<p>I have some specific questions.</p>
<p>Is Louisiana State good?</p>
<p>What about Ole Miss?</p>
<p>Those schools are good compared to other schools that are less good. However, they are inferior to better schools.</p>
<p>Think a bit about how you can sharpen your questions to get information that you can actually use.</p>
<p>Those are both flagships, which generally means that they’re going to have a good number of good programs. </p>
<p>What is your major or career goal? </p>
<p>Are these OOS publics affordable?</p>
<p>what do you want to study?</p>
<p>OK…you want to be a physician. However, your stats are around a 3.3 GPA and 1800 SAT.</p>
<p>Unless you pull it together in undergrad and get a top GPA and do better on standardized tests (the MCAT specifically), you won’t make it into med school no matter where you go to undergrad. </p>
<p>Have your parents said that they’ll pay the high OOS costs of these publics? What is your M+CR score?</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids</p>
<p>My SAT score is actually ~1900. I pulled it up after a lot of studying. My GPA is still pretty low, but it’s high enough to get into the two schools I mentioned. I’m not concerned about my high school record as it essentially has no impact on medical school chances (they don’t even look at your high school record unless you’re doing a combined BS/MD program). I have been getting almost entirely all As this year though. I’m going to really push myself in college. M+CR score is 1275.</p>
<p>Part of the reason I’m applying to those schools specifically is they have low OOS costs (About $18,000 at LSU, about $17,000 at Ole Miss). They said they will cover some of the costs but I need to take out some loans. I will also likely apply for a part time job.</p>
<p>I want to major in Biology. My parents are biologists so they can help tutor me. We have skype. Are there any good schools for biology that would take someone with my stats?</p>
<p>Which has a better science (specifically biology) program:
Ole Miss
or LSU.</p>
<p>First, Florida is not considered the Deep South. Visit Gainesville and I think you’ll find it has a lot of students from all over the world, almost a California vibe.</p>
<p>And even if you did go to a Deep South school, where do you think states like Mississippi and Alabama get their doctors, lawyers, etc? Any major college will be diverse.</p>
<p>Part of the reason I’m applying to those schools specifically is they have low OOS costs (About $18,000 at LSU, about $17,000 at Ole Miss). They said they will cover some of the costs but I need to take out some loans</p>
<p>LSU’s OOS tuition is $22k (similar to Bama’s). And the prices that you’re quoting are only for tuition. You have to include the cost of room, board, fees, books, transportation. That means attending will cost $30k-35k per year or more.</p>
<p>How much will your parents pay each year? YOU can only borrow:</p>
<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>So, if your parents will pay $25k+ or so per year, and you borrow/work for the rest, they these schools may work out for you. </p>
<p>yes, I know that high school grades don’t matter for med school apps. I just went thru the med school app process with my son. My point was that you’ll need to demonstrate a much better performance in college. About 3/4 of “pre med” frosh never end up going to med school because their grades are too low, etc.</p>
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<p>As you go through life, you will encounter many people with confirmed yet casual views on subjects about which they know nothing. Consider the source and ask yourself if you care about these opinions. Learn to disregard random ignorant stereotypes, or you are going to have a tough time no matter what region you choose to attend school in.</p>
<p>BTW there is plenty of racism in the allegedly enlightened and superior areas north of the Mason-Dixon line.</p>
<p>^^And because the weeding out is more than a confident “fresh start.” OP has lots of research to do. (I’d include checking how close “the ocean” really is.)</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids
Who sets those limits? Is that just the amount that you can borrow from the University or from a bank? I’m planning on going through a private company or a bank for a direct loan.</p>
<p>You can take out $200,000 with sallie mae smart option. Obviously I will use up all public options first.</p>
<p>Yes, lots of research to do. Starting with how to pay. What college debt will look like, before the med school costs. Why not schools in NY state? You can vacation in FL.</p>
<p>Checking how close the ocean is? You can drive to it from both LSU and Ole Miss.</p>
<p>^Those amounts are the Stafford loan maximums, which are the only monies you would be able to borrow on your own without a co-signer. As a young person with no assets and no credit history, you will not be able to borrow any more money than that, unless someone else (probably your parents) is willing to co-sign loans with you.</p>
<p>Baton Rouge isn’t on the ocean. I think it’s a heck of a drive from Oxford MS. And that’s the Gulf.</p>
<p>*Who sets those limits? Is that just the amount that you can borrow from the University or from a bank? I’m planning on going through a private company or a bank for a direct loan.</p>
<p>You can take out $200,000 with sallie mae smart option. Obviously I will use up all public options first.*</p>
<p>those are the fed limits. Yes, you can borrow with SM and private, BUT…you need willing and qualified co-signers. AND…more importantly, NO ONE should borrow much if they want to go to med school. Do you know how much med school costs? My son’s med schools will cost $200 - 300k to attend. Are you thinking that it’s ok to borrow a large amount for undergrad AND borrow a lot for med school? Do you realize how high those undergrad loans will grow in amount while you’re in med school? Do you realize that newish doctors do not earn much? Do you have any idea of what’s it’s like to make monthly payments on $200k, 300k, 400k loans?</p>
<p>Look, I get the part about warmer weather and being nearer to beaches of some sort. But you’re making assumptions here. Very first is to figure what your family can actually afford, not assume you’ll borrow substantial amounts, esp with potential med school costs to add. Learn about the fed loans and how they work. Find schools where you won’t be weeded out of premed and left with debt.</p>
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<p>Medical and law school care more about your GPA and test scores (MCAT or LSAT) than your undergraduate school.</p>
<p>PhD programs tend to care about your undergraduate school in terms of strength in major, in terms of producing graduates who make good PhD students. Large state flagships, even those with relatively low entry standards, are often looked upon favorably, because some top students in their states do go there, graduate, and become PhD students.</p>
<p>Job recruiting does tend to have a regional bias, so you may have to apply more aggressively if you are seeking an out-of-area job. A few types of jobs are very school-prestige-conscious (e.g. investment banking or management consulting), but region of your school is not especially relevant.</p>
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<p>You do not want large undergraduate debt, especially if you want to go to expensive medical school or major in a low-paying field like biology (would it be correct to assume that your biologist parents do not have a lot of money to contribute to your college?).</p>
<p>Some southern schools do have <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-16.html#post15557250[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-16.html#post15557250</a> .</p>
<p>My parents have a combined income of ~$200,000 (they are in academia). They don’t want to contribute a lot though. I’d say maybe $10,000-$18,000 per year (I used to go to private school so they got used to paying for tuition).</p>
<p>Thought you said elsewhere you wanted a small LAC, not a big state U. What changed?</p>
<p>Ditto all who said thinking about taking out massive loans ($100-200K) for undergrad is a BAD idea. Look for a school where your stats will be in the upper quartile and maybe you’ll get some merit money. There are other posters here with stats worse than yours by far (and who also showed an upward GPA trend) who got into severl smaller LACs with some merit $$. He looked at the CTCL schools. Are your parents employed at the post secondary level? If so, what schools offer financial reciprocity with the ones they work at?</p>
<p>Please stop overgenralizing about some backwards towns in the south. Yes they exist, but as others have said, these exist in every state. As others have also said, VISIT. Dont base your opinion on what anyone else says, including us.</p>