UCLA vs State School (full COA)

[indilla]

Hey guys! I'm super grateful to be in the position to choose between these options, but I have been struggling a bit to make my final decision. If anyone has insight or opinions on this, I would love to hear them.

UCLA:
Pros:

• Really liked the atmosphere, curriculum, and overall vibes at the school, students seem to be happy
• Location -- LA seems great, would be able to experience something new away from home
• Prestige -- may open doors down the road for residency, etc.

Cons:

• $$$$ - doesn't look like i'll be receiving financial aid, out of state tuition, and LA is expensive
• Far from home/family
• Curriculum changes are worrying, might mean potential overcrowding at rotation sites

State School:
Pros:

• Full COA (tuition, living expenses, housing) scholarship
• Have friends and family closer to the area, good support system
• I liked the school on interview day and they're known for having decent residency programs

Cons:

• Not as prestigious as UCLA (but still T30ish)
• Less appealing city to live in?

It basically seems to boil down to me being unsure if the prestige is worth the gigantic difference in cost over the next four years. With Step 1 becoming P/F, I'm thinking that school name might matter more and could have big impacts on where I'm able to match for residencies.

Thank you all for your help!!

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[HingleMcCringleberryPSU]

Take the Full CoA scholarship and run. Nothing wrong with going to a state school and working hard there to make sure that you do well, especially with the massive cost difference between these two. If you have any interest in practicing long-term in your current state, then the state school makes even more sense.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Take the scholarship. Go to LA on elective clerkships or for residency where you at least can get a little income while living there.