Top 60 with full tuition vs. Top 35

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dartmed

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Ok - top 35 school offers IMMENSE opportunities in global health (my alma mater) whereas the top 60 school is essentially free.

Cost of top 35 total - 210,000 dollars (including living expenses)
Cost of top 60 total - <40,000 dollars (including living) - maybe even cheaper since it's in a small town where an entire apartment costs 500 dollars. So rough 500-600 dollars per month for living assuming my parents don't chip in. My parents also live in this town.

What do you guys think? Top 60 doesn't have as many opportunities in global health, but then again I doubt that I will have as much time to pursue my interests until I finish medical school.
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No brainer. The free one. What does top 35 even mean? That is stretching it even for sdn.
 
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If you're truly interested in global health, save as much money as you can! You're going to have a lot more freedom to do a year with Doctors Without Borders etc. if you're not saddled with loans.
 
Wait For It said:
I gotta say that free tuition would be really hard to pass up. Is there no hope of getting any money from your alma mater school? Difference between ~60 and ~35 ranking isnt really that big, I'm sure you'll have similar opportunities in residency match at both (since what medical school you attend matters less). Plus, being close to home would probably be more convenient and save on transportation costs which can rack up over 4 years.
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The only stipulation for the free school was that I had to be in the top 30% in each of my classes or something along those lines (it's not P or F). Pretty sure about going to the free school one. just wanted to gauge some opinions on here.
 
ComradeDoktor said:
If you're truly interested in global health, save as much money as you can! You're going to have a lot more freedom to do a year with Doctors Without Borders etc. if you're not saddled with loans.
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this is EXACTLY what was going through my head. :D
 
as1212559 said:
No brainer. The free one. What does top 35 even mean? That is stretching it even for sdn.
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My thoughts exactly. Nobody gets all hot and bothered hearing the name "Dartmouth," certainly not 150k worth.
 
I think the line should be drawn at top 10 or top 20. Anything more and it just sounds like you're trying to make a school sound better than it is. I think many other have said before, that if you're going by school rankings, then any schools outside the top 20 are on the same level.
 
dartmed said:
Ok - top 35 school offers IMMENSE opportunities in global health (my alma mater) whereas the top 60 school is essentially free.

Cost of top 35 total - 210,000 dollars (including living expenses)
Cost of top 60 total - <40,000 dollars (including living) - maybe even cheaper since it's in a small town where an entire apartment costs 500 dollars. So rough 500-600 dollars per month for living assuming my parents don't chip in. My parents also live in this town.

What do you guys think? Top 60 doesn't have as many opportunities in global health, but then again I doubt that I will have as much time to pursue my interests until I finish medical school.
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Top 60 includes Top 35, so i'll take the full tuition :p
 
Pre meds care about prestige, Grown up's care about Cost.

Grown up pre med = physician

so the physician in you would tell you that your an idiot for paying 200k+ for a school (when you don't have to) just to say it is a top 35 whatever that gets you.
 
Titus Times said:
Pre meds care about prestige, Grown up's care about Cost.

Grown up pre med = physician

so the physician in you would tell you that your an idiot for paying 200k+ for a school (when you don't have to) just to say it is a top 35 whatever that gets you.
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Don't PDs care about prestige too? :confused:
 
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Titus Times said:
Pre meds care about prestige, Grown up's care about Cost.

Grown up pre med = physician

so the physician in you would tell you that your an idiot for paying 200k+ for a school (when you don't have to) just to say it is a top 35 whatever that gets you.
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No, most grown-up pre-meds (~60%) become helicopter parents because they never got in but want their kid to.

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sliceofbread - I just checked something. Baylor costs way too much

Dartmed - top 60. don't even think.
 
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MedPR said:
Don't PDs care about prestige too? :confused:
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Not really. Check the match data. Pretty evident it matters minimally. It's much more about how you do as a med student than your pedigree.
 
sliceofbread136 said:
Yes but but how much when it's top 35 vs top 65? Prolly not that much.
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I mean I agree that free top 65 >>>>>>>>> top 35. I was just pointing out that prestige isn't always a pre-med thing.
 
dartmed said:
The only stipulation for the free school was that I had to be in the top 30% in each of my classes or something along those lines (it's not P or F). Pretty sure about going to the free school one. just wanted to gauge some opinions on here.
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Wow really? That stinks. If you have just one class where you miss the cut, do they drop the scholarship?

That sounds sketchy to me. I got a couple scholarship offers and all they said was that you have to remain in good academic standing or whatever, no top x% cutoffs

What's tuition like at this school if they drop your scholarship?
 
dartmed said:
Haha. :p

I meant one of the schools was ranked in the top 35 and higher than 35 but lower than 60. :p
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By top 35 I'm guessing you mean schools 26-35 and most likely school 35,right?

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Name the schools and we can actually give you some feedback.
 
I'd have to say its pretty dang hard to give up a free education. I saw your post about having to be the top 30% which sucks, but it could force you to study your ass off.

