I want my total cost for any school to be under 45k. GW is 39k when commuting and Pitt is 39k. Penn state is 42k (likely wont attend). UTK is 29k.
And you are right. I can afford to go to any of these. I was just considering mason because of the possibility of me transferring afterwards aft 1 rlly cheap year (similarish to cc plan except no guarantee admission). I won’t look to transfer from any of the other schools (obviously). My parents also just wanted me to keep it on my list. Now that i have GW tho, my parents are rlly encouraging that option. I dont have a problem living at home if I’m going to a great school like GW.
Going to GW as a commuter vs. Pitt - go to Pitt. Do you want a college life…or life as a high schooler. Part of college is experience college. You can do so at any of these schools - but not living at home.
Comparing a school where you live to one you commute is not apples to apples. To me, I’d cross GW right off - too pricey for what you can afford.
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What do you mean its too pricey for what i can afford? I just listed the price as being the exact same as Pitt. My parents are wishing for me to go there, the price is not an issue. I would be living at home which would make it the exact same price as Pitt. GW’s room and board is more expensive than most schools (16,000). By living at home and commuting 20 minutes, that reduces a, frankly, unnecessary cost. Passing up an opportunity like this simply because i refuse to live at home just does not make sense. Its an amazing school w an associated hospital right on campus, and I live quite close to it! I appreciate your guys’ advice, but it seems as though i am more so considering the academic aspects and opportunities nearby of these schools than anything else. VT was my top choice bc of its low price point and well regarded academics at the same time. Everyone in VA applies there and many Virginians dream of going there. Anything other than academics is considered a bonus (sports, living on campus, etc). It may seem a bit unorthodox, but I’m solely about the academics and opportunities nearby. Not to mention GW has a solid amount of commuters anyways compared to other schools. What would i lose by doing that? The experience of living in a dorm? Also, UTK does not make sense. It seems to me that theres rlly no purpose in going there other than j leaving home. It is not regarded nearly as strong in the sciences or nearly as prestigious as Pitt or GW. GMU honors, imo, is actually better quality than UTK and is cheaper.
I can attend GW bc of my 14k scholarship. The fafsa loan (5500) just brings the price down more.
OK.
So, I agree that GWU for that price is worth more than GMU as a commuter, although the value of GMU Honors is not to be discounted.
Look at GWU’s CDS
Premeds have a shot at making it through the weedout if they are within the top 25% (it’s one of those “necessary but non-sufficient” conditions).
For GWU, it means a SAT composite above 1440, 750 Math, 720 Verbal.
If that fits, then all is good.
(You can also look at the CDS for GMU, Pitt, and PSU.)
A 20mn metro ride is not too bad of commute and you can rest or study while riding.
HOWEVER you cannot discount two factors:
-
a lot of college life takes place “around” the classes, in particular in the 7-10pm time period (clubs can also meet between 4 and 7 but more rarely because most students have labs, classes, practice…) You’ll have to make sure to join several clubs and groups on campus, some science/med related, some volunteering/community service related, plus anything you’re interested in. You will need to have a commuter meal plan (unless you just pay cash in the restaurants your friends go eat at, since there’s no dining hall, students just hve a plan covering neighborhood restaurants).
Leadership matters for med school, as does volunteering. On-campus involvement + study sessions will be “must do”. You can’t just go home at 5pm. It has to be clear for you and your parents so there’s no misunderstanding (it’s hard for parents to move to “college student parent mode”. :p) -
being on campus teaches you how to be independent, how to make your own choices, how to fix your own mistakes, how to manage your time on your own, in short, how to become an adult in a relatively safe environment v. living at home where, for your parents, you’re their child, a teenager, and that makes becoming an adult harder (in particular you’ll have to make sure they understand you won’t be coming home till 10pm every night, even later during finals).
Freshmen grow by leaps and bounds from living on their own, by Thanksgiving most parents see a “grown” child coming home, v. commuters who are still in HS/live at home mode.
That’s why people here are pushing for you to live on campus or can’t comprehend why you wouldn’t live on-campus if you can afford it (at GMu), although I get that some kids really aren’t ready for campus life and/or need the structure that living at home provides, and most college students simply have no choice, must shoulder a job, taking classes, and commuting – but it’s not the same “whole person growth” for them; many who couldn’t afford it hope to give their children the gift of a residential experience.
Now, go visit both Pitt and Penn State. Pitt will be closest to GWU in terms of urban university, albeit with a more defined campus. PSU will be closest to VTech, with a very large campus nestled in the mountains and lots of spirit.
Don’t forget the Honors tour at GMU if it’s offered to know for sure you don’t want it, and of course see if you can register for an in-person visit at GWU.
And who knows, perhaps VTech will come through…?
Enjoy your visits, and come back here to report your impressions, +/-, about each option. 
1 more thing:
Look into covid plans.
It’s likely colleges won’t allow non vaccinated students on campus and will require masks, but other than that… what have all 4 colleges planned, if anything? How have they handled the past year?
