Good luck to you! Take your time, collect your offers and compare them. Hopefully, one of your offers will hit the sweet spot!!! Let us know where you decide to go if you remember. We are all rooting for you.
@proudmama2016 So sweet, thank you! I will surely consider this as an option, a degree from a stronger school will definitely help me in my future endeavors 
@naviance Thanks! I’ll gladly keep this thread open to more advice, and to share an update in the future! I know in the coming months I’ll really sit down and holistically analyze my offers. I’m excited to see where this new road takes me!
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conflict is whether or not Cabrini can prepare me enough to do well on the MCAT. I’ll continue my research on the school, but I’m at a crossroads here.
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No school, NOT EVEN HARVARD, prepares students for the MCAT… that is why you may be looking for something and risking big loans for something that does not exist.
Premed prereqs are just basic low level science courses that virtually every college will teach well enough for MCAT science needs.
What are your stats? If they’re high enough, maybe a school like UAB would offer you lots of merit. They’re still awarding. At least at UAB there would be plenty of research and the school is very strong in sciences. My son went to med school there.
^ op is a lower income student who applied to full need schools. That’s why they should sit tight for now and wait till acceptances and financial aid packages are announced.
@mom2collegekids Thank you, I see your point that there really is no one school that can prepare you for the MCAT. My stats are decent GPA UW 3.4 W 4.28 SAT 1250 (on the low side) several EC’s, AP/Honors courses etc. My only issue is that my family makes less than $30k after taxes, I’ve come to realize that OOS is not an option for me, as much as I wish I could afford it.
@MYOS1634 I’m going to have to agree, unfortunately I just can’t afford the loans. Heard back from UVM, financial aid as expected is very low, it will cost me about $29,763/yr, which nearly matches our income…I’ll continue to wait and hear back from all schools and remaining financial aid packages.
Uvm doesn’t meet need. It was never going to be affordable. Dickinson and northeastern meet need, although for Northeastern they’d probably only admit if you’re URM as well as first gen. Dickinson is more likely if you’re first gen as it’s a criterion.
If push comes to shove, you can go to Cabrini, bank your federal loans,m (take the freshman and sophomore lines and put them in the bank, basically) and transfer to Temple for your last two years.
So, Cabrini is your safety. You’ve got a college for next year. Now you sit tight and wait till your full need colleges come back with an acceptance and a FA package.
@MYOS1634 If my mom went to college as an adult (38-42), not out of high school, does that still mean that I’m technically not first gen, aside from her no one else has gone to college?! Just curious…
It’s not going but graduating from a 4-year college. It’s up to the college to decide whether that counts but typically if your mother graduated from a 4- year college you wouldn’t be first gen.
Cabrini U is accredited by the MSCHE, which is good. You want that top-level regional accreditation.
In terms of purely educational and cultural opportunities, I see UMass-Amherst as the star of your group. It is a member of the Five Colleges with Amherst, Smith, Mt Holyoke and Hampshire College(s). This means you could enjoy some of the courses and culture those other schools offer.
It’s a tough call – on the one hand you have no debt but a less known school and probably fewer research opportunities, and on the other hand you have schools that would leave you with some debt but are much better known and likely offer more research and other opportunities.
It’s impossible to say if Cabrini’s teaching and classroom dynamics are worse than they are at UMass (and the other Five Colleges, which feature small class sizes), Temple, UVM, UDel, Drexel. Look at class sizes, admit stats, and the percentage of full-time profs with terminal degrees in their fields, for a few clues regarding quality.
Cabrini is accredited, though, which is something at least.
@prezbucky Thanks for the insight!! I’ve definitely kept in mind the importance of educational and cultural opportunities. I am still awaiting my financial aid package for UMass, but if it is anything like UVM I know I can’t afford it.
UMass doesn’t meet need even instate. It’s not as stingy as UVM but it’s likely way too expensive. (Your list has a LOT of public OOS universities that don’t meet need 
but what’s done is done). Perhaps Temple will come back with merit money and the fly-in-4 promise scholarship (you’d qualify, being lower income) but I’m guessing you’d get a similar package transferring from Cabrini, which would be cheaper.
@MYOS1634 Yeah in hindsight I wish i would have applied to more colleges that meet need. I knew OOS would be more expensive, but didn’t think it would be by this much. Either way you live and you learn
What’s a 4-4 school? My D’s college’s profs primarily teach but she does research (paid) all year long.
@Elly710 - Dickinson sounds promising, if that works out you’ll have a great choice to add to Cabrini and WC!
@OHMomof2 Don’t know what a 4-4 school is either?! But Yes! I have come to realize that Dickinson is a good bet, very happy I applied last minute!! Hopefully I can get in with good merit & aid!!
@MYOS1634 and to everyone: Just heard back from Temple University for my financial aid, must say I am a bit shocked. With federal loans taken into account, it will cost $19,188/yr. Without loans $24,688/yr… I knew Temple was going to be expensive, but not this expensive + it’s in state.
@Elly710 Temple was my daughter’s first choice last year but she received no institutional financial aid from Temple. Even with maximum Pell and state grants, the cost was too high for our $0 EFC family. She asked for reconsideration of her financial aid award and never even received a reply. She is now a freshman at West Chester.
You didn’t even get Fly in four? Call/email your representative about it.
@kidzncatz Thanks for the insight! I am also considering West Chester as a more affordable option. Spoke with financial aid office, and should receive aid decision early next month. How does your daughter like West Chester?!