<p>Hey, so I am a junior right now and I am looking at colleges that I like. My top choice seems to be Vanderbilt but here are a few considerations. Although my parents can pay for Vanderbilt, they would be reluctant to spend 35K or more a year for four years at Vanderbilt. It would be better for me, financially, to go to Indiana University in Bloomington for college, where I'd have to pay anything from 0 to 9K a year. First of all, do people regret picking state schools because of money over expensive private universities for college later in their lives? Secondly, I want to go to Harvard for medical school for and MD and also for graduate school for a PhD in physics and then Massachusetts General Hospital for medical training. If I intend to major in physics in college and take very advanced undergraduate courses and some graduate level courses in math and science, keep a 4.0 GPA, get near-perfect MCAT scores, have about 800 or more community service hours at a hospital, work in a physics and a biology lab and do research with the hope of getting a few published in some small journals, be the president of five clubs, be nationally ranked in debate, do well in national competitions like being in the top 50 students who take the Putnam exam for math and winning a few national chemistry or physics competitions, and have top-notch recommendations and essays, would my chances of getting into Harvard for medical school and grad school in physics be hurt if I went to Indiana University-Bloomington instead of Vanderbilt University? Please assume I'd do all the same stuff at both colleges.</p>
<p>How do you tell which students receive need based aid at private universities? They are the only ones that can afford to take a semester abroad.<br>
Many families are in your situation. The students from low and high income families end up at the top ranked private universities since cost is not a factor. The upper middle class families receive little help and end up like you. “We could afford it but it will wipe out our savings and leave us nothing for graduate school, or retirement”. Is it worth it?. State honors colleges see this and realize this is their niche, fertile recruiting grounds for top students. State honors programs are full of upper middle class students with Vandy and Ivy credentials.<br>
I think you should apply because you never know how much aid you will get. Don’t limit your options by not appling to private schools. Next April you can see what your options are, sit down at the kitchen table with your family and go from there.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t pay 35K/year for Vandy if there are significantly cheaper options with comparable academics. IU Bloomington is a great school.</p>
<p>The prestige of your undergrad isn’t particularly important for getting into med school. It’s more about going to any respectable school and getting good grades, good MCAT scores, internships, etc. The difference between Vanderbilt and IU Bloomington on a med school app is not significant at all. </p>
<p>Good luck with all those items on your list there… A bit ambitious…</p>
<p>@Pancaked, that offers some re-assurance. Yes, I know those goals are ambitious and I’ll be very glad if I can achieve even 50% of them. @bud123, upper middle class describes my family perfectly and I will definitely see if I can get some aid at the top Ivies (and of course see if I can get in).</p>
<p>I don’t know if you are expecting to receive financial aid, but full pay at Vanderbilt is more like $58k per year.</p>
<p>@lenny2, yes lenny I am aware. I am accounting for the fact that I can live at home for college at Vanderbilt and get a very small amount of aid as per the evaluation of a financial aid officer at Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>Dr.Magic: Please keep your feet on the ground. “Get 4.0 grade average, get perfect MCAT” etc. One step at a time. Do you have perfect grades in high school, and perfect SAT scores? If not, it is not likely to get perfect MCAT. Keep an open mind, and do your best. That is all you can do. It is ridiculous, and injurious to your mental health to shackle yourself with visions of perfection. Relax. Try your best. That is all. Are you from Indiana? There is one of the largest med. schools in the country there (entering class size), and frankly, kids from Indiana have a relatively easy path to med. school. Objectively, IU and Vanderbilt are not at all comparable, but IU may work for you.</p>
<p>DrMagic:OK, I read your original post, and quite frankly, you cannot be taken seriously. You are either posturing, or are seriously out of touch. Harvard/MGH/Perfect MCAT/800 scores/National awards…you left out the Nobel Prize. Why so modest?</p>
<p>@oliver007, I have a perfect SAT and ACT score. As I said, I was just creating a scenario of Vanderbilt vs IU playing a role in Harvard admissions, and I’ll correct: I’LL BE LUCKY TO ACHIEVE 25% OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED IN THE OP. I don’t at all plan to stick to those institutions that I mentioned and was just trying to say that can you still can get into a top 20 USA med school from IU.</p>
<p>Drmagic: I. Seriously. Doubt. It.</p>
<p>Most students are not permitted to live at home–all freshmen live in the freshmen Commons, and most students are required to live on campus all four years. You would have to show very exceptional circumstances to be permitted to live at home, as that is not considered to be part of the Vanderbilt experience.</p>
<p>@oliver007, I am sorry you think its a big deal to have perfect scores, but I studied hard for mine. I don’t care what you think, as you bring a pessimistic attitude to this thread.</p>
<p>DoctorMagic,</p>
<p>Where are you getting your numbers from? If you can commute to Vandy then you would be considered OOS for IUB and OOS tuition and room and board for IUB is around $38K. Even if you receive an IU Excellence Scholarship you are still around $29K. The other smaller scholarships help but not enough to bring you that far down. Not too sure where you are getting the 0-9K. That would be for an instate student. </p>
<p>If you plan to go to med school then it would be wise to take on as little debt as possible. OOS tuition for IUB is not worth it in my opinion.</p>
<p>@DoctorMagic: If you have achieved all the stats above, I highly recommend you to apply to Vanderbilt. Why? Because with these stats you might get the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship that many talented students receive (you might want to navigate several thread to find out more).</p>
<p>The scholarship make many applicants turn down Ivy choice (at least Yale and Harvard for sure :): [Vanderbilt</a> Tops Yale, in a Squeaker - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/envelope-greshko-5/]Vanderbilt”>Vanderbilt Tops Yale, in a Squeaker - The New York Times) )</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>You don’t have perfect test scores.</p>
<p>It’s the PSAT that’s out of 240, not the SAT. The SAT is out of 2400!</p>
<p>@Commodore15, I’m well aware. No where in this thread did I say 240…</p>