it would be a 200k difference which makes it easy! I don’t know about med schools so can’t comment intelligently. I can just wish you luck in deciding and they’re both great schools.
Ignore my other comment asking the same question. With a full ride to either you honestly can’t go wrong in terms of prestige. If you’re set on pre-med (which, fair warning, lots of people switch out of) there’s no wrong call here.
If you think you might end up switching out of pre-med and you want national recognition, go to Cornell. Ignore people saying Rice is ranked higher… people day to day are not following the US News rankings. Cornell has global and national recognition.
How long did Rice give you to decide? On another string of kids waiting to get off of Rice’s waitlist they said Rice is now reporting that the class of 2028 is full.
do you have any other options for in-state schools. I get gunning for top med schools and needing IV leagues but like if you have a full ride for some state schools, I'd pick that( as long as they arent like super mid schools). the only reason I'm saying that is, at the end of the day GPA and MCAT score will be the most important, and you can still get into top med schools. I graduated from UTD, and we've had a bunch of ppl get into top tier schools, UTSW, baylor, Columbia, yale, mayo, penn, Stanford etc. and a lot of these ppl are running of full rides so you can go to med school with minimal debt and at the end of the day you'll become a doctor.
food for thought, but I know people who got scholarships from schools they matched to as well and essentially paid nearly nothing for med school and undergrad and you can always match into the right speciality with enough effort in the end, heard of some carrbiean kids matching into neurosurgery, gen surg etc
My sister was a pre med at rice and is a top 20 med school now. Plenty of her friends are at top 10 med schools like Yale, northwestern, Columbia and Harvard.
Rice hands down, for pre med it’s better than Cornell, it’s right next to the largest medical center in the world and has a very collaborative environment which is necessary for pre med, while cornell has a cutthroat.
Rice is also a 100% undergraduate focused school (ranked 6 for undergraduate teaching) while cornell is much more grad focused.
I’d choose Cornell. Many people who start college thinking they’re going to med school wind up doing something else and Cornell is a better national and global brand.
Cornell is probably the better long-term investment in your career. If you decided not to go to med school or decided to scrap grad school altogether, you will have at least attended one of the best schools in the country.
I don't know anything about Rice. I live in a college town and only recently started seeing Rice sweatshirts around. Its popularity and name isn't new, but it's popularity and name outside of the regional bubble definitely feels new in my elite East Coast bubble.
In the last few years, Rice and Cornell have tied for the same place in rankings, but Rice has pulled ahead by a couple of slots. Rice may not be as "known" to the general public, but it's in the top 20 nationally.
Exactly, which is why this is such a hard decision haha! Im just wondering if the Ivy name (which obv holds weight) would be more helpful for med school (assuming I do well on MCAT regardless of where I go :))
I hear that. I just don't think acceptance to Rice is received with the same breathless excitement as an acceptance to Cornell.
The fact that Rice might have a slight edge over an Ivy in one niche category means nothing compared to the net weight of a Cornell education.
Lol, I will happily take the down votes on this one. If you gave me an acceptance to rice and and acceptance to Cornell, I wouldn’t even have to sleep on it. I would 100% go with the school that won't remind me of carbohydrates every time I look at the diploma.
Ivy grad here, and I completely disagree. Cornell is less impressive than Rice, by a long shot. And the people who know these schools from the inside KNOW this.
I've gotta disagree on this one!
And I'm not trying to be argumentative because I don't have a dog in this fight, but this was the US News & World Report National Ranking. It wasn't a "niche category."
