Lost about student debt, current options, and the future

[mingnin]

I'm currently a high school senior with a couple of options for college. My first option is Cornell, but with an EFC of ~$20k per year. The other option is a full ride to my state school (will not name for anonymity, but it is ranked Tier 2 by USNWR). I know the answer is obvious when strictly looking at finances, but wouldn't it be fair to say that Cornell's better pre-med advising, more tenured professors, and research opportunities would give me a huge leg up with med school admissions later on? I'm afraid that going to my state school will limit my options for med school since my local area is not exactly known for top-notch research opportunities or hospitals to shadow physicians at. The state school itself is considered well below mediocre to the point that even my parents and classmates hold a stigma against attending it, with a 40% graduation rate. I really want to earn a residency spot in a competitive specialty if what I'm interested in happens to be anesthesiology or orthopedics, so will ending up at a lower-tier med school (probably my state's med school as that is the most realistic outcome if I were to choose my state school for undergrad) weaken or cripple my chances at getting a top residency spot? On the other hand, I'm also terrified of looking back on $80k of undergrad debt and regretting a naive decision I made 4 years ago. I'm also not 100% dead set on medicine, so I was thinking attending Cornell would be safer as I could major in CompSci or Accounting and gain an employable degree from a reputable school. I were to choose my state school, I feel as if I would be dedicating myself to medicine, and I'm not sure I'm willing to do that right now, considering I haven't even attended a single class yet. Current med students and doctors, any opinions or advice?

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[mingnin]

I would to just clear up the overall importance of research. In a 2013 AAMC survey where 127 medical admissions offices respondent, found research experience is only of medium importance as an experiential factor in offering both interview invitations and acceptance at private schools and of low importance to public schools. Healthcare experience, community service/volunteer experience, experience with underserved populations, navigated through cultural barriers or challenges, leadership experience were considered of higher importance in factors for interview invites and offers of acceptances. Of course, research at a high level place such as Cornell may have more opportunity. (see below complete factor grid)

In my local area attaining "healthcare experience, community service/volunteer experience, experience with underserved populations, navigated through cultural barriers or challenges, and leadership experience" is going to be filled with hurdles. I'm just not sure if these things and Cornell's name are worth $80,000.

 

[DKMA]

Isn't Cornell a premed killer? And I've always gotten the sense that Cornell doesn't open as many door in non-medical fields as its peer schools do (it stills open a lot of doors, but not like other schools do).

I say take the full ride.

 

[mingnin]

Isn't Cornell a premed killer? And I've always gotten the sense that Cornell doesn't open as many door in non-medical fields as its peer schools do (it stills open a lot of doors, but not like other schools do).

I say take the full ride.

Yeah, I've been looking into its rep for killing premeds and grade deflation but those claims seem either exaggerated or not supported very well. I have a pre-med friend at Cornell and even though obviously this is only anecdotal, he says it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be and definitely not cutthroat (he doesn't deny that there are curved classes, but this is not my main concern right now).