Which College Choice Would You Have Picked?

[GallbLad]

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I had the choice to choose between a top 25 college (ranked by NY times World Ranking) that gave $10,000 in scholarships and, yet, my family had to pay $8,000 a year and I needed $11,000 in loans on top of that, yearly, while the other college was a mere top 175 yet offered full tuition and $4000 yearly...

I already decided to matriculate to the latter; however, it's not to late to switch back. Will I be regretting this?

(and yes I, in fact, am aware there are hundreds of threads on this and the overwhelming opinion is that it does not matter what undergrad you go to as long as it's not a CC or ivy-league caliber)

 

[cinamin]

I had the choice to choose between a top 25 college (ranked by NY times World Ranking) that gave $10,000 in scholarships and, yet, my family had to pay $8,000 a year and I needed $11,000 in loans on top of that, yearly, while the other college was a mere top 175 yet offered full tuition and $4000 yearly...

I already decided to matriculate to the latter; however, it's not to late to switch back. Will I be regretting this?

(and yes I, in fact, am aware there are hundreds of threads on this and the overwhelming opinion is that it does not matter what undergrad you go to as long as it's not a CC or ivy-league caliber)

You made the right choice. Get good grades and you will be fine. You will realize that UG ranking is not that important once you are past the top 10.

 

[darkjedi]

If you intend to do medicine, do as well as you can at whichever school you are at. It will definitely not matter where you go, and the difference between a top 25 and a top-100 whatever is of little consequence to adcoms.

Bottom line is get as high a GPA as you possible can. Take your studies seriously and don't let your transition to college hurt your academic performance.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

I had the choice to choose between a top 25 college (ranked by NY times World Ranking) that gave $10,000 in scholarships and, yet, my family had to pay $8,000 a year and I needed $11,000 in loans on top of that, yearly, while the other college was a mere top 175 yet offered full tuition and $4000 yearly...

I already decided to matriculate to the latter; however, it's not to late to switch back. Will I be regretting this?

(and yes I, in fact, am aware there are hundreds of threads on this and the overwhelming opinion is that it does not matter what undergrad you go to as long as it's not a CC or ivy-league caliber)

I'm not sure what you want. Are you asking if your choice will affect your medical school prospects?

As I'm sure you've read, if you jump through the necessary hoops (and do it exceptionally well in the case of top schools), you can go anywhere you want for medical school. Now it's on you to bust your butt to get there, if that is indeed what you are shooting for.

Also, you ask us what choice we would have made, but ultimately the choice is based on your happiness/fit/finances/etc. We can't be very helpful, unfortunately.

 

[Daodejing]

I had the choice to choose between a top 25 college (ranked by NY times World Ranking) that gave $10,000 in scholarships and, yet, my family had to pay $8,000 a year and I needed $11,000 in loans on top of that, yearly, while the other college was a mere top 175 yet offered full tuition and $4000 yearly...

I already decided to matriculate to the latter; however, it's not to late to switch back. Will I be regretting this?

(and yes I, in fact, am aware there are hundreds of threads on this and the overwhelming opinion is that it does not matter what undergrad you go to as long as it's not a CC or ivy-league caliber)

...then why are you asking the same bunch of people again? Regret is a very personal feeling and is completely dependent on your state of mind. That being said, if I were in your shoes knowing what I know now, I would've picked the latter. But that's me. You do you.

 

[GallbLad]

I'm not sure what you want. Are you asking if your choice will affect your medical school prospects?

As I'm sure you've read, if you jump through the necessary hoops (and do it exceptionally well in the case of top schools), you can go anywhere you want for medical school. Now it's on you to bust your butt to get there, if that is indeed what you are shooting for.

Also, you ask us what choice we would have made, but ultimately the choice is based on your happiness/fit/finances/etc. We can't be very helpful, unfortunately.

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

Your only regret should be the amount of time you have debated this question. You made the right choice.

 

[darkjedi]

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

Unless it was an Ivy/MIT/Stanford, likely not.

 

[Daodejing]

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

How would you quantify that? Be honest with yourself about exactly how much of X university's resources you'd be willing/capable of taking advantage of. You'll notice that's hardly quantifiable either. You can, however, quantify your debt load/loan amounts. I assume by posting on SDN that your intent is medicine. If that's the case, stop worrying about a school's marketing and hit the books.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

Worth it, IMO. You won't learn any better just by virtue of going to a "top" school, as much of the learning will absolutely require you to put in time by yourself. No amount of Nobel-prize-winning professors can do that for you. They won't hold your hand when you study for the MCAT. And so forth.