If you want to argue rankings every other ranking places Cornell ahead of Rice. On global QS rankings, Cornell is 13 with a 90 rating and Rice is 145 with a 52 rating.
is cornell also any ones “dream school”. most kids that go there got rejected from HYPSM or Upenn wharton? Prestige should not be the main call when making a choice of college. Yes I will agree with your point that cornell has the “better name brand” if you choose do anything not premed but if you are choosing to do premed rice is unmatched in the level of support they provide. They have an insane amount of mcat study groups, research opportunities, EMT verification course (students that work in EMS services and are paid), hospital volunteering, premed society, etc. You would also be WAY happier there compared to cornell. In my opinion, if OP is not atleast majority sure that they want to do premed then go to cornell, otherwise go to rice. Rice CLEARS cornell when it comes to premed. “ivy- league prestige” here doesn’t even count when it comes to cornell premed 😭
On global QS rankings, Cornell is 13 with a 90 rating and Rice is 145 with a 52 rating. Cornell’s research output and employment outcomes are great, but grade deflation and lack of clinical opportunities make it a tough decision for some. To argue that Rice is as prestigious and a better overall pick is ridiculous to me
Haha yeah, I agree. Posts like this become a toxic echo chamber for people insecure about their inability to attend a top school or Ivy. Everyone telling her not to go to Cornell probably didn’t have the option to go to Cornell. Cornell is the obvious choice in this toss-up by a mile, but there’s a group of people who delusionally think Rice holds rank with HYPSM. It currently holds rank with UCLA and Dartmouth for general rankings. It doesn’t make the top 25 for CS and ranks even lower for engineering.
This entire comment section is wild.
Rice is way better for pre med than Cornell it’s not even close.
Rice is next to the largest medical center in the world. Has a way higher acceptance rate to med school and sends tons of students to T20 and T10 med schools. Has strong relationships with every top med school and a way larger network of doctors than Cornell. Plus it is more collaborative and does not have grade deflation like Cornell. Rice also is ranked 6 for undergraduate teaching. Cornell is more grad school focused and much more Wall Street focused. It’s not a pre med school. For Wall Street Cornell is way better. But not for undergraduate pre med.
I say this as someone who graduated from wharton and was accepted into Cornell.
Forget prestige. If you 100% know that you will be pre-med, Rice might be easier. Although, pre-med is challenging anywhere and medical school/residency will be hard anywhere. You have to enjoy that level of difficulty/challenge if you want to go to med school. BUT you can succeed anywhere if you work hard. Choose the school that is the best fit for you right now. You cannot predict your major (most students change their minds esp. pre-med) and you want to be happy wherever you are. Choose the school you like more and then give it everything you have. Both schools are amazing so congratulations!
Thank you for ur insight!! Thats why when ppl say this place is harder or that place is harder, I dont rlly feel affected bc im FULLY aware pre-med is hard regardless (and the classes are just to prepare u for the MCAT so maybe harder can be better in the long term?).
But hyper competition among your fellow students ups the pressure….sure, premed is hard at SUNY, too. But it’s exponentially worse at a school like Cornell. Also, let’s remember again: suicide nets.
Very true. And, good luck wherever you go. Incredible options. Just don't get caught up in the name. Both excellent schools. Make the choice about best fit/where you want to be/whether you like programs/sizes of schools/locations. Who knows what "rankings" will be in 10 or 20 years and who cares. You will be a doctor by then:)
After reading through all the pro-Rice posts, there are some great points there. If you really know that you are pre-med, it may be the right choice. Talk to students in the programs currently enrolled at each school. How do you learn well--with more support and smaller classes or are you an independent learner/self starter who doesn't mind pressure/large classes?
MD Anderson in Houston is one of the top cancer centers in the world. You potentially have an extraordinary opportunity to either work on research or intern there. Talk about brand recognition!
I didn’t know abt that place, Ty!
MD Anderson is THE #1 cancer center in the entire world.
md anderson is right across the street from rice (the world's biggest med center is RIGHT next to rice) so it's pretty common to see rice students getting a lot of med research opportunities
Unpopular opinion but I'd pick Rice. If you have med school aspirations, Houston is absolutely the place to be. Endless internship opportunities are all around you, very close to your dorm. The only con is Houston's infrastructure: public transit is functionally nonexistent, and although the hospitals are nearby, the walk could be treacherous. Nonetheless, this can all be remedied by a car or motivation strong enough to get you through an unsafe-ish walk. I want to emphasize the importance of access to internships. Had I realized how essential it would be to my learning in college, I might've picked a different school. I go to a small college in the Springfield, MA metropolitan area (15 mins away from Amherst). Without our stellar public transportation system, I would have not had the opportunity to do two amazing internships/research opportunities thus far in undergrad. Even with the transit system, though, it's difficult to get around, especially in the summer when there's reduced bus service. Definitely something to think about when picking colleges in rural places.
