Struggle for College

[Truzzi]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello everyone! This is my first post, and I am a member of the pre med class of 2015! I look forward to the next four (or more) years with you all!

Now, for my questions.

At the moment I am deciding between Indiana University, Notre Dame, Brown, Northwestern, and UVa. While I normally would pick UVa or Brown, IU has severely conflicted my plans. As I am in state for IU and OOS for UVa, the tuition is exponentially cheaper in Indiana; with Brown/NU/ND, tuition is through the roof. On top of this, IU has offered me a full ride - EVERYTHING + STIPENDS! Even further, I was admitted into a highly competitive program through the honors college at IU that pairs me with a professor for a four year research project. At the meeting, I was highly impressed by the students in the program. As you can see, it seems the decision would be clear cut from this point; IU has basically provided me with a dream scenario.

Unfortunately, I feel a little disappointed. I always envisioned myself getting out of Indiana and attending a university on the East Coast. Furthermore, I would really like to attend a top 20 medical school. I know everyone says that undergraduate school does not matter, but I have looked into the class representation at some of the top med schools, and I have seen the Ivy League students enjoy a high proportion of students in the classes. I was a little disappointed by this, but I figured I'd ask what you all think.

I would probably be happier at UVa/Brown and my placement into top medical schools might be a tad bit better, but what would you all do? I am heavily leaning towards IU (like any rational mind would), but something just doesn't feel right. Could UVa/Brown possibly be worth 200K?

Thanks for your advice guys, I really appreciate it. Ironically, because of an overwhelming regional bias, an anonymous board may be the only place I can get an objective opinion. I know how naive I must look, but I figure I better hear all of the points of view I can before I make such an important decision.

 

[bucks2010]

Look, you will probably get a lot of opinions here, but I think the trend you will notice is that the older folks will say that 200K of debt is not worth it at an out of state school.

I was in your situation 4 years ago (though I didn't apply to that many "prestigious" OOS places, I did get a full ride to my state school). For me, the option was $$$ for private or free for in-state. I would strongly caution you against dumping the coin for a $200K bachelor's degree for a few reasons:

1. I guarantee you that IU has all the resources you need to get into a top-notch medical school. My state school sends people to top-tier places and it probably has less resources than IU. What sets those people apart are that they take full advantage of the resources their school gives them. If I could do-over my 4 years, I would've gone in planning to take advantage of all the opportunities that a large state school represents. Research, volunteering, tons or organizations, shadowing, etc. These are the things you need to get into a "top" medical school (in addition to academics, of course), and they are ALL available at IU. You just have to find them. You can be an exceptional student at IU, do research, volunteer, shadow, get a Fulbright... whatever you want. It is capable at a state school.

2. No one knows what physician compensation is going to look like by the time you're practicing. Add this to the fact that you want to go to a top medical school, which is going to a top-ranked med school (easily $250k) and you're looking at a principal north of $450k by the time you graduate from medical school. These payments will be a significant portion of your paycheck for the ensuing 30 years...

3. You will have more options at the end of undergrad if you take the debt-free option. What if you're deciding between IU for med school and an Ivy League school? The difference could be $100k+. If you're debt-free from undergrad, this may factor a little less into your decision and you may not be financially prohibited from taking on the extra debt. What if medicine doesn't work out? That's no problem either, because you have no loan payments to worry about.

Take it from a senior who is about to graduate debt-free (applying this June) ... take the free bachelor's (+ stipend! if only I was so lucky), excel academically, seek out all of the opportunities you can (and there are many at a large school like IU) and build an application that will compete well with anyone coming from an Ivy undergrad.

 

[DocDanny]

The out of state school isn't worth the tens of thousands of dollars of debt. It just isn't. And medical schools won't be that impressed.

Go to a GOOD school where you will DO the best. If that means that it is a school just down the street, go there. Save the money.

Kids from my local college got into my local MD school, and over the years have matched at the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins and pretty much hospitals in every single US state. And every year we match people in everything from FM and Psych to Urology and Radiology.

Don't get so up in a knot about what college you go to. Ivy League Schools aren't needed to get into a good medical school or a good residency. Go to IU. Save money. Be happy. Learn.

 

[Truzzi]

Thanks guys, I really do appreciate this advice. I am fortunate enough to have parents who are willing and able to invest in my education. They have told me they would take care of undergrad, but if I take they scholarship, they will help with medical school. The scholarship does seem enormously practical at this point.

I now feel like IU CAN provide me with all of the opportunities I need. I still think I may have been a bit happier at UVa/Brown, but I also think that I'll honestly be happy wherever I go. It's still college!

 

[bucks2010]

Medical school may be a little different, but I really feel like "happiness" in undergrad is way overrated. If I wanted to, I could find tons of things to complain about at my school. It's not ranked highly (I once looked at one of those huge "best colleges" books at Books-a-Million and it wasn't even listed for my state, even though it's like the 2nd largest university and is also fairly well-known as far as state schools go). Some of the facilities are drab. I'm particularly tired of the library. The campus life isn't "vibrant". The food has gotten very, very old. The coffee shop is kind of lame.

But you know what? I came here for an education, not so I could feel cozy while I studied in the library (in fact, instead of studying in the library I just found some awesome local coffee shops instead... 2 problems solved at once). True, your happiness in undergrad will affect your performance... but here's the thing, YOU affect your happiness much more than your environment. You can sit around and complain about things for 4 years, or you can take advantage of all the opportunities it presents, kick butt, make friends, and have a blast (while getting PAID to do it). Look, if you go somewhere else, you will probably get to take classes with professors that have more impressive pedigrees, or have more modern lecture halls, or whatever else. This will not be worth the premium you (or your parents) will pay to attend. Ultimately, your education will be dependent on how much time you spend in front of a textbook, notes, etc. actually processing the material. The most valuable tools to you will be a desk, a chair, a pen, paper, and a laptop. All of these can be found at both IU and any of the other schools you mentioned.

Take the scholarship and have the freedom of going to medical school IS or OOS without having to worry as much about the debt.

 

[235009]

Have you gotten financial aid packages from the other schools?

 

[pirsquared]

Go cheap!

As long as the school is accredited, you will be fine.

 

[skierbum]

Go cheap!

As long as the school is accredited, you will be fine.

👍

Like I usually say, enjoy college and take the low debt route. Trust me, it is nice to have near no debt for the 1st year like me. Also, it sounds like IU is rolling out the red carpet...the other places won't do that. I think you have a good shot at getting published if you are paired up with a professor-it is nice when you don't have to worry about $.
IU all the way...you can always go across the country later if you want.