<p>Well I've narrowed down my choices to two colleges and I'm having a real hard time deciding which one to choose. I'm considering UMich and Wayne State Univ.</p>
<p>Here's my situation:</p>
<p>Michigan gave me some pretty good aid. The COA is covered mostly by grants/scholarships except for $5500/yr in loans and a small $500 gap (out-of-pocket cost). Also, if I change my mind about med school or never get in, I think having a Michigan degree would be much better for getting a job.</p>
<p>Wayne State gave me a full ride for NMF (not just tuition; this covers tuition + room & board + books + a laptop, etc). However I am not in their MedStart program. Michigan was my first choice for most of my search/application process, but free undergrad is pretty hard to walk away from especially since medical school debt averages almost $200k.</p>
<p>So my question is this: would a Michigan degree give me enough of an edge (if any) in the med school application process to warrant about $22k in undergrad debt? Or should I take the full ride and save money?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>(and before someone tells me to just search, I have, and the findings have been mixed to say the least)</p>
<p>Are you absolutely 100% sure about med school? </p>
<p>I was going to say that if thats the case, go to Wayne because unless you’re off to HYPSM, I don’t think its worth taking on lots of debt for med school. Then I noticed that it seems like Michigan would leave you only about 24k in debt when all is said and done? 24k for a UMich degree isn’t much, I would say UMich all the way.</p>
<p>The prestige of UW will not give you ANY advantage in the application process, which will be based on your grades, MCATS, recommendations, and inerviews. I imagine there are more opportunities available at Michigan, and more people chasing them. </p>
<p>If you were absolutely positive you were headed for med. school, I’d suggest going to Wayne State and being a star! But if you aren’t sure, then, yes, in non-medical circles it is likely that a degree UMichigan will carry a little more weight.</p>
<p>Wayne state is an underrated school IMO, and if you’re sure on med school it’s not a bad choice. If you’re not, a Michigan degree will get you farther as Wayne state won’t really be known by many people outside of Michigan (and you probably won’t want to stay in Michigan)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t make the decision based on med school. Either school will give you that opportunity. The question is whether you prefer Michigan enough, overall, to make it worth taking on that much debt. Sounds like you don’t.</p>