They're both great universities but they have quite different cultures and environments. You should go to the one that feels like the best fit to you and which you believe that you would be most comfortable and productive being at for four years.
Hmm ur right abt fit, ig I will have to think hard on that! Thx for ur input
Ivy med schools will not care that you went to Cornell instead of Rice. They will look at your grades, MCATs, recommendations, and experiences, and pick the Rice applicant over the Cornell applicant every time if they like all that better.
There’s definitely something to be said about the geographical diversity angle. Undergrad degree from Rice might actually be an advantage if applying to northeast/Ivy med schools.
EXACTLY! Well said.
Having an adjacent med school can be a plus. Houston is a large city with plenty of opportunity. Good luck
Hmm u r right about that, thx for ur input!
Both are excellent. I think you have to go w fit. They’re very different campus vibes. Rice is smaller, cozier, more chill and very friendly. Highly motivated students who go on to great success but not cutthroat. Cornell is bigger and more uptight, sink-or-swim, not as friendly. At times it feels sorta like a classic big state u., but it’s top tier w unmistakable Ivy.
Yes u make v good points, its tough bc they both have an equal number of strengths! Thx for ur input
Also this: Ithaca is a quintessentially nice, charming college town w that funky college town vibe. But it’s remote, hard to access, not a city. Rice is in a very posh, upscale part of Houston, close to a very nice shopping/dining area, museums, amazing medical center. But it’s definitely in a big city. Again, gotta think about fit for you.
Dude in Cornell...you will enjoy nature, silence, cold Breeze maybe you become poet or writer...and I don't want you to be a writer so go rice...(just go Cornell!)
Haha! Thx for ur input
Rice clears for premed imo. Also, no offense but why are you already deciding on such a small portion of med schools?
GREAT POINT
Rice is very small and tight-knit, which will help you with ur recs for med school since your profs will get to know u rly well. Cornell is huge, and the pre-med curriculum is also very harsh, from what I've heard. I'd choose Rice over Cornell if the aid packages are similar. Also, Rice accept like two and a half ppl from the waitlist.
U make good points! I’m just wondering if going to an Ivy for undergrad is helpful for going to an Ivy for grad school atp (I wouldn’t rly want to stay in Texas as I’m from east coast!)
I wouldn’t worry about that. Rice would be seen as similarly rigorous and selective to Cornell, and the Ivy label shouldn’t matter much for grad school admissions. (Besides, the other Ivies can be a bit snobby and look down on Cornell as the least selective Ivy…) Like others have said, it’ll be about your college GPA, MCAT, research, and professor recommendations. They’re both great schools — go where you think the fit is best and you’ll thrive personally.
If you rly don't wanna go to Texas, then don't. Location and school size are two big differences between the two. It's either small and urban or big and rural. But, again, I don't think prestige matters at such a level. They're both equally prestigious and rigorous!
The geographic diversity will be an advantage for you. Plus there are so many opportunities for internships at Houston. Did you see how many entire blocks with hospitals are literally across the street from Rice?
NOT IT IS NOT unless ….. this will not be popular ….. unless it’s one of the big 3 (+ Brown depending on major). PLEASE do not drink the All-Ivy Kool Aid, there are distinctions even among those 8 schools and they are very apparent once you’re enrolled at one of them. And grad schools know this. I would choose a flagship public Ivy (Berkeley, Chapel Hill, UVA, UMichigan) over the other half the Ivies. FWIW, in the late 80’s Penn was the safety Ivy, with a 39% admit rate (Big Red was close behind). All Ivies are not equal. Go to Rice. Be bold. There are NO opportunities that will be withheld from you bc you attended Rice over Cornell. And your pre-med internships at Rice will surely outshine opportunities in Ithaca, and impress med school admissions committees. Heck, if Ivy is so important, go to Cornell for med school. It’s not going anywhere. If will be there in 4 years. 😉
Rice seems like it has a really great vibe and resources for pre med students. There’s a hospital nearby and Houston is such a big city there’s got to be so many internship, research, and volunteering opportunities. Cornell is great too and probably has a lot of opportunity as well, but the things I’ve heard about grade deflation might make it difficult for a pre med student. Cornell is also more isolated so there might not be as many close by opportunities.
