uva vs. dartmouth - 48 hours to decide!

[MSFbound]

Sorry for starting another thread about this, but there have been some developments, and I thought a poll would be a good way to get the SDN consensus, cause I am totally stuck.

I have 48 hours to decide between Dartmouth and UVA. I got my financial aid package from both schools, and they are about equal, which is great! but now I am torn between the two schools.

So, what would you do? Thanks for your opinions!

p.s. Here is the old thread about this question, if you want to see some of the pros/cons I was considering.

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[mcctwist1]

i got rejected from dartmouth and accepted to uva, so obviously uva is the better school and the one you should choose.

in all seriousness, you can't go wrong with either. i am very ignorant in regards to hanover and the surrounding area, but the only downside is maybe a lack of patient diversity at dartmouth...? i could be way off there, but that is really the only thing that comes to mind. i have no idea about either schools mph program.

in the end, both are great options. it sounds like money isn't an issue, so maybe choose the one that is closest to family???? overall though, if i were in your situation, i would prob go with uva assuming everything else is equal.

hope that helps, and maybe ill see you in charlottesville this fall.

 

[vicinihil]

You already know what I have to say. Haha.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Why not Dartmouth?

 

[MSFbound]

thanks to everyone who has voted in the poll, and especially thanks to those who have taken the time to write a response! i really appreciate it!! keep it coming!

 

[patel2]

Dartmouth if you want to relive your glory years of college and party at animal house like frats, eat $1 pizza at 4am, and have that traditional campus feel/tight knit community. Though this may not be quite as fun being sober most of the time as a med student

ahhh i miss college

 

[Steeler7588]

Dartmouth if you want to relive your glory years of college and party at animal house like frats, eat $1 pizza at 4am, and have that traditional campus feel/tight knit community.

If you want it, you can get that same experience at UVa Med haha...

Both schools will cost you the same? Go with your gut! Personally, I grew up in the Southeast and wouldn't be able to handle the Dartmouth weather. I also know very little about the school, but as far as your international interests go, you'll have a lot of times and opportunities here to purse them. We have more elective time than anyone I think (some schools may equal us), and there are some great programs that you can take part in if you choose.

 

[Crystalvision]

I would choose UVA. The school is great and the weather is unbeatable.

 

[tr0gd0r]

I would choose UVA. The school is great and the weather is unbeatable.

I don't know about unbeatable...So you enjoy 85 degrees and ungodly humid? Cville summers are one thing I'm not looking forward to.

That said, I also voted for UVA, but I don't know anything about Dartmouth.

 

[TexasPhysician]

thanks to everyone who has voted in the poll, and especially thanks to those who have taken the time to write a response! i really appreciate it!! keep it coming!

I always think its fun to look at the stereotypes. Don't get all upset people - its good fun.

The NorthEast Ivy fistshakers believe that Ivy Schools are the ONLY schools to attend. They provide the best education to the top students. No where but the Ivy League can make you as talented of a physician. Stanford? Where is that? Did I mention Dartmouth's amazing history? You are considering UVA over Dartmouth? - You sure you're Dartmouth material?

The Southern mentality is much different. Southern schools are the ONLY schools to attend. They provide an equal education as any surrounded by vast plantations. Beautiful scenery and warm weather provide the elite environment for mental stimulation. Ivy league? What's that? I have Ivory tusks in my showroom. You are considering moving to the NE? You do that honey. I'll be down here enjoying an afternoon sweat while drinking some sweet tea in my rockerchair.

Who do you associate with?

*All in good fun people. No harm meant. If anyone is offended by the above, PM me and I will remove.