Pitt, Penn State, and GW have stated that they intend on being in person to the fullest extent possible this fall. Penn State has said they plan on phasing into in person classes during the summer while GW and Pitt have both stated that classes will be in person abiding by health protocols. GMU, from what I’ve heard from friends already there, is planning on trying to be 75% of classes in person but they have not given any official word. No schools have given any info on covid vaccine requirement.
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Again, you are missing the point - but perhaps my point is not relevant to you. Do what’s right for you.
But you see college as attending class. I see colleges as attending class but so much more - late night study groups, eating with your friends, taking part in clubs, parties, etc. When you go to school and go home - you miss EVERYTHING. Also, you are saying you can afford with a loan. A loan has to be paid back - and it’s a lot more paying it back than you are borrowing.
They show it as a price reduction in your financial aid form. But it’s deceiving. It is not aid.
But you say you are solely about the academics. In that case, you are still, in my opinion, missing out - study groups, late night with folks who can help you. It’s not just attending class - it’s getting to know people. You will miss out on connections of people you can study with.
Let’s be honest - GW is a fine school - but it’s not Harvard. It’s no better or worse than Mason Honors or any state flagship whether UTK, Nebraska, or anything else. It’s a different school - very city ish - no real campus, no dining halls, etc. I’m not sure I would rate it as better than any other school on your list. Certainly employers or grad schools won’t. They’ll respect it yes. But no differently than any other school you’ve mentioned. It’s not Harvard…not even Georgetown. It’s a solid school and that’s fine.
You seem intent on going to class, not having the experience. Your words said - you’re all about the academics. And by staying at home, I’d contend you’d be missing a lot. But it is your choice and your life.
Sounds like you know what you want - so no need to debate it anymore.
Good luck to you.
One last thing - most/all schools are saying they plan to open and be in person. They have no choice but to say that. It’s purely a marketing statement. If they said otherwise, students would choose to go elsewhere.
I would not put any stock in anything schools put out there. I’m sure they all intend to hold in person classes - but they’ll change on the drop of a hat if they need to.
OK
[quote=“tsbna44, post:50, topic:3510129”]
would not put any stock in anything schools put out there. I’m sure they all intend to hold in person classes - but they’ll change on the drop of a hat if they need to.
One last thought (again) - here’s an analogy - if you go to GWU as a commuter, you are doing take out from a nice restaurant. If you go to a school and live as a student, you are eating at the restaurant, enjoying the ambience, partaking in the fine service being offered. You are getting an experience for your money.
Good luck.
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I understand your concerns about me missing out, but would I really be missing out on the things you’ve mentioned? I can stay on campus as long as I’d like (up to 10 or even 11 PM). I can get my work done on campus, I can go to my clubs, I can do all those things by just staying on campus later. My parents have no problem with it. The things you mentioned are very valid, but I don’t see any of those things happening past 9 or 10 PM. I’m sure my options are not severely limited simply because I live 20 minutes away by metro? Once I’m on campus, I’m pretty much in the same boat as everyone else there. The only time I’ll be away from campus is at night. I believe your concerns and have brought them up with my parents, but after discussing and thinking it over, I don’t really see myself being at a big disadvantage at all. I’m sure plenty of kids who attend GW at the moment would in fact love to commute from their house if they lived close by. The only concern I would have is gaining that full independence (which I’m sure I will have more of as soon as I start college anyways) and making those instant friendships in the dorms, but I’m sure that won’t be too big of an issue if I get involved or get to know my classmates.
Yes, you’d miss out, but since you’ve talked about it with your parents and they understand you’ll be away most of the day, returning home just to sleep and on weekends (partly), I think you can make it work. The fact you’re only a ~20mn metro ride away is also a bonus compared to commuting by car. Finally, since most premeds never make it into med school, GW would probably help you more in finding internships leading to a job.
Do report back after you visit both Pitt and PSU though (PSU is also a career fair powerhouse so it’d help as much if not more than GW in finding a job.)
Update: this week i finished touring Penn State, GW, and Pitt. I enjoyed all of them but none stood out to me as much as GW. I absolutely loved it. It was in the nicest part of DC, half a mile away from the national mall, and was actually way nicer than what I was expecting from a city campus. I liked both Pitt and PSU (PSU’s campus was nicer and i liked the area better). Other than the road right infront of the cathedral and main Pitt buildings, Oakland was pretty rundown. I was honestly expecting better when I went to visit but left somewhat underwhelmed. PSU (although I pretty much ruled it out bc the programs i got into for GW and Pitt were far better) was very nice. It was beautiful and I loved the large campus. However, I loved GW’s campus the most and the public health program there is great. Additionally, the metro was a convenient 20 minute ride and dropped us off right at the GW public health building and hospital. It was amazing.
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Congrats on what sounds like is your decision. Good luck.
Congratulations on making a decision after touring all three campuses and comparing them (Psu really is the closest to vtech in vibe. 
) and for figuring something that works for you financially and personally. 
