Solid Public University (with Full Ride) vs. University of Pennsylvania (with half-ride scholarship)

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UPenn with half-ride vs. solid Public University with full-ride

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AALITH

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I am currently deciding between a solid public school with a full-ride scholarship and University of Pennsylvania with a scholarship that pays for half of the total cost of attendance. Medicine is my eventual goal.

The public college is close to home and allows for a study-abroad trip.
University of Pennsylvania invited me to be a Vagelos Scholar (research stipends).

I am torn between the two. I know either way I'll get an extensive education, however, I am debating whether the cost of Penn is too hefty especially since I know I want to go to med school afterwards. Any legitimate advice or experience (especially from UPenn) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
I'd pick Penn because of many more opportunities and its name recognition, which will pay dividends when applying to medical school.

Now if by solid public university, you're referring to something like Michigan (and its "Public Ivy" counterparts), I'd probably choose that. Easily.
 
UG, pick state school. GPA will matter, and I can't imagine any state school where you can't find that research opportunity.

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Definitely go public. Much cheaper and when it comes time to apply to med school, no one cares where you went to college. They care that your GPA is high, and it's much harder to graduate with a high gpa from penn than the state school (most likely). The kids that graduate from ivy's and go on to med school are studs-if you think you can hang with them, go for penn but the much easier/safer route would be the public school.
 
What kind of public are we talking about? Like Berk, UNC, Mich, OSU, UT Austin level public schools? Or like Cal State Dominguez Hills? Because if its in that former group, then take the money and run. Being a big fish in a smaller pond is great when the school has all the research amenities you'll need to become a great med school candidate anyway. Get a great GPA, make lots of great friends, get involved with as much research as possible, and you'll be set.
 
I went to a lower-ranked university on a full scholarship way back in my day 🙄, and I can't even start to express how light I feel when I think about the fact that I have no debt from college. My choice was between my current school and another private school that ended up costing $40,000/year after a $20,000 scholarship due to living expenses – so pretty similar, although it wasn't quite as highly ranked as UPenn. I'm not going to lie, I was very upset when my parents told me that they couldn't afford to send me to Expensive Private School and that I more or less had to attend my current school. I worked so hard in high school, and the students in my school definitely had an attitude of, attend the highest-ranked school you were accepted to. It was a decision that I definitely did not appreciate when I had to make it, but if I could go back and do it again, I would make the same choice.

While the average student may have better opportunities at UPenn vs. Good State School, your college experience is really what you make of it and I think that if you were good enough to be accepted to UPenn for your undergrad, you have the ability to work hard enough to be accepted to a great medical school afterward. I do not think that the UPenn name is worth $100,000+. And, if for some reason you fall in love with another career during college, your $0 debt load will make the change easier to stomach. Once again, not having undergrad debt is so freeing. I could afford to take low stipend/unpaid internships that gave me amazing experiences and I feel much less pressured about what I want to do after I graduate.
 
Congrats. You will definitely be successful regardless of where you go. The school doesn't make a person. But, I would go to Penn. Imagine if you decide you don't want to go into medicine. I don't think going to Penn would necessarily help with applying to med school, but it's name definitely holds in other fields (finance).
 
I am a grad student at Penn and I can say that the opportunities for research are incredible. There are also multiple huge hospitals in the area and it is easy to get involved. Great area for pre-med. I went to a mid/low tier state college for undergrad and I can say that Penn is a whole different world. I wish I would have been in an environment like this starting at the age of 18 rather than 23, but you live and you learn. It would help if you provided the name of the other school, and your financial situation (will you take out loans or do you have some financial support?).
 
If the state school isn't one of the ones already mentioned in this thread, I'd pick Penn.

If it is then....

I went to a state school on a full ride over a higher ranked school that would have cost me like 200k in debt. I'm not sure what your cost differential is (I don't know what a half ride at Penn amounts to) but having no debt is awesome. I feel I have received a fantastic education and there are plenty of resources at this school for people interested in the fields that the Ivy League and Friends are usually touted to be better for (consulting, banking, business, tech industry). However, as a high school senior you must accept that you could change your mind at any moment about what you want to do once you get to college. The instant credibility of going to Penn is worth a lot of money, but not all of the money. If you put up numbers we might be able to help a little more.

If you end up at a place you like, you will stop caring about undergrad prestige after freshman year. Unfortunately, the world never does.
 
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Full ride at public school. Work hard regardless of what undergrad you attend and your school won't matter in the slightest when applying to med school. And it will be a great feeling entering med school with minimal debt. Now that I'm facing repayment of med school loans in 6 months, I'm super thankful I don't have debt from undergrad tacked on to that obscene debt load.
 
I have a full ride at a public school, and it feels great knowing that I don't have the kind of debt that many of my peers do. That alone opens so many doors for me! I would pick the public school if it seems like the faculty and staff are supportive (not condescending or rude; willing to help you with any question or problem). You can get the research at a public school, too; my university actually has a program to get freshmen engaged in research. And studying abroad is something I highly recommend just because it's fun and lets you see the world. Consider if you'd be able to afford going out of the country if you went to Penn. I'll be using my study abroad stipend to go to Spain this summer, which I know I couldn't have done if I'd gone to one of the more expensive schools on my list.

