<p>So, I can’t answer many of those with any specificity, as I’ve never been to Cornell, but I’ll give my thoughts, for what they’re worth.</p>
<p>Many of the academic criteria will be similar across the schools - there’s a reason both are highly ranked. WashU is probably a bit more pre-med oriented, but I don’t think the disparity is great enough to definitely decide one way or the other. I will say WashU is next to, and is affiliated with Barnes Jewish Hospital, one of the top in the nation. While Weill Cornell Medical Center is also top notch, it is located in Manhattan, a fair distance from Ithaca.</p>
<p>As to dorm quality and food - WashU is consistently ranked top 2 for each of those, and their rankings are deserved. Again, I don’t know how Cornell compares, but it would be extremely hard to be as good as WashU. Air conditioning is sufficient as well.</p>
<p>I love the campus and surrounding area, but it sounds like you aren’t a fan of St. Louis. This is fairly subjective, and I can’t make a claim that either university is better than the other in this regard.</p>