Pre-reqs at public vs. private school

[agw]

Let me preface this: I am NOT trying to sound like a snob in any way. I'm just trying to be smart financially and academically.

Was wondering if taking the pre-reqs I need (pretty much all of the standard BCPM) at a local state school (saving myself a lot of money) vs. enrolling in a more prestigious private school (one of which I attended for undergrad and grad) will hurt my chances in the long run at getting into top-20 med schools? I don't want to limit myself from the onset but I also don't want to start med school with $200k plus loans if I can avoid it.

I'm sure there's no hard data on this, but considering I already have a sizable amount of loans, I'd prefer to go the cheaper route. But I do not want to have to defend it as such to an adcom down the road. I realize I would weasel my way out with the "I'm being financially responsible" argument, but what do you say to someone that asks if you were trying to get easier As?

The public universities in my area are all top notch, but technically lower ranked than the private institutions also nearby.

My Q applies to both informal and formal post-bacc situations, as I'm still not set on what I'll do.

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[Hotshy]

There's a lot of people on here who went to state schools for undergrad and ended up attending top 20 schools. At the state university I attend, we send a handful of students to top 20 schools each year, Harvard for example.

Safe yourself money, you won't have to defend yourself to adcom if its a typical 4 year university that you are taking your pre-reqs at.

 

[agw]

There's a lot of people on here who went to state schools for undergrad and ended up attending top 20 schools. At the state university I attend, we send a handful of students to top 20 schools each year, Harvard for example.

Safe yourself money, you won't have to defend yourself to adcom if its a typical 4 year university that you are taking your pre-reqs at.

Thanks for the insight. I've done a lot of lurking, but wanted to get a feel from responses as well.

 

[vc7777]

Save the money.

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[Prncssbuttercup]

Take them at the public school.

 

[rguil15]

Save the money. They may see it as a "mature" decision on your part, which it would be.