In terms of networking and the like, a top school's reputation/name might help for other professions but if you want to enter medicine, that's not something you need to worry about.

 

[JCTWP46]

I had the opportunity to go to some highly ranked schools, but chose my state school where I've made money in scholarships every year. No regrets, cause I'm going to med school this fall without any undergrad debt.

 

[Dbate]

I had the choice to choose between a top 25 college (ranked by NY times World Ranking) that gave $10,000 in scholarships and, yet, my family had to pay $8,000 a year and I needed $11,000 in loans on top of that, yearly, while the other college was a mere top 175 yet offered full tuition and $4000 yearly...

I already decided to matriculate to the latter; however, it's not to late to switch back. Will I be regretting this?

(and yes I, in fact, am aware there are hundreds of threads on this and the overwhelming opinion is that it does not matter what undergrad you go to as long as it's not a CC or ivy-league caliber)

Your college matters very little in life. Trust me, Ivies and the like are over rated and not worth the money.

 

[Dbate]

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

I can only speak for one "prestigious" college (yale) and the quality of the teaching here is terrible in so many of the sciences it is unbelievable.

For most of the pre-med courses, you end up teaching yourself.

 

[yehhhboiii]

What I'm asking is that although the university itself doesn't matter, the educational aspects of the top 25 university such as resources available and quality of teachings would surely be better. Is passing up this quality of education worth the $44,000 less in loans?

Resources: yes higher ranked schools tend to have larger endowments but a less prestigious college should have enough for your purposes.
Quality of education: no because universities hire professors for how well they run labs and bring in grants, not how well they teach undergrads.

 

[LizzyM]

One factor that has not been mentioned yet is the school's location and the availability of opportunities to shadow, volunteer, work, do reserach or otherwise gain experiences outside of the classroom on a weekly basis during the academic year.

 

[nysegop]

One factor that has not been mentioned yet is the school's location and the availability of opportunities to shadow, volunteer, work, do reserach or otherwise gain experiences outside of the classroom on a weekly basis during the academic year.

👍

Beyond those though, cost is the other factor.

 

[jr93]

Most ranks are lobbied and no one checks the information that schools send to the organizations that "rank" them so the schools with big money tend to be on top. Many of them have been caught grade fixing as well so I'm not sure why so many people think many of these schools are so great. Take the money and get good grades.

 

[circulus vitios]

Top 25 . Unless it's an Ivy/Stanford/Berkeley/MIT, no one in the real world is going to give two ****s about where you went to school.

 

[Narmerguy]

Top 25 . Unless it's an Ivy/Stanford/Berkeley/MIT, no one in the real world is going to give two ****s about where you went to school.

This can be discipline independent (Georgia Tech and engineering, for example).

For the most part, I think this question really depends on you career goals. If it's medicine, it really won't make that big of a difference. But there are many other career/future interests where it may be worth it to pay more for a specific school. Doesn't sound like that's the case for you--I think you made the right choice 👍

 

[wise papa]

While I appreciate that,as someone staring at the daunting task of financing your college education, you are nervous about leveraging your future. Think of it as a long term investment and the decision should be based on a much broader perspective than the short term costs. While for admission to medical school, it may not make much difference which school you attend, what if you decide that medicine is not for you? Which school provides more options for you to succeed? Which school has a better network of alumni and placement services? Which school provides a more robust academic environment for you to surround yourself with similarly motivated students? You only go to college once and only have one chance to put yourself in the best position possible. While $40,000 in loans sounds like a lot, in the scheme of life, it will not amount to much at all amortized over a lifetime of success and happiness. While I am not saying go the Top 25 school, I am saying there are a lot of factors, including intangibles, that should weigh into your decision. Think for the long term.

 

[TXTide]

When I had this choice, I chose the "lesser" university. Sure, the top 25 has lots of resources, but any research university should have the opportunities you need. I love my school, and I have all sorts of opportunities for research, community service, and recreation, and I can't really imagine what more I could be getting anywhere else.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Top 175? Lol. Anyway, take the crappy college. Do well and transfer somewhere nicer.

