Oh, the hard choice.

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>A friend went through the college admissions process two years ago and always talked about how much cc helped her out. I'm hoping that you guys can do the same for me :)</p>

<p>I was accepted to both Pomona, Northwestern's Medill Journalism school, and USC (college of arts and sciences). I was nominated for USC's trustee scholarship (full tuition) and found out today that I recieved it. It was a shock, let me tell you, finding out good news from a slim envelope :)</p>

<p>In any case, this recent development only served to place me into a deeper state of confusion. Before, I decided that either Pomona or NW were the schools for me, and I spent days stressing about which school I was going to attend. I didn't qualify for need based aid and had accepted the fact that I was going to have to pay the full ticket price at whichever school I ultimately ended up attending.</p>

<p>The bottom line: I do not love USC as much as I love Pomona or NW. Don't get me wrong; I like USC, and when I did an overnight there as part of my trustee interviewing process I could slightly envision myself there for four years. I was born in LA, and I always planned on returning to California for college. but I don't love it, no matter how I try to angle it.</p>

<p>I don't believe that I want to be a journalist (my career aspirations change daily) but I will always be interested in writing, and I think an education at Medill would be remarkable and challenging, even if my focus is not entirely on journalism. Pomona is just this beautiful, amazing liberal arts college that would give me the intimate education I've always wanted (and in california!). I have been thinking about attending law school, and I know that both Medill and pomona have decent reputations at sending students to prestigious law schools. I'm not sure about USC--I know it's a ridiculously good, fun-loving and exciting college with an amazing alumni network, but I've never heard anything concerning its grad/law/medical school placement. Either way, I don't believe that these statistics should make or break my decision--I can make what I want from my education--but it's something I think I should consider.</p>

<p>I have no idea what I want to do, but I know that I want to explore my education, write, and continue my music somehow (I play the violin). I also attend a high school where I've never felt too much school spirit, and I have to admit that I would love to attend a school where this would not be a problem and I could fully experience the screaming, genuine spirit I often see at places like USC, NW and Pomona.</p>

<p>I guess I just want your opinions on this. Do I attend a school I only like but save myself 136,000 dollars? My parents have told me that they are only paying for either undergrad or grad, but at this point I'm not even sure what I'll be doing and thus, grad school is only a possibility and not a definite.</p>

<p>any comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks! (and sorry for what I'm sure was an extremely long, loquacious post).</p>

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<p>If your parents are truly okay with the financial side of it, it sounds like you should go to Pomona.</p>

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<p>Not knowing what you want to do=USC and Northwestern are better
School Spirit=USC trumps
In any case, if youre thinking about grad school already, it doesnt matter too much where you go, its what you do there that counts.
If money is an issue for you (your parents dont qualify for financial aid) then I guess USC is out of the question. (unless you got a scholarship)
Pomona is very selective, and to say you graduated from there is nice; I think it certainly carries more weight than to say you graduated from USC.</p>

<p>But because youre an "Undeclared" major, I would say USC. If you can pay for it, that is.</p>

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<p>First of all, I'm completely jealous of your acceptances.</p>

<p>But that IS a terribly difficult place to be in. I've been told to never settle for a school solely based on money. However, I don't know what kind of financial situation you're in. I'll just say this: if I had to make that decision, I'd definitely go for my dream school and ignore the scholarship.</p>

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<p>firewolf: the OP got a full scholarship, so financial isn't a drawback for USC.</p>

<p>OP: normally, I would whole-heartedly recommend USC. Even in your case, I think it's a great choice because it's a great place to go if you don't know what you want... there are so many options. Pomona is also a great school, but it could limit you because it's so small if you decide you want to study something it can't offer. </p>

<p>Honestly, I don't think you could go wrong at any of the schools, but go with your instincts... wherever you felt happiest/most comfortable will probably be your best choice.</p>

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<p>It's so interesting to see the differences of opinions you'll find on different boards of college confidential. Here, we see some people recommending that you reach for your dreams. If you were to post this on the parents' forum, however, I would bet money that they would wholeheartedly recommend USC, as itla_uno has done. Kind of funny how you can tailor your posting location to receive the feedback that you actually want to hear.</p>

<p>Personally, I would go to Pomona. But then, it's my dream school as well, and I'm tangling with a nearly identical problem, either going to Pomona next year or going to my local state u for a fraction of the cost (and finances are certainly an issue). I'd recommend you talk to your parents though, as discussing with them will likely get you the best advice you can find. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I am in almost exactly the same situation as you right now just with different schools, oh, and I do know for a fact that I want to study medicine after I finish my undergrad.</p>

<p>The University of Chicago is, quite simply, my dream school, the place I visited last year and haven't stopped thinking about since. Unfortunately, I have zero financial aid if I decide to attend there and have to pay the entire $50,000 sticker price.</p>

