- and 2) are general points not relevant here, where hkim’s major is available at the LACs under consideration, and I haven’t seen wanting sport mentioned anywhere. Size, maybe, and location is relevant and has been much discussed.
I’m admittedly a fan of LAC’s, but I’ll admit that I really do get the appeal of GPPA for HKim. It’s not only the med school admission guarantee, although of course that’s attractive. It’s also the cohort of direct admit peers who are ready to “get down to business” on the path to becoming MD’s, and the program that is geared toward that mindset. The challenges he has faced have matured him and moved him, in a way, past the “exploratory” phase of life and into the “I know what I want so let’s get on with it” phase. I can imagine him feeling somewhat irritated by some of his first-year peers at one of his LAC’s, who would certainly be very bright and interesting young people, but also on the whole relatively privileged and not-uncommonly in more of a “YOLO” head-space about enjoying college and not worrying too much about life plans for at least the first couple years. Now, it’s true that you do only live once and enjoying college is great, but we need to appreciate that this would be a shift of gears for HKim, whereas he might feel like the GPPA students would be more his “tribe,” and the program more geared toward the things he cares about.
I can well imagine the disconnect because I entered PT school as a transfer student who had worked for a few years and was ready to just get it done, and meanwhile the kids in my program who were straight out of high school were making breathless announcements about how the PT club was selling T-shirts this week. (Um, we’re already stuck together in this lecture hall for 20 hours a week - why do we need a club? Have fun with your t-shirts - I’m off to one of my three jobs!) I have no doubt that certain aspects of the college-freshman experience at an LAC would feel frivolous and immature to HKim.
I could equally make the argument that there would be value in shifting gears in that way, and that he could easily opt out of the aspects that he couldn’t be bothered with; I just think his hesitation is understandable, and the reasons the whole GPPA “vibe” resonates with him are absolutely valid.
HOWEVER… I am very much on board with the concerns about hitching his wagon to the Illinois state budget. This is a state that has a track record of throwing low-income students under the bus in lean times, and lean times are coming again. No assurances from inside the UIC program can guarantee anything. Bottom line, I trust any one of these LAC’s to do right by a student who commits today, far more than I trust financial aid that’s funded by the state of IL.
Comparing different experiences aside, this is what settles it for me. The fact that there is also additional depth and breadth of intellectual exploration on offer, as well as an enriching social growth experience and meaningful connections with peers and faculty alike, is gravy. The bottom line is trust that the funding won’t dry up, and I am just not confident that UIC can offer that right now.
One last HOWEVER though… I do think we need to be mindful of how expensive the med school application process can be. HKim might explore whether he can still take some guaranteed loans, even though his package doesn’t require it, in order to have cash reserves for interview travel and application fees (if not covered by waivers). Can always pay them off early if he has the $ still on hand.
@acquapt - I always find yours to be one of the most thoughtful voices I read (if one can ‘read’ a voice) on CC and I weight it accordingly. @HKimPOSSIBLE, take note. (Though I know you always do anyway.)
Please know the April 2020 financial situation is not what the January 2020 financial situation was. The impact on a state’s budget lags a crisis, but the crisis will come. It will be six months b4 the ax falls. . . but it will fall. I’m not trying to alarm you, but I worked for a higher ed agency in my state after the 2008 financial crisis. We lost 20% (!!) of our employees at the system office and funding was down everywhere, including state financial aid, so I speak from experience.
Here’s an article from last week:
@aquapt , my daughter’s NESCAC school gave her a loan for medschool interview travel. That, along with airline and hotel points got her to 13 interviews. Also, low income medschool applicants are eligible for the FAP, where your first 12 IIRC schools application fees are free.
I edited my post above to add a link to an Inside Higher Ed article last week about state budget impact to come, including this quote:
"With uncertain prospects in Congress for even half the $500 billion the nation’s governors say they need to stabilize budgets, many states face budget cuts. And they will look at slashing funds for public colleges.
“Higher education is often considered the balancing wheel of state budgets,” said Harnisch. “And if history is any indication, higher education is going to be at the front lines of the economic fallout from coronavirus.”
Of course, none of us can read the future, but I just don’t want you to think the financial concerns are hyperbole. It stems from precedent. We are old enough to have seen this rodeo before…
Something new to add to UI budget situation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-university-of-illinois-tuition-emergency-fund-20200421-phzx73i6ubcwzm5wo6artciypm-story.html
Maybe I am reading it incorrectly but it seems they are paying themselves with the stimulus money? Just negate the tuition increase and move on.
^the money from the tuition raise was probably budgeted for specific things. They may also be anticipating budget shortfall and taking this as a preventive measure.
