Hofstra vs BU

[saintbernard95]

I NARROWED DOWN MY OPTIONS. PLEASE LOOK BELOW IN COMMENTS. thank you!

Hi, I’m very conflicted on which school to decide on. Hope I’ll be able to get some insight or different perspectives here. Here are the pros and cons I’ve gathered for each so far.

About me: want to match along east coast, preferably NYC; unsure about speciality interest but leaning toward primary care.

Hofstra (COA - 200k)
Pros

• Close to home + family
• My SO of 3+ years also got accepted here, but he also has an offer to a T30 school and is on a waitlist for a T10 school. We would both be down to go here but I’m on 4 T20 waitlists and if I get accepted to any of them, probably would go. But he wouldn’t want to turn down T30 school if I was not for sure going here.
• Unranked P/F preclinical
• Kinda cool that I can get a EMT license in first month
• Biggest healthcare system in NYS so lot of variety in clinical sites
• cheapest out of all my options.

Cons

• Written exams in preclinical
• Mandatory 8-12 classes and non-recorded
• Heard that area is not so great and I also prefer living in a city
• Not as well established as other schools and lowest prestige

Stony Brook (COA: 280k)
Pros

• Close to home + family
• Optional recorded lectures
• Safer area than Hofstra
• Main hospital connected to school
• Good research and global health opportunities
• Good match list, especially in NYC where I would like to stay

Cons

• Prefer living closer to city
• Ranked P/F preclinical

Dartmouth (COA: 270k)
Pros

• Unranked P/F preclinical
• Optional recorded lectures
• Has the ivy league prestige
• Great match list
• Good research

Cons

• Away rotations are common
• Very rural

Boston (COA: 330k)
Pros

• Unranked P/F preclinical
• Optional recorded lectures, afternoons are mostly free
• Largest safety net hospital in New England so will get exposure to many different populations
• City location
• Social justice focus seems cool and lot of service opportunities
• Great research opportunities
• Highest rank out of all 4 options

Cons

• most expensive of all my options
• Area seems little unsafe

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[chilly_md]

Stony Brook or Hofstra. I don’t think Dartmouth is worth the extra money and you would be living in Hanover versus closer to city life. Boston is quite a bit more expensive and I am unsure if it is worth it either when Stony Brook is a good school that is close to home. Attending school with your SO would be really nice if that ends up happening too.

 

[Apple Jacks]

Hofstra in your case. I’d say Boston is your best option, but it’s not worth the extra cost depending on if you want to match back into the East Coast anyway. Home and family is really underrated, so I’d go there.

 

[JoyFairy]

I'm inclined to vote for Hofstra or Stony Brook. Out of curiosity, is the T30 where your SO might attend nearby?

 

[saintbernard95]

I'm inclined to vote for Hofstra or Stony Brook. Out of curiosity, is the T30 where your SO might attend nearby

Same time zone but 8 hours by car and we cannot afford flights (1.5 hr) often

 

[JoyFairy]

Same time zone but 8 hours by car and we cannot afford flights (1.5 hr) often

Gotcha. Amtrak might be an option, and you can study on the train.

Best of luck to you both!!!

 

[saintbernard95]

Hi I previously made a post but I have narrowed down my choices to two.

Hofstra
Pros
- close to family and home
- biggest healthcare system in NYS
- 130k less COA (before interest)
Cons
- written preclinical exams
- mandatory, non-recorded classes
- not in city and dispersed clinical sites
- lower prestige

BUSM
Pros
- in city
- optional lectures
- great research opportunities
Cons
- 130k greater COA (before interest)

I like BU more but not sure if the prestige/location factor is worth the price tag. Thanks for any input! I would like to match back hopefully in east coast somewhere.

 

[peacepro]

BU is a great school, but I honestly feel like that their match list is up to par where other top 30-40 schools are. And honestly not too far off from Hofstra. If you like NYC and want to match in the surrounding area or the city itself, definitely choose Hofstra. But 130k can be a lot especially if it’s all in loans.

 

[chilly_md]

Hi I previously made a post but I have narrowed down my choices to two.

Hofstra
Pros
- close to family and home
- biggest healthcare system in NYS
- 130k less COA (before interest)
Cons
- written preclinical exams
- mandatory, non-recorded classes
- not in city and dispersed clinical sites
- lower prestige

BUSM
Pros
- in city
- optional lectures
- great research opportunities
Cons
- 130k greater COA (before interest)

I like BU more but not sure if the prestige/location factor is worth the price tag. Thanks for any input! I would like to match back hopefully in east coast somewhere.

BU is a great school, but I honestly feel like that their match list is up to par where other top 30-40 schools are. And honestly not too far off from Hofstra. If you like NYC and want to match in the surrounding area or the city itself, definitely choose Hofstra. But 130k can be a lot especially if it’s all in loans.

Posts merged into original thread. This is the updated information from OP.