Please help narrowing down school list!

[ladsonct]

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Hi, I plan on applying to ~15 schools and need help narrowing down my list! I want to maximize my chance of getting accepted without spending a crazy amount on fees, so 15 is the number I came up with. I'd appreciate any help. Thank you! 🙂

Residency: IL
Plenty of work, shadow, volunteer experiences but barely any exposure to research.
Other things worth mentioning: Not trying to go south with the exception of FL, looking for OOS friendly schools, I cannot apply to midwestern-IL/AZ because I do not have one of their pre-reqs (anatomy).



Here is my current list!

Western
USC
UoP
UConn
Lecom
Nova
UIC
BU
Tufts
Maryland
Michigan
NYU
Case
Temple

+ Harvard, Columbia, Penn, UCSF (I realize these are extra competitive to get into, but these are schools that my dad really really want me to apply to so they're non-negotiable haha...)

 

[ajj70]

Why does your Dad think you need to apply to Harvard, Columbia, Penn and UCSF? You have a shot getting into those with your stats but do YOU want to go there? I'd also make Dad pay for those applications😀 I'd take LECOM off the list for sure. Your stats are too high for them. I'd say the same for Western except that is first on your list so maybe your preferred school? I'd probably add Iowa and Minnesota to your list with your stats too. I'd consider Ohio since they give in-state after a year.

 

[I want to go to there]

Hi, I plan on applying to ~15 schools and need help narrowing down my list! I want to maximize my chance of getting accepted without spending a crazy amount on fees, so 15 is the number I came up with. I'd appreciate any help. Thank you! 🙂

Residency: IL
sGPA/oGPA: 3.71/3.75
AA:24
TS: 24
PAT: 23
Plenty of work, shadow, volunteer experiences but barely any exposure to research.
Other things worth mentioning: Not trying to go south with the exception of FL, looking for OOS friendly schools, I cannot apply to midwestern-IL/AZ because I do not have one of their pre-reqs (anatomy).



Here is my current list!

Western
USC
UoP
UConn
Lecom
Nova
UIC
BU
Tufts
Maryland
Michigan
NYU
Case
Temple

+ Harvard, Columbia, Penn, UCSF (I realize these are extra competitive to get into, but these are schools that my dad really really want me to apply to so they're non-negotiable haha...)

I would remove USC due to high tuition cost and Lecom due to weak clinical.

 

[LaughingGas]

Given your stats, why not apply for public schools that are OOS friendly?

 

[I want to go to there]

Given your stats, why not apply for public schools that are OOS friendly?

Are there any? Also, doesn't oos tuition cost for public schools end up being similar to the cost for private schools apart from some state schools that let oos pay is tuition after a year?

 

[ladsonct]

Why does your Dad think you need to apply to Harvard, Columbia, Penn and UCSF? You have a shot getting into those with your stats but do YOU want to go there? I'd also make Dad pay for those applications😀 I'd take LECOM off the list for sure. Your stats are too high for them. I'd say the same for Western except that is first on your list so maybe your preferred school? I'd probably add Iowa and Minnesota to your list with your stats too. I'd consider Ohio since they give in-state after a year.

Thanks for the input!! Yes, I'd still love to attend them. Every single school on this list is somewhere I would want to go, no worries🙂 I was just making the point that the Ivies/UCSF cannot be eliminated as I narrow down my list. Also, the list is organized by state 🙂

Given your stats, why not apply for public schools that are OOS friendly?

I picked OOS friendly public schools (40% or more OOS enrollees) that seemed more geographically appealing to me. I might have missed a few though! Are there any in particular that you think would be good to apply to?

 

[dds2b219]

Apply to the top 15 schools you'd like to attend. Your stats are awesome

 

[OSUkid]

Superb stats!

 

[dentalgirl7893]

I second Minnesota, 100%. I feel like there was a school in Indiana or Iowa that's supposed to be OOS friendly, can anyone second that? (sorry that's a totally unhelpful statement lol).

 

[ajj70]

I second Minnesota, 100%. I feel like there was a school in Indiana or Iowa that's supposed to be OOS friendly, can anyone second that? (sorry that's a totally unhelpful statement lol).

Iowa is pretty OOS friendly. Neither Iowa or MN will give in-state tuition after a year though.

 

[CleverThought]

However most people at Iowa who are OOS get a pretty large scholarship. There's only one OOS classmate of mine who didn't get the scholarship. I didn't ask the specifics, but my pod mate (OOS) told me it brings it pretty close to IS tuition.

 

[ajj70]

However most people at Iowa who are OOS get a pretty large scholarship. There's only one OOS classmate of mine who didn't get the scholarship. I didn't ask the specifics, but my pod mate (OOS) told me it brings it pretty close to IS tuition.

That's good information. Do they give scholarships for in-state too?

 

[CleverThought]

That's good information. Do they give scholarships for in-state too?

Everyone (IS and OOS) who takes out max loans gets a scholarship. It's small, like 10k or less per school year. I don't remember the exact figure because I didn't max out loans, but that's super helpful.

I think one or maybe 2 IS students gets a sizable scholarship, but most of it goes to OOS students.

Take this with a grain of salt as this is all what I've heard from my classmates. I myself have not gotten any scholarships from the school.

 

[ajj70]

Everyone (IS and OOS) who takes out max loans gets a scholarship. It's small, like 10k or less per school year. I don't remember the exact figure because I didn't max out loans, but that's super helpful.

I think one or maybe 2 IS students gets a sizable scholarship, but most of it goes to OOS students.

Take this with a grain of salt as this is all what I've heard from my classmates. I myself have not gotten any scholarships from the school.

Thanks. Even $40K off the bill is helpful in the end!! Probably worth maxing the loans and then banking the difference if you don't need it all.

 

[I want to go to there]

Thanks. Even $40K off the bill is helpful in the end!! Probably worth maxing the loans and then banking the difference if you don't need it all.

Some people invest the left over and make quite a bit of money. If you are good at that sort of thing or have family member who are, something to think about.

 

[ajj70]

Some people invest the left over and make quite a bit of money. If you are good at that sort of thing or have family member who are, something to think about.

Even if you don't invest the money, it's still getting $40k off your total bill, minus the minimal interest while you are in school. The I of IA credit union has 2.9% on their checking accounts. That alone will give you about $1000/year/$10,000 and then you have a lump sum to put toward your loans--or not depending on your interest rates--maybe part of a downpayment on your private practice, etc. It's always good to use other people's money when you can and it makes financial sense 😀.

 

[I want to go to there]

Even if you don't invest the money, it's still getting $40k off your total bill, minus the minimal interest while you are in school. The I of IA credit union has 2.9% on their checking accounts. That alone will give you about $1000/year/$10,000 and then you have a lump sum to put toward your loans--or not depending on your interest rates--maybe part of a downpayment on your private practice, etc. It's always good to use other people's money when you can and it makes financial sense 😀.

Yep, no downside to borrowing few thousands more than needed if school will give you 40k just for doing it. It would probably take decades for that interest to even out with 40k.

 

[andreadds]

Why does your Dad think you need to apply to Harvard, Columbia, Penn and UCSF? You have a shot getting into those with your stats but do YOU want to go there? I'd also make Dad pay for those applications😀 I'd take LECOM off the list for sure. Your stats are too high for them. I'd say the same for Western except that is first on your list so maybe your preferred school? I'd probably add Iowa and Minnesota to your list with your stats too. I'd consider Ohio since they give in-state after a year.

I agree take off LECOM
But if you get into Penn go!