<p>I recently found out I was selected to receive a University of Pittsburgh full tuition scholarship. I won't post my stats but let's just say that I could definitely get into some "better" colleges. My major is undecided but as of now I plan on going to grad school after college for something health related(med, dent, etc). I know it doesn't matter where you go for undergrad if you're gonna go on to grad school but my fear is that I will change my mind and decide health isnt what I want to do and then be stuck at a college that is good but not as good as I could have done (say I change my major to business).</p>
<p>Would you guys take the full tuition @ Pitt or try and get into a higher ranked school? Some schools I've been considering are Emory and WUSTL. If it matters I qualify for financial aid (income < 40,000) and I was also accepted into Michigan. I would prefer not to go all the way out west since I live in Delaware. Thanks (BTW yes I know the deadlines are on the 15th)</p>
<p>If you think finances matter and don’t want to have a financial burden after college then go take UPitt’s full ride scholarship offer. If you think you’d be fine financially and may qualify for scholarships at other “higher ranked” schools then wait till you hear back from other schools. A few days before you have to make a decision, see what offers came back to you and talk to your parents about the financial situations you’d be in for every school that you got accepted to. From there I would make a final decision. Best of luck on this decision.</p>
<p>*I recently found out I was selected to receive a University of Pittsburgh full tuition scholarship. I won’t post my stats but let’s just say that I could definitely get into some “better” colleges. </p>
<p>My major is undecided but as of now I plan on going to grad school after college for something health related(med, dent, etc). I know it doesn’t matter where you go for undergrad if you’re gonna go on to grad school but my fear is that I will change my mind and decide health isnt what I want to do and then be stuck at a college that is good but not as good as I could have done (say I change my major to business).</p>
<p>Would you guys take the full tuition @ Pitt or try and get into a higher ranked school? Some schools I’ve been considering are Emory and WUSTL. If it matters I qualify for financial aid (income < 40,000) and I was also accepted into Michigan. I would prefer not to go all the way out west since I live in Delaware. Thanks (BTW yes I know the deadlines are on the 15th) *</p>
<p>There should be nothing stopping you AT THIS POINT from applying to WUSTL, Emory, or any other college. You have high stats, apply away. :)</p>
<p>Be aware that UMich isn’t going to meet need for an OOS student, and the OOS COA is $50k right now. Have they given you an FA package yet? (Few OOS publics meet need for OOS students - UVa is an exception.)</p>
<p>You don’t need to make any decisions now, so wait and see what you’re dealing with… :)</p>
<p>You may get free rides from some privates because of your EFC. So, apply to top privates that meet 100% need without loans…Vandy is one. Don’t bother with schools like NYU that don’t meet need and put big loans in their FA packages.</p>
<p>Without posting your stats, we have a hard time gauging your situation.
One thing to remember since your majoring in the med/science field- You want the highest GPA possible when you apply to graduate school. If Pitt is an easy school for you, that sweetens the deal! Furthermore, It doesn’t matter one bit where you get your undergraduate degree. There’s no admissions difference between a state school’s degree and an IVY league degree when applying to graduate school.
In my opinion, take that Pitt offer or a similar school’s free ride. You want to limit your debt in your undergrad, because you will be paying an arm and a leg during medical/dental/pharm school.</p>
<p>Don’t stop now, test the waters at the top schools. Then compare financial aid packages.</p>
<p>I applied thinking that top schools would have money for a middle class kid since everyone talked about how generous these schools were, got into a few of the said schools, and all of them wanted me to pay full freight. I went to Pitt on full tuition.</p>
<p>All you have to do is make a decision by May 1. Might as well try and open up a few options before then.</p>
<p>*I applied thinking that top schools would have money for a middle class kid since everyone talked about how generous these schools were, got into a few of the said schools, and all of them wanted me to pay full freight. I went to Pitt on full tuition.
*</p>
<p>This happens a lot. That’s why it’s important to apply to a couple financial safeties (that you like), in addition to your top choices.</p>
<p>I like it a lot! Pitt was the best fit overall for me so I have no regrets. It was my first acceptance which I kind of put aside and forgot (did the same with the scholarship letter too), but by April I was digging around for it.</p>
<p>Hmm, I had a similar situation between Brown and my state school (though not as good a school as Pitt). I chose Brown, despite knowing I was taking on a lot of debt (though, you may not have to, depending on FA). My opportunities out of Brown are better, and I didn’t fit in at my state school like I do at Brown. I’m also the kind of person who values experiences over money in the bank, so I’m willing to shell out a lot of money to give myself four great years, and a strong network of opportunities, rather than take the free ride, hoping to get into a good grad school to have those years of great experiences.</p>
<p>And GPA matters for getting into med school, but so does where you go: a 3.7 GPA from San Diego State is not going to be as impressive as a 3.3 from Brown. Especially when that 3.3 comes with a ton of opportunities outside the classroom to do research and such.</p>
<p>^ I’d have to disagree with that a little. I’m not trying to knock your school, but Brown is known for its grade inflation. I read recently that the average gpa at Brown is a 3.6 (not to mention the whole 50% As article that’s floating around) so a 3.3 there would be below average. Maybe a 3.3 from Caltech would get extra points, I don’t know. </p>
<p>And to say that a more highly ranked school means that it results in more “opportunities outside the classroom to do research and such” really isn’t always true. Those opportunities are more a reflection of location and presence of a graduate school.</p>
<p>No offense against Emory and WUSTL, but they’re not the sort of schools for which a rational person would give up a full ride at Pitt (which is a very underrated school, IMHO) as well as the fringe benefits of being a scholarship student.</p>
<p>That said, you do qualify for financial aid, so I guess it cannot hurt to apply to “better” colleges to compare their financial offers. As someone else said, you may also get a “free ride” to certain privates due to your EFC.</p>
<p>Then again, why limit yourself to Emory and WUSTL? Since you have a guaranteed financial safety in Pitt, why not aim higher?</p>
<p>lol sp1d3ysense, do you just not like Emory? just curious… if you want to aim higher than WUSTL and Emory, then you have to apply to the Ivies and very few other top schools… IMO, thats limiting yourself! You seem to think (maybe I’m wrong) that not applying to the Ivies is not aiming high enough… It’s not always like that… but to the OP, apply to all… I visited Emory and personally loved it and that’s why I’m heading off there next year. It’s a great school but so are WUSTL and the other top privates. That being said, a full ride is pretty huge… If money is going to be the problem, I honestly suggest you to take the full ride… but then again, it does not hurt to apply to Emory(Emory Advantage program if you qualify and in general, the school meets 100% of the aid) and other top schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>Please know that at Pitt, like at Emory or WUSTL, you will be able to do medical research as an undergraduate. Of course, you will have to want this, pursue it and make it happen, but it definitely can happen. You will probably be able to find a real mentor who will teach, nurture, and write recommendations for you. Also, please know that Pitt has an unusually collaborative and friendly research environment.</p>
<p>Yea Pitt has an amazing medical center=amazing research opportunities. I think I’ll apply to Emory and see what happens from there. Sports are also fairly important to me so that’s also one thing Pitt has on Emory. The one thing that was really discouraging about Pitt was the graduation rates (4 year rate was about 55% I think) but I guess I shouldn’t be too worried about that, I mean if I’m good enough to get the scholarship I shouldn’t have trouble graduating on time.</p>
So, apply to top privates that meet 100% need without loans…Vandy is one. Don’t bother with schools like NYU that don’t meet need and put big loans in their FA packages.</p>