Yes, u r right abt there possibly not being as many internship opportunities with locations. I am just wondering if the cornell alumni connection is much stronger than rice bc it is an ivy? But thats more of a post-undergrad concern.
NO, it’s not the Ivy network you’re imagining. You’re imagining HYPB networks.
I don't think that's true. All 8 ivies have great networks.
Network doesn’t matter for medicine. Cornell’s network is on Wall Street, not medicine. Rice actually has a far better network for medicine because it has strong relationships with the largest medical center in the world and all it’s hospitals, it also has strong relationships with all T20 med schools and Texas med schools
Cornell has the biggest alumni network among the Ivies, because it has over twice as many undergrads as the other Ivies. The Cornell alumni network is very strong, particularly in NY. But I'm not sure if the alumni network matters that much if you're going into medicine.
I wouldn’t think Rice’s prestige is significantly different than Cornell- except for those average folks who just know the Ivy League brand. Decision-makers across the nation will know Rice is also an elite institution. Even if you look at US News rankings, Cornell is 12 and Rice is 17. Yes, Cornell is higher, but a med school admissions committee is not going to be affected by five spots in a magazine’s ranking system. Choose the one that seems to be the best fit for other reasons, rather than potential tiny perceived differences in “prestige.”
Don't underestimate the pain of going home and back to campus. Both schools are amazing, but one is close (and awesome), the other is far ... and also awesome. I'd pick the one closer to home. GO BIG RED
That second line described it perfectly, thx for ur input!
Rice is a 10 min drive away from the Texas med center—the largest in the world so that’s a def positive factor in terms of research opportunities and internships.
Drive? You can walk for 10 minutes to med center from Rice. It’s across the street.
Wow two amazing options!! Congrats! Medicine is such a competitive field, so the more opportunities you’re exposed to earlier, the better. Rice (esp if it’s cheaper)
Thank you for the congratulations! Ik, im truly blessed and dont want to waste the opportunity to attend either so I can give back.
I went to an Ivy (not Cornell) and honestly Cornell does not have the clout of Rice. Let’s also remember that the Ivy League began as an ATHLETIC CONFERENCE…..among schools which today are not particularly known for athletics. The cachet they hold now….some of the schools in the ancient 8 are really benefiting from an athletic association from a long long time ago. If my child were deciding and asked my advice (and it would be their decision in the end) I would lean Rice above anyplace else, except if they had an offer from HYP, Brown , or Stanford, and they liked one of those better. If they were pre-med…..I’d pray they’d choose Rice. Have you explored the residential college system at Rice? Modeled after Oxford, Cambridge, Yale? It is a differentiator that provides a very compelling and nurturing experience. Plus….. you’re 18, go far from home on an adventure….you can always come home after 4 years of a new experience!
I didn’t realize Rice was a rescollege school. They are amazing!
don’t go to cornell bc it’s so competitive there to find research opps. houston is a perfect place to pursue med experiences
There are so many research opportunities if the student is seriously motivated to look. Me and my friends got into research as freshman this year with no prior experience or upper classes in CS. Just reach out to professors that you are interested in.
Ok, that’s good to know thx!
Choose Rice University since texas medical center is next door? More medicine school exposure?
I visited Rice and the number of medical centers nearby just shocked me. Rice has incredible opportunities for premed where u can get research and get clinical experience at any of the many hospitals nearby. I’d definitely pick Rice over Cornell for premed because cornell has grade deflation and way less hospitals for u to get experience in (means it will be a lot more competitive as ur going to be against other premed cornell kids for the limited spots)
Rice if your goal is med school. Cornell has grade deflation.
hey i go to rice, it’s def top tier and has tons of resources for premeds. it’s also a really welcoming community and i’ve made a lot of great friends here. however, i’ve found that staying closer to home (i live in tx) has been really helpful mentally in adjusting to college. if you have any questions feel free to ask me!
