Given I get into these schools:
BC
BU
Northeastern
Tufts
Brandeis
Given various aid opportunities, would on of these schools be worth more than another in terms of financial investment?
Given how different they are, you need to assess your interests and goals in the context of what each school offers.
I’m interested in science and premed
Personally? Let’s say you got into all of the above. I would go to the one that offered you the most money. They’re all good schools that will offer you solid opportunities/education, but for pre-med & science especially you’ll want to reduce your undergraduate debt as much as you can. Med school is expensive and even if you get your PhD paid for (which often you can), you’re pretty poor through PhD and post-doc, and having less debt is better. Generally the formula should be: go to the best possible school for the least amount of money.
Once you get actual financial offers, I would ask the question again. It’s hard for people to opine without knowing actual figures. For instance, if you were asking me “should I go 80K into debt for BU?” when, say, Northeastern or Tufts would cost you half that (or better), I’d say “NO.” But if what you’re looking at is 20K or 30K debt for BU, looking at similar choices, then I might say “yes, 30K total debt is a reasonable amount of debt for BU.” BUT, if you told me “I can go to BU for 30K debt or go to Brandeis for free” (or UMass Amherst, frankly), I’d tell you to take the free ride. etc. etc.
Have you run the net price calculators to see how much each of these schools would cost your family?
OK so talking about these schools in terms of ROI doesn’ make sense to me. You want med school or grad school. So you aren’t going to work right away you are trying to get into grad school. Which will prepare you best, which environment can you do your best in. And if you want to talk ROI we need to know your net cost first. Because given that you can get into med school from any, the one that give you the biggest potential return is the cheapest.
Are those 2nd and 3rd tier schools? I don’t think so.
The others are right. As a premed, you want to go where it will cost you the least, where you’ll be a top student (highest GPA), and where you can shine and get great LORs…
Have you talked to your parents about how much they’ll pay each year? Have you had them run the NPCs? If not, you should!
Since you mention "aid opportunities), it’s best to get that figured out ASAP. Those schools are mostly need-based schools (I think the exception is NEU which gives some merit), so you’ll need your parents to do the NPCs.
Why are you only looking in the Boston area???
What are your financial safety schools???
What are your stats?
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So I will be brief. I come from a low income neighborhood and a not very affluent family. I go to a nationally acclaimed private school and I commute an hour to and from school.
Gender: male
Ethnicity: hispanic(Iberian)
GPA: 3.4ish(we use a wacky scale so I’m not sure.
Junior course load:
English 11 (no ap offered)
Anal/trig
Ap Latin 5
Greek (ancient) 2
Honors Chemistry (no ap offered)
Senior:
English 12(no ap)
Ap calc (ab or BC idk yet, hopefully BC)
Greek 3 and Latin 6 (semester split)
U.S. History
Honors biology (no ap offered)
SAT: 2100
750 math
690 writing
660 CR
Have yet to take sat 2 in chemistry math 2 and Latin. Assume good scores.
ECs: glee club, model UN
Cantor at church twice a week
Awards: national Latin exam summa cum laude, national Greek exam high honors
Recs:
Will have very positive reviews about curiosity and enthusaism and kindness
and dedication since I live far from school.
I have 10 siblings, mother doesn’t work
Tell me if you need more info
I want to go to Tufts maybe Ed, also applying to BC BU Northeastern Emmanuel Harvard
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So is your family low income?
You need to get your GPA figured out. At this point, your GPA could be too low for these schools.
Why tufts???
I think you should look at Loyola Maryland.
Please explain why these are send and third tier schools?
Umass Boston would be a sure thing for you. It is not a top tier school.
The others you list are actually pretty high in the rankings. Like no higher than 52.
My GPA is close to an A- average.
It is out of 9, and not very useful
Are you saying that going to somewhere like UMASS would be perhaps easier for med school than the other great schools in Boston?
I’m planning to commute to school, that’s why I’m looking at Boston schools.
Are you talking to me? If so, I was just mentioning UMass Boston as a much less competitive college. You could also consider UMass Lowell.
The schools in your original post are all top schools.
I am wondering why you call them tier two and three? Is it because they are not Harvard or MIT?
Well those schools aren’t Ivy League. Also I was talking about finances, not whether I can get in wherever.
So you meant 2nd or 3rd tier from the stand point of FA?
From a financial aid standpoint…
BC- meets full need for all accepted students
BU - does not meet full need for all accepted students.
Northeastern - meets full need for all accepted students
Tufts -meets full need for all accepted students
Brandeis - I believe Brandeis also meets full need for all accepted students
The only one that doesn’t meet full need for all is BU…and they don’t meet full need. They do have some highly competitive merit awards. 750 math and 660 CR are fine scores, but I think that CR score would need to bump up to be competitive for their merit awards.
Will any of your 10 siblings be in college at the same time as you will?
Can your parents contribute to your college education…and if so, in what amount?
Any particular reason why you want to commute to school rather than live on campus? It’s possible for all of these schools (with Brandeis being the outlier depending on where your family lives), but it would really take away from the entire experience of being at any of these schools. It may also detract from your grades, which is especially a bad idea for a pre-med student.
These schools were posted on May 10. So which list is it…this one…or the one on this thread?
Emmanuel does not meet full need for all accepted students.
“I go to a nationally acclaimed private school”
Your own guidance counselor should be well informed about all of these issues. Start there for advice.
@mom2collegekids I guess if you consider Har vard and MIT first tire then everything else is second tier or lower but ina n absolute sense they are all first tier schools.
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I’m planning to commute to school, that’s why I’m looking at Boston schools.
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WHY??? With that many siblings and being premed, I think you should try to find a needs-met sleep away school. That’s why I suggested Loyola-Maryland…great for premed and full need met.
How LONG would it take you to commute to each of those different schools??? You’re going to be too busy with your studies to be commuting everyday if the distance is far.
And how much will it COST for you to commute everyday???
Okay, there is no changing what I will do; I’m not going to live at college period. Nor do I really want to, seems ridiculous to me when my parents offer me a house. Waste of money and inconvenient. But that’s beside the point and completely missing my question. (I’m happy you want to parent me though)
My question was just whether at the level of these is there really much quality difference in education