<p>I have been accepted at Stanford (net price will be about $45K per year). I have also been accepted at Washington University in St. Louis, which offered me a scholarship that pays the full tuition.</p>
<p>I am interested in medical research, chemistry, and public health. I know that these are two great schools and a great problem to have. My parents are middle class and have saved enough to pay up to half of Stanford's cost. But a full tuition at WUSTL, a school that I also like, is tough to pass up.</p>
<p>Please give me advice, I don't know what to do!</p>
<p>First of all congratulations on getting into two great schools! I would go with WUSTL for two simple reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>It is an awesome school, and great for premeds. They offer good premed advice too.</p></li>
<li><p>You can save a substantial amount of money which you will definitely need for medical school.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You simply cannot go wrong with WUSTL.</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>Go to WUSTL. That financial cushion could allow you to pursue uncompensated summer internships or research opportunities as an undergrad. Med school and residency are painful enough without having a ton of debt.</p>
<p>(Yale undergrad, UCSF med)</p>
<p>Time to make a deal with the 'rents. Parlay the UG savings to med school. Go to WashU.</p>
<p>oh god, I can’t imagine recommending that someone turn down a free ride to WUSTL, unless you REALLY REALLY prefer Stanford.</p>
<p>I’d say go to Stanford. But, listen to curmudgeon and my$0.02 because they’ve been there done that.</p>
<p>If we’re talking about a $170k difference, you pretty much have no choice unless you are ridiculously wealthy. Go with WashU. This one’s easy.</p>
<p>Your WUSTL scholarship may come with “golden child” privileges that you wouldn’t have at Stanford: improved access to courses, special mentors, honors housing or guaranteed summer funding.</p>
<p>There may be pro’s of Stanford pre-med program, but none are truly significant and worth $170K. </p>
<p>In private practice medicine, undergrad prestige impresses only those who are easily impressed. Med school and residency reputation have some value as proxies for competence, but actual competence trumps all.</p>
<p>Go WUSTL-save all the money you can as medical school is one expensive propostion.</p>
<p>And congratulations! And may all your choices be equally tough.</p>
<p>Stanford only requires undergrad parents to pay what they are “able to pay” unless the parents have assets well above 1 million. So the choice is really between the parents not having extra money for a new car etc., over 4 years, or offing that new car cost to their child in the form of student loans, or sucking it up and paying for Stanford over WashU and not buying a new car for 4 years.</p>
<p>That said WashU is an excellent school, best mock trial team in the country, and a top academic education. However, the real question is which school would you choose if money didn’t effect the choice, because money really doesn’t.</p>
<p>and curmudgeon’s opinion is rather pointless because he doesn’t value paying for any important life development or milestone events for his child, his daughter’s wedding he stated he will not pay for, nor a top undergrad school such as Yale. Now if the school offers to pay he puts a high value on it, that’s really a poor value system.</p>
<p>lol Don’t feed the ■■■■■. I’m good. I obviously have a stalker. How gratifying. It’s nice to be remembered, however imprecise that remembrance is. ;)</p>
<p>St. Louis has a bunch of hospitals. This will open the door to many other opportunities, and maybe even an undergrad internship. </p>
<p>Chance me on getting into WashU through my profile…</p>
<p>I’m in pretty much the same situation as Heirlooms. Stanford would be about $49k this year and judging by their net price calculator about $30k per year for the next three. Washington University in St. Louis also offered me a full tuition scholarship.</p>
<p>I’m not exactly sure what I want to major in yet, but if I had to make a decision now it would probably be engineering. Basically, my parents can help me pay for undergrad, or graduate programs. But since I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet, I’m not sure if I will be going into a graduate program. My question is, does Stanford open up so many more opportunities that it’s worth all that money?</p>
<p>As of now, I’m leaning toward WUSTL, but I’d like to hear some other opinions! So please advise!</p>
<p>Stanford has a large and prominent athletics program with 35 varsity sports teams, 300 athletic scholarships, 800 intercollegiate athletes and 100 coaches and assistants.
See [Cardinal</a> Athletics: Stanford University Facts](<a href=“http://facts.stanford.edu/athletics.html]Cardinal”>http://facts.stanford.edu/athletics.html)</p>
<p>Stanford does not offer academic merit scholarships.</p>
<p>WUSTL has small, successful athletics program with no athletic scholarships.
See [Division</a> III Washington University passes up big money, big problems](<a href=“http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/811.aspx]Division”>Division III Washington University passes up big money, big problems - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis)</p>
<p>WUSTL does offer academic merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I would argue Stanford does not offer $200k worth of opportunities compared to WUSTL. Stanford probably has more opportunities, and there would be a price point where I would argue Stanford was probably worth it, but at $200k, I don’t think we’re even close to that yet.</p>