Dream school or free school?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have recently been accepted to Emory University and been given a merit scholarship. This scholarship as well as financial aid add up to about half of the cost of attendance. Emory is my dream school and has been my top choice all along. I planning on double majoring in math and biological anthropology. I intend on going to medical school, or at least some sort of graduate school after undergrad.</p>

<p>My other option is the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It is my state flagship school and is relatively highly ranked for a state school. I have been offered scholarships to cover all but $2,500, and I may still be eligible for another scholarship to cover the rest. I definitely do not like it as much because of the size, party school, etc. It does have few draws such as internship opportunities at the body farm.</p>

<p>My question is whether or not going to Emory is worth the extra 30k a year. I definitely prefer Emory over my state school. I have heard that undergrad school does not matter for medical school acceptance, but I don't believe that. So basically, is Emory worth the extra money?</p>

2

<p>The $120,000 would go a long way to reducing the amount of debt you would need to take on to pay for medical school.</p>

3

<p>I am just trying to decide if it’s worth it. My parents would be willing and able to pay for undergrad, and it is cheaper than the school my sister is attending. I want to go to Emory so much more, but it’s hard to rationalize $120,000 over $10,000.</p>

4

<p>If you want to go to medical school its not worth it.</p>

5

<p>I will be paying the medical school cost either way. My parents will pay for undergrad. So, I will have the same debt either way.</p>

6

<p>If your parents can actually afford it, then go to Emory and have fun.</p>

7

<p>If Emory’s your dream school which you’ve worked hard to get into, and your parents can afford it (and they’re paying even higher tuition for your sister), then I’d also say go for it! You shouldn’t have to forego having the college experience you want just because there are cheaper schools out there or because you plan to continue with post-graduate education. Also, if it turned out you didn’t like your choice, it would be easier to transfer to your state school from Emory than vice versa.</p>

8

<p>Go to Emory - no doubt.</p>

9

<p>undergrad doesn’t matter if you want to go to grad school. I would go to UTK for undergrad (which is not a bad school, at all!) and then try for Emory for Med school!</p>

10

<p>Save your money and go to UT. No one cares where you went to college when you become a physician.</p>

11

<p>It is true that the “prestige” of your undergraduate school has little effect in medical school experiences. However, I would still warn against going to a lower-tier school over your dream school for undergrad, especially if cost isn’t an issue. You may get a better experience at Emory, you may learn more and mature more as a person, and you might meet a network of more intellectually oriented friends.</p>

12

<p>How much are your parents willing to help? I say only go to Emory if your parents can pay at least half of the 30k/yr.</p>

13

<p>As long as your parents can, indeed, afford it (not taking out loans and not willing to save their contribution for med school), pick Emory. It sounds like you’d love it there. ;)</p>

<p>One need not always go with the least expensive option when one can afford the alternative whether it be colleges or cars/vacations/houses/restaurants or whatever.</p>

14

<p>If you like and can afford Emory, come. I should note that our math department isn’t very good, but anthropology is extremely strong here.</p>

15

<p>Consider the value of your money and the scholarship. You’ve been offered an Emory education at about half price. There is also the value of your degree, and it is possible you could change your mind, your major, and not go to medical school, so your degree could stand alone. </p>

<p>UTK is a good school, and having the scholarship is something to think about. In some instances it could be compelling, like if you were comparing it to Emory full price or if UTK had a specific area of interest that Emory didn’t offer, or if you liked it, but you don’t. Another situation might be if your less expensive state flagship was highly recognized like UVA, UNC, Berkeley, or if your family financial situation was such that Emory, at any price, was a hardship.</p>

<p>I’m not a fan of rankings in general, but Emory is much more well regarded compared to UTK and an Emory degree may help with employment and grad school opportunities. The other consideration is size and location. Emory is smaller and may offer smaller classes and personal attention. Atlanta is a major city and may have more internship opportunities.</p>

<p>$120K is a lot of money and you are showing maturity by considering it wisely, and looking at how you will spend it. For some people, the full cost of an Emory degree is twice that, at least, so this is a good value for your investment. If you lived in a state like Virginia, NC, or California, it could be argued that the state flagship degree also has equivalent value, so then you would be arguing for the best price, but here- you are comparing value too. Either at UTK or Emory, you still have to put your work into your degree to benefit from that value. It looks like you are planning to get the most from your education.</p>

<p>Consider also the lifetime value of your investment. Sometimes it is worth it to pay more for something. IMHO, Emory has a higher lifetime value than UTK, and at half the cost, is a bargain in the long run- no matter what your educational plans are after that.</p>

16

<p>Just to muddy the water further… When considering the “value” of a degree, you should also consider the value of a huge alum network such as that provided by UT. This can be a great help in job-hunting, even more so than a better “name” on the degree according to the CC board.</p>

17

<p>We have the same arrangement in our household, we pay for undergrad and the grad/med school is their responsibility. Our oldest made a deal with us, she gets merit and brings down the costs to less than a certain amount and we give her the difference for advance degrees down the road. If your parents would go for this then go to UT and use the $120 for med school. I can not stress enough the value of being debt free. What ever you do I wish you luck.</p>

18

<p>Normally I am a “follow the money” type person, but if you have merit aid and can <em>afford</em> Emory (as in, neither you nor your parents need to go into massive debt to send you there) and it’s truly your dream then I can see the argument for going there. I would wager that the majority of people who are “pre-med” going into college end up not staying pre-med all the way through college and/or don’t get into medical school, too. So while minimizing debt is really important, I think you should also go somewhere you will enjoy and where you will have good prospects in the event that you decide med school is not for you.</p>

<p>Not that you won’t have these opportunities from UT-Knoxville, but if you really want Emory and you can afford it, then I think you should go there.</p>

19

<p>I’d go to the school that you think is best for you. I chose a school because it would save my parents a lot more money, but I ended up not liking it much.</p>