How convenient is the commute to USC? Seems convenient if you live near the commuter rail, but less so if you have to drive or take a bus.
But that USC net price seems to be quite high even if commuting can reduce some of the cost (assuming USC does not change financial aid for commuters versus residents). Perhaps home equity is the reason (USC counts it).
@ucbalumnus 45 minutes when driving; 2.5 hours through public transportation.
Honestly, I am not a big fan of USC because of LA traffic. I live in the Valley (~30 mi away) and this commute can go from 45 minutes to 1 hr 45.
Only feasible, convenient option would be to dorm there. It seems unlikely I would do so though because it’s very expensive. That being said, my parents strongly urge (basically require) me to apply here and at UCLA because of the close proximity, so I can’t really drop USC.
My info on the NPC is accurate, but USC is known for being bad at giving financial aid to middle class families and is one of the most expensive colleges in the country.
Another question:
Living in LA, home prices are very high. Our home value is $400,000 and we owe $50,000 on the fairly simple 3 bedroom house. Would colleges, when assigning financial aid, consider the geographic expensiveness? In other words, would it be possible to get a better FA package based solely off of the geographical house equity factor?
No one can say for sure, but if the colleges have decent net price calculators, you may be able to reverse-engineer if and how they consider that (e.g. try the same parameters but with different locations with different house prices). But if the colleges have decent net price calculators, what you see now should be a reasonable approximation of what financial aid they will give you for your situation, regardless of what the answer to this question is.
Pre-med at UCs is a bloodbath and research positions are hard to get, but with its dedicated tracks UC Riverside (or UCD/UCSC?) would be better than UCLA or UCSD.
Generally speaking yes you’ll have better odds from a LAC.
Do contact each pre health coordinator on your LAC list and ask where their pre-meds get medical experience.
Experience (medical and non medical) with people from various backgrounds is very important.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized#how-much
So about $27,000 total for 4 years with your parents Co signing. Is what you can take.
We had a fancy excel spread sheet and she was very aware of what we could /couldn’t afford. She was in theater design and looking at BFA programs. Her number 1 was Emerson in Boston. They only took 20 people. Only ten are offered scholarships. She was number 11 if someone declined the offer she would go there. No one like ever declines the offer…
It all worked out great in the end. She went to her number 2 school. Became the lead designer, did study abroad, then took off spring to travel in South East Asia. Decided her current school could not support her new combined major. Transfered as a junior to another school and got a $30,000 merit to boot to do so. She’s very happy. Sorry for the long story but you asked. Lol.
With respect to science facilities, those at schools such as Grinnell, which offers a 264 thousand square foot science center, will be challenging to match anywhere: http://magazine.grinnell.edu/about/visit/spaces/robert-n-noyce-%E2%80%9949-science-center. Regarding research opportunities, you may find them integrated within the curriculum, such as in Chemistry 298 and 551/552 at Hamilton: https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/departments/Courses-and-Requirements?dept=chemistry.
If your cost at CA publics would be very low with Calgrant and Regents, I think that would be your best bet for undergrad if you are pre med.
Most of the private schools on your list will require CSS profile as well and probably consider home equity, and are $20,000 at least a year.
You will have high travel costs and possibly extra health insurance requirements, so costs could approachh $25,000 easily.
That does not seem realistic at $70,000 income.
I’m in the camp that it’s a waste of time and the application fee to apply to schools you can’t afford.
I know this wasn’t part of your question but have you considered St. Olaf? You would probably see good merit $ there and they have solid pre-med advising.
Has your parents’ income always been $70k? If so, it’s amazing that they’ve been able to pay off all but $50k on your $400k home, save $110k, and still have enough to live on.
Are you an only child? Paying 1/3 of their net income every year seems like a stretch. If there are other children they should take their college costs into account too.
Bates isn’t really rural. It’s in the second most populous metro area in Maine. There are two hospitals, Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital, within an easy walk from campus. CMMC is the third largest hospital in the state. Many Bates students do school-year internships at these hospitals, in addition to research opportunities on campus and summer funded purposeful work internships.
You are putting the cart before the horse. Most premed wannabes never even apply to medical school.
And of those who apply, to medical school, a high %age do not get accepted anywhere.
@WayOutWestMom can provide the statistics especially in CA.
Having said all that, minimal debt isn’t a bad thing for most students for their undergrad degrees. In addition a school with lots of options in case you change your mind isn’t a bad idea.
Value 400k, not necessarily purchase price.
If you’re getting NPC results that aren’t affordable, broaden your research. On that income, your parents will have trouble paying any loans they take. You’ll have enough trouble with the student loans. If you max them. Lots if kids go to a nice, affordable UG and then med school.
The $400k home could have been $200k (or some other significantly lower price) when they bought it.
However, lots of families live on $70k or less, even though it may seem impossible to some forum posters who have trouble making ends meet on $250k.
Have you run the Net Price Calculators on the schools’ that use CSS profile?
I do think you should apply to Merced, simply because of what they might possibly offer you. And perhaps if M offers you a lot, then maybe UCR or UCSB or UCSC might offer you more as an incentive.
If you’re gunning for MD/PhD, then it would be more advantageous to be at a research univ…so one of the UCs.
When evaluated by peers, “research universities” (definition?) appear interspersed with exclusively undergraduate-focused schools in results from this survey that considered institutions of all types with respect to those that offer notable research opportunities:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/undergrad-research-programs
This is the student whose parents have been lying to them about their income/assets and wanted them to lie on the FAFSA. Yes, maybe the US property is just worth $400k and was bought for less and paid for with a $70k/year income.
I’m not clear from OP’s posts if the NPC results are based on all their income and assets or just those held in the US, so it’s difficult to tell if their schools are affordable. They need to be truthful on their financial aid forms, and I’d suggest they keep all the papers handy in case they’re picked for verification.
If you have a home in another country, then you have a secondary piece of real estate. The equity in that MUST be reported on the fafsa.
In addition, the money in another country MUST be reported as well.
Be honest.
I’m not sure what you mean here. When the Net Price Calculators and FAFSA ask about assets/savings, they don’t just mean in the US. They mean anywhere…even if on the moon or buried in your sandbox.
Are you saying that the Net Price Calculators didn’t ask any questions about savings/assets?
This was answered above with the $5500/$6500/$7500/7500 per year caps, but realize the these are NOT no-interest loans. There is interest on them from day one, but the government may subsidize the interest on some of that amount if you qualify as needing assistance when you file FAFSA. There is always $2000 per year of the max that is unsubsidized.
I would keep Richmond and Case Western on your list because they both offer merit scholarships up to full tuition (by separate application). Case also has a preprofessional scholars program that offers direct entry into their med school, contingent on maintaining a certain academic standard and there are merit scholarships associated with that option.
These awards are highly competitive and to have a chance, I would try to up that 1430 SAT score (or take the ACT and strive for a 33+)
Of your LAC options, ones that come in under less than 20K might be worth an application as they’re within striking distance of your parents’ contribution, plus student loan, plus summer/part time work. However, the CSS profile may give you different figures than the FAFSA, especially given the foreign investments you have mentioned.