Also, consider grades. I don't know how grading is at Penn, but at my school I can maintain a high GPA while doing research and ECs (and having some actual fun once in a while). And at a large university, there are still tons of opportunities out there, even if they don't connect you with Richie McNobelwinner. If you take advantage of those opportunities, you'll be solid for med school. Just some things to consider! It seems like you'll be fine anywhere you go!
 
Penn. I'm all about cost savings for med school, but prestige matters, Penn opens doors, and you're still getting considerable $$$

Edit: I thought this was where to go to med school. Take the full ride for undergrad
 
Can't mention the public school but mentions UPenn lol...
 
If this was for med school I'd probably say UPenn, but for UG take the full ride for sure. It won't inhibit your chances of getting into med school and you'll appreciate it when you're paying the bills.
 
If you are 100% absolutely never going to do anything but medical school no matter what, go with the full-ride.

Otherwise, Penn if the debt will be under $35K (up to $70K if you would end up doing econ). I'm carrying $30K in undergrad debt from a top 10 (my financial aid grant covered all of tuiton and half of room and board) and I really really wish I didn't have that debt. I'm probably going to end up at a high tuition med school. With the debt I'm going to have, I'm not even sure if i'm going to end up enrolling this fall. I turned down a full-tuition scholarship (which also gave me a chance at housing scholarship) for my undergrad. I don't regret my decision because it was the best choice for me- I didn't know that I would end up wanting to go to med school and top schools will handsdown give you a tremendous boost in every field. But now I'm looking at over $350K in my principle loan balance alone.

For getting into med school, the benefit of UPenn are resources and giving you a better shot at top meds (which isn't a huge deal). But for other fields, top schools are basically the difference between getting a job vs not getting a job. If there is no chance of you switching fields, it is worth saving the money

(Edit: If there is any chance of you doing some kind of degree that doesn't have clear path to paying off the debt, take the full-ride. I feel horribly for every humanities major I meet who took out $120K+ to just make $30-40k/yr)
 
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Financial security almost guaranteed if you go to UPENN, the rest? Not so much.

Not to be a debbie downer, but most freshman go in wanting to be doctors and leave that same year wanting to be something else. Making the decision based on a career choice you may not decide on 3 years from now is silly.

Go to UPENN. It'll help you experience a lot and you'll know if medicine is actually something you want to pursue or if UPENN opened your eyes to another career. Don't let money command your life, let yourself command your life.

P.S. Campus life at IVY's/Public IVY counterparts are so great in comparison to any other experience you'll have in UG.
 
Update: the public school is a small, liberal arts college with subpar research opportunities. I've known people who go there for undergrad, work hard, take a year off for research somewhere else, and go to a top med school. It's a very solid school, but I'm hesitant to pass up an opportunity like Penn.
 
It's hard to say. If it were med school I would learn towards penn. For undergrad, I would say the public school but it depends on which school it is. If it's pomona then no but if it's berkeley then I would do it without a second thought

A lot of it depends on you though. My friend from an unknown public school had interviews at pretty much the same med schools as I did coming from a well regarded private school
 
Also, is it possible to ask financial aid at Penn about increasing my grants?
 
AALITH said:
Also, is it possible to ask financial aid at Penn about increasing my grants?
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Fin aid grant? Probably not. My sister had a major surgery that my parents were paying off and they said that they could afford our $5K efc. The school said too bad. Financial aid doesn't have much leeway- scholarships do.

How much would Penn cost?
 
AALITH said:
Update: the public school is a small, liberal arts college with subpar research opportunities. I've known people who go there for undergrad, work hard, take a year off for research somewhere else, and go to a top med school. It's a very solid school, but I'm hesitant to pass up an opportunity like Penn.
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I'd vote Penn. Better for premed, better for if you decide not to do premed.

The Ivies usually have excellent financial aid - it's surprising to hear them even asking for a full half COA.
 
Penn will give you amazing opportunities if something happens and you decide not to do medicine. The other school probably can not say the same.
 
These questions are always hard to answer because of how many people in HS are convinced they want to do pre-med but end up dropping it. Often times it's not because they got weeded out either, they just realize it's just not the field for them. We have no idea on an anonymous online forum without knowing you personally about your motivations for medicine or how determined/convinced you are going down the pre-med path.

If you dont go for pre-med, your options will clearly be greater with a Penn diploma than a State U one. Ultimately, that's still why I would kinda lean that way. 100k in debt roughly over 4 years is alot, but for what Penn can provide you in the event you arent pre-med, I personally tend to think it's worth it.
 
GrapesofRath said:
These questions are always hard to answer because of how many people in HS are convinced they want to do pre-med but end up dropping it. Often times it's not because they got weeded out either, they just realize it's just not the field for them. We have no idea on an anonymous online forum without knowing you personally about your motivations for medicine or how determined/convinced you are going down the pre-med path.

