Is a "top college" worth it?

Applying to College
41

Have you done any doctor shadowing? Our local HS does a great job setting up shadowing.

When you look at schools consider the medical opportunities on-campus. This is where a school like Pitt shines. Several hospitals and clinics on campus. Research opportunities galore. They’re always in top 10 for NIH funding.

Case is also very good for the same reasons. WVU also has a teaching/trauma hospital on-campus. WVU would be dirt cheap with your stats.

Also look at Honors programs. Some have specific medical guidance AND provide recommendations for med schools. Pretty much all schools provide med school guidance. Some do much better than others.

Not an MD but know many medical professionals including family. Minimizing debt is huge. My wife’s BF is an OB/GYN. She’s retiring soon. Had enough which is a shame because she’s an outstanding physician. The world could use more. Good luck.

Also, not sure why you’re taking ACT again. 35 will get you where you want to go.

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42

Most colleges do not guarantee to meet full need based on the FAFSA. Most actually don’t guarantee to meet full need for all…period.

Your EFC for any college that doesn’t guarantee to meet full need for all accepted students should be viewed as the minimum you will be expected to pay yourselves.

If you are using the net price calculators to figure out net costs at your colleges, that will give you a closer estimate of what your net costs will be at each school.

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43

Of course, with the divorced parents, be sure to check whether the college requires both parents’ financials before using the net price calculator. If it does, you need to include both of their financials in the net price calculator.

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44

Most private colleges in the OP’s academic range pledge to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all accepted students.

45

Based on their own definitions of “need”. Many of them will require four parents’ income and assets, putting the OP in a disadvantageous situation for determining “need”.

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46

Agreed in definition but in practical terms we have all experienced that colleges determinations of “full demonstrated financial need” doesn’t always align with actual family expectations, wants or requirements.

OP I would encourage lots of communications with both parents (particularly given family dynamic) to ensure everyone is on the same page.

To your original question top colleges are arguably and demonstrably worth something but whether or not that value is “worth” it depends on the individual and the circumstances. Either way you will have the opportunity to succeed. Good luck.

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47

Another thought, would you be able to graduate a year early from U Arkansas with the AP credit and a few summer classes? What about some of the other publics that were mentioned? Did you look into the schools that give free or nearly free tuition for NMSF and NMF?

Since med school now is highly unlikely without work during a gap year or two if you could graduate early and save more money and possibly work in a medical field for a year or two that would help your application for med school and further reduce the amount of money spent on undergraduate and leave more for medical school which is even more expensive.

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OP would have to manage this closely/create a detailed plan with their pre-health advisor. @WayOutWestMom can give the details on med schools and how they view AP credits, requirements for higher level classes where AP credit was given, etc.

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49

I was thinking non premed requirements. I did this way back in the early 90s. Had math, humanities and a few other classes done and took organic chemistry over the summer. Took all science requirements at college and graduated in 3 years and was admitted to multiple med schools but I know med school is a whole new world now.

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50

To OP’s original question, it sounds like schools using the CSS Profile (often required by “top colleges”) will be likely to identify far more resources than OP can actually access, due to the non-custodial parent situation. If so, these schools will require substantial debt to cover the gap btwn demonstrated need and actual resources, and I would say that it is not worth taking on huge undergrad debt for a student interested in medical school. OP is wise to look for merit opportunities.

Along those lines, what about Baylor? I know the idea was to get out of the South, at least in part - but Arkansas seems to be a possibility, and I would say Baylor is less “Southern.” Well-known for both pre-med and music. Offers a small number of true full rides and also a decent number of full-tuition merit scholarships, all of which OP would be competitive for. SMU and TCU would be other possibilities for similar schools with merit, perhaps not quite as generous as Baylor but less overtly religious if that is an issue for OP.

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51

AP credit for pre-meds is complicated (and not all medical schools look at it the same way): FAQ Pre-med courses, AP/IB/etc. credit and college/DE courses, etc.

52

You’re asking a lot of the right questions. I would suggest filling out the Net Price Calculator (NPC) at Vanderbilt, Wash U., and Williams. If those schools don’t get into the $20-25k budget, then you can ignore all schools that don’t offer merit aid.

Have you thought about UL-Lafayette as an in-state safety? Your stats would get you their top merit aid package, which would essentially be a full ride (tuition, room & board, and an on-campus job if you want it…research a likely possibility). It has less than 14k undergrads, compared to the 31k of Arkansas.

Also, familiarity can breed contempt, but I would also suggest at least touring LSU and its Honors College before eliminating it. Ditto with Tulane, as I think you’d stand a very decent chance for a full tuition scholarship coming from Louisiana. (Are you in the New Orleans area? If so, then there are even more options for $ at Tulane.)

