Need to decide urgently: Vandy vs. UCLA (with scholarships)

[infinitessimal]

Hey guys, thanks for reading. So I'm in a weird situation where JUST received the acceptance letter from UCLA (past the deadline, no doubt), and had previously been set on attending Vanderbilt. Since it is past April 30, both schools are requesting I let them know as soon as possible. Perhaps I already know in my heart, but I just need to think it through, and I appreciate any help. Here's the breakdown:

-Cost: Vandy ends up cheaper by about 10k, but that difference could potentially be made up through need-based aid or otherwise
-location: I'm from California, and UCLA would be much closer to home and family/friends, avoid long and expensive plane flights, etc
-curriculum: I think I prefer Vanderbilt's 1-year preclinical and create-your-own-last-two-years, though it would start earlier, give me less free time, and the work load would be more intense. That doesn't scare me, though. UCLA still has the traditional 2-year preclinical and thus takes step 1 before rotations, which may be a significant negative factor for me.
-lifestyle: I've lived on both coasts, but never experienced life in Nashville. From what I saw, I really enjoyed it. Plus, I'm no critic of country music or Nashville's endless live music scene at all hours of the day, not to mention the good food, hiking, etc. I don't enjoy the city of LA that much, but it is California, and not too far from more pleasant areas.
-opportunities: both schools are ranked pretty much the same and neither should close any doors for me in research, residency, or opportunities to work with fantastic physicians. From what I saw, the hospital affiliations are well-known and highly regarded in their respective areas.

So.... What do you guys think?

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[bluemachine]

it does sound like you enjoy vandy a lot more in almost every aspect (finances!!!, the city, the curriculum). and honestly i think whatever ucla could offer you, vandy could as well. it seems like vandy wins on all fronts, based on the points you bring up

 

[hellanutella]

Heyo Tess, major congrats on these acceptances!

Honestly, it seems like Vandy is where your heart lies. I interviewed with you and you were just so happy and excited after your faculty interview – and you were hyped about all the awesome things you had lined up during your stay in Nashville! Your Vandy review on MDapps just exudes this excitement. I think @bluemachine summarized your situation perfectly. The city is a good fit, the curriculum matches your needs, and the cost isn't a deterrent. IMHO, I'd spring for Vandy. Honestly, travelling from LA to NorCal (even by plane) will only be several hours shorter than travelling from Nashville... and that extra 10k will more than cover any differential in travel expenses.

I totally know where you're coming from; some people think it's almost blasphemous for a CA resident to turn down a CA med school (and in a major city like SF or LA, no less), but med school is all about picking a school that suits your needs and an environment you feel comfortable in. If Vandy and Nashville fit the bill, you have a clear winner.

 

[Nymphicus]

Southwest is adding a direct flight from Nashville to Oakland starting in June.

Did you get a chance to go to both second looks?

 

[infinitessimal]

I didn't go to UCLA's second look since I found out about the acceptance this morning.

@hellanutella thank you for your detailed response! It's true, I was really happy and hyped about Nashville, and that feeling only grew during vandy's second look. I guess the biggest factor in UCLA's favor is the proximity to home, but in terms of total happiness, I think Vanderbilt really is the winner. I'm leaning pretty heavily in that direction, but I'll ponder it a little longer.

 

[resiroth]

I didn't go to UCLA's second look since I found out about the acceptance this morning.

@hellanutella thank you for your detailed response! It's true, I was really happy and hyped about Nashville, and that feeling only grew during vandy's second look. I guess the biggest factor in UCLA's favor is the proximity to home, but in terms of total happiness, I think Vanderbilt really is the winner. I'm leaning pretty heavily in that direction, but I'll ponder it a little longer.

It will be much easier to match from UCLA --> California for residency. You might be able to come back from Vanderbilt, but if staying around the California area is of any interest I would strongly consider UCLA.

