3 days left to make a decision, and I am at the end of my sanity - although I'm very fortunate to have options at all, of course. The decision is complicated due to finances.
UMD:
- Loved the school, fantastic program and excellent residency placements, strong research.
- Love the city, plus my significant other lives in Baltimore. Also have many friends and some family there.
- Easy access to many other local hospitals for rotations.
- It's on the East Coast, and I would really prefer staying in this geographic region.
Cons:
- Letter grades all 4 years. Most students I've talked to wish they didn't have to deal with this, and say that it added stress. Also just a generally more stressful atmosphere, it seems like an old-school 'put in your dues' program.
- Extremely expensive for me. I am out of state, so the first year I'd need a minimum of about $85k in loans. I'd be looking at a total of about $265k in loans for 4 years at UMD.
- They still have not given me a financial aid award, and I probably won't get one by April 30th. But I don't think they give any merit or need-based aid anyways.
Wake Forest
Pros:
- Loved the school and student body when I visited, everyone seemed very happy.
- Brand new medical school building, great facilities.
- They gave me a 40k/year scholarship, so I would only need to take out about 35k/year in loans. Low cost of living too, so looking at a total of about $140k in loans for 4 years.
Cons:
- I hate the location. It's a tiny city in the middle of nowhere in NC, with a pretty small hospital. Fewer opportunities to see interesting cases, etc.
- Lower ranked than UMD
- Worse residency placements than UMD
- My significant other cannot move here, as there are no jobs for him in Winston Salem. I'd be looking at doing a long-distance relationship for 4 years.
So essentially: is it worth paying an extra $125k in loans to go to the school I like more / stay in the same city as my significant other and friends/family?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
UMD:
- Loved the school, fantastic program and excellent residency placements, strong research.
- Love the city, plus my significant other lives in Baltimore. Also have many friends and some family there.
- Easy access to many other local hospitals for rotations.
- It's on the East Coast, and I would really prefer staying in this geographic region.
Cons:
- Letter grades all 4 years. Most students I've talked to wish they didn't have to deal with this, and say that it added stress. Also just a generally more stressful atmosphere, it seems like an old-school 'put in your dues' program.
- Extremely expensive for me. I am out of state, so the first year I'd need a minimum of about $85k in loans. I'd be looking at a total of about $265k in loans for 4 years at UMD.
- They still have not given me a financial aid award, and I probably won't get one by April 30th. But I don't think they give any merit or need-based aid anyways.
Wake Forest
Pros:
- Loved the school and student body when I visited, everyone seemed very happy.
- Brand new medical school building, great facilities.
- They gave me a 40k/year scholarship, so I would only need to take out about 35k/year in loans. Low cost of living too, so looking at a total of about $140k in loans for 4 years.
Cons:
- I hate the location. It's a tiny city in the middle of nowhere in NC, with a pretty small hospital. Fewer opportunities to see interesting cases, etc.
- Lower ranked than UMD
- Worse residency placements than UMD
- My significant other cannot move here, as there are no jobs for him in Winston Salem. I'd be looking at doing a long-distance relationship for 4 years.
So essentially: is it worth paying an extra $125k in loans to go to the school I like more / stay in the same city as my significant other and friends/family?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
