COMP Class of 2010

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Dr. Don said:
I wish you the best of luck, and yeah instate tuition is awesome! and so is staying close to family and friends, but remember whether it's 15Gs or 35Gs per year, it's an investment, so do yourself a favor, give yourself a deadline (and the day before school starts is not a good one 👎 ) and just decide and MOVE ON, trust me you'll sleep better at night. Good luck and now back to my boards studying 🙄
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Good luck on your boards!
and thank you for the advice!
I really appreciate it. 😀
 
i'm gonna have to disagree with dr90605:
i wouldn't ever recommend pulling yourself off of a waitlist... especially if it is a school that you really want to go to.
I recommend pretending that you got rejected (..."write it off"... ) and going to cali to find a place (soon). the worst... the very worst thing that could happen is that you are all settled in at comp, paying rent, surrounded by good people and all of your priceless material possessions when the phone rings and it's UW begging you to come back to seattle.
At that point you say... "hmm, i'll pass, i'm happy here" or "YAY!! my wildest dream come true!... i guess i'll have to move again (who cares) and lose $5,000 (again, who cares) and be where i want to be, not where i wound up."
that's just my two cents...

also, i'm definitely into buying a motor bike... junkster... when are you moving out there? let's start a comp biker gang! yet another club for western to rave about!
 
Junkster said:
Literally... my uncle nearly killed his passenger during college.

But I think I have a good argument.
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Just stay off the freeways...
and don't tell mommy 😉
we'll keep your secret under wraps.

on a totally random note: I had this arguement with a friend of mine in Philly, she kept saying freeways, not highways... Uhhhh if you have to pay a toll, it ain't free... 😀 (granted, I don't think that's quite the exact disitinction between highway/freeway)

man... I so apologize for that tangent 🙄
 
Skooled2much said:
i'm gonna have to disagree with dr90605:
i wouldn't ever recommend pulling yourself off of a waitlist... especially if it is a school that you really want to go to.
I recommend pretending that you got rejected (..."write it off"... ) and going to cali to find a place (soon). the worst... the very worst thing that could happen is that you are all settled in at comp, paying rent, surrounded by good people and all of your priceless material possessions when the phone rings and it's UW begging you to come back to seattle.
At that point you say... "hmm, i'll pass, i'm happy here" or "YAY!! my wildest dream come true!... i guess i'll have to move again (who cares) and lose $5,000 (again, who cares) and be where i want to be, not where i wound up."
that's just my two cents...

also, i'm definitely into buying a motor bike... junkster... when are you moving out there? let's start a comp biker gang! yet another club for western to rave about!
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See, If I were waitlisted and got pulled from one, and were living on my own, screw the lease, I'd break it and move on. But I don't think I can afford to live by myself (as much as I would love, LOVE to), and am planning to find roomies... I am not down with leaving someone high and dry and the last minute...that's really my concern.

*haha* COMP can have its own Greasers and Pink Ladies... I think you guys should get matching jackets... so very hot 😉
 
Want to check out Pomona before you sign a lease?

I know some people are looking for a place to stay while checking out the area... Want a quiet place to live while taking the SMSPP or ISAC courses?

Recently remodeled craftsman duplex 1 mile North of campus on the edge of the "historic Lincoln Park Neighborhood". Fully furnished, washer/ gas dryer, fridge & gas stove, hardwood floors, 1 bed/1bath, your own parking area (not street parking), A/C in bedroom, 2 ceiling fans, huge desk... and I'll leave my "Gazelle" and inversion table, too. Don't know the sq ft - my guess would be around 750-800 sq ft?

Available June 17-August 6th... price negotiable & dates may be negotiable as well... This isn't just a room in a house full of people - if you need lots of roomates, this isn't the place for you. This is a duplex just for one person or maybe a couple - I guess you could have 2 people if someone wanted to sleep on the futon in the living room. Cat ok, but sorry - no dogs.

If you are interested, I do have pics, etc. email: [email protected]
 
I got my financial aid award letter today through my western email address.
Has anyone else received theirs???
 
Yeah, I received my financial aid letter too. I can't believe the interest rates are so high.
 