If you dont go for pre-med, your options will clearly be greater with a Penn diploma than a State U one. Ultimately, that's still why I would kinda lean that way. 100k in debt roughly over 4 years is alot, but for what Penn can provide you in the event you arent pre-med, I personally tend to think it's worth it.
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plus if medicine doesn't work he could just transfer into Wharton and that 100k would be paid off pretty quickly
 
CHoge25 said:
plus if medicine doesn't work he could just transfer into Wharton and that 100k would be paid off pretty quickly
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Transferring into Wharton is extremely difficult, even for intra-school Penn students. I would not bank on this being a realistic consideration.

With that being said, I do think that OP should go to Penn. Fin Aid there is extremely generous, so I'd imagine OP's family is more that capable of affording the extra cost if its being asked for.
 
I'd pick Penn for the upside. From my brief research on the scholarship you won... it's an incredible opportunity. Why start selling yourself short at the age of 18? Rationalize it this way: if you do well there, you put yourself in a better position to choose where you go to medical school and increase your chances of a fat scholarship or an MD/PhD.

I went to a similar caliber undergrad, majored in science, and was part of a research track not nearly as fancy sounding as yours. Towards the end of college I realized I didn't want to do science and despite having no relevant work experience was able to parlay the prestige of my undergrad into a job in finance. I netted ~$400k in 2.5 years from that job. I ended up paying for my MD in cash and am graduating in 2 months with zero debt. I can confidently say there is no way I would have been able to get the non-medical job I did as a science major without the connections afforded by my college. The name couldn't have hurt my medical school application either - it probably helped me get into the cheap school I attend now, and get a fat scholarship at another school I chose not to attend. Your undergrad is a lifetime investment - give yourself every bit of flexibility and upside.

TLDR shoot for the stars. In my mind this decision is not even close. Please go to Penn.
 
Many people here will tell you to take the state school and save money, but beware this advice only applies if you are not interested in obtaining an eventual position in academia or at a prestigious university.

If your eventual goal is to just be a clinician and if you have no desire for academia/prestigious positions (ex: endowed professor, department chair, etc), sure go to the state school. Otherwise pick Penn! Lots of people here say reputation does not matter, but if you are applying to top medical schools (Harvard, Yale, Penn, Columbia, etc) reputation DOES matter. Many of these schools pick significant numbers from their own undergrads and from the undergrads of similar caliber. Additionally, if you want to do MD/PhD or think you would be interested in a career in research/academia definitely pick Penn. In research, academic pedigree matters significantly. As much as this sucks this is just how it is. Look at where the MD/PhD students at most of the top programs did their undergrad. Majority of times, it will be a "top" institution. Similarly, pedigree will help you get grants if you plan to go down the research path.

TL;DR: If you are interested in academic medicine/research or have desires to go to a top ranked medical school go with Penn no doubt. If you just want to be a doctor and don't care so much about medical school rank and research go with state school. State school will not hold you back, but it will not give you the boost that Penn's reputation does.
 
Depends on the undergrad. If you're talking Berkeley, UCLA, or Michigan, then it's a real consideration. Outside of those three public schools, I doubt I would choose anywhere over Penn.
 
I went to an excellent (out-of-)state school on a scholarship and turned down more prestigious universities that would cost more. The big downside to a state school is they can be very large, and you'll need to be motivated to make sure you're doing everything on time. They don't keep tabs on you as much as the smaller schools can. However, in my big state school, I was able to graduate from the honors program which included doing research in the med school, study abroad for a year in London, and have fun (not partying) with friends from all over while taking a huge variety of classes.

I used the fact that I went to a cheaper state school to go to a higher ranked medical school and turned down my state school which would've saved me more money in the long run, but I thought it was a better move for me. So instead of ending up with a lot of undergrad debt and med school debt, I only ended up with a lot of med school debt, and a small amount of undergrad debt. I also didn't go to undergrad planning on doing medicine.
 
I'm leaning towards Penn.

This is from someone who goes to a large public school that I LOVE and, given the choice between what I have now and Penn, I would pick state school. However, the reason I love it is because of the opportunities and support I've been the recipient of. My school has great research opportunities (in terms of actual research labs, competitions, etc), but also a great research office that will point you in the right direction with some extra cash in hand to make the path easier. The latter has really made the difference in my career, and that sounds like what you'll get from Penn.

Although, I am also graduating debt-free. This gave me the freedom to spend time in my research lab when otherwise I'd have been working. I also got to do an awesome, but unpaid, internship.

I'd look more into what support state school would give you. Good advice, connections, and funding are invaluable regardless of where they come from. Having to take a year off school for research sounds like state school isn't cutting it.
 
You have been given a lot of good arguments for both sides so I won't add to that, but I will just throw my vote in for Penn.
 
I really appreciate the advice from everyone! I need to visit Penn, as well.
 
If a tie-breaker is needed, chose the public uni school. No debt, I think that is golden. Good luck in your decision though!
 
If you think you can handle the rigor of upenn then by all means go for it! :nod:
 
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