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<p>What’s the evidence for this? If there is any, what difference would it make? </p>
<p>Keep in mind, there are only about 130 accredited, MD-granting medical schools in the USA. Admission is based mostly on GPA and MCATs. Typically, only about 500-1000 students are enrolled in each one. The number, enrollments, and curriculum of US med schools is pretty much quality-controlled by the AMA.</p>
<p>Do you know where your kids’ pediatrician went to medical school? Do you care?</p>
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<p>I was thinking the same thing.</p>
<p>If you happen to know where they went to medical school, because you saw a diploma on the wall, I bet you don’t know where they went to undergrad.</p>
<p>My H is a physician and we had big debt when he finished med school. It influences your life and your decisions. My life is great, but the loans were a burden when he first got out of med school. My son just finished his freshman year. He considers himself premed and he is at our state flagship. We do not want him to have any debt for undergrad. We will help how we can for med school and hope any debt he incurs at that level will be manageable when the time comes for repayment. My other son will be a high school senior next year. He will be applying to instate schools and to other schools where he hopes he can get merit aid. We have always been open with our boys about our finances. They know what we have saved for them, they know we are saving for our retirement, and we’ve talked to them about the consequences of starting their lives after college with too much debt.</p>
<p>If you can pay for your D to go to Duke without debt, and aren’t concerned about the impact it may have on your life and finances, then let her choose what she wants. If you see loans that can burden you or your D in the future…well, if it were me, I wouldn’t do it.</p>
<p>Well… I do know both about my kids’ pediatrician (Notre Dame - undergrad, Johns Hopkins - med school). I looked it up on the clinic website before settling on a “regular” pediatrician for them. Many years ago since I looked, but I still remember. So some people do care… but I think you are right that most do not.</p>
<p>Are you willing to give up all of your earnings for at least a dozen years to pay for your kids’ education? I assume you must be giving up something in family lifestyle to do this, your salary must be going to pay for some things now that you won’t have any more (cars? trips? 2nd home? mortgage paydown?). Do you have enough in retirement savings to retire comfortably even if you pick up 12-16 years of education at top schools for your kids?</p>
<p>An awful lot of families out here (most, I would say) consider grad school to be on their own kids’ pocketbooks if they plan to go. So that is another consideration… are you and your husband on the same page as far as that goes?</p>
<p>Are you familiar with the story of Curmudgeon (long time CC poster) and his daughter? She had a choice between a southern LAC with full ride and Yale. She took the LAC. She is just finishing her first year of med school at Yale (one of several fine choices she had). Of course, as they say on CC, YMMV!</p>
<p>Not Duke!</p>
<p>I haven’t read the thread, but as a Terp I’m obligated to say that.</p>
<p>School spirit quota fulfilled. Feel free to ignore this.</p>
<p>My D turned down Duke for a full ride to our state flagship. She plans on attending law school. We received no money from Duke and my D, did the Math. $230,000 for Duke, $0 for UGA. It was an obvious decision for her. In 4 years we can pay her Law school tuition and she will be in a fantastic position to start her career debt free.</p>
<p>Hope this decision is not weighing too heavily on you on Mothers’ day. Wishing you a fantastic day!</p>
<p>Two years ago my daughter turn down Duke, WahsU and other big names schools (who offered very modest scholarships) in favor of USC (offering a very generous scholarship). NO REGRETS here! She would have done well anywhere and she is very happy at USC (and we are not cash strapped…soo happy!)</p>
<p>I would argue that USC is in the same category more or less as WashU.</p>
<p>Proud parent of a recent Duke grad here.</p>
<p>Does the full ride school have good research opportunities,good pre-professional advising and a decent record of sending students on to med school? if yes, I say go with that option.</p>
<p>The curve at Duke is no worse than other places, but because so many high achieving kids attend, it can be more difficult to get the grades she may want for med school. Flip side: med schools apparently know this to some extent, because the average GPA for Duke students enrolling in med schools is slightly lower than the national average. But I don’t know that the difference is fully accounted for.</p>
<p>Med school is expensive. Enough said</p>
<p>This is full-tuition scholarship, not full-ride… just clarifying for the OP.</p>
<p>Do you think the economy is going to rapidly get better? I don’t. I think the smart kid goes with the money (provided that the affordable option is a decent school – which, in this case, it is). </p>
<p>Bloom where you are planted. There are great things at both schools and surely some drawbacks at each (Roaches probably bigger down south) but money is money.</p>
<p>Would you pay $200K more for a Ferrari when a $20K Toyota will get you where you want to be? Not me! People can say the Ferrari is “better” but it really is only an option for folks who have deep pockets. Anyone without deep pockets better start oohing and ahhing about the great mileage and maintenance superiority of the Toyota and be happy with some cool seat covers and no lifetime of debt.</p>
<p>Thank you everybody for your input. It’s an extremely hard decision about the $230,000 investment. Basically, like a post mentioned somewhere, the earning difference by attending Duke and Tulane with undergraduate degree per year may not be >10,000. However, the debt over $250,000 in medical school plus interest (7.9% rate of $250,000 over 20 year repayment plan) if definitely over our limits of to pay for it. It’s tough to be for parents who are value the education too much. We may tend to go with the Money.<br>
It’s so valuable to have this forum of parents to provide their opinion and make the choice of college less stressful.</p>
<p>Thanks again,</p>