<p>My son got admission into UVA scholars program. Also the Upitt honors program has given full tuition for us (VA residency). His ultimate goal is to go to good medical school.
1)
cost of attendence (UVA= tuition+room/board (25,774* 4)=~103K
Vs
cost of attendence (Upitt= room/board (12000* 4)=~48K </p>
<p>diff = 55K debt
2) Since the ultimate goal is to go to reputed med school. Greatly appreciate any inputs or prior experience which campus helps him to get medical exposure, standing out in class to get good recommendations and opportunity to do research and scope to publish papers to become a strong AMACS medical college applicant.</p>
<p>Could not find any information where the pre-med students from UVA get admissions into?</p>
<p>3) Any thoughts or inputs in neuro science major at both UVA (only25 students. no guarantee to get admission in to that major) VS Upitt bio engineering or biology or neuroscience majors.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance . We are so confused and greatly appreciate any inputs to give us some clarity.</p>
<p>Pitt is a great school. (Maybe not as great as U VA) UPMC - (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) is huge, and has some of the top doctors in the nation. I’m sure your son could get some great experience in Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Plus - going to Pitt would save you quite a lot of money, which your son could certainly use for Med School tuition!</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is consistently voted the most livable city in the country.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh really is a nice town (son at CMU). $55,000 is nothing to sneeze at especially if you are looking at med school tuition in your future. It’s probably slightly easier to have a high GPA at Pitt than UVA. Undergrad is an ideal time to explore a new part of the country.</p>
<p>Is the difference truly $55K in debt? Is the family able to pay some of the costs of college to reduce that figure? Does the student like one school a lot more than the other, or is it truly up in the air?</p>
<p>My son got a very nice offer from a school that he doesn’t like as much as his other choices, and his state school choices are also significant lower than the schools he likes the most. Though he eliminated those school from his list that were unaffordable, cost isn’t the only issue he is addressing. Once he is in the affordable range, he is balancing all kinds of other factors in his decision making, and how much he likes the environment, students, feel is going to factor in big time. (By the way, Pitt is one of his top choices–if your S goes there, he might be with mine)</p>
<p>Will you or your son have to take out loans for the extra cost of UVA, or for the later cost of medical school? If you do, then I would choose Pitt. If money is not a major issue, then I would have him visit both schools and see if he prefers UVA and the benefits of the Echols Scholars program. If money is a factor, then his chances for medical school will be fine if he attends Pitt, gets good grades and takes advantage of his opportunities. Good luck.</p>
<p>I, too, would have him visit UVA to weigh the advantages of the Echols Scholar Program against the benefits (not all monetary) of the Pitt Honors College, unless he would need loans to afford Echols. In the latter case, I would encourage him to go to Pitt and not look back. Pitt offers a sizable cohort of talented students drawn by its generous merit aid, an urban atmosphere attractive to many, and ample opportunities through its Honors College to take honors courses and participate in undergrad research.</p>