Got my letter, too. Anyone opting for alternate loans over grad plus?
 
bananafish27 said:
Got my letter, too. Anyone opting for alternate loans over grad plus?
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I'm tempted to do MedLoans thru Sallie Mae. that way, you can do all the federal and private loans thru one place, and then only have to make single payments...
 
Junkster said:
Where's My Letter?!?!?!
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I can forward you a copy of my letter, if you'd like to see the breakdown.
I think everyone gets the same award package.
 
Junkster said:
Where's My Letter?!?!?!
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Your financial aid award should already be on your Banweb account. I got mine a couple of days ago (just got my "letter" today).

I think I'm going to stick with the grad plus loans. See my link on the previous page . . . there was a discussion on this on the financial aid forum, with some good information on grad plus loans and alternative loans.
 
Anyone else notice the little red print at the bottom of the page on the award letter?
We have to accept everything within 10 days?
 
kekeke. They are probably a little slow on my financial email since I did get accepted later then everyone so far.
 
I still can't believe that we will have ~$240K in debt when we're done!!! 😱 😱
 
uwalum said:
I still can't believe that we will have ~$240K in debt when we're done!!! 😱 😱
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Try $350K (between hubby and me). 🙁 👎
 
Okay, so I'm not the only one who cringes and nearly pisses his pants every time he thinks about the debt... good, I don't feel like a complete ***** (yet).
 
Yeah, the debt is sucks, especially with the interest rates. For myself I can't think of anything I'd rather do in terms of a career choice and job satisfaction is important to me if we're going to be at work most the time it might as well be something we enjoy. But with current inflation on education costs from a financial standpoint it's almost no longer worth it. It's still a good investment now, but going to medical school in the future, in about ten years, I don't know.
 
Speaking of debt, I just found out the tuition for the upcoming school year is 37+K. Thats a 2k dollar increase from last year. By the time 4th year rolls around, we're going to be paying 40+K per year.
 
wazzudoc said:
Yeah, the debt is sucks, especially with the interest rates. For myself I can't think of anything I'd rather do in terms of a career choice and job satisfaction is important to me if we're going to be at work most the time it might as well be something we enjoy. But with current inflation on education costs from a financial standpoint it's almost no longer worth it. It's still a good investment now, but going to medical school in the future, in about ten years, I don't know.
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Don't stress yo, you'll be making that money back in 1-1.5 years time when you're an established physician with a good practice. It's definetely worth the investment! 🙂
 
Dr. K said:
Don't stress yo, you'll be making that money back in 1-1.5 years time when you're an established physician with a good practice. It's definetely worth the investment! 🙂
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I guess I just need to be around some more of my optimistic classmates 🙂 But to pay back 240k of debt in one year is going to be hard to do. Even if I continued to live like a student I'd have to make the debt amount of money in salary, as take home, that's after taxes. As a first year physician I think that will be hard to do. Plus what people are listing above, is the principle. Interest will only add to that amount. Check out the thread below, I think these guys have more realistic payback plans.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=250197
 
wazzudoc said:
I guess I just need to be around some more of my optimistic classmates 🙂 But to pay back 240k of debt in one year is going to be hard to do. Even if I continued to live like a student I'd have to make the debt amount of money in salary, as take home, that's after taxes. As a first year physician I think that will be hard to do. Plus what people are listing above, is the principle. Interest will only add to that amount. Check out the thread below, I think these guys have more realistic payback plans.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=250197
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Not as a first year physician, but as an established one. My point was that you'll be making the same kind of money in much less time... lets say 10 years down the road. Actually paying it back is another story :laugh:
 
Hey guys, I just made a trip to Pomona to get things settled before ISAC starts in june. It was a daunting experience, but I hope the following will help those of you out that have not yet found a place to call home come august.

As far as apartments in the area were concerned, I've been recommended by FACULTY not to live in the Park or the Plaza [i'm sure most of you knew that]. they ARE very close to campus and very cheap [relatively] but supposedly it isn't really safe.

I found that the smallest local book "Apartment Guide" was more helpful than the other ones [For Rent and Apartments].