<p>To be fair I think USC is a place I could be happy at, but it is not my dream school, and like you said, I honestly don't know how their pre-med program is.</p>

<p>My parents have basically told me that there is no chance that they will pay $50,000 for me to go to school, so I would basically be on my own in terms of paying back any loans necessary to attend (they would help when they could, but they aren't in a position to shell out that kind of money).</p>

<p>Gosh, I don't know anymore. Dream school and massive debt or school I only like and less debt before medical school?</p>

<p>Just wanted to let you know you're not alone in trying to make these choices. I wish I had the answers, but ultimately no matter what the people on this forum say, you're going to have choose for yourself.</p>

<p>Best of luck to both of us, as well as anyone else currently making similar choices. I hope we all find the path is right for us.</p>

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<p>As a parent, this thread warms my heart. A bunch of kids trying to do the right thing and make the choice between aspiration and fiscal discipline.</p>

<p>Here's another way to think about this... would you prefer to graduate from USC with about $150K in the bank to kick-start your future, or from Pomona with nothing? This depends quite substantially on your financial situation and most people in my circle would pick the former.</p>

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<p>Enigma207 I think the choice for you is a bit easier since you aspire to medical school. Were I your mother (which I am not) I would advise you to save your money for graduate school. Medical school is expensive, really expensive. Why have all that debt for undergraduate school? I know this is hard but when you are older you will have far better perspective about just how much money $150,000 is. Good luck, I know this is a really difficult choice. :)</p>

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<p>OP, I think that going with your heart is important, but make sure your head is a part of it. I think that USC and Pomona are very different schools, in very different locations. I have no experience with Northwestern, so you will have to look elsewhere for that. There are many differences in campus dynamics, and the actual location of the school. Pomona is in much more of a college community, while USC is actually in a city. Money can make a huge difference in your decision, and you should let that be a factor, although not the only one. Make lists with pros and cons, and, if you have to, flip some coins. If, after you flip the coin, you feel sad about the outcome, you probably really want the other school. (Then again, if you feel equally bad with all outcomes, that doesn't really help). Take the time to think through everything, talk with your parents, and work on it alone. I'm sure you'll make a great decision, whatever it is.</p>

<p>Enigma207- I've been a pre-med student here at USC, and I can give you at least a little information about the program here. To tell you the truth, they don't actually publish many statistics, so it is difficult to tell how well people actually do in applying. There is a separate pre-med advising service, and plenty of clubs on campus that support you in this. The classes that you need are easy to find and get into, although they can be very difficult after that. This is especially true with Bio and Chem in your first semester if you didn't take those as AP's. I hadn't, while most of my fellow students had. Thus, I was already a bit behind at the beginning of the class. There are tons of students doing pre-med at USC.
One of the nice aspects is that you don't have to major in anything specific. You can even be an english or philosophy major while going pre-med. USC organizes a group that helps you get hospital experience, and the forms that your advisor at that hospital fill out about you go straight to the board that writes your recommendation to med school.<br>
I must be honest in this, and say that I am no longer pre-med, for several personal reasons. The classes are quite difficult, and a high GPA is needed to get into med school. While the curve is decent, I didn't do well enough to continue. One of the nice things is that I'm still happy here at USC. I've been able to shift my goals, and those are still accomodated within the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. I'm minoring in biology, so that I can still utilize those credits, and I'm majoring in something I enjoy more.<br>
As in any school, there are ups and downs to the program. I feel that USC does a good job, but you need to be a very dedicated student to do well in pre-med. Good luck with your decisions!</p>

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<p>Puzzled88, firewolf, jouranalism, itla-uno, luxar, dashcart, collegemom16 and Nikara, thank you for replying to this thread and offering your insights. I took all of your opinions into consideration, and after a lengthy talk with my parents I made up my mind.</p>

<p>I'll be a Trojan next year!</p>

<p>It's strange how I dreaded making this decision but now that I have, I'm overwhelmed with excitement and only feel a slight twinge of regret. I'm sure that if I had chosen Pomona or NU, I would be absolutely burdened with the regret of not choosing USC, and I honestly feel that in my situation, this is the best decision I could have made. I don't feel like I'm settling at all--I'm just taking advantage of the greatest opportunity given to me, and my pro con lists explicitly outline this exact sentiment. I don't have to convince anyone: the academics at USC are top notch, and I know that I'll have a ridiculously amazing four years there. California, here I come!</p>

<p>Enigma, thank you for your post, and I hope that you find a decision that you are completely happy with. The best of luck to you!</p>

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<p>Welcome to the Trojan Family, fenixlo! You are in for an incredible four years! Now enjoy the rest of your senior year, and get ready for a big adventure!</p>