University of Louisville - should i withdraw?

[yangwang]

When I interviewed at Louisville, I felt that was the place where I want to go. Everyone was friendly and the school had its focus in helping its students. It was the ideal place. Though, I will be an OOS student there ($$$). And I am southeast asian, there are very few of us at UofL.

My alternative is VCU, where I am able to get instate tuition. However, it's not as friendly a school as UofL. Also, VCU students are mostly from UVA/William and Mary so it's a much more competitive environment. I feel that if i went to VCU I may have a very tough time staying above the water.

Are my concerns legitimate? Do students who are going to UCLA, UoP and Columbia etc worry about how competitive their classmates will be?

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[John Durian]

Does cost matter? Have friends or family close by? How about the weather? Looking to specialize? Proximity to other asians really that important? Those are all things you have to look into, prioritize, and answer for yourself.

I am a strong believer that if you were able to get in that you'll be able to get out 🙂

 

[The Chosen One]

When I interviewed at Louisville, I felt that was the place where I want to go. Everyone was friendly and the school had its focus in helping its students. It was the ideal place. Though, I will be an OOS student there ($$$). And I am southeast asian, there are very few of us at UofL.

My alternative is VCU, where I am able to get instate tuition. However, it's not as friendly a school as UofL. Also, VCU students are mostly from UVA/William and Mary so it's a much more competitive environment. I feel that if i went to VCU I may have a very tough time staying above the water.

Are my concerns legitimate? Do students who are going to UCLA, UoP and Columbia etc worry about how competitive their classmates will be?

I'm in a similar position (minus the asian part lol!). I'm also weighing my options with UoL versus my home school. You are absolutely correct about their friendly environment (yet they lack diversity, its easy to be friendly when everyone looks and thinks like you), their tuition is high (although I just received a small scholarship offer from them) even with the cheap cost of living (cost should be the major tipping point). The advice I received breaks down like this:

1. Cost
2. Family and Friends (all the intangables)
3. School (all the intangables)

Someone posted something on here a while back that made perfect sense. Professional school is not time or place for you to "find" yourself; that should've been done in undergrad. The rigors of DS will leave very little time to explore. So if you have a support network already in place at home (family, friends, fav places to go and decompress, etc...) and you've already been accepted in-state (you will save money) I say stay at home. If the DS environment is unfavorable, you have all of the other "gifts" I just mentioned at your disposal.

 

[mflinchb]

I was accepted at Louisville and have decided to choose it over my state school. What really got to me was their awesome students/faculty/facilities and the low cost of living. My other option was IU and Indianapolis is definitely a fabulous place to live but I felt more at home at Louisville though it's about 2 hours further from my home than IU and more expensive.

OP, I would say go where you feel more comfortable and where you feel you will do best. I'm not saying cost is not important, because it most definitely is, but there are loan repayment programs and scholarships you can apply for. Also, consider working with a financial advisor to make sure you're living within your means and remember you don't have to take the full loan amount out.

Good luck on your decision and let us know what you decide!

The Chosen One- how did you receive information about the scholarship?

 

[yangwang]

I'm in a similar position (minus the asian part lol!). I'm also weighing my options with UoL versus my home school. You are absolutely correct about their friendly environment (yet they lack diversity, its easy to be friendly when everyone looks and thinks like you), their tuition is high (although I just received a small scholarship offer from them) even with the cheap cost of living (cost should be the major tipping point). The advice I received breaks down like this:

1. Cost
2. Family and Friends (all the intangables)
3. School (all the intangables)

Someone posted something on here a while back that made perfect sense. Professional school is not time or place for you to "find" yourself; that should've been done in undergrad. The rigors of DS will leave very little time to explore. So if you have a support network already in place at home (family, friends, fav places to go and decompress, etc...) and you've already been accepted in-state (you will save money) I say stay at home. If the DS environment is unfavorable, you have all of the other "gifts" I just mentioned at your disposal.

I totally overlooked that. I guess I didn't consider it because I feel like at Louisville there'd be an overflow of patients, so i didn't think about the network of people who i know that can help me through the stressful 4 years. Thank you.

I am trying to keep my options open, and VCU's incoming class is just really strong, so i feel like if i went to VCU, I would be shutting the door on my chance to specialize.

Overall, I am leaning slightly towards VCU. We still have until end of April to decide right?

Thanks again

 

[yangwang]

I was accepted at Louisville and have decided to choose it over my state school. What really got to me was their awesome students/faculty/facilities and the low cost of living. My other option was IU and Indianapolis is definitely a fabulous place to live but I felt more at home at Louisville though it's about 2 hours further from my home than IU and more expensive.

OP, I would say go where you feel more comfortable and where you feel you will do best. I'm not saying cost is not important, because it most definitely is, but there are loan repayment programs and scholarships you can apply for. Also, consider working with a financial advisor to make sure you're living within your means and remember you don't have to take the full loan amount out.

Good luck on your decision and let us know what you decide!

The Chosen One- how did you receive information about the scholarship?

Thanks, I really appreciate your response. Louisville really felt right and that's why it's a real tough choice for me right now.

I also interested in how the chosen one got the scholarship. if it matches up to in-state rate, then the choice would be very easy 😍.

 

[The Chosen One]

I totally overlooked that. I guess I didn't consider it because I feel like at Louisville there'd be an overflow of patients, so i didn't think about the network of people who i know that can help me through the stressful 4 years. Thank you.

I am trying to keep my options open, and VCU's incoming class is just really strong, so i feel like if i went to VCU, I would be shutting the door on my chance to specialize.

Overall, I am leaning slightly towards VCU. We still have until end of April to decide right?

Thanks again

If the incoming class is so strong and they accepted you what does that tell you? Listen, we were fortunate to have made it this far, so obviously we got the right stuff! Take the money you'll save being in-state and apply it towards your future practice.

"Don't think you are, know you are"-Morpheous

 

[Kentuckylover]

If I were you, I would rather go to VCU. Do you know how much you need to pay back as an OUT OF STATE student after you graduate? Also, if you are from virginia, then wouldn't you know people who are going to be attending VCU? It will be easier for you to fit in better as well. Just a thought.

-Good Luck