The places, if I were living by myself [If and only if I could not have found a roommate] I would pick Plum Tree [studio- 950, 1 bdrm- 1100]. It was the cheapest place for the amount of amenities [nice gym and private closed garage] and spacious layout. the area [claremont, i think] was safe. the people seemed really nice and helpful and were familiar with western students. very accomodating. about 13 minutes from campus. [i learned to do everything by TIME, not distance... something 4 miles away could take a lifetime in LA]

the other places that i thought were cool were Portofino in Chino Hills [i'm from orlando and the area reminded me of home...]. They give you some type of discount on all the deposits and waive the application fees because you are a western student. The prices are a little more steap- so it would only be beneficial if you knew you had a roommate. but the place is really nice. about 15 minutes from campus.

The last place I really liked was Missions at Chino Hills- amazing amenities, great area, but steap price if you live alone. so find a roommate. for a 2 bdrm- 1500 [i think]. private theatre with surround sound, gym, park, business center where you can print and fax stuff, a small golf course... nice. Oh! this and Portofino are like very close to Grand Ave which has EVERY store on the face of the planet short of a mall. It is a strip of stores and restaurants... so it is very convenient. about 15 minutes from campus.

Other places I looked at:

El Sereno, Claremont: decent prices for one bdrm [under 1000] BUT, they charge SOOOOO much for move in fees.. i just feel like you could get a better deal somewhere else. but they are really nice and helpful.

Foothills Apartment, Pomona: really cheap. still pomona, but REALLY close to La Verne [crosstreets were Garey and Foothill Blvd, i think]. so its kinda north west pomona- not as ghetto, from what i've been told.

oh, don't bother going to the El Sereno's sister apartment complex, I can't remember the name, but they don't have anything they know of yet for the fall, the people were kinda unnattentive and not so nice, and its a little further away from school than the others.



I hope this helps anyone who will be searching for apartments soon. I've been here since Thursday morning... I've driven over 450 miles [pomona, riverside, and stanton ---family and friends] and i have looked at almost 20 apartments in the inland empire area [where pomona is located, for those of us who are not locals]. if you need any help getting around the first time you are down there, PM me... I'll be more than happy to attempt to help.

whew. i'm glad i got that all out before i forgot it. flight back home tomorrow. so i'm exhausted.

and in case you're wondering- i decided to sublease a place from an MSI student over the summer and then sign a lease in the fall at Missions at Chino Hills. Unless something dramatically changes, thats the plan!! Now all I have to do is get a car. uggghhh.

oh, and p.s. gas prices were 3.35 yesterday... and rising as we speak, i'm sure.
 
Nice... I'm going on Tuesday to check out a place. I'm looking to live alone (I don't play well with others in terms of living space :meanie: ). Plum Tree and Quail Creek seem to be my top choices so far.
 
sama823 said:
The last place I really liked was Missions at Chino Hills- amazing amenities, great area, but steap price if you live alone. so find a roommate. for a 2 bdrm- 1500 [i think]. private theatre with surround sound, gym, park, business center where you can print and fax stuff, a small golf course... nice.
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Wow great post! Keep in mind I live at the above and get a $1,000 bonus if anybody I refer signs a lease and will gladly give you $500 of it. Just PM me if any of you end up moving there.
 
Do you guys know if they wait to give us our financial aid info after we send in both deposits? I haven't received the financial aid email yet, but maybe it's because I've only sent in the first deposit?....
 
lllangelicalll said:
Do you guys know if they wait to give us our financial aid info after we send in both deposits? I haven't received the financial aid email yet, but maybe it's because I've only sent in the first deposit?....
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You should call them and ask...they're very friendly and helpful. Here are the Financial Aid Counselors and their numbers:

Edwin Fletcher
(909) 469-5355

Linda Frenza
(909) 469-5356

Cindy Hines
(909) 469-5259

Good luck!
 
So, I haven't recieved my financial aid email nor the forms for my physical.

I called the administration office and said I should have recieved my physical form in the mail. I didn't, so they sent it over email.

Called financial aid office. They told me that they need a copy of my social security card and passport. Ummm... shouldn't they have told me that they need that info? A call or a letter perhaps?