In my mind it should come down to whether you want to branch out and explore nashville/live outside california in residency/life, or whether you really want to stay in California. Honestly being a doctor outside of California is far more lucrative (cost of living as well as salary) and there are plenty of nice towns to live in, but some of my friends go crazy for California and don't want to risk leaving it (for good potentially, as many people match into their home program and then have spent 8 years in a place and have roots that can't easily be unrooted). In the end you're getting on a plane either way, so proximity to family is kind of not a big deal for the next 4 years, but for residency it might be. Food for thought!

All this being said, you truly can't go wrong as it seems like both schools are a good fit for you.

As always, if you would go to UCLA if it were 40k (overall) cheaper let them know. Worst case they'll turn you down but it honestly almost always works to lower the cost.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Vanderbilt!!!

Edit: Sorry Tess, I hit the reply button before finishing my post. Anyway, I totally agree with Ms. Nutella and bluemachine. You just seem to be uber-excited about Vanderbilt. And this is evidenced by the following:
2014-2015 Vanderbilt University Application Thread
Congratulations!!!

 

[blueharbor]

Try to get your financial aid packages before making a decision! That could change the equation.

 

[Señor Científico]

I live in Nashville. Had lunch at the farmer's market today, then spent the afternoon at Centennial park (across from Vandy's campus) enjoying the perfect weather. Traffic is non-existent here; we have amazing weather,people, and food; and if you want a break from the "city", ten minutes on any interstate puts you in the country with hiking and canoeing - I even spent Saturday canoeing down the Harpeth river and this Saturday is the Steeple Chase (Nashville's take on the Kentucky Derby).

Basically Nashville is freaking amazing and so is Vandy. PLUS, you get a strong monopoly on everything as far as medicine goes in this region. Vandy's medical center is huge and is revered by the region. If that weren't enough it's in the SEC so you get to watch amazing football (not Vandy, so much as the teams playing Vandy lol) played in the fall if that's your thing. Definitely choose Vandy.

If you want to do your residency in Cali I think UCLA will give you a better chance over Vandy just because of location, but even then Vandy is never going to limit a student in options.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Vanderbilt is my dream school and I hate LA, so I suppose I should abstain.



(pick VU!)

 

[infinitessimal]

Thank you everyone for your responses! After thinking long and hard and weighing all the options, I'm going with Vanderbilt. I probably would want to do residency in Cali, but it's a little bit of a crapshoot and I don't want to base my med school choice based on where I HOPE to match (don't even know the speciality yet). Plus, Vandy's curriculum is designed to give me an extra year to stand out on those residency applications. I was just so happy with the lifestyle, hospitality, and general breadth of things to do - @Señor Científico I actually got to do some hiking during second look and it was really great and beautiful! - Vanderbilt seems like the better choice. And while UCLA might give me a couple more grand for the first year, Vandy really went out of their way to offer me a large scholarship that I would be crazy to turn down.

@Cyberdyne 101 TAYLOR SWIFT HERE I COME!!!!

 

[22031 Alum]

Thank you everyone for your responses! After thinking long and hard and weighing all the options, I'm going with Vanderbilt. I probably would want to do residency in Cali, but it's a little bit of a crapshoot and I don't want to base my med school choice based on where I HOPE to match (don't even know the speciality yet). Plus, Vandy's curriculum is designed to give me an extra year to stand out on those residency applications. I was just so happy with the lifestyle, hospitality, and general breadth of things to do - @Señor Científico I actually got to do some hiking during second look and it was really great and beautiful! - Vanderbilt seems like the better choice. And while UCLA might give me a couple more grand for the first year, Vandy really went out of their way to offer me a large scholarship that I would be crazy to turn down.

@Cyberdyne 101 TAYLOR SWIFT HERE I COME!!!!

Congrats!! I'm very biased but I think you made a great choice. And just FYI, I had several classmates match in CA- both natives and "outsiders." That door will not be shut, if you still want it when the time comes.