<p>Yeah, so you've might have seen me ask this question before, but I really need a final answer. I've been accepted to both, and now that it's come down to the wire, I really need your opinion on which college I should choose based upon my situation. I chose this section to post in because I wanted reasonable, unbiased opinions.</p>
<p>I prefer to study medicine, although this is not an absolute. I might also want to do engineering/physics. I live about 40 mins away from Davis, and I am very close to my family/friends so it would be hard to move such a long distance away from them. I would really rather spend my undergrad having fun with my friend who was gonna be my doormmate instead of being practically alone at JHU and visit my family and other good friends of mine. Also, I would be looking at $47,000 if I went to JHU (they barely gave me aid), but only around $10,000 at UC Davis. Because of the price issue, my parents have agreed to let me go to JHU, but they can only afford the first year. What would I do after that?</p>
<p>What my final choice rests on is a combination of this and more importantly ** whether or not it really matters where I go for undergrad, granted my preference of studying medicine (not exactly sure), and also the prestige of JHU and the better job offerings that come with it. Is it really worth it to forgo a JHU education because of financial issues and not have as much fun as I would were I closer to home, and also because I haven't yet mentally developed/not yet ready for the real world, etc and pursue a UC Davis education? ** I mean, honestly, 20 years from now, I'd much rather be telling my kids and others that my alma mater was JHU instead of UC Davis.</p>
<p>Given all the information above, I really need valuable, solid advice. So what do you guys think?</p>
<p>P.S. Sorry of this is all over the place and a bit confusing; I just haven't had enough time to think it through.</p>
<p>It isn't worth the debt (assuming that you could actually come up with the money) just to be able to tell people that you went to JHU as an undergraduate. Save your money. Get good grades. Then, go to Fill-In-Famous-Name-Here for graduate/medical school. It really does not matter where you do your undergraduate degree if you are headed to med school. The courses you take, the grades you earn, your MCAT scores, and your letters of recommendation count, not so much the name of your undergraduate college. </p>
<p>Are you saying 47k a year? In that case just go to UC Davis. Besides, you don't want to start raking up debt before you even get into medical school.</p>
<p>If you worry about your being not prepared for the real world and not mature enough, then maybe it's time for you to push yourself a little bit, to leave your comfort zone and take a look at the real world. Even if you don
t take the step now, you'll have to do it later, say after your undegrad study when you are thrown into the working adults' world. You don't want to go into it without any preparation (seems that you think JHU gives you some preparations for the real world, guess that's because of the better internship opportunities?)</p>
<p>But financial issues are important. Try to find someway to finance yourself. Take a loan or something? I'm not sure about that,</p>
<p>If you worry about your being not prepared for the real world and not mature enough, then maybe it's time for you to push yourself a little bit, to leave your comfort zone and take a look at the real world. Even if you don
t take the step now, you'll have to do it later, say after your undegrad study when you are thrown into the working adults' world. You don't want to go into it without any preparation (seems that you think JHU gives you some preparations for the real world, guess that's because of the better internship opportunities?)</p>
<p>But financial issues are important. Try to find someway to finance yourself. Take a loan or something? I'm not sure about that.</p>
<p>I vote UC Davis. And I've taken the opposite position on this sort of debate in the past (a lot of $ to one school, none to the top choice) but it sounds like you're a little more torn about where you really want to be. You mentioned your family and friends, and the roommate you'd have at Davis. I think those are all excellent reasons to stay, not to mention the fact that Hopkins will cost you 5x as much money.</p>
<p>I don't know much about UC Davis (I've been there once) so I can't knowingly compare the two. I went to Hopkins (a long time ago) and both my kids went to Hopkins (relatively recently). I had a little financial aid and my kids had none (I guess I did okay after graduating so I'm not complaining). I can tell you this. JHU was an amazing experience for both me and my kids. You get a hand tooled education from a world class faculty, with world class facilities. The research opportunities are endless. And it is possible to have a very good time there and still do well (contrary to what detractors might say, most students--particularly the better ones--love their years there). I'd be surprised if Davis could provide a comparable experience but, as I said, I really don't know enough to compare them.</p>
<p>Which one to choose is a very personal decision. No one else has the same factors to consider. Is Hopkins worth the extra money? It clearly was to me, but that is also a personal thing. It probably would have been worth it to me if it cost twice as much (but I glad it didn't--its expensive enough!)</p>
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I would really rather spend my undergrad having fun with my friend who's going to be my dormmate....
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<p>And go to a respected UC, a university in the top 50 of the country, and not go six figures into debt, and not be worried about money all through college and beyond. It's not that hard of a decision. Go to Davis, have fun, and come out of UG debt free and worry free.</p>
<p>Yeah, I'd go to UC Davis. At UC Davis you'll likely be one of the strongest students while at JHU (I'm assuming you just got off the waitlist) you probably would be average. Also, if you're gonna have fun at Davis with a nice roommate that's extra reason to stay. Most importantly, Davis is cheaper. The whole thing about "experiencing the world" at JHU can wait. You've got the rest of your life to step into the adult world, don't rush it.</p>
<p>OP, usually people asking for help in making a choice are in love with the expensive school. They're convinced they'll have a better time there, that it's the best possible fit, that the opportunities are just far better. They're excited about going away. They want to hear that yes, it's worth it for them to make the sacrifice and take on lots of debt. </p>
<p>That's not what you're saying at all. </p>
<p>Go to Davis. It's where you want to be, right now. You can get good grades and get into medical school. You can finish up undergrad debt-free and have the freedom to start medical school without having to make payments on $150,000 in students loans.</p>
<p>Hopkins premed here, Go to UC Davis for undergrad, Go to Johns Hopkins for medical school.</p>
<p>Competition at Hopkins is very intense, especially for premeds like myself.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you can get high grades in UC Davis. Don't bother wasting so much money for undergraduate if your ultimate goal is to get an M.D.</p>
<p>True, Hopkins premed may be among the top 3 best premed programs in the country, still, I personally would not have attended if it DID cost that much.</p>
<p>I do know other premed friends of mine who turned down Berkeley and are paying 50K a year for the Hopkins experience. So if you can't afford it, don't put a burden on yourself and on your family.</p>
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In 20 years, Davis might out rank JHU.