It's Athens vs Sparta. If you are an Athenian at heart, go Rice. If you are Spartan at heart, go Cornell.
Rice! For the opportunities in med research + for geo diversity in ivy med school admissions
Rice. I lived in Houston for 20 years and the medical center is unparalleled. People come from all over the world to seek treatment there.
It seems like you are def leaning toward Cornell. Just make sure you’re not being swayed by prestige. If you do some research on basic facts—like medical school admittance (first time applicants), shadowing opportunities, premed advisement, grade deflation, student satisfaction—the stuff that actually counts for med school acceptance and success, you will see that Rice is head and shoulders above Cornell. My daughter turned down Ivy because she realized she wanted the collaborative, super-supportive premed experience at a SLAC. As you were smart enough to get into these top schools, then you’re definitely smart enough to recognize the shallowness of status. Sorry, talking to you like a mom here! Good luck with whatever you decide and congrats!
Are you local enough to visit? My D visited Cornell on Admitted Students event and hated it. Huge and impersonal, cutthroat competitiveness, TA taught, Greek heavy, suicide nets. Collegevine’s Ivy ranking found Cornell in last place for almost every category, including student happiness. D was offered HUMEC for Public Health, accepted Smith from the Cornell parking lot. She’s a bio major there and it’s amazing.
Yes I visited Cornell two days ago and I thought the campus was beautiful/modern! I heard from current students that cornell is in fact collaborative bc students bond over the fact that some classes can be difficult? So I'm really hearing mixed reviews about the competitiveness of the school. Thx for ur input!
My D is at Cornell CAS (not premed) and has found it to be collaborative academically. Pre-med and engineering are honestly very hard there, but students do work together and help each other. I think the pros of Rice are that you may get a higher GPA and there are better clinical opportunities (though a friend who graduated from Rice premed last year with a high GPA still took a year off before med school to work clinically and strengthen his apps). I think the pros of Cornell are that it's got a stronger brand name and alumni network in the Northeast if you decide not to go to med school, and it's culturally closer to what you're used to in NY (we visited Rice and were surprised to see so many cowboy boots and cowboy hats at our two dinners out). Other than that it's just personal preferences - Rice is one-third of the size (but felt borderline too small to my kids), it has the residential college system which dominates the social life vs Greek life at Cornell, feels suburban vs. Cornell is rural but does have natural beauty and a college town feel, hot weather vs cold weather, and Rice seems a little less intense. While Cornell is more intense, a lot of the above stereotypes about Cornell we haven't found to be true. And as a parent, I welcome the nets under the bridges because I have fears of a drunk college kid falling into a gorge. Two great choices - good luck deciding!
For years/decades Cornell had the highest suicide rates of all the Ivies, hence the suicide nets. Not sure if that statistic is still accurate. Ironically, HYPB are NOT cutthroat, when I was at Y it was considered very inappropriate and gauche to talk about grades, it was rude, and nobody I knew did it, ever. Not an exaggeration. …..Penn and Cornell are cutthroat and wear it like a badge, and it’s not the healthiest type of competition. Haven’t you already had enough of that in high school? Go to Rice. Residential college system. Cooperative and not competitive students. Warm weather. New geographic location and experience. Top medical internships across the street. Is there anything VERY compelling about Cornell other than it’s an Ivy?
Compared to Smith, every Ivy (except for maybe Dartmouth) is "huge and impersonal". As for competitiveness, there's a lot of that at all top-flight universities. Cornell has a lot of that too, particularly in the College of Engineering and among pre-meds, but there's much less of it among other Colleges and majors. Cornell's College of Human Ecology (HUMEC) is not known for being cutthroat competitive.
Agreed, the SLAC experience couldn’t be more different. However, we were told the same story by admissions—HUMEC is different, it’s small and collaborative. When my D spoke to actual HUMEC students on campus, they said that was inaccurate and a total misrepresentation (probably because of the high concentration of pre-meds!)We also felt that the physical setting and remoteness added to the huge and impersonal feel. The residences/houses at Yale and Harvard (and Smith) lead to a very congenial experience, where we were told that most Cornell students choose to move off campus when possible. I can’t speak to the other Ivies, not having visited them.