It looks to me like what UI is doing is rolling back the planned tuition increase for in-state freshmen and transfers and creating a fund to cover some of the increased need for need-based FA. Out of staters and grad students will still have to pay the increase and prices for all will go up the following year. I would seriously doubt Bowdoin will increase tuition either. They just won’t have to give the money back because they won’t charge it to begin with. I can’t guarantee this but it’s what at least a couple of peer schools are doing and I can’t see Bowdoin being the odd man out, especially when they have such a sizable endowment.
My husband and I both attended our state flagship public U back in the dinosaur days and had great experiences there. Two of our Ds were able to attend a wonderful LAC, one with a full ride scholarship, one with a full tuition scholarship (we felt like we won the lottery twice!).
Advising was excellent, they were both science majors, did lab research starting freshman year, had wonderful summer internships, study abroad semesters, participated in clubs and service activities. They built close relationships with professors, aided by small class sizes with lots of discussion, and were able to get strong recommendation letters when needed.
One D is working on a biomedical sciences PhD. Her boyfriend, who graduated from the same LAC, is in an MD/PhD program. He was also a Goldwater scholar (LACs produce many Goldwater scholars). Med school advising was excellent.
Our other D has been working in a research lab for 2 years, and will be attending a top 10 program for
a PhD in biomedical sciences in the fall (coronavirus permitting…). She was able to publish her research as an undergrad at her LAC.
They had super awesome friend groups, and since many students at LACs live on campus all four years, there was a very strong sense of community.
Ds’ LAC had approx. 3k students and was not anything like their HS experience. They were not coddled or treated like baby birds. Both Ds were challenged and stretched academically and were extremely well prepared and competetive for graduate programs.
LACs are definitely not “less than” for science majors or premeds, and are an excellent choice that would get a top student like @HKimPOSSIBLE into med school, along with a more traditional US college experience.
I do, however, certainly understand the appeal of a shorter time frame to get the MD through the gppa program, as it really is a long haul. My Ds purposefully took gap years before applying to grad programs, because the application/interview weekend process is very grueling and time intensive, and they wanted to focus on senior year at their LAC.
No bad choices here, just different. Wishing you all the best Hkim!!
From another thread, a current student tries to explain Grinnell to an admitted student who can’t visit. I figured it’d help HKim by adding more close up, detailed info.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22753090/#Comment_22753090
“purposefully took gap years before applying to grad programs, because the”
OP already took a gap year, and has indicated, I think, that he doesn’t to take another gap year after undergrad, and I agree that taking a gap year or two is the right way to approach med school. Given that, the 7-yr maybe a slightly better option.
@HKimPOSSIBLE is 1 May your decision day?
I was just thinking about that. It’s the 25th today. Wonder what he’s thinking… ?.
Yes it is May 1st for Bowdoin, June 1st for UIC
Lots of questions coming…
Have you made a decision? If not, perhaps ask Bowdoin for an extension (as well as any other May 1 school still in the mix).
Have you budgeted out UIC to see what your costs would be for commuting, food, health insurance, books and such? Have you spoken with UIC FA to ask what would happen if MAP doesn’t get funded?
@Mwfan1921 I have not made a decision yet, but I am leaning closer to UIC as I had a call with their financial aid advisor. The advisor said my financial aid award would not change regardless of whether I dorm/commute and my external scholarship from my high school would not affect or decrease my award letter and it would be refunded to me to purchase “school supplies”.
With their award letter minus the tuition/fees, I’ll have $2500 or so to purchase books, get a Metra pass, supplies, etc in addition to my external scholarship ($5000).
When I brought up the MAP grant, she wasn’t able to answer, but she said it’s not something they see being jeopardized by the crisis and that being in the Honor’s College and GPPA program she assumes would provide some kind of priority.
I have asked Bowdoin for an extension but at the moment I did withdraw from W&L and Grinnell as I found a hard time convincing myself they’d be a strong contender as Bowdoin was to compare with the GPPA program.
HKim, glad you’ve narrowed it down further. I am not super reassured by these words though: “not something that they see as being jeopardized” and that she “assumes” you would be prioritized. That is noncommittal at best and not a firm guarantee.
You could perhaps be, assuming there aren’t any financial difficulties with UIC, Dr. Kim at the age of 25, or you could perhaps be Dr. Kim from Harvard at the age of 27.
Understand that UIC does want you, no question. But honestly, unless they guarantee in writing that your financial aid won’t be affected, I wouldn’t feel 100% comfortable assuming it won’t happen.
I agree with the above…Illinois has in the recent past not fully funded MAP grants (per @elodyCOH’s post up thread), leaving many students in the lurch. If that were to happen again, OP’s only option would be to cover that with a Federal Direct Student Loan…not the end of the world I suppose, but less than ideal when there are full-rides on the table.
OP, did you find out about the $673 per semester health insurance requirement?
Good luck with your contemplation and decision making. It will all work out as it should in any case.
I think you’ve got enough advice for ten students here. Lol.
Maybe you should just spend some time relaxing off line, getting in some meditation and doing some exercise.
Your answer will come.