Help me Please

Paying for College
1

<p>I have my heart set on University of Chicago. In fact, I just had my interview today and realized I loved it even more. But the problem is that my parents will only pay for 20,000. They think it is stupid to pay near 50,000 for an undergrad degree. </p>

<p>I want to go to Med. School after my undergrad. I don't know what to do. My parents won't pay for more than 20,000. If my sister gets into dental school, then they are willing to pay 50,000 with loans because dentists make a lot of money so the loans can be made up faster.</p>

<p>You see, my sister attended a private college and couldn't get into Med School. So, I think my parents were turned off by the idea of private colleges because they paid over 30,000 every year for her and in the end, she didn't get into Med. School. </p>

<p>They are willing to pay money if I have a guarenteed spot in Med School with an accelerated medical program. But I don't have a good ACT score for such programs. Plus, if I do attend a program like that, I want to enjoy my college life. My parents say that I'll think differently after I graduate and that I'll say "You know, you're right. Public college is okay for an undergrad."</p>

<p>Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to degrade public colleges. In fact, Chicago is like the only private college I have on my list. I just don't want to attend a university with 50,000 people. I really like Chicago, and my parents' income is to high that I won't get Financial Aid. </p>

<p>Is there anything I can do to get like 30,000? I really want to attend Chicago. I can't picture myself anywhere else. It's wierd, but for some reason, I love it. I just don't want to attend a university I don't like unless it's necessary. </p>

<p>Please help me. Thank you.</p>

2

<p>If you want to go to med school after college, UC may not be the best choice for your undergrad years, unless you are a truly outstanding, motivated student who is going to get great grades at a college where the grades are deflated, and the population is smart and hard working. Though Chicago may have a great % of undergrads who apply to med schools get accepted, that number does not take into account those who started out premed and dropped out because their grades were not good enough. </p>

<p>Chicago does give some merit money, but $30k is a tough nut to crack. Only the very top kids would get that kind of money. If it is your dream school, apply to it, look for some outside scholarships and then forget about it until the acceptances come in. Look for other schools within your budget and check them out. Try to find some that your really like. If you can't find anything you like, take a deep breath and look within yourself, because the problem is there if there is only one college that you can desire. </p>

<p>There are small state colleges for around $20k, maybe a bit more. If you are UC material, you may be able to get enough merit aid to bring the tab to about $20k at those schools, along with some less selective private schools. Your choice is not between Uof Il and UC. Most colleges have way below 50,000 students, so that is not exactly a harsh filter.</p>