<p>I am planning on going to college that has a tuition of roughly 41,000. My parents have said they will pay 10,000 each year, and i got a scholarship for roughly 11,000 each year, and also received 3,000 in a grant. That will leave me with about $17,500 per year, equaling $70,000 over the course of 4 yrs. The reason I am choosing this college is because is it well known for its premed program, and it is what I want, (small school, close to home, good academics, etc...). I said I wanted to do premed, which will add even more to the debt pile. All in all, I will be looking at roughly $175,000 coming out of grad school. The school has an early acceptance program with a medical school, which to my knowledge would wipe out my senior year(I think?), but i dont know if i will qualify. $175,000 seems like a staggering number to me, but since I plan on being in the medical field, should I feel a little more comfortable with this? Im not sure exactly what career I want to have, but physical therapist and pharmacist are top choices. Is this way to much debt to take on?</p>
<p>Whoa. No. That IS a staggering number, and you cannot guarantee a practice successful enough to pay off that sort of debt. Plus, you’ll be dealing with private loans, which are a whole different matter and much more dangerous. I, personally, am concerned about having 20K max in Stafford loans. That debt is absolutely, absolutely not worth the pain it will bring you.</p>
<p>All in all, I will be looking at roughly $175,000 coming out of grad school.</p>
<p>If you borrow about $70k for undergrad, you will have MORE debt than that to also pay for med school. Med school costs more than $25k per year…more like $40k-70k per year. It’s not unusual for students to have to borrow $200,000 just for med school.</p>
<p>You should NOT borrow much for undergrad if you want to go to med school.</p>
<p>Not only that, you can only borrow the following amounts…</p>
<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>For you to borrow more (which you shouldn’t), your parents would have to co-sign. Would they do that? If not, then it’s not possible.</p>
<p>What other schools did you apply to?</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>Generally you should not borrow more than $25,000 for undergraduate student loans.</p>
<p>Well I have only 2 other options as of now. I could commute, as much as I dont want to, I almost have to so that I don’t have as much debt. The only downside to that is that the school is half an hour away from home. If I commute my yearly cost will come out to $10, 940, equaling $43,760 a year. This is still a lot, but it is a lot better than the 70k. My other option is a college that is far away. It’s a state school, so not nearly expensive. It would be about $9,000 a year, and $35,000 over 4 years. I would rather not go to this college because it is about 3 hours away from home, and I wanted to stay relatively close.</p>
<p>Take the farther away option. As terifying as it is to move away from home for the first time (and I know, because I am going 5 hours away!), the loans you are considering are life-restricting. Those are monthly payments of about 2,000$. I am sure you want children, and a house, and a dog and a picket fence at some distant point-- and ultimately, you will thank yourself for choosing a state school. Especially if you have plans for grad school and beyond-- facing your fears now will save you many thousands later.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that all health care careers will continue to pay the same as they do today. In addition, while there is no reason to think demand for these jobs will changes, supply may. (If many flock to those careers.)</p>
<p>In our state, many of the directional (ie schools with West, East, etc) in their names accept applications up until the summer. Perhaps you could find some new compromise and apply to a regional public college or university.</p>
<p>Doing well in undergrad and then scoring well on the grad school entrance exams is important no matter where you do your undergrad.</p>
<p>As an aside, experience through internships or jobs also seems to be growing more and more important for admission to many post-graduate health care programs.</p>
<p>Skydancer quote: Take the farther away option.</p>
<p>Skydancer…You may have misunderstood. I don’t think he’s afraid to go away. I think he’s saying that it’s too far to commute. He really can’t afford to go away to school.</p>
<p>Well I have only 2 other options as of now. I could commute, as much as I dont want to, I almost have to so that I don’t have as much debt. The only downside to that is that the school is half an hour away from home.* If I commute my yearly cost will come out to $10, 940, equaling $43,760 [total]. This is still a lot, but it is a lot better than the 70k. ****My other option is a college that is far away. It’s a state school, so not nearly expensive. It would be about $9,000 a year, and $35,000 over 4 years. **I would rather not go to this college because it is about 3 hours away from home, *</p>
<p>*If I commute my yearly cost will come out to $10, 940, equaling $43,760 [total]. This is still a lot, but it is a lot better than the 70k. , *</p>
<p>Is this a private school that you’re considering commuting to? Is that why you would still have to borrow $11k per year after you get your parents’ $10k?</p>
