<p>I've recently been wondering why I want to go to some expensive and prestigious out of state college when I have an excellent in-state university that I could attend.</p>
<p>Maybe it's because that's the norm. College is the time when students move out and start their lives, but then, many have to drag around rocks for the next 15 or so years of their lives labeled college tuition. </p>
<p>The University of Washington, by some sources, is ranked top 20 in the world. They have an excellent biology program -- that's what I'd be most interested in majoring. They have a 2 billion dollar endowment, and are considered a public ivy. I live not far from that school; why have I overlooked it, and why have I focused on getting into a school that I've never seen, or that might not even be worth attending?</p>
<p>I want to go to medical school; if I want to go to grad school, I shouldn't focus too much on going to a $50,000 school when I can go to an excellent one for less than half the price. I can work hard to get into the honors program - whether it be interdisciplinary, departmental, or both - and succed at it. I can focus on getting the best grades, and doing productive work. I don't need a binding collar marked debt around my neck. And when I'm older, I can choose to go to the best med school I get into. That's when I can go for most prestigious... if I decide to go by prestige, that is.</p>
<p>Does anyone have arguments against this plan? </p>
<p>Personally, my state school is good, however, I do not want to live in my state after I graduate. I also do not want to be surrounded by people from my high school; I have never quite fit in with my school and I want to move closer to my family.</p>
<p>The high achieving students who would go elsewhere (private or out of state) are more likely to be the ones in states whose flagships are not particularly appealing to high achievers (e.g. several northeastern states). Other high achievers may get generous financial aid if they get into the super-selective private schools, or generous merit scholarships at somewhat less selective private or out of state schools. Some others may have specific needs which the state flagship does not do well in.</p>
<p>Since Washington is a good school, the first reason does not really apply to you. The second reason depends on where else you are considering and applying to and where you get accepted (for highly selective schools) or get scholarships (for others). It does not look like you gave anything that really fits the third reason (well, maybe prestige, but Washington does have that, and “because that’s the norm”, but being different just for the sake of being different may not make sense if it is much more expensive).</p>
<p>Are you planning on going to grad school? That could be the time when you decide where you really want to live. Going to school in one state doesn’t guarantee that you will go to grad school there. </p>
<p>About the high schoolers - my state flagship is big. Some may not like it because of that. I don’t like a lot of kids in my high school; but in college, there are so many new kids that it might be worth knowing some kids going into the school.</p>
<p>The reason why I left out the scholarship part is because I’m stuck in that middle class where I would not be eligible for financial aid even if I was a great applicant. My brother got into Dartmouth, but it’s just too expensive - besides, he wants to go to grad school, too.</p>
<p>I want to go to medical school; if I want to go to grad school, I shouldn’t focus too much on going to a $50,000 school when I can go to an excellent one for less than half the price.</p>
<p>If you need to take out loans for undergrad, then that isn’t a good idea if med school is in your plans.</p>
<p>The reason why I left out the scholarship part is because I’m stuck in that middle class where I would not be eligible for financial aid even if I was a great applicant.</p>
<p>Scholarships are not based on need, they’re based on merit.</p>
<p>If you don’t qualify for need-based grants, then look for schools that will give you merit scholarships for your stats.</p>
<p>I can choose to go to the best med school I get into. That’s when I can go for most prestigious… if I decide to go by prestige, that is.</p>
<p>Med schools don’t care where you went to undergrad. Many kids from my kids’ flagship get accepted to “prestigious” med schools.</p>
<p>Unless you come from a mega high school and live in a state with a tiny flagship (are there any such combinations?) you’re not likely to be “surrounded by people from [your] high school.” My D’s high school sent 53 to our flagship this year; that’s less than 1 percent of the almost 7,500 freshman at the flagship.</p>
<p>Well, you want to major in biology and want to go to medical school.</p>
<p>Why not go to Washington? My reasons for not going to my state school were because they aren’t as good as UW, and anyone with above a 3.0 (weighted) GPA gets in. I worked way to hard in college to end up going to school with them.</p>
<p>UCONN’s a great school…but I want to get out of Connecticut. However, the more I think about all the loans I’ll need for any other school, the better it starts to look.</p>
<p>Personally, I went to a private LAC halfway across the country because it was a hell of a lot cheaper after FA, and because I really don’t like large, impersonal classes.</p>
<p>It was the same cost for me to attend Rutgers as it was NYU. It was cheaper for me to go to places like Emory, Duke, Cornell. So there was absolutely no point in going to my state school when much better schools cost just as much or less. </p>
<p>That’s also completely ignoring the fact that over half of my graduating class (over half of every graduating class from my high school for that matter) goes to Rutgers. I didn’t want to attend high school 2.0.</p>
<p>On a side note, I did actually attend Rutgers and then transferred out, so my opinion isn’t just bias. I transferred mostly because of the above-mentioned. It’s also the case that Rutgers isn’t one of the “shining” state flagships - UVa, UM, UCs, etc. are much better. Especially considering all the financial problems Rutgers is having now.</p>
<p>My reasons for not going to my state school were because they aren’t as good as UW, and anyone with above a 3.0 (weighted) GPA gets in. I worked way to hard in college to end up going to school with them.</p>
<p>It is a common myth to think that you’d be in classes with these same kids. Large state schools offer over 100 majors. Students who are weaker will not likely be in your classes…they’re not likely pre-med (or not for long!). Who cares what some kids in easier majors are doing in buildings across the campus?</p>
<p>I’m also from Washington, and I don’t want to go to UW because I don’t like the city of Seattle, the weather, how big it is, and how UW is only 20 minutes away from my house. Even though UW is a great school and I have stats that would probably get me accepted there, I wouldn’t be happy there. So I will be probably be going out of state to a private school where I can get a good scholarship to make up for the cost difference, even though I’m fortunate enough that my parents can afford any school and have said they will completely finance my undergrad education.</p>
<p>The UC system has two flagships: UCLA and Berkeley :p</p>
<p>Berkeley was historically ranked lower in my major (philosophy) and i think overall i’m enjoying UCLA more than i would have had i gone to berkeley. as far as why i wouldn’t go to UCLA, there’s an asston of traffic, relatively large classes, and a lot of BS that the school makes you deal with. </p>
<p>Like just the other day when they were having parents weekend, they made me walk out of my way because they had the whole area closed off. Sure, i got a cool conversation with a stranger out of it, but it was still annoying. To some degree i understand because they make a lot of money off of it, so they want to treat the parents well. But they also don’t want to inconvenience the students. Or the fact that i can’t use my credit card to pay for campus related things anymore since they stopped accepting it.</p>
<p>Or the fact that there’s so many people in the library that every day they run out of paper towels after a certain point. Overall my complaints with the university are small. You go to a university mainly to be educated, and i have no doubt that i’m getting a world-class education with some of the best professors in the world. Like i said, it’s annoying, but nothing too bad.</p>