22, international student from EU. Am about to start higher ed. in the US.
First year student at uni back home. Through a series of shenanigans, I managed to make the following deal:
1 Got accepted to a CC of the Ventura Community College District. While attending CC, I will be able to fly back at the end of every semester to complete my degree at my uni back home concurrently. This will take 2 more years. During these 2 years, I wanted to complete the premed coursework at CC. I can then use my foreign degree + US coursework to apply to postgrad programs, ie med school. Got a state scholarship from my country that takes care of half of the ~23k$ financial requirement for the first year of CC, need to find a scholarship for the second year in the US.
If something went wrong, I could just finish CC in a transfer program, apply to a CSU, get a degree in the US too, and apply that way.
That was the plan so far, except just now I got a job where I can net ~1k$ a month, which is a lot in my country.
If I stay home and work for a year, I can take the ~23k$ I already have and the ~11k$k I'll make to apply to a CSU directly the next year, instead of CC. Got a pretty high GPA, would probably get accepted. This would be the better option if I only need coursework credit, since I doubt med schools would be impressed much by CC credit, even if they accept it, but the CC way would be preferable financially in the long term if I needed to complete a degree in the US.
CSU might also get me a better scholarship option for the second year, I doubt I would get more for CC than a couple of thousand dollars, and that isnt enough.
Summa summarum, afaik:
Going to CC this year:
Pros: Already got accepted and have everything set up. ~12k$ scholarship I already have to cover half of my expenses for the first year. Better option if I need a degree in the US.
Cons: Hardly scholarship options for the second year. I'll get a work permit for the second tho. Doubt I can make much but its something, and takes care of a higher % of the costs it would at CSU. CC course credit might not impress medical schools much.
Staying home working, CSU the following year:
Pros: Favorable method if I need no degree, course credit only. Better research op.
Cons: Idk if Id get accepted. I have to stay here for a year longer. Is more expensive, might get a good scholarship for the second year tho. (would get the ~12k$ state scholarship for the first year here too)
Strong GPA, Am a certified dental assistant, (which provided me with traning opportunities in like 10 different medical wards, from traumatology to children psych ward), worked at several low threshold homeless shelters overnight, and I have a strong case for doing good on the MCAT. If you are wondering why Im so stingy despite med school (and higher ed. in the US in general) for international students being a clear rip-off, and fussing over 1-2$k, when med school costs 200k$, I am prepared to go into debt for medical school, but not a second earlier.
I have no idea what to do, Im under immense time pressure, any bit of information or insight, even just clear thinking could help me to decide which route to take, especially since most if not all of you might be more familiar with the US system and definitely more familiar with med school requirements despite all my research up to this point. If I do pick a CSU, which one should it be? Does anyone have information about the average scholarships for international students at the individual institutions? Any input is appreciated.
First year student at uni back home. Through a series of shenanigans, I managed to make the following deal:
1 Got accepted to a CC of the Ventura Community College District. While attending CC, I will be able to fly back at the end of every semester to complete my degree at my uni back home concurrently. This will take 2 more years. During these 2 years, I wanted to complete the premed coursework at CC. I can then use my foreign degree + US coursework to apply to postgrad programs, ie med school. Got a state scholarship from my country that takes care of half of the ~23k$ financial requirement for the first year of CC, need to find a scholarship for the second year in the US.
If something went wrong, I could just finish CC in a transfer program, apply to a CSU, get a degree in the US too, and apply that way.
That was the plan so far, except just now I got a job where I can net ~1k$ a month, which is a lot in my country.
If I stay home and work for a year, I can take the ~23k$ I already have and the ~11k$k I'll make to apply to a CSU directly the next year, instead of CC. Got a pretty high GPA, would probably get accepted. This would be the better option if I only need coursework credit, since I doubt med schools would be impressed much by CC credit, even if they accept it, but the CC way would be preferable financially in the long term if I needed to complete a degree in the US.
CSU might also get me a better scholarship option for the second year, I doubt I would get more for CC than a couple of thousand dollars, and that isnt enough.
Summa summarum, afaik:
Going to CC this year:
Pros: Already got accepted and have everything set up. ~12k$ scholarship I already have to cover half of my expenses for the first year. Better option if I need a degree in the US.
Cons: Hardly scholarship options for the second year. I'll get a work permit for the second tho. Doubt I can make much but its something, and takes care of a higher % of the costs it would at CSU. CC course credit might not impress medical schools much.
Staying home working, CSU the following year:
Pros: Favorable method if I need no degree, course credit only. Better research op.
Cons: Idk if Id get accepted. I have to stay here for a year longer. Is more expensive, might get a good scholarship for the second year tho. (would get the ~12k$ state scholarship for the first year here too)
Strong GPA, Am a certified dental assistant, (which provided me with traning opportunities in like 10 different medical wards, from traumatology to children psych ward), worked at several low threshold homeless shelters overnight, and I have a strong case for doing good on the MCAT. If you are wondering why Im so stingy despite med school (and higher ed. in the US in general) for international students being a clear rip-off, and fussing over 1-2$k, when med school costs 200k$, I am prepared to go into debt for medical school, but not a second earlier.
I have no idea what to do, Im under immense time pressure, any bit of information or insight, even just clear thinking could help me to decide which route to take, especially since most if not all of you might be more familiar with the US system and definitely more familiar with med school requirements despite all my research up to this point. If I do pick a CSU, which one should it be? Does anyone have information about the average scholarships for international students at the individual institutions? Any input is appreciated.