Now, I'm just going to call bi-weekly just to ask if I'm missing anything.
 
lllangelicalll said:
Do you guys know if they wait to give us our financial aid info after we send in both deposits? I haven't received the financial aid email yet, but maybe it's because I've only sent in the first deposit?....
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Hi -

I haven't sent any deposits in yet, and I received mine. Did you send them your fafsa?
 
How have you received your financial aid info. Don't they send that to you on your western email address? I thought you couldn't get one of those until you sent in your deposit.
 
chris7b said:
How have you received your financial aid info. Don't they send that to you on your western email address? I thought you couldn't get one of those until you sent in your deposit.
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I got my letter in the mail with my email address less than a week after my acceptance letter. I didnt send in my deposit until three weeks after that.
 
Red Beard said:
I noticed this thread on the osteopathic forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=280903

I think the "Grad Plus Loan" that most of us were offered in our award letter is actually a Sallie Mae loan. I need to look into this more, but I just wanted to make sure you guys checked out that thread.
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It's not.
the Grad PLUS loan is a new federal loan. It's supposed to be similar to the PLUS loan parents can take out on behalf of their students during undergrad.
You will be able to borrow the PLUS loan from any lender, just like the Stafford loans.

FYI: I asked our financial aid dept about the difference between Sallie Mae's MEDLOANS program vs. the Grad PLUS loan. They discouraged me from doing MEDLOANS, or going thru Sallie Mae as my Stafford lender.
All students go thru WesternU for the federal loans, you have to let the office know if you plan on going thru another lender. If you look at their payment structure/benefits, they actually offer a pretty fair plan: http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/financial/stafford.xml
 
emeraldcity said:
It's not.
the Grad PLUS loan is a new federal loan. It's supposed to be similar to the PLUS loan parents can take out on behalf of their students during undergrad.
You will be able to borrow the PLUS loan from any lender, just like the Stafford loans.

FYI: I asked our financial aid dept about the difference between Sallie Mae's MEDLOANS program vs. the Grad PLUS loan. They discouraged me from doing MEDLOANS, or going thru Sallie Mae as my Stafford lender.
All students go thru WesternU for the federal loans, you have to let the office know if you plan on going thru another lender. If you look at their payment structure/benefits, they actually offer a pretty fair plan: http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/financial/stafford.xml
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Thanks for the information!
 
Hi there,

Just to clarify, the rate on the PLUS loan is legally fixed at 8.5%. The rate on the MEDLOANS Alternative loan is adjustable, and set according to the prime rate. But since current estimates for the prime are already at 8.5% by the end of the year... absolutely, go with the fixed Grad PLUS loan first.

More on rates + private loans at my blog below.
 
Red Beard said:
Thanks for the information!
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No problem!

the school's not entirely sure how the grad plus loan is going to go down. Everyone is still waiting on the Dept of Education as to disbursement, terms and conditions, etc.
I wouldn't be surprised if WesternU would be the lender for the Grad PLUS too, since it is a federal loan.

but let me tell ya, having to fork over 2-3% in origination fees once you begin repayment, ouch. WesternU doesn't charge that. 🙂

I'm just totally bummed that stafford is going up/being capped at 6.8% (thank you Mr. Bush)
Thanks god I consolidateed my grad school loans at 3.1...
 
Has anyone accepted the loans offered via the award letter. Im just hesitant in accepting because I havent taken any loans out and dont know much about them.
 
Dr. 90605 said:
Has anyone accepted the loans offered via the award letter. Im just hesitant in accepting because I havent taken any loans out and dont know much about them.
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I've already accepted all mine. You can change your mind if you want though. If you accept them all now and change your mind, you just need to call the financial aid office and they can make the change. I'm sure there are deadlines on this kind of thing, so maybe call them now and find out how much time you have to make changes.
 
Hey Guys,

Anyone know precisely where we need to have our college transcripts mailed? I believe they are to be sent to admissions, but I was wondering if there are any other specifications necessary, such as student ID number, special heading on the letters, etc.
 