<p>How are you going to borrow $11k per year? Have your parents said that they will co-sign? I they won’t do that, then you’re going to have a problem. </p>
<p>How much can you earn in the summer and working part-time during the school year?</p>
<p>Aren’t there state schools nearby?</p>
<p>You really need to talk to your parents about whether they will co-sign loans. many parents will not. also, since your plan is to go to med school, then these loans that you’d be taking out will be accumulating interest for a very long time - which means your balance will be much higher. </p>
<p>You really need to borrow as little as possible.</p>
<p>Did you apply to any schools that give merit scholarships? What are your stats?</p>
<p>yes, the school I would commute to is a private school. It may be less than 11k, because I took away the 3,000 grant I was getting for staying on campus, which I may or may not receive, I will have to reapply. On the other hand the reason i want to go to the private college is because I got accepted for the premed program, as all the other schools I looked at would have denied me due to me not being in the top 10% and scoring really well on the SAT. I slacked off in high school my first two years, until finally waking up my junior year. I have a 3.2 GPA. The good thing about the state school is that they have a 3+3 deal with a graduate school, so it would be less years and less money. This is just a tough decision that I do not want to mess up.</p>
<p>phillyfan–pre med is not a major or even a program in college.</p>
<p>“Pre med” is a cluster of classes that are required by most medical schools and which anyone can take. (1 year of college math, 1 year intro biology, 1 year general chem; 1 year intro physics, 1 year organic chem, freshman writing and usually 1 semester of an upper level English or other writing intensive class)</p>
<p>Schools cannot prevent you from enrolling in these classes. (Assuming you have the required pre-reqs. For example, you can’t take college physics until you’ve finished pre-calculus.)</p>
<p>For medical school, you can actually major in anything you want so long as you take the required courses I’ve listed above.</p>
<p>From the 3+3 option you’re talking about, I assume you aren’t talking about pre-med as in medical school since all medical school programs I’m aware of are 4 years on the post-undergrad side. Are you talking about some other health field–like pharmacy or physical therapy?</p>
<p>yes, the state college has 3+3 programs with a graduate for both pharmacy and physical therapy, as the private school has only the 3+3 deal for pharmacy. I’m struggling deciding which one is best for me. I dont want to get stuck going the private school for pharmacy and wanting to switch to physical therapy, because I will not be able to wipe out that 4th year, which will save $10k.</p>
<p>Pharmacy and PT are very different career paths with very different UG requirements. Esp with 3+3 program it may difficult (impossible?) to switch tracks any later than the end of your freshman year. </p>
<p>3+3 programs really are for students who committed to the particular career track they’ve applied for from Day 1.</p>
<p>You really need to think hard now–before you apply to college–which career track you think you want if you’re thinking of a 3+3. Have you had a chance to shadow a PT and really see the kinds of things they do? How about a pharmacist? </p>
<p>I ask because the careers are so different and require completely different personalities and skill sets. Are you a doer or a thinker? Do you prefer to work with people close up and hands on? Do you prefer more cerebral tasks like doing calculations and making precise measurements? Do you prefer seeing the results of your actions first hand or are you OK with just knowing you’ve done you’re job?</p>
<p>This is a way oversimplification, but you start to see how different the personality types are for the two careers you’ve mentioned.</p>
<p>Dear phillyfan49,</p>
<p>I’m assuming you don’t qualify for much need-based aid if you’re only getting $3K in a grant. So this suggests that your parents, despite what the calculations say, only feel they can offer a certain amount. That is what it is and you have to deal with that. But believe me: When all that debt is actual, rather than theoretical, it will feel crippling. However much of a burden it is for you financially, it will be a bigger burden on you emotionally and socially; you’ll be thinking about this all the time when you could be enjoying your life and your youth. </p>
<p>I’ve worked at a major academic medical center for 20 years in marketing and communications; this has given me a broad overview of the people and programs that enable high-quality health care. I am amazed at all the gifted, passionate people I encounter every day in medicine, nursing, research and allied health fields. What I would suggest is that you seek out a mentor (or mentors) in health, someone or a few someones you can talk with about the roads they took to get to where they are today. Focus on getting the knowledge you need to do well on entrance exams, and poke around in the meantime to learn about all your career options while you’re studying diligently at the best institution of higher education you can afford. My very best wishes to you.</p>
