Hey everyone! I know a post like this has been made in the past, but I just wanted some fresh opinions.
I got into Brown! And although not my top choice, I totally love the school. I didn’t get any aid and don’t think an appeal will give me aid, so EFC is full tuition. On the other hand, I have a full-ride to OSU, my state school. Also have half tuition scholarship to Case & Emory. We’re a middle class family so paying for Brown will not be easy, but my family has agreed if I want to go, I can.
Basically, my question is, long-term, is it worth it to go to an Ivy (especially if I plan to go to med school)? I really want to go to a T10 med school, so how much of a difference will going to an Ivy make?
Ik med school acceptance is based on GPA and MCAT regardless of where you go, but do the opportunities at an Ivy really make a huge difference? Also, there’s that med school tuition to consider:’(
Thanks ahead of time!
Congrats on getting into Brown , it is a great accomplishment , with that said go to OSU, med school is expensive and so is Brown at full pay, right around 300K. Save your parents money for med school. And you said while you loved Brown it is not your top choice. if you read over these types of threads the advice is mostly the same, med school is pricey go as much into it debt free as possible.
If you have what it takes to get into med school, you can get there from anywhere. An Ivy institution will not give you a boost. In face, it might make it harder for you because it almost certainly will be more difficult to get the GPA.
If you get to college and decide that medicine isn’t for you, which of these places would you like to be at? And, would your parents be happy to pay Brown costs for your studies in something less directly career focused than pre med?
If you have the opportunity to go to Brown, you go. Find a way.
I think that your chances of getting into a top medical school, or of getting into any medical school, will be about the same either way.
I am quite sure that premed classes are going to be tough either way, and that you will find very smart students and very knowledgeable professors in your classes at any of these schools.
Medical school is expensive. You will have plenty enough debt from medical school.
Personally I would save my $$ for medical school, and attend OSU. Go buckeyes!
Case 1: Spend $80k per year on Brown, total $320k. Spend $400k on medical school. Total for all education $720k.
Case 2: Spend $0 on OSU. Spend $400k on medical school. Total for all education $400k.
If your parents can pay $320k (which means that their income/wealth is rather high for “middle class”), then it may be better to choose case 2 so that your debt at the end of medical school will be $80k instead of $400k as in case 1. Much lower debt will allow you more career and life choices, instead of feeling the pressure to choose the highest pay level at every choice.
I go to Cornell and trust me the ivy league clout isn’t really worth it. Just go to OSU.
It’s a no-brainer. Take the full ride. The economic uncertainty could bite you in the butt later if you choose Brown. If a parent gets laid-off, you could lose your source of money. You have a guaranteed source of money in writing for all 4 years at OSU. Plus OSU is a great medical school, and state schools give preference to state residents. That’s, by far, your best shot at medical school.
Also, a “top school” won’t get you into a “top medical school.” Your grades and MCAT scores will. Also, you REALLY don’t need an ivy league med school to be a top doctor. Dr Ben Carson went to Univ of Michigan. Dr Russell M. Nelson (pioneer of heart/lung machine) went to Univ of Utah. I know a world renowned brain surgeon who went to UT-Houston.
Brown’s website states that its COA annually is currently estimated to be $80,448, a number which will surely go up in coming years. That’s over $320,000 in cash.
On the other hand, your expenses at OSU would be minimal, if “full ride” covers tuition/room&board/books/fees-does it?
Brown is an amazing school, but if you have a “full” full-ride, think of all the things that you could do with $320,000+.
And medical school is almost unbelievably expensive, and there are virtually no scholarships/grants; it’s full pay for almost everybody. And if you do go to medical school, the first several years(can be many years, depending on specialty) you’ll be making a nominal salary.
The name of your UG will not get you into medical school; that will be up to you. You clearly have a proven academic track record; apply that to your studies at OSU and save your money.
Re #5: there are a few more scenarios:
Go to each school and then dont get into medical school. Either by dropping out early on due to insufficient grades, or going the whole route and then not getting in.
You can apply guesstimate probabilities for each scenario.
In these alternative scenarios, maybe " ïvy league clout" will turn out to be worth something, after all. Or maybe not. It was worth something to me.
Or you might have just had a different undergraduate experience that you may have preferred. Or not.
There are lots of students at Brown, and at Cornell, who are premed, and most of them probably had cheaper alternatives.
Ironically it’s almost the opposite! Any college in the country can teach the dozen or so courses required to apply to med school. It’s up to you to get good grades, get to know some profs, study for the MCAT, get experience in a health-care setting. Anyone doing this has a strong shot at med school. It’s when you need to network to find a job or want to work in a career where employers are betting on intangibles of their college-grad hire that the Ivy pedigree can help.
Not at 320 K and med school bills after that you don’t.
Getting into Brown is a great accomplishment. If you can comfortably afford it then you should attend.