<p>I'm thinking of pre-med studies, and I keep reading how medical schools place a great amount of importance on the prestige of your undergrad school. So, assuming that's true, is Vanderbilt "prestigious" enough to impress top medical schools?</p>
<p>Not that true.</p>
<p>Really? Because, unless I get good money elsewhere, I’ll most likely end up at OSU-main, which is no push-over but I was looking for something a bit more recognized (I know OSU is big, I’m saying recognized as in “prestigious”). And these Top-50 schools are all in the 50K> range, which I have no way of affording.</p>
<p>*
I’m thinking of pre-med studies, and I keep reading how medical schools place a great amount of importance on the prestige of your undergrad school. So, assuming that’s true, is Vanderbilt “prestigious” enough to impress top medical schools?*</p>
<p>Where have you read that? As you say you “keep reading” this…so that implies several sources. </p>
<p>As long as you go to a good school, that’s good enough. Go where you can afford to go. If you have the stats for Vandy, then you have the stats for large merit elsewhere.</p>
<p>How much can you afford?</p>
<p>You’re right. My source was CC and I’ve read multiple posts about how you “need to go top-50” to get into a good med school. So I could be entirely wrong.</p>
<p>I’m currently a sophomore, but I have a 4.0 (school doesn’t weight GPAs), have taken the most rigorous courses available (APs are offered to Juniors and Seniors only, but when I graduate I’ll have taken five of the six offered APs at my school). No rankings are reported until second semester of 11th grade, but I have a perfect GPA so I’m tied for first (I’ll likely end up valedictorian). Only taken the PSAT on no prep, got a 191 (as a sophomore), 67 M, 64 CR, 60W. Took the PLAN and got a projected 31-34 on the ACT (I hope that’s reliable haha).</p>
<p>My parents can pay between 20k and 25k a year, as my sister is currently in college, they just paid for my older brother’s wedding, and I have two younger siblings whom they plan on sending to college. My dad’s income bracket is ~150K.</p>
<p>College GPA and MCAT score are more important than the prestige of the undergraduate school. Save the money.</p>
<p>You’re right. My source was CC and I’ve read multiple posts about how you “need to go top-50” to get into a good med school. So I could be entirely wrong.</p>
<p>That sounds like something written in the high school forums.</p>
<p>Anyway…do not go into debt for undergrad especially if you want to go to med school. If you have the stats to get into Vandy AND they give you enough aid, then Vandy might be an option.</p>
<p>And, if you have the stats for Vandy, then you have the stats for great merit at other schools as well.</p>
<p>Frankly, I’m impressed that with 5 children, that your parents can spend that much per child on college with an income of only $150k. I know that’s a good income, but often not enough to put 5 kids thru college. </p>
<p>Are you sure that’s the figure they’ve said? That’s about $500k for 5 kids.</p>
<p>Yes, because my sister is a sophomore at Ohio State and she lives off campus, so her tuition is roughly 9,000 and other miscellaneous costs make her expenses about 15,000 a year. </p>
<p>My younger siblings will most likely end up at a cheap state school (unless they prove to be more qualified than I am haha!) such as OSU, Cincy, or Miami. </p>
<p>So yes, I’m fairly certain my dad is willing to pay 20-25k a year. </p>
<p>Oh and it’s only four kids, because my parents did not co-sign on my brother’s student loans (which he’s still paying back, and he graduated almost ten years ago).</p>
<p>Top tier undergraduate schools do have greater success getting their applicants into top medical schools when you adjust for GPA and MCAT scores (and Vanderbilt is certainly top tier). The raw data to support differing acceptance rates to professional school (especially law school) was recently posted on a Michigan vs. Princeton thread. If you are correct about your parents’ income and willingness to pay $20-25K/year towards your education, then one of those private top-tier schools should be affordable assuming typical asset levels. I agree with mom2collegekids that many parents would find that a stretch with four other kids to educate. You should look at net price calculators for some schools and see if the EFC is comfortable for your family since an admission without adequate means to pay is as valuable as a rejection.</p>
<p>Whether a Vandy level applicant should drop down school tiers to get great merit aid at other schools has been discussed ad nauseum on CC. Unfortunately, your family’s situation is exactly in the tough upper middle class territory to have to make that decision. If your parents made $50K you would get tons of need based aid and if they made $350K then money would likely not be an issue in your decision.</p>
<p>That is exactly the sort of situation I’m in. My family doesn’t struggle economically, which is as much a blessing as it is a curse in college admissions. </p>
<p>Now, these universities that claim to be need blind and meet 100% of aid: would that apply to my situation?</p>