<p>If I were you, I'd apply for the Gates Millenium Scholarship, NSA Stokes Scholarship, SMART DoD scholarship, consider JHU's Army ROTC scholarship (I'm actually in ROTC right now).</p>
<p>Each scholarships pays full tuition scholarship. The Hopkins ROTC battalion is great. They offer you terrific training and for those who are interested, they also pay full tuition for medical school as well. I plan to serve as a doctor in the army, I hope to use ROTC to pay for my Hopkins tuition and medical school bill as well. You just gotta find ways to pay for whatever situation you are in. I'm sure I am happy with the decision that I made.</p>
<p>Look into those scholarships, See which one is right for you. I'm in the same boat. I can barely afford it, I'm constantly looking out ways to supplement financing my education and I feel terrible that my parents hae to fit the bill until I graduate from medical school. Personally, I had the choice between Umass and JHU. I cried myself to tears at the though of not attending Hopkins because I had to choose the worst state school (that is not to say UC Davis is bad at all) over JHU, which was unthinkable to myself at the time. Yeah, sucks. There is also Airforce ROTC too at University of Maryland campus nearby.</p>
<p>I highly recommend looking into the SMART DoD scholarship. Annual stipend of 22,000 each year PLUS full tuition scholarship, guarantee summer research internships at research labs across the nation, living allowances, book expenses (books can be REALLY expensive), and you get to work at DoD for a couple of years after you graduate too. Its a great idea for those who want that extra experience point on their med application resume and for those want to get a better chance at applying for med school. From different vantage points, its a win-win situation especiall for those who wish to supplement their medical school education with an army scholarship.</p>
<p>Actually, if you got into Hopkins, you must have done something incredible. The education and experience with other premeds here is unparalleled and I have grown tremendously and matured because of it. Send in your resume and apply for these scholarships. In the mean time, submit your Hopkins acceptance form, attend Hopkins for the first year and depending on whether or not you get the scholarships, attend or do not attend.</p>
<p>That is the best advice I can give you now. I hope you don't accept anything lower any what you want deep inside your heart.</p>
<p>Are there any scholarships I can apply for after my first year at Hopkins? Or what if I decide to transfer to a new school, and begin my sophomore year there. At that time, can I file for financial aid as a transfer?</p>
<p>If I do go to JHU, we can only afford the first year. Are there any scholarships or financial aid I can apply for after the first year, or if I transfer to another scholarship after the first year do they give out scholarships at that new school for transfers?</p>
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If I do go to JHU, we can only afford the first year. Are there any scholarships or financial aid I can apply for after the first year, or if I transfer to another scholarship after the first year do they give out scholarships at that new school for transfers
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<p>You can apply for those scholarships that I mentioned before. As for scholarships that are offered by Johns Hopkins, there are twenty four full tuition scholarships called Hodson Trust scholarships among others for incoming freshmens. Requirements for these are generally really high, reserved usually for valedectorian, high GPAs and such. There are multiple scholarships available for students including, but not limited to the Baltimore Scholars Program, Bloomberg Scholarship, Hodson-Gilliam Success Scholarship, Hodson Trust Scholarship, ROTC (Army) Scholarship, Trustee Scholarship, Charles R. Westgate Scholarship, and the Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Hopkins</a> Undergraduate Admissions :: Fast Facts</p>
<p>As for whether or not scholarships transfer as you transfer schools....YES! Say if your accepted for the Bloomberg scholarship like me, you are required to maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA average. Every single year, you must send your transcript and verify that you met satisfactory GPA conditions in order to renew your scholarship for the next year. Of course, if you choose to transfer from Johns Hopkins to UC Davis your second year, you can notify the scholarship people that you have transferred and they could easily transfer the scholarship for your new school.</p>
<p>YES. If you transfer from Johns Hopkins after your first year, you have to register for financial aid from UC Davis again, fill out the FAFSA forms, and send in updated tax information. In fact you do this everyyear at Hopkins too in order to get financial aid, its something your parents will have to fill out when you apply for transfer too. You should recieve a new financial aid package similar to the one you recieved from Davis if youare accepted as a transfer.</p>
<p>Good luck, try out those full tuition scholarships, I hope to see you next year, I hope everything works out for you.</p>
<p>Absolutely go to Hopkins. Its college you will meet new friends, so staying home to hang around with the same kids from HS should not be a factor in deciding. Money may be, but I bet the Hopkins will more than make up for that extra price tag in the long run. David will not out rank Hopkins in 20 years, Hopkins has developed a very remarkable reputation and it provides a first-class education. The same cannot be said for Davis.</p>