<p>I applied to both schools as an economics major with a pre-med focus. Now I know Duke has a much much better reputation for pre-med but I'd also like to consider the money factor. Duke will cost around $60K a year meanwhile Macaulay is free with an additional free laptop and stipend. </p>
<p>How is Baruch's pre-med? Is the free tuition really competition for Duke's name?</p>
<p>Macaulay.</p>
<p>Where on earth do you expect to get 60k each year for four years? And even if you can, will you have anything left over to help pay for med school? Truly, this is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>^ Seconded. Unless you have an air-tight plan to pay for everything, take Macaulay.</p>
<p>I don’t know why everyone on this forum assumes that high school seniors seeking advice on their college decision don’t come from wealthy families. If your parents make $250k+ or simply prioritized your college education and saved up for it since you were born, you should be able to comfortably afford Duke at full pay.</p>
<p>If attending Duke will be a serious financial burden, then go to Baruch. Otherwise, Macauley isn’t in the same league as Duke and the investment is worth it. Especially with regards to premed, the difference is even larger between these two schools.</p>
<p>At Duke, you will have access to a top 5 medical school to do research at, the advising will be fantastic and your peers will be extremely accomplished which will motivate you to work hard. I’m a graduating senior so PM me if you have any questions about Duke.</p>
<p>lesdiablesbleus -</p>
<p>In my observation, when a high school senior starts this sort of thread, if indeed money is no object, he/she will state that up-front. The OP didn’t. The OP asked straight up whether Duke at full-pay was a better deal than Macaulay for free. Yes Duke is a terrific institution, but it is very hard to tell someone that it is 240+k more terrific than Macaulay - especially when that person is going to be looking at another 240+k in med school costs. Graduating from Macaulay for free could cut the OP’s overall educational costs in half, and would avoid accumulating any debt for the undergraduate degree. Considering that med school is most often paid for with grad school loans, eliminating undergraduate debt can be key to making it possible to pay down the med school loans faster.</p>
<p>happymomof1-</p>
<p>Well the issue here is that if Duke gave the OP no financial aid whatsoever, then he must come from a family that makes at least $200k or more in pretax income unless they own a lot of property and assets or something which could affect FA negatively as well. So at the minimum the OP’s family makes well into the six figures and hypothetically they could be millionaires. There are obviously many other external factors including number of children the family has, how close the parents are to nearing retirement, how much money they’ve saved, etc. etc.</p>
<p>If his parents can afford Duke at full pay with the realization that med school is on the horizon and not financially constrain themselves significantly, then the OP should go to Duke. The end goal shouldn’t necessarily be to become a doctor, it should be to develop into a well-rounded person and maximize one’s potential in college regardless of what the OP’s career aspirations are. Duke will be a much better place for the OP to do that than Macauley in almost every area starting with stronger academic departments, more accomplished peers, much higher financial/educational resources, more renowned faculty and moving on to the living experience which features a far better residential experience, convenient access to performances/plays/concerts/guest speakers on campus, good dining/fitness facilites and finally the career services aspect which offers great advising, incredible connections with employers, one-on-one assistance in preparing graduate school applications, etc. etc. etc.</p>
<p>You simply cannot put a price on all this.</p>
<p>Even if my parents did make $250K, when factoring in cost of living/taxes, the tuition would obviously make a dent. And it is possible, even as a high school senior, to realize paying that much might be too much to ask of a parent. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice. I was just wondering if anyone is familiar with the pre-med outcome of Macaulay</p>
<p>collegedreamer12 -</p>
<p>It is OK for you to pick up the phone and call the pre-med advisor at Macaulay. That person will be able to answer any questions you have about the program and the numbers of students who are admitted to med school. You also could look for threads by/about Macaulay in the Med School Forum. Here is a link for you: [Pre-Med</a> & Medical School - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-medical-school/]Pre-Med”>Pre-Med & Medical School - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice.</p>
<p>Even if I can afford Duke, is it a good idea to give up a full tuition?</p>
<p>Baruch is primarily known as a business school especially for accounting!</p>
<p>If money is an issue, I would go to CUNY HUNTER</p>