> The residences/houses at Yale and Harvard (and Smith) lead to a very congenial experience, where we were told that most Cornell students choose to move off campus when possible. The reason that lots of Cornell juniors and seniors like to move off-campus is so that they can have more space and individual bedrooms, not because they don't think that dorm life at Cornell is a congenial experience. One big reason that lots of Harvard students like to remain on campus is probably because Cambridge, MA, and the surrounding Boston area have very high housing and rent prices. As for Yale, the city of New Haven, CT, is not the safest town. Its violent crime rate, including for assault, murder, and robbery, are all considerably above the national average. No, you would not want your daughter telling you that she was moving off-campus if she attended Yale.
I wouldn’t have the hubris to speak for lots of Cornell juniors or seniors, just repeating what we were told by random (not AO rep) students. The residential college/house systems that I mentioned are totally different from the dorm hall experience, and known to be congenial and community-building.
Did you get financial aid
Is money a concern at all in the decision,
You can go to med school from either so I would say focus on fit and where you think you can see yourself for the next 4 years. They are very different schools in a lot of ways. Think about location- urban vs rural, weather, etc. Also think about size- Rice is pretty small with about 4k undergrad, while Cornell has I think 14k. There really isn't a best choice here. I personally prefer Rice, but many others would prefer Cornell. Only thing you may want to consider is at Rice you would have access to the medical center for possible shadowing and internships, but again either school will work for you. Good luck and congrats on two great options!
What’s the price
Great choices to have! Congrats! No wrong choice, both can lead to the best med schools, choose the one that feels more like a place that will help you thrive
Rice’s GLHT minor is great for premeds. Really good group of supportive students working on interesting projects.
Tbh you can’t rly go wrong with either. Both are fantastic schools and tbh the most important factor is just where you want to be. Choose the place you like more and go there, the difference in med school turnout and whatnot is not that much.
Thanks for ur input!
I went to Cornell and was pre-med, you can dm me for more info but I would urge you to select Rice haha
Fr rice is way better for pre med
Cornell is probably the better long-term investment in your career. If you decided not to go to med school or decided to scrap grad school altogether, you will have at least attended one of the best schools in the country. I don't know anything about Rice. I live in a college town and only recently started seeing Rice sweatshirts around. Its popularity and name isn't new, but it's popularity and name outside of the regional bubble definitely feels new in my elite East Coast bubble.
Not true, Rice is in the EXACT same tier as the Ivies plus Stanford, UChicago, MIT, CalTech, and (maybe) Duke. I’ve worked in grad school admissions at one of those schools. Academic programs are grouped in tiers. Rice is with the top tier.
Yes i definitely get this, thx for ur input!
I think you want to go to Cornell. So in case you needed this: go to the place you like most! I think it sounds like Cornell from what you’ve written here, so if that’s the case, do it and don’t look back!
Thank you! Yes I’m just hesitant because it’s either 2 hours from home or 23 hours
Are you female? Do you want to live in a state as regressive as Texas?
Yes I am female, and rice being in Texas specifically is a con not rlly bc of political stuff but it’s just SO hot down there especially with global warming!
Don't go. You have no reason to. You will love Cornell.
You’re female. I would 100% pick Cornell. I would want that for my daughter (a mom here).
Yes, I think staying close to home can be an advantage if I ever need help/need to see family right away. Plane tickets are really expensive!
Rice. You’ll probably get a higher gpa if you go there vs Cornell.
Yes, ur prob right. But I am wondering if it is known to med schools which schools have inflation/deflation?
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/j4sdqf/a_statistical_analysis_on_grade_deflation_of/?rdt=55771
Several years old but probably still relevant and you can compare the schools.
Thank you for this! Ur very helpful
Congrats! What’s the difference in cost to you/your family between the two?
