campanelle
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Last edited:
decision submitted! thanks to everyone for your input :)
- Thread starter campanelle
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UICOM, saving 180k is a ton of money, that is legit a 6-figure difference in debt..... You could be saving money later in life a lot earlier if you go the more affordable route.
I also would tend to view the smaller class size of 65 as a pro; imagine how much easier it is to build meaningful relationships with professors/faculty.
I also would tend to view the smaller class size of 65 as a pro; imagine how much easier it is to build meaningful relationships with professors/faculty.
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Im gonna say UCLA. You seem passionate about it. Maybe there are scholarships you can apply to while enrolled?
ConfusedPremed3000
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As a note regarding the disorganization of the admissions committee, I am pretty UCLA is the one of the 5 most applied to med schools with over 17,000ish applicants and is also the most holistic in the nation (look at their MCAT and GPA ranges from 10-25-50-75-90 percentiles) so I think that might be a reason for their perceived disorganization. Also, they released most of their first round acceptances by mid February and are one of the quickest in terms of giving out WL As (have given over 50 in the first 2 days post April 30 deadline) so I think that's a good sign.
As for cost, yeah, that's a big bummer (and the only reason I decommitted from there for two other similarly ranked or slightly worse schools), but with the two choices you have here, I think the extra 180k might be worth it. I am low-SES myself and totally understand this struggle so you do you! If you are low-SES, UCLA has the LDS loan option (a loan that is interest-free during med school and residency), and that can save a lot of money.
As for the residency matching, the main reason people match into the West Coast is because most are Cali residents that want to do residency there (UCLA is a public school so that makes total sense) but if you look closely at the match list, you will see students match in top-tier residencies in the Northeast, midwest, the South (and Texas). So the match list is self-selecting and should not be a concern; you will not be held back when applying for residency!
As for cost, yeah, that's a big bummer (and the only reason I decommitted from there for two other similarly ranked or slightly worse schools), but with the two choices you have here, I think the extra 180k might be worth it. I am low-SES myself and totally understand this struggle so you do you! If you are low-SES, UCLA has the LDS loan option (a loan that is interest-free during med school and residency), and that can save a lot of money.
As for the residency matching, the main reason people match into the West Coast is because most are Cali residents that want to do residency there (UCLA is a public school so that makes total sense) but if you look closely at the match list, you will see students match in top-tier residencies in the Northeast, midwest, the South (and Texas). So the match list is self-selecting and should not be a concern; you will not be held back when applying for residency!
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Only you can decide if the dream is worth 180k extra debt to work yourself out from. I'd probably choose UCLA here, but as I've said before under other posts, I say that with the disclaimer that it is definitely not the right financial decision.
If I were YOU though, especially since you want to go back to the Midwest and you seem not thrilled about being far from home, I think you should definitely stick with UICOM here.
If I were YOU though, especially since you want to go back to the Midwest and you seem not thrilled about being far from home, I think you should definitely stick with UICOM here.