If you like Arkansas, you may want to check out Hendrix which has a flagship match program.

If you’re a National Merit Semifinalist and like mountains, check out West Virginia University. I think you would get at least free tuition there. This post talks about where to find those scholarship details, and that whole thread is very informative about the school in general. There are about 20k undergrads at WVU, so about 1/3 smaller than at Arkansas.

I’d take a look at Washington & Lee. It’s an academically strong school near the mountains in Virginia. Only about 9% of students without need receive merit aid, but the average merit aid package to those students is over $48k (source). Although there is a significant portion of students who participate in Greek life, because it’s such a high proportion, I have been told that Greek life is not at all like the stereotypical one. @DramaMama2021 or @cinnamon1212 might be able to shed more light on this, if W&L is of interest to you.

Two other academically strong schools that you might want to investigate are Furman and Wofford, both in South Carolina. You may also want to take a look at Roanoke, UNC-Asheville (North Carolina’s public liberal arts school), and Appalachian State. I suspect you’d be very competitive for their most generous merit aid offers. A bit further from the mountains, but not too far, is Davidson in North Carolina, another strong academic institution that offers generous merit aid to the approximately 6% of students without need who get some (average of over $40k)

A definite reach for sufficient merit aid would be at Colorado College. This is another academically strong school with very little merit aid, making it a big reach (due to difficulty of getting sufficient merit). There is a small handful of full tuition scholarships for STEM students that you can apply for, though (source).

Looking for big, easy merit aid, some other schools you may want to consider if you get National Merit Semi-Finalist status are: U. of Louisville (16k undergrads), U. of Maine (9k undergrads), and perhaps others. If you’re a finalist, take a look at U. of Kentucky (22k undergrads), Alabama (32k undergrads), and others.

Arizona has dry mountains rather than the verdant green of the Appalachians, but if they appeal, check out U. of Arizona (well-reputed honors college and very generous merit aid, but a big school), U. of New Mexico (15k undergrads), and/or New Mexico State (11k undergrads). U. of Wyoming only has about 9k undergrads, and you’d get into budget for sure based on its merit table (source).

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53

If you want to save money during undergrad it will be hard to beat LSU. They are not very transparent on merit but they give a good bit. With your stats LSU will be almost free for you between TOPS and merit. Honors college dorms are new and it seems to be a good program that makes the school feel smaller.

Rhodes has a good reputation for pre med and works closely with St. Jude for internships etc. but might be hard to meet your budget.

Tulane has some competitive full tuition scholarships just for LA residents but they are still hard to get. Many pre meds there with good advising. But the partying is real (and intense).

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Vanderbilt is one of the few prestige privates that usually does not require non-custodial parent finances for need-based financial aid. Chicago is another. Princeton also requires only the custodial parent finances if the custodial parent has remarried. @elise123 can use their net price calculators with only the custodial parent household finances.

WUStL and Williams require non-custodial parent financials. When using these colleges’ net price calculators, @elise123 must include both parents’ household finances.

(Colleges’ financial aid pages are linked above.)

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55

Colorado College has an unusual academic calendar, where students take one course at a time for 3.5 weeks (8 courses / blocks during the academic year), instead of the more usual two 15-week semesters where students take 3-5 courses per semester.

56

Some more knowledgeable people can chime in but I would think a high stat student from Louisiana would be very appealing to schools looking for geographic diversity. Maybe not HYPSM schools but some just below that. Especially in the Northeast or PNW.

Pitt would be a good application. Apply early. You would be competitive for Honors and Chancellor’s scholarship. Also medical school GAP. WVU would be under $20k. Maybe less.

Add Emory as a reach. Ohio State has some good scholarships and honors program. Maybe UAB as a safety. They get a fair amount of research money.

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57

May be appealing to an admissions reader, but not to a financial aid reader looking at the financials of two divorced parents plus two step-parents.

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58

What about merit? Honors programs? Some honors programs include merit.

Since FA might be problematic for OP she’s probably hunting for merit.

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Schools “just below” HYPSM (presuming you mean in admission selectivity) are not the best places to look for merit.

60

So what are some better schools OP should consider for merit?

I was thinking Johnson at W&L. Cornelius at Vanderbilt. Jefferson at UVA. Emory Scholars. Stamps at various schools. Not quite HYPSM but excellent schools. I’m sure there are more.

Granted, they’re hyper competitive but she would be in the running. I’m sure they get many applicants from NY, NJ, and Cali. Not so many from Louisiana.

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