Can your parents afford what you are seeing from NPCs? If not, what is your budget?
You have a very top heavy list of colleges. You have financial constraints. You need to cast a broad net that includes places where you are either guaranteed merit aid, or have good potential to get it.
ETA…I went back and read…you are a rising HS JUNIOR. It’s good that you are thinking about all of this.
You seem to have a list of very competitive for admissions schools.
University of Michigan does NOT guarantee to meet full need for out of state students.
Right now…get ready for the PSAT in October. Getting a tippy top score on that could open the door for national merit consideration…and possible scholarships.
Get the very very best SAT or ACT scores you can get. Get the best grades you can get.
Hard to give you solid advice without an SAT or ACT score.
And again I ask…how much can your parents pay…every year for four years…and with a younger sibling in college during the last two years?
Please consider all of this.
So from what it sounds like, to save the most money without compromising opportunity, I should find colleges where I would likely get merit aid, and then from there try to get into a more reputable med school. However, wouldn’t it be harder to get into med school if the college I go to doesn’t have any good research/publication opportunities? And in terms of reference letters, wouldn’t they want references from people who work at more famous hospitals/schools?
In the end, it’s not about what the school has. It’s about what you offer as an applicant. As bgbg4us wrote a page ago:
Not every doctor goes to a “famous” school. If a well-known school is feasible, take the opportunity. Otherwise, you will never regret saving money during your undergraduate studies.
That is not true at all.
@TomSrOfBoston : can you list which universities would allow students to get a degree and take most/all the basic premed classes?
I only know the Arts& Science degree at McGill, which is super competitive, as well as UBC’s Integrated Science.
@Superpatel101 : if your family’s income is in the 60-80k bracket then full need colleges are good bets. Universities with merit scholarships can ALSO be in play.
UMichigan meets need for us citizens whose family makes up to 90k - but not at all for internationals.
@MYOS1634 Well, for example at McGill a major in economics in the Faculty of Arts requires 36 credits in economics courses;
https://www.mcgill.ca/economics/undergraduates/majorminor
That leaves 84 credits in other subject within the standard four year 120 credit program for students from outside of Quebec.
The same for political science;
https://www.mcgill.ca/politicalscience/undergrad/program
At Queen’s University even their triple major economics, philosophy and politics program allows for 36 free electives in other arts and science subjects.:
https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/sites/default/files/ecpp_worksheet.pdf
@MYOS1634 For the UMichigan example, is it the need determined by FAFSA or their own calculation? And even if universities have their own calculation for need, is it every VERY different from the need described in FAFSA?
I believe the U of Michigan full tuition being covered is done by adjusted gross income. @billcsho should be able to explain.
What IS your family income?
Other institutional need based aid is awarded based on the information you provide on the CSS Profile which is required financial aid submission at U of Michigan.