 

[Crystalvision]

I don't think you have to worry about 85 degrees of weather most of the school year. I know several students who went to UVA and they ALL loved the school, the education and the surroundings. Fall, winter and spring are great at UVA which cannot be said about the weather at Dartmouth. Summers are hot for sure, but everything else makes up for that in my opinion. But you have to go with your gut feeling. Good luck to you

 

[tr0gd0r]

I don't think you have to worry about 85 degrees of weather most of the school year. I know several students who went to UVA and they ALL loved the school, the education and the surroundings. Fall, winter and spring are great at UVA which cannot be said about the weather at Dartmouth. Summers are hot for sure, but everything else makes up for that in my opinion. But you have to go with your gut feeling. Good luck to you

This is totally true, especially fall I think Charlottesville is a great place to live, especially if you're in school. You sort of get the best of both the city and the country...lots of good restaurants, coffee shops that aren't Starbucks (though there are plenty of those), art and music, really pretty countryside, good hiking (and wineries!).

 

[vicinihil]

Summers are hot (80s-90s) and humid and winters are cool (30s-low 40s with the occasional 50). Two years back, we got a freakishly large amount of snow (>30 inches total) and this past year we got less than 6". It's very variable from year to year but real winter definitely happens.

Because Cville is a melting pot of people form all over the US, it is not distinctly Southern or Virginian. Sweet tea and BBQ? You have to go further south. It's very different from the rest of Virginia with the exception of Northern VA/DC. Dining/food options are vast and some of the best. It has the highest non-chain Restaurant/Human ratio of any American city.

Excellent place to live/study with adequate distraction when sought.

 

[VincentAdultman]

C-Ville is interesting...the surrounding towns are Southern for sure, but the city of Charlottesville is more "Northern" than it's surroundings.

The weather is a personal preference thing. I think the ungodly humidity in Central Virginia cancels out the weather the rest of the year. If it's freezing outside just put more clothes on. But there's nothing you can do about the humidity besides hole up in your apartment and crank up the AC.

 

[90minIPA]

C-Ville is interesting...the surrounding towns are Southern for sure, but the city of Charlottesville is more "Northern" than it's surroundings.

The weather is a personal preference thing. I think the ungodly humidity in Central Virginia cancels out the weather the rest of the year. If it's freezing outside just put more clothes on. But there's nothing you can do about the humidity besides hole up in your apartment and crank up the AC.

I don't think it's the temperature alone that bothers most people in the northeast, it's the copious amounts of snow. Everyone can handle the cold, but shoveling your driveway twice a week and braving icy roads can get old pretty quickly.

As the DMS students told me at 2nd look, unless you can find a reason to like the snow (e.g. enjoy winter sports & activities), the upper valley may not be the best fit for you. ~6 months out of the year there will be snow on the ground, and you need to figure out if you can enjoy that environment.

 

[searun]

If you like winter sports and enjoy fishing, hiking, and camping, Dartmouth is wonderful. Dartmouth owns its own skiing and snowboarding facility. If you hate snow, go to Virginia. If you hate humidity, go to Dartmouth.

 

[VincentAdultman]

I don't think it's the temperature alone that bothers most people in the northeast, it's the copious amounts of snow. Everyone can handle the cold, but shoveling your driveway twice a week and braving icy roads can get old pretty quickly.

As the DMS students told me at 2nd look, unless you can find a reason to like the snow (e.g. enjoy winter sports & activities), the upper valley may not be the best fit for you. ~6 months out of the year there will be snow on the ground, and you need to figure out if you can enjoy that environment.

It could dump one foot of lake effect every day for six months and I would still prefer that to the humidity in Cville.

But I'm from Upstate New York and that's how we roll.

 

[Steeler7588]

Sweet tea and BBQ? You have to go further south.

While you're right that the general feel of Charlottesville isn't very Southern, I have to point out that there is some great Southern cooking available here. I'm from SC and it's nice to get great 'soul food' every now and then, haha.

...enjoy fishing, hiking, and camping...

Also frequently enjoyed in Charlottesville. I've heard great things about winter sports at Dartmouth though, which we don't have here (not too far away, though).

But yeah, as far as our actual school goes - new facilities, a ton of elective time, P/F, shortened time in basic sciences, amazing physician mentors - it's been a great experience so far.