My dilemma is a full ride at non- selective school or try for selective schools. Scholarship is based on a chart with scores, grades, and Hispanic scholar of recognition award.
The main reason to consider the non-selective school is money. My parents want me to attend a selective school and are willing to sacrifice for it. I dont want to burden them with loans or taking retirement money. They already have two in college at state schools that don’t meet need. Both of my brothers work during the school year and summers and contribute so they can’t pay more to free up money.
I also don’t want to be in huge debt because I have plans for med school but worry that going to a less competitive school might not prepare me for medical school. What do I.do?
If you have plans for Med School then the “prestige” of your undergraduate education does not matter.
Depends upon the schools involved & what you plan to study.
If you are a National Hispanic Scholar, then you should be eligible for a full tuition scholarship at Arizona State & at the University of Arizona and several other universities. Which schools are you considering ?
Seems like your hand is forced because your parents cannot afford to pay for an expensive college. Parent finances and choices are the most important factor in college selection for most traditional college students.
Also, as a pre-med, you want to avoid debt and save money to pay for medical school application costs and then medical school itself. Also, the pre-med extracurriculars will take up time, reducing your ability to work for pay during school and the summers.
But do investigate the full ride schools for suitability for your backup plans. All pre-meds need backup plans, because many will be weeded out, and most who get to applying get no admissions to any medical school.
Also, Rice University may offer some merit money in addition to its reasonable private university tuition.
Since you have two siblings in college, you may qualify for financial aid.
Those and the University of Alabama. University of Alabama Huntsville will give tution and room + board. Also, some money for books etc. I would probably also get some scholarships at my in state schools. My parents don’t really want me to “settle”. They say I have worked too hard but I am seriously considering it. My scores and grades are decent and I do have some hooks so I would probably get into a selective school. I know it’s not a given but a strong possibilty.
Don’t overthink it bro. Go to the school that gives the most money. Get good grades and smash the MCATs. You will get into a top notch medical school even if you come out of, say, Cal State Dominguez Hills.
There are additional schools that would provide tuition but not room and board.
Again, naming the specific schools might yield better responses.
Yikes, never thought I wouldn’t make it. Always told if I keep pushing myself, getting to medical school will happen. Got to come up with plan b.
Lots of very smart kids chase money. I think Alabama has about 150-160 NNF kids a year. My DS is talking to a young woman that passed on P for the money. Two years ago someone from his school passed on S. Lots of others pass on the money to go to a better name brand. I think one difference with you is the comments about loans and retirement. It is a tough choice even if you have the cash in the bank. If you have to borrow or raid retirement accounts it is easy.
My parents would do it for me, but question is should I let them. We are not poor, but definitely middle class. They keep mentioning the network of the selective schools. Is the network worth it?
By the way, going to Rice would be awesome! The non-selective schools are way below Rice in reputation but getting in is not a given.
Network won’t matter unless you decide to nix the Med School thing and go into Business. Even if you decide to get a PhD in the sciences, going to a less prestigious school will not hurt your chances of getting into a great grad program
You aren’t “settling” you are being financially responsible & giving future you more choices. All of the schools you are looking at will prepare you well.
If you actually get an MD? Then no. Do you know(or care) where any of your physicians went to undergraduate?
You will have many good affordable choices. Have you considered guaranteed admission programs?
This one at Rochester does not require MCAT.
https://enrollment.rochester.edu/combined-degree-programs/rems/
@Tigerkat - Run the Net Price Calculators for several places with your parents. What do the results look like for the “selective” institutions that they think you should be looking at? Will the merit and/or need-based aid bring the cost down to something that is affordable?
You think that your parents are willing to go out on a limb for your education, even though they weren’t ready, willing, and/or able to do that for your siblings. Are you a significantly better student than your siblings? Have your parents’ finances changed since the first sibling headed off to the State U? What will your siblings think if your undergraduate education ends up costing $$$$ more than theirs did?
Pre-med students are more alike across the board than they are different. Rice looks awesome to you right now, but your pre-med classes just about anywhere you study will be full of “Rice-quality” students who either didn’t think to apply to Rice, applied but didn’t get in by a hair, or got in and chose college/university X instead.
Most of the schools would put me in their honor colleges. Was interested in Barret (Arizona State?) because it’s well rated. Do honor schools have any advantages or just more work?