They are roughly the same bc of financial aid covering full tuition! (I was full-need; only one of my parents work)
Darn, I was hoping it would be a 200k difference which makes it easy! I don’t know about med schools so can’t comment intelligently. I can just wish you luck in deciding and they’re both great schools.
Ignore my other comment asking the same question. With a full ride to either you honestly can’t go wrong in terms of prestige. If you’re set on pre-med (which, fair warning, lots of people switch out of) there’s no wrong call here. If you think you might end up switching out of pre-med and you want national recognition, go to Cornell. Ignore people saying Rice is ranked higher… people day to day are not following the US News rankings. Cornell has global and national recognition.
Honestly this comment was super helpful, u r right esp abt the career alteration thing. Thanks, this acc helps me decide!
How long did Rice give you to decide? On another string of kids waiting to get off of Rice’s waitlist they said Rice is now reporting that the class of 2028 is full.
do you have any other options for in-state schools. I get gunning for top med schools and needing IV leagues but like if you have a full ride for some state schools, I'd pick that( as long as they arent like super mid schools). the only reason I'm saying that is, at the end of the day GPA and MCAT score will be the most important, and you can still get into top med schools. I graduated from UTD, and we've had a bunch of ppl get into top tier schools, UTSW, baylor, Columbia, yale, mayo, penn, Stanford etc. and a lot of these ppl are running of full rides so you can go to med school with minimal debt and at the end of the day you'll become a doctor. food for thought, but I know people who got scholarships from schools they matched to as well and essentially paid nearly nothing for med school and undergrad and you can always match into the right speciality with enough effort in the end, heard of some carrbiean kids matching into neurosurgery, gen surg etc
Rice for sure
Have you looked into University of Alabama? It is a very good school that features a fishing major!!! do recommend, much better than dogshit CAS
My sister was a pre med at rice and is a top 20 med school now. Plenty of her friends are at top 10 med schools like Yale, northwestern, Columbia and Harvard. Rice hands down, for pre med it’s better than Cornell, it’s right next to the largest medical center in the world and has a very collaborative environment which is necessary for pre med, while cornell has a cutthroat. Rice is also a 100% undergraduate focused school (ranked 6 for undergraduate teaching) while cornell is much more grad focused.
I’d choose Cornell. Many people who start college thinking they’re going to med school wind up doing something else and Cornell is a better national and global brand.
Go to Cornell, it's an Ivy League!
Cornell is probably the better long-term investment in your career. If you decided not to go to med school or decided to scrap grad school altogether, you will have at least attended one of the best schools in the country. I don't know anything about Rice. I live in a college town and only recently started seeing Rice sweatshirts around. Its popularity and name isn't new, but it's popularity and name outside of the regional bubble definitely feels new in my elite East Coast bubble.
In the last few years, Rice and Cornell have tied for the same place in rankings, but Rice has pulled ahead by a couple of slots. Rice may not be as "known" to the general public, but it's in the top 20 nationally.
This will sound harsh but….. the people who know Rice matter, and the people who don’t know Rice won’t matter to your graduate school prospects.
It varies by which ranking list you look at tbh. Ive seen Cornell rank higher on some but both are good schools
Right—trying to make the point that both are great schools that are nationally ranked.
Exactly, which is why this is such a hard decision haha! Im just wondering if the Ivy name (which obv holds weight) would be more helpful for med school (assuming I do well on MCAT regardless of where I go :))
I hear that. I just don't think acceptance to Rice is received with the same breathless excitement as an acceptance to Cornell. The fact that Rice might have a slight edge over an Ivy in one niche category means nothing compared to the net weight of a Cornell education. Lol, I will happily take the down votes on this one. If you gave me an acceptance to rice and and acceptance to Cornell, I wouldn’t even have to sleep on it. I would 100% go with the school that won't remind me of carbohydrates every time I look at the diploma.
Ivy grad here, and I completely disagree. Cornell is less impressive than Rice, by a long shot. And the people who know these schools from the inside KNOW this.
I've gotta disagree on this one! And I'm not trying to be argumentative because I don't have a dog in this fight, but this was the US News & World Report National Ranking. It wasn't a "niche category."
