So I am torn between my State U and a top 5 medical school. Now mind you prestige IS NOT a huge factor for me. However, job opportunity (i.e. making a decent income) is a priority. I am leaning towards my state university since it is in my ideal location and its tuition is cheaper (by about 25k per year.) Opinions of all varieties are welcome.
State U vs. Top 5 Med School
- Thread starter NiteShift
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Top 5 School: Harvard, Hopkins, WashU, Penn, and UCSF... Since you have a state school, it is not UCSF... since Penn and Harvard have not released decisions yet, it is not them either... It must be WashU because otherwise you would say Hopkins...
Follow the money, but first wait for fin aid packages... also it depends on the state school... some state schools are better than others... UW vs... fill in other neglected state school...
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An extra hundred thousand over four years sounds pretty good to me. You will be able to make a decent income regardless of where you go to med school. Also just curious what do you consider "top 5"?
Nice deduction
Or you could be like me and look at his posting history, which consists of just one other post in the WashU thread saying that he/she was accepted there
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Nice deduction
Or you could be like me and look at his posting history, which consists of just one other post in the WashU thread saying that he/she was accepted there
funky.Hah, yes I was accepted to WashU but I am not sure if I want to go there. My parents want me to attend but I would prefer to go to state U and save money/be closer to home. And when I say home, I do not mean closer to my parents. I mean closer to all of my friends.
I cannot give that away or I'd give my identity away to some. But I can tell you that it is a decent Midwestern medical school.
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I am going to have to assume that the state school is Wisconsin. Go with the state school, its not worth it to have 100k extra in debt to go to Washington U. In the end it will not really matter as long as you do well in school. Also who do you think is going to identify you?
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Take the state school. You'll thank me in four years. 100 grand more will actually be an extra 200-300 grand when it's all said and done, and reimbursements will be even less. Don't believe me? Run the numbers yourself. Where you go to medical school has no bearing on your income potential. You want to make this as inexpensive as possible, so run from the school with shinier floors that might let you whine more because it's not worth the extra money.
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If you're not concerned about the prestige of the top 5, then go state. Your residency will determine where you get jobs. If you can get accepted to a top 5, you have the ability to rock step 1 and get great med school grades probably, regardless of where you go.
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Well, you can have a decent income graduating from any med school. So I would go with mystery state U.
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I think that WashU said that for every dollar of loan you have to take, they give you 1 dollar of grant in order to meet your need. So if you're need is 40 k, you take out 20k of loan and get 20k of grant. So if you think you have any need at all, then the difference won't be quite so large.
On the other hand, it sounds like you think you'll be happier at State U. If your parents are not offering to pay for your entire medical education, then perhaps you should go to State U.
Also, I'm loving the deductive skills we're using here!
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It could also be University of Iowa, which is also a decent medical school... why is it so neglected?
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Most state schools in the midwest are decent, Michigan and IU are both good, along with Iowa and Wisconsin.
Ignore the money. Go to the school you honestly like better. I ate $70k to attend my first choice school instead of my second choice, and I have never, ever, ever regretted it. Even when I get those dreaded Direct Loan updates regarding how I owe several S500s to AES.
Ignore the money. Go to the school you honestly like better. I ate $70k to attend my first choice school instead of my second choice, and I have never, ever, ever regretted it. Even when I get those dreaded Direct Loan updates regarding how I owe several S500s to AES.
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Yea but you dont know if you would have been just as happy at your second choice and had all that extra money.
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You can't just subtract the tuition of the more expensive school from the less expensive one and say that is the price difference. For example, if there is an $80000 difference over four years, you first have to add interest to this from your loans. Then, realize that you will be paying back this loan with after-tax money! By this point in your life, you will be in the highest tax bracket, so really you are paying double what you owe (income tax is about 50%). In conclusion, go to the state school.
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Lol..unfortunately, you're in for a big disappointment..the highest tax bracket is around 350k - that is definitely NOT what even a dermatologist will be making when we are practicing.
