Hello!
I am planning on transferring to a LAC in Spring 2020 from a small CC.
FINANCES: This is the end-all for me. My parents make appx 120k/yr but can only support >10,000/yr if that. So I don’t qualify for need based aid, but am in desperate need of merit based aid.
Stats:
I have taken approximately 70 credits, almost exclusively STEM classes. I have a cumulative college GPA of 3.95. EC’s include volunteer work on campus, and working in the tutoring center on campus as well as serving as Vice President of Student Government Association. I also have demonstrated 2+ jobs worked at all times throughout my college career, an internship at a PT clinic, and work as a ER medical scribe. Furthermore, I am in the process of collecting LOR’s from several profs/department heads at my CC. With this being said, I consider myself a strong applicant, but even if Cornell accepts me, I won’t be able to pay. For this reason, and the need for UG research, I have starting looking at small LAC’s with lots of merit based aid.
So far, I am considering Rhodes College, Oberlin College, Birmingham Southern College, Illinois College, and Beloit College. Although I am still researching.
Does anyone know of any LACs with lots of merit based aid that have strong STEM departments and are suitable for a pre-med plan? Born and raised in PA, but if a college meets my criteria and will pay most/all my expenses, I have absolutely no reservations as to where I go (cold weather preferable lol).
In essence: The priority goes like this:
AID
Research and pre-med considerations
Location, size, experience
Any and all feedback is appreciated! Edited out name
ED
Getting a net price <10k on merit alone is going to be very difficult For example, Beloit has a maximum merit of $35k. That still leave $25k+. I also haven’t seen anything near that level at Rhoads or Oberlin. You need to understand if any of these stack merit and financial aid. At 125k income, you may be eligible for some FA. But if they don’t stack it will not help you.
Agreed, this will be nearly impossible. But also, I didn’t know that stacking MBA and FA was something that only certain schools allowed. Thank you for the info, this will have to be another criterion to consider.
One big issue is that not many colleges give merit to transfer students. Honestly, your best option might be an instate U. Getting into med school is all about high grades and a great test score.
Check the PA state schools. They won’t give much aid but their sticker price would be lower. Do you have local options. If your parents can give you living expenses on top of paying $10k to tuition, Direct loans of $6500 and student job of $3500 puts $20k towards tuition.
You have a quadruple whammy in that there are few schools that have a lot of merit. You need more financial aid than your EFC supports You are a transfer student. Merit and need rarely stuck.
The other route I would take is looking for very low cost colleges, that have very little name recognition.
Look up -google. “Cheapest Colleges”. Minot State for example can be a go for under $20k.
$120K/year income is well below the need-based aid ceiling at many “full need” colleges for 1st year students, but whether they offer enough to transfers (and assuming you can get in) is another question. IMO your safest strategy is to focus on local public colleges within commuting distance. Toss out a couple applications to more selective reach colleges if you like but don’t count on them.
Also ask about articulation agreements between your CC and your state flagship; run the online net price calculators on these and any other schools that might interest you.
You might have done better starting at a high merit four year school instead of starting at a cc TBH. Since you can’t have a redo, I highly suggest going to the advising office of your cc and seeing what schools they suggest. It’s possible they know where certain kids can go and do well financially the same way (good) high school counselors know (or at least know where there are reasonable odds of getting X with certain apps).
ETA: The first sentence is written for anyone reading who can look forward, not to make you feel badly about your choice in hindsight. Part of the benefit of these threads is how much they can help others coming behind.
Thanks! and no harm no foul. I have often thought that. But with that in mind, I was a very weak applicant right out of highschool so I wouldn’t get anything merit on that end.
You might have to adjust your thinking around pre-med. There are many, many parents who don’t want to pay a large amount for their kids but if they don’t it’s on the kids to either borrow, work or change schools. Does your state offer a low cost state alternative for CC transfers? Many do. And many kids go from a state U, or a state honors program to medical school.
Or adjust your career plans. Have you thought of going the physicians assistant route and working to save money and go to med school that route? There are so many routes in the medical field and not all lead to med school. But many are very valid and will offer a great career. I’d also suggest jumping into a full on program before deciding on med school. A CC is likely not going to be as academically demanding as a pre-med program. Make sure you can handle the workload before tying yourself into a strict plan.
Gotcha - and kudos to you for doing so well in cc! Working in a high school, I enjoy hearing stories like yours where someone who didn’t do so hot ended up doing quite well once they found their focus and footing in life. It sounds like you will be a strong applicant.
Definitely talk with your cc adviser to see what schools they recommend. They ought to know what schools offer merit aid to transfers (often state schools, but there could easily be some privates too). A successful med school applicant can come from pretty much any college so the one you attend won’t hold you back. Just keep doing what you’re doing once you transfer.
It is easiest to get merit aid as a freshman.
I would look into the LACiest public PA schools so as to reduce the price.
But also check out Ursinus…they seem to give merit scholarships to transfers.
Check out Washington and Jefferson. Good outcomes for med school acceptance and generous with merit. My d just transferred to Susquehanna with great merit. Also offered excellent merit at Wheaton in MA.
With 120k income, assuming matching assets, you’d be eligible for financial aid at Cornell (apply to CALS!) and other full-need schools even if being a transfer definitely complicated matters.
Run the NPC on women’s colleges if you’re female, and on top 40 LACs.
After running the NPC, apply to only those that offer the lowest costs for your financial situation, keeping in mind it may not be as good for transfers but it certainly won’t be better so any npc that returns “bad” results allows you to cross out one more name.
There should be a CC->PASSHE path. West Chester is your best bet for a relatively good and relatively cheap university. Bloomsburg perhaps.
Outside state schools, Temple?
Seconding Truman state.