I could see picking the other school if the tuition difference was around 50k... but 150k+ is a significant difference and you won't have a big burden. Heck you could actually be making money in residency instead of putting it all towards loans.

My 2 cents tho.
 
music2doc said:
And everyone called you an idiot.

If not yet, let me be the first to do you the honors: You're An Idiot.

You're welcome.
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I liked baylor alot more than utmb, am closer to my family, and like houston alot more. Sorry that I think an extra 50,000 total is worth it. Just because someone makes a different decision than you doesn't make them less intelligent. For all the holier than thou garbage you post you are pretty arrogant :thumbdown:
 
Very true, lafkads.

Hey - i am not going to share anything until after I decide on a school (just to maintain anonymity). there were definitely a few surprises in my application (late but average mcat)...but i think what made a huge difference was trying not to bore my adcoms with the typical schmuk that every premed does. I promise i will post everything before the next app cycle.

thanks for the feedback everyone.
 
sliceofbread136 said:
I liked baylor alot more than utmb, am closer to my family, and like houston alot more. Sorry that I think an extra 50,000 total is worth it. Just because someone makes a different decision than you doesn't make them less intelligent. For all the holier than thou garbage you post you are pretty arrogant :thumbdown:
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It's only gonna cost 50k more to go to Baylor than somewhere else with full tuition?

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as1212559 said:
No brainer. The free one. What does top 35 even mean? That is stretching it even for sdn.
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It likely means the school in question is ranked #35 by USNWR.

MedPR said:
It's only gonna cost 50k more to go to Baylor than somewhere else with full tuition?

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Baylor is ridiculously inexpensive for TX residents (about $15K per year, tuition + fees). It's even a bargain for nonresidents. They allow OOS students to become IS for tuition purposes quite easily, too.
 
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Why not email the "better" school and hint about the other scholarship. Maybe they will bump theirs up.
 
dartmed said:
The only stipulation for the free school was that I had to be in the top 30% in each of my classes or something along those lines (it's not P or F). Pretty sure about going to the free school one. just wanted to gauge some opinions on here.
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Find out exactly what this means, and what happens if you violate it. In any contract, always know what the punishment is for violating a term in the contract. Let's say you're #30/99 students. Do you lose it, can you regain it, do you go on some sort of scholarship probation? It sounds nitpicky, but this is a quarter-million dollar stipulation.

Regardless, I'd still go with the free medical school, as not choking on debt would open a lot more doors than going to a Top 37 and 1/2 school. Just be aware that there will be about 100 students in your class trying to be, and are confident, that they'll be "Top 30%".
 
sliceofbread136 said:
I liked baylor alot more than utmb, am closer to my family, and like houston alot more. Sorry that I think an extra 50,000 total is worth it. Just because someone makes a different decision than you doesn't make them less intelligent. For all the holier than thou garbage you post you are pretty arrogant :thumbdown:
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I would have done the same thing.
 
I'd pick WVU with full tuition over JHU. No brainer for a poor person like me.
 
music2doc said:
And everyone called you an idiot.

If not yet, let me be the first to do you the honors: You're An Idiot.

You're welcome.
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Dude, that was unnecessary. :thumbdown:thumbdown sliceofbread obviously likes baylor a lot more.
 
Agent B said:
Dude, that was unnecessary. :thumbdown:thumbdown sliceofbread obviously likes baylor a lot more.
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I suspect music2doc will change his tune (;)) after he reads sliceofbread's decision results in only $50k more debt.
 
MedPR said:
Same here. $50k extra to attend Baylor is a no brainer imo.
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To each his own. I would rather go to an expensive school I enjoy rather than going "free" to a school I hate. sliceofbread = :thumbup:
 
MedPR said:
I suspect music2doc will change his tune (;)) after he reads sliceofbread's decision results in only $50k more debt.
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As someone wisely said, you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish!
 
Agent B said:
To each his own. I would rather go to an expensive school I enjoy rather than going "free" to a school I hate. sliceofbread = :thumbup:
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Well I was assuming I would like Baylor (like sliceofbread does).
 
Agent B said:
In that case, we can disagree to agree. :p
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I wonder what it's like to be an awesome applicant and have schools throw money at you...
 
MedPR said:
I wonder what it's like to be an awesome applicant and have schools throw money at you...
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It's on! I disagree with you! :thumbdown:










... oh wait, that wasn't the point... carry on. :( (I think I got a bit.... enjoy! :beer: )

Main point = it would be awesome, but unlikely
 
Agent B said:
It's on! I disagree with you! :thumbdown:










... oh wait, that wasn't the point... carry on. :(

Main point = it would be awesome, but unlikely
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I wonder if I could use one schools low tuition and col to convince another school (with high tuition and col) to give me money if I chose them instead.

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MedPR said:
I wonder if I could use one schools low tuition and col to convince another school (with high tuition and col) to give me money if I chose them instead.

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Unfortunately, that's a very common tactic.
 
MedPR said:
Is it commonly successful?

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Success rate = 1% ± 5% (assuming you're related to a board member of the school); otherwise: 3×10^-7 % ± 2×10^-12 % from my calculations.
 
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