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I disagree with what most are saying here. I had friends who got into WashU and the school was very generous with their financial aid package. I'd suggest wait until you're financial aid comes through before weighing your options.
At least one of my friend got so much grant/scholarship she would pay less than me at my state school had she gone to WashU (of course, my state med school is kinda expensive for a state U).
Just as in college, don't assume that the sticker price is what you pay for. Mayo is another med school with great financial aid for their students. I had a classmate who had a full ride there. Call me a snob, I'd go to Mayo over my state school if I had that package!
Many private schools will give to their top students very nice scholarships. If you are a good candidate, then you may end up paying the same or only slightly more than your state U.
I don't believe in paying an extra $25k/year for med school, but if the difference is a few thousand, I think WashU warrants a second look.
At least one of my friend got so much grant/scholarship she would pay less than me at my state school had she gone to WashU (of course, my state med school is kinda expensive for a state U).
Just as in college, don't assume that the sticker price is what you pay for. Mayo is another med school with great financial aid for their students. I had a classmate who had a full ride there. Call me a snob, I'd go to Mayo over my state school if I had that package!
Many private schools will give to their top students very nice scholarships. If you are a good candidate, then you may end up paying the same or only slightly more than your state U.
I don't believe in paying an extra $25k/year for med school, but if the difference is a few thousand, I think WashU warrants a second look.
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Yeah if the difference is only a few thousand a year most people are going to take WashU. That being said with the hyper limited info we have we must assume that the state school(Wisconsin or Southern Illinois) will be 25k/year cheaper than WashU. Based solely on the information we have you would be a fool to go to WashU.
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If you pay off that $100,000 over 20 years at a 6.8% interest rate, you will end up paying $183,201.36. So we're actually talking about $200k here.
But I agree, wait until you get your fin aid package, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Also, if you'd prefer your state school for reasons other than money, then go there.
But I agree, wait until you get your fin aid package, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Also, if you'd prefer your state school for reasons other than money, then go there.
M
mmagnett
my advice: wait for harvard to get back to you.
if you are the person that i am thinking of.
if you are the person that i am thinking of.
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If you want to stay in the midwest, and if your state school is in the midwest (Wisconsin, Mich, tOSU, or Iowa) then you do not gain a lot by attending WashU - as most their medschool grads stay in the midwest for residency anyway.
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Wait for financial aid packages before pulling the trigger on either school. It's a boring answer and I know it would be nice to know where you will be going, but it will be worth the wait.
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Wait for financial aid information.
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School name will not make a difference as to future earning potential. Working your ass off so you do well at either school and get a good step I score will get you a good residency which will get you a good fellowship which will get you a good job with lots of moneys.
IMO, I would save the $25k/yr and go to the state school; however, if the financial aid package makes the price right then I would go to WashU
IMO, I would save the $25k/yr and go to the state school; however, if the financial aid package makes the price right then I would go to WashU
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My state school offered me a package of loans, which basically is what they offer to everyone who gets admitted. If I had attended my state school, I would have had about $200,000 in debt when I graduated. However, I am receiving about $40,000 in grant money each year from the private top 10 school that I currently attend and will graduate with $100,000 in debt. So the moral of the story is do not assume that your state school is less expensive than the private school - YOU NEED TO REVIEW THE FINANCIAL AID PACKAGES BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION. BOTTOM LINE.
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State school (or cheapest one..)
Prestige is great and all but I personally am not a fan of most of the private institutions. I have friends at a few of them and they think they're gods...meanwhile I'm at little old state school and have somehow managed to be more successful/smarter than all of them.
FOR THE MOST PART- the major factor will be how much effort YOU put into med school, regardless of where you go. Some rich preppies may argue and for things like research that is true to a degree...but it's not like were talking about Caribbean or anything
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What's Wash U???
Seriously, I'd go to your state school if you could save 100,000.
That's like a small house.
Seriously, I'd go to your state school if you could save 100,000.
That's like a small house.
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What's Wash U???
Seriously, I'd go to your state school if you could save 100,000.
That's like a small house.
Or a badass car.
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