<p>You can choose a major that will fulfill the requirements for premed (the prerequisite courses) at ANY college. Who will cosign your loans for you for undergrad. With the exception of the Stafford loans, you will need a cosigner for these loans. Will your parents do that for you?</p>
<p>I guess what I’m saying…you don’t mention the “option” of attending a less expensive college. I’m wondering why that is the case? Many doctors did not go to expensive undergraduate schools…in fact many attended their flagship public university.</p>
<p>If you plan to attend medical school, as others have said…you need to keep your undergrad debt to a bare minimum. If your parents will finance $10K per year, and you add the Stafford loan to that and a job, you would be closer to affording one of the public universities in your state.</p>
<p>*On the other hand the reason i want to go to the private college is because I got accepted for the premed program, as all the other schools I looked at would have denied me due to me not being in the top 10% and scoring really well on the SAT. *</p>
<p>Are you talking about some kind of guaranteed program? </p>
<p>If not, then a school can’t deny you from taking pre-med classes. </p>
<p>I’m confused…do you want to go to med school? or something else?</p>
<p>Either way, you want to minimize debt.</p>
<p>BTW…if you don’t test well, then your chances for testing well for the PCAT or the MCAT or any other admission test are not good.</p>
<p>My local community college does not offer bachelors degrees in the sciences area, only associates. And to my knowledge I need a bachelors degree to advance to medical school(Correct me if I am wrong). At my other state college I tried switching my major from criminal justice to premed, and I was told I did not have the academics to do so. I don’t know what the difference is between the premed program and just taking regular classes needed for grad school. I know I need to choose one before I choose a college, because they require different majors, and different graduate schools. </p>
<p>As for choosing between pharmacy and physical therapy, I will look into job shadowing them. I am leaning towards physical therapy, as I love helping people and I can see myself enjoying my job as long as I know I am helping people and be able to see first hand. As with pharmacy, the reason I am attracted to it is because for some odd reason I have a fascination of how medicine impacts the body and all the different types of medicine, and I figured a pharmacist would be a good job for my interest in medicine and the love of helping others, even if I will not witness it first hand.</p>
<p>This post is very confusing–are you currently attending college? You said </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The other posts indicate you’re trying to decide between pre-med, pre-pharmacy, pre-PT. These are rather different career paths, tho the bottom three are all in sciences and criminal justice is a wholly different field. You need to get clarified what they mean that you “don’t have the academics” to go into premed.</p>
<p>It would be good for you to do some shadowing to find out more about these fields. If you don’t have the academics to be an MD, PharmD, or PT, you could be an assistant with the proper credentials, if that appeals to you. They do a lot of one-on-one work with patients.</p>
<p>Do you realize that physical therapists require the equivalent of the doctorate now to become licensed? Getting a bachelors degree in PT will get you no where in this field except maybe acceptance to a PT program for licensure and degrees needed for practicing.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This makes NO SENSE…there is no such thing as a “premed major”. Folks going to medical school come from all different majors. The only common things are excellent MCAT scores AND having taken the required math/science courses which are required for students applying to medical school. You could major in criminal justice, history, art, music, you name it…and as long as you do well on the MCATs AND take the science and math courses required for admittance into medical school…you major really doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>The other thing you will need is a TOP GPA for your undergrad courses…</p>
<p>So…you need excellent undergrad GPA, prerequisite courses in math/science required for medical school applicants AND a very strong MCAT score to get accepted into medical school.</p>
<p>In addition, many med schools also look for research experience and publications to bolster the student’s record & set them apart from the pack. It is VERY competitive to get into all of these programs–MD, PharmD, PT. They all require great grades in tough courses and excellent test scores. Shadowing, volunteering and other experiences also help improve your qualifications.</p>
<p>sorry for not clarifying. In the beginning of my current senior year in high school I was set on majoring in criminal justice, and eventually I decided I liked the medical route better. And I know premed is not a major, it is a course. And yes I know that I will have to go to grad school for physical therapy, I have stated that in the previous post. I told by my state college that I needed to be in the top 10% and have a very high SAT score, which I do not have. Once they told me now, I moved on to other colleges.</p>