<p>And YaleGradandDad, where do I find college net price calculators? On the college websites themselves?</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is much better than IMHO. Its easily worth the extra money if you can afford it. The Freshman Commons are supposed to be amazing.</p>
<p>Just google “Net price calculator college X”</p>
<p>Here is the one for Yale:</p>
<p>[Yale</a> University Financial Aid > Financial Aid Calculator](<a href=“http://www.yale.edu/tuba/finaid/calculator/index.html]Yale”>http://www.yale.edu/tuba/finaid/calculator/index.html)</p>
<p>Putting in your family demographics, $150K income, $100K home equity, and some savings would yield you greater than a $46K grant package requiring a $3K student job/summer earnings and a net price to your family of under $7200. Not all schools will be so generous but that is why you should run this calculator for each.</p>
<p>Thanks for that. That information is certainly good to hear, as I’ve become increasingly disconsolate towards this whole process, because I feel like I have the credentials to get into some good schools but I won’t be able to pay for them.</p>
<p>The one thing that I hasn’t seen mentioned is that OSU is a great school. Now it may not have the Vandy/Emory/Duke type prestige, but you’ll get a damn good education there, especially if paying in-state.</p>
<p>Be aware that Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Stafford are UNIQUE that they would give that much aid. Using HYPS NPC is misleading unless applying to THOSE schools.</p>
<p>Other schools won’t. They will expect a MUCH larger family contribution.</p>
<p>*Yes, because my sister is a sophomore at Ohio State and she lives off campus, so her tuition is roughly 9,000 and other miscellaneous costs make her expenses about 15,000 a year. </p>
<p>My younger siblings will most likely end up at a cheap state school (unless they prove to be more qualified than I am haha!) such as OSU, Cincy, or Miami. </p>
<p>So yes, I’m fairly certain my dad is willing to pay 20-25k a year. </p>
<p>Oh and it’s only four kids, because my parents did not co-sign on my brother’s student loans (which he’s still paying back, and he graduated almost ten years ago).*</p>
<p>Please ask your parents how much they’ll spend. It sounds like your parents allow their kids to take out loans, so perhaps your sister has student loans. If so, then your parents aren’t paying the full fifteen thousand for her costs…which is less than your estimate anyway.</p>
<p>Don’t assume. Ask them how much THEY’LL spend each year. </p>
<p>??? Are you saying that your parents didn’t pay ANYTHING for your brother’s college costs and he had to take out large loans…yet they’re going to pay a good amount for the other kids? That sounds fishy and rather unfair.</p>
<p>Really, some posters write the lengthiest posts on the most easily resolved issues.</p>
<p>efeens44 – You’re a high school sophomore! Two years down the road, you may not want to be doctor anymore. You may not want to apply to Vanderbilt in two years. Even if you do, you may not get in. To say worrying about its prestige at this point is premature is an understatement. </p>
<p>At this stage, the best thing you can do is to take challenging classes, keep your grades up, and develop strong extracurriculars. It is too early to start thinking about specific colleges, though visiting a few local colleges to get an idea of what you want (urban vs. rural, small vs. big, etc.) might be a good idea.</p>
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<p>YaleGradAndDad may be referring to the following thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1331417-u-mich-vs-princeton.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1331417-u-mich-vs-princeton.html</a></p>
<p>I have not carefully re-read the entire thread, but as I recall, the only posts that supported the above assertion (greater success after adjusting for grades and scores) was #54 and follow-on comments (including YaleGradAndDad’s #63). A key piece of evidence was this:
</p>
<p>This addresses admission from two colleges to one law school only. I do not recall seeing such evidence on CC repeated for many other schools (with clear break-outs of applicant applicant numbers, acceptances, GPAs and scores).</p>
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<p>There’s a lot of good advice and valuable knowledge on CC. There’s also a boatload of nonsense - and not just on the high school forums. It’s not always easy to tell the difference.</p>
<p>Warbler is right about the fact that as a soph in high school, you’re too young to really know if you will want to become a doctor. </p>
<p>That said, whether you have Vandy, or OSU, or other schools on your list, get clarification as to how much your parents will pay each year. Just because your sister’s school costs $15k per year doesn’t mean that your parents will pay $20-25k for you, nor does it mean that your sister may not have student loans as well. </p>
<p>Kids often don’t know all the facts behind these things.</p>
<p>My father is making significantly more money than when my older brother was in school. </p>
<p>My parents pay for my sister’s education; 100% of it.</p>
<p>I am certain they will pay between 20-25k.</p>
<p>And yes, I am interested in other areas, mainly engineering and business. I’m just trying to get a head start because I feel like that’s the best possible thing I can do at this point.</p>