Any locals planning on commuting? I live in burbank and was hoping to live at home and commute. Anybody think this is a bad idea? Not sure wether i'm going to drive or take the metrolink. Right now i'm leaning towards taking the train...
 
hey everyone,

just finished all the paperwork to receive the loan money. finished it just before the ten day deadline rule. It is kinda a nerve racking decision but i agree with the post above you can always call financial aid and change the arrangement if you wish to receive less money when school starts.
As far as the question above on transcripts, I just had the schools i have attended send them without a western u student ID or anything then I called the admissions office later to make sure they receive them. Then I asked if there was anything else my file needed and when the person said my file was complete I asked for their name in case I get crap later, i can say so and so told me my file was complete.
 
chris7b said:
Any locals planning on commuting? I live in burbank and was hoping to live at home and commute. Anybody think this is a bad idea? Not sure wether i'm going to drive or take the metrolink. Right now i'm leaning towards taking the train...
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We're going to rent a house, and have been exploring anything within about 30 miles of Pomona. I don't think Burbank is too far out, but I guess it's all about perspective. Some people think anything longer then 10 minutes away is a "long" commute. 😉 For me, I don't plan on attending most lectures, so I'll stay at home to study. But I still want to be within reasonable range of the school, not only for when I do attend class/labs, but also for rotations. I think the train is a great idea too. You can either relax or study during that time, rather then being bothered by driving. 🙂
 
chris7b said:
How have you received your financial aid info. Don't they send that to you on your western email address? I thought you couldn't get one of those until you sent in your deposit.
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Was that directed at me? I have both a western email and a fin aid letter.
 
Hey...

So where do I get my banweb pin from? It says that i don't have a security questions set up... anyone?

I need to log on to accept my stafford loan i guess. it looks like today is the 10 day deadline based on the letter date (although I just got it the beginning of this week since i was away all last week)
 
Flyfisher said:
Hey...

So where do I get my banweb pin from? It says that i don't have a security questions set up... anyone?

I need to log on to accept my stafford loan i guess. it looks like today is the 10 day deadline based on the letter date (although I just got it the beginning of this week since i was away all last week)
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In your email from the school with the subject "IMPORTANT: BanWeb Account Information" It will have info similar to this:

User ID: @00###### (must include the @ symbol when logging in)



PIN: Your PIN is the last two digits of your birth year and the last four digits of your social security number. For example, if you were born on June 4, 1975, and your SSN was 555-55-5555, your PIN would be 755555.


After you login you should be able to setup your security question AND change your password. I hope this was of some help and not just redundant info.
Deez
 
I have yet to receive anything from the school other than my acceptance. Ive been trying to call the last two days, but everything is shut down because of commencement.
 
I need some major help deciding between these two schools, I feel like NSU is slightly better school, but I really like the location of southern cal better, but not the COMP campus? any input

njaqua said:
Since noone has started this thread yet, I figured I would. I believe I have decided on COMP. The weather, rotation sites, qualities of students, quality of residency matches....should have been a no-brainer but took me a while.
Here we go.
👍
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first of all, this post has nothing to do with loans or anything...so sorry ahead of time, but i have a slight dilemma. i've been accepted to tucom-mi and have paid the $3000.00 to hold my spot. i'm also on the alternate list at comp. for superficial reasons and the system-based curriculum, i would like to attend comp. but is it really worth the extra $2000.00 if accepted? ideally, i want to stay in the bay area for residency in IM and would like to do well on the boards. does tucom-mi have a better pass rate compared to comp? also, i've lived in the bay my entire life and was hoping for a change of scenery for a couple of years, but i could always go down to l.a. for my fourth year. should i forfeit my alternate status at comp so that someone else can have the opportunity to attend? i need help convincing myself that going to tucom-mi will be better for me. i'm really confused and would appreciate any advice. thanks future friends (maybe...see i'm confused again...crap). 😕
 
i say: a doctor is a doctor is a doctor. If you're going into IM, you're likely to achieve your goals - regardless of how you perform on the boards (assuming you pass). I would definitely compare match lists (not board pass rates) at each school and evaluate which hospitals tucom students find residency placements at.
About the deposit ... who cares?... 2 grand is only .008% of your expected cumulative debt. of $240,000.00 !!! (is my math right? - that's crazy) it's definitely worth it if you want it... don't choose one school over another because of a few measly thousand dollars.
 
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