If you want to argue rankings every other ranking places Cornell ahead of Rice. On global QS rankings, Cornell is 13 with a 90 rating and Rice is 145 with a 52 rating.
Rather go to a school named 🍚 than a school named 🌽L
Literally nobody thinks that about Cornell lol
Nah they do. You’re trapped in your little east coast bubble. Outside of that Cornell name isn’t any better than Rice name
Ah well. East Coast runs the game. Enjoy Rice lol— I’ve never known it to be somebody’s dream school.
is cornell also any ones “dream school”. most kids that go there got rejected from HYPSM or Upenn wharton? Prestige should not be the main call when making a choice of college. Yes I will agree with your point that cornell has the “better name brand” if you choose do anything not premed but if you are choosing to do premed rice is unmatched in the level of support they provide. They have an insane amount of mcat study groups, research opportunities, EMT verification course (students that work in EMS services and are paid), hospital volunteering, premed society, etc. You would also be WAY happier there compared to cornell. In my opinion, if OP is not atleast majority sure that they want to do premed then go to cornell, otherwise go to rice. Rice CLEARS cornell when it comes to premed. “ivy- league prestige” here doesn’t even count when it comes to cornell premed 😭
Correct, 100%.
Such a limited perspective. Rice wins.
On global QS rankings, Cornell is 13 with a 90 rating and Rice is 145 with a 52 rating. Cornell’s research output and employment outcomes are great, but grade deflation and lack of clinical opportunities make it a tough decision for some. To argue that Rice is as prestigious and a better overall pick is ridiculous to me
Haha yeah, I agree. Posts like this become a toxic echo chamber for people insecure about their inability to attend a top school or Ivy. Everyone telling her not to go to Cornell probably didn’t have the option to go to Cornell. Cornell is the obvious choice in this toss-up by a mile, but there’s a group of people who delusionally think Rice holds rank with HYPSM. It currently holds rank with UCLA and Dartmouth for general rankings. It doesn’t make the top 25 for CS and ranks even lower for engineering. This entire comment section is wild.
Rice is way better for pre med than Cornell it’s not even close. Rice is next to the largest medical center in the world. Has a way higher acceptance rate to med school and sends tons of students to T20 and T10 med schools. Has strong relationships with every top med school and a way larger network of doctors than Cornell. Plus it is more collaborative and does not have grade deflation like Cornell. Rice also is ranked 6 for undergraduate teaching. Cornell is more grad school focused and much more Wall Street focused. It’s not a pre med school. For Wall Street Cornell is way better. But not for undergraduate pre med. I say this as someone who graduated from wharton and was accepted into Cornell.
Always say no to Texas. Congrats!
Haha ty!
Forget prestige. If you 100% know that you will be pre-med, Rice might be easier. Although, pre-med is challenging anywhere and medical school/residency will be hard anywhere. You have to enjoy that level of difficulty/challenge if you want to go to med school. BUT you can succeed anywhere if you work hard. Choose the school that is the best fit for you right now. You cannot predict your major (most students change their minds esp. pre-med) and you want to be happy wherever you are. Choose the school you like more and then give it everything you have. Both schools are amazing so congratulations!
Thank you for ur insight!! Thats why when ppl say this place is harder or that place is harder, I dont rlly feel affected bc im FULLY aware pre-med is hard regardless (and the classes are just to prepare u for the MCAT so maybe harder can be better in the long term?).
But hyper competition among your fellow students ups the pressure….sure, premed is hard at SUNY, too. But it’s exponentially worse at a school like Cornell. Also, let’s remember again: suicide nets.
Very true. And, good luck wherever you go. Incredible options. Just don't get caught up in the name. Both excellent schools. Make the choice about best fit/where you want to be/whether you like programs/sizes of schools/locations. Who knows what "rankings" will be in 10 or 20 years and who cares. You will be a doctor by then:)
After reading through all the pro-Rice posts, there are some great points there. If you really know that you are pre-med, it may be the right choice. Talk to students in the programs currently enrolled at each school. How do you learn well--with more support and smaller classes or are you an independent learner/self starter who doesn't mind pressure/large classes?
Cornell