<p>So I'm applying SCEA to Stanford. I just got an invitation to attend UT Honors Colloqium for this summer, and I was registering. My mom was saying that it would probably be best that I go to UT since it was such a great university and it was close to home (We live in Coppell, TX, near dallas). Then I told her I felt discouraged that she kept saying that over and over cause now I didn't feel like applying to Harvard, Stanford, MIT any of those...and she said that if I didn't get a loan to pay for those colleges, I couldn't go there anyways.</p>
<p>Now I know this sounds like a soapbox opera but I'm just posting an exact conversation. If I did get into Stanford and had to take a loan, would it be worthit to go to UT over that? (I want to major in biomedical engineering or something similar). I just need some advice. I just feel that even if I got into Stanford, Harvard, etc. and finally had to go to UT, it would be like all my hard work in high school was wasted. I mean I wouldn't have had to keep my stats up this high if I was going to UT (or an honors program) in the first place. I mean I know UT is good right? (the honors programs) But they still dont fully compare to Stanford/Harvard,etc.</p>
<p>If your just going to do premed, UT is fine. If you do well enough on your mcats(with your sat scores/rank, you probably should do great), then you should get into a good med school no problem. There really is no reason to go to harvard(at that cost), if your just going to go to medical.</p>
<p>Oh and apply for just a bunch of random scholarships, your sure to get a bunch. I know people that get a lot of their tuition paid by non-school-funded scholarships, that are all just merit based.</p>
<p>I would definitely apply to those top schools. It doesn't hurt to apply to top schools - right? Plus, Stanford, the Ivies, and many other top schools are VERY generous with need - based financial aid (grants), so don't apply just because of money. </p>
<p>That being said, for premed Texas is excellent. I read somewhere Harvard Medical School takes more of its students from UT than any other school. If you go to Harvard, it may be unfavorable if you also go there for grad (and harder for admissions). However, the main benefit of going to a top school like stanford for undergrad would be the student body and experience and prestige. Otherwise, I think in academics and grad school placement UT is strong.</p>
<p>Also, apply for scholarships like the Terry Foundation (Full ride to UT) and other outside scholarships that you can take anywhere.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>And remember, the school doesn't determine your success, it's you.</p>
<p>Wait and see where you get in.. then decide. Until that point, it's not worth stressing out at all. And if you want to go to Stanford.. go there if you can. I mean, I could've gone to Florida for free but I chose Texas over it despite the fact that I can't think of any two schools that could be more similar. Ultimately, you will probably be happy either way and forget that you even had other options no matter what you do. But if you want to go elsewhere bad enough.. then go for it. Who cares about crunching the numbers and statistics and test scores when it all comes down to what you really want.</p>
<p>I would say that it's definitely worth applying to the top schools like Stanford, Harvard, etc. When it comes time to make a decision though, take a long hard look at your finances. Figure out how much debt you'll have at each place and how that will affect you after graduation. What will your monthly loan payments be vs. your starting salary? Have your parents help you set up a budget for how much of your take home pay your loans will eat up. Are you looking at grad school? Figure out what you might have to spend on grad school and how additional loans for that might affect you when you finally start working. </p>
<p>It's definitely worth applying to top schools because many of them are very generous with grants and scholarships, but beware of taking out massive amounts of student loans to go to a private or out of state school. It may or may not be worth it, depending on what you want to do afterward.</p>
<p>I personally don't think it's worth taking out loans for undergrad if you want to go to grad school. I turned down UChicago, Georgetown and Notre Dame, among others, in favor of UT because of financial reasons, and now that I've graduated, I don't regret it a bit. </p>
<p>I understand not wanting to feel like your work in high school was wasted. If you get into Dean's Scholars or Plan II, it won't have been. Also, if you have good enough stats to go to Stanford, you can go to UT for FREE, not just at in state tuition. Just be sure to apply for scholarships by December, through the university. </p>
<p>See what the top schools will offer you. But if you're going to end up with massive debt, stick with UT. It's a top 50 university, still, and when you're looking at grad school loans, you're going to be so glad you don't have to pile them on top of undergrad debt (I am!)</p>
<p>Also consider this: the grad school you get into will depend a lot on your UG GPA and less on which school you went to. I'd venture that it's easier to get a 4.0 at UT than at Stanford or a similar school.</p>