Thursday, June 15, 2006

Debating, deliberating, deciding and denaturing

Ok, here’s the battle: Ohio v Rochester.  Let’s break it down.

Produces best doctors: Rochester is ranked 21st for Primary Care.  Ohio is ranked 32nd for the same.  So Rochester wins this one.

Produces best researchers: Here Ohio wins, 32nd versus 36th.  

Reputation: About the same.  Rochester is more snooty because it’s a private school, but I think others look at the schools as being about the same.

Debt: Rochester students leave the school with 128 thousand dollars of debt.  Ohio students leave with 109 thousand.  Ohio wins.  

Tuition: Rochester is a whopping 37 thousand per year.  But Ohio’s first year is 48 thousand.  48 thousand!  Luckily I gain residency after that and the next three years are 22 thousand, averaging out to 28.5 thousand per year.  Ohio wins.

Mormon factor: Columbus has 2 singles wards.  Rochester has one branch.  Ohio wins.

The city scene: Columbus is nice, but Rochester is probably a touch nicer.  Another point for Rochester.

Convenience: Rochester would provide free food, free storage and countless other amenities resulting from having family nearby.  Rochester clearly wins.

Climate: Neither are fantastic, but a slight edge for Columbus.

Sports: Ohio State wins about 300:1 over Rochester.  Sadly I don’t care about sports.

Other: At Ohio I can do independent study and never go to class once anatomy is over.  How sweet would that be?  I almost certainly won’t do this since I’d be irritated to have to pay 48 thousand dollars to homeschool myself.  

Rochester 4ish, Ohio 6ish.  I have another 24 hours to decide.

Song of the moment: “Push the little daisies” Ween

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't really know. They both seem like pretty good options. In general, I like to go the cheapest route but that is not always the best option. So I guess it kind of comes down to whether the social aspect of the singles wards in Columbus is more important to you than the amenities which Rochester would provide (b/c you are close to home). You would be close to the Grimshaws in Ohio, but I really don't think that you care about that at all.

Anonymous said...

I think you underestimate the potential savings of the UR; because of proximity, you have the option of living at home (I realize that doesn't sound appealling now, but it might when you can cut out thousands of dollars of debt and no shopping/cooking for self).

That said, wasn't Ohio the place with Wendys? That has got to count for something.

Catherine Elizabeth said...

Best of luck, decisions like this kill me.

Anonymous said...

Tough one. But congrats on getting in to yet another of your schools! That's cool, right?