 

[NickNaylor]

$45k is a lot of money. What happens if you find your true passion and decide to pursue a different career that perhaps doesn't have as much earning potential? Then you're stuck with a bunch of loans that you are less able to pay off. I'd probably take the cheaper school knowing what I know now, but if I were to put myself in the position of a college senior excited to go to college then I would probably make the naive choice of attending a more expensive but more highly ranked school.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[DokterMom]

While I appreciate that,as someone staring at the daunting task of financing your college education, you are nervous about leveraging your future. Think of it as a long term investment and the decision should be based on a much broader perspective than the short term costs. While for admission to medical school, it may not make much difference which school you attend, what if you decide that medicine is not for you? Which school provides more options for you to succeed? Which school has a better network of alumni and placement services? Which school provides a more robust academic environment for you to surround yourself with similarly motivated students? You only go to college once and only have one chance to put yourself in the best position possible. While $40,000 in loans sounds like a lot, in the scheme of life, it will not amount to much at all amortized over a lifetime of success and happiness. While I am not saying go the Top 25 school, I am saying there are a lot of factors, including intangibles, that should weigh into your decision. Think for the long term.

👍 Wise advice indeed.

As the Pre-Meds have advised, if you do end up going to medical school, it won't much matter where you went undergrad. (Except to some of your patients -- I always examine the diplomas in my doctors' offices.) But what if you don't go to medical school?...

So what's "Top 25"? From the lists I've looked at, there isn't a school in anyone's 'Top 25 List' that wouldn't look fabulous on your resume for the rest of your life. One that wouldn't offer wonderful networking opportunities. One that doesn't offer an amazing array of educational opportunities with a cohort of similarly bright students who will challenge your mind. Or one that is unlikely to make up for the cost differential within a decade or two in the form of higher earnings -- unless you go to medical school, in which case your residency and specialty will determine income.

Before you decide, be aware that 60% of the people who apply to medical school don't get in. Be mindful of the fact that you're how old now - 18? And that you very well might change your mind and want to go to grad school instead of med school. (Your UG institution will absolutely matter then.) Or that you might want to go out into the workforce right after your UG degree. (Will the top-notch companies you want to work for recruit at Ave. U.? You know they're recruiting at Top 25.)

Can the Top 25 offer you work-study programs? On-campus jobs to help you make up the cost difference? Before you rule them out, at least give the Top 25 school a chance to do more for you financially.

Just curious:

To all of the Pre-Meds here telling OP a crummy UG school doesn't matter -- You've all been accepted to medical school, right? None of you are sitting on a pile of rejections facing a discouraging job market with a mediocre degree -- right?

 

[NickNaylor]

👍 Wise advice indeed.

As the Pre-Meds have advised, if you do end up going to medical school, it won't much matter where you went undergrad. (Except to some of your patients -- I always examine the diplomas in my doctors' offices.) But what if you don't go to medical school?...

So what's "Top 25"? From the lists I've looked at, there isn't a school in anyone's 'Top 25 List' that wouldn't look fabulous on your resume for the rest of your life. One that wouldn't offer wonderful networking opportunities. One that doesn't offer an amazing array of educational opportunities with a cohort of similarly bright students who will challenge your mind. Or one that is unlikely to make up for the cost differential within a decade or two in the form of higher earnings -- unless you go to medical school, in which case your residency and specialty will determine income.

Before you decide, be aware that 60% of the people who apply to medical school don't get in. Be mindful of the fact that you're how old now - 18? And that you very well might change your mind and want to go to grad school instead of med school. (Your UG institution will absolutely matter then.) Or that you might want to go out into the workforce right after your UG degree. (Will the top-notch companies you want to work for recruit at Ave. U.? You know they're recruiting at Top 25.)

Can the Top 25 offer you work-study programs? On-campus jobs to help you make up the cost difference? Before you rule them out, at least give the Top 25 school a chance to do more for you financially.

Just curious:

To all of the Pre-Meds here telling OP a crummy UG school doesn't matter -- You've all been accepted to medical school, right? None of you are sitting on a pile of rejections facing a discouraging job market with a mediocre degree -- right?

It is a trade off. Sure, you MIGHT have an easier time of finding a job with a prestigious name helping you along. But that prestigious name came at a price. $44k is a lot of guap - on a median income it will take a few years to pay that off even if you're aggressive with paying down that balance. Whether or not more years beholden to The Man is worth it or not is up to the individual. My vote is no. I don't think there's a "right" answer, but at the end of the day you unfortunately don't find out the ramifications of your choice until long after you can change it. I don't think a top notch education is as helpful to the average (key qualifier) person as people here are assuming. Yes, it will absolutely help in a few fields, but beyond that I'm not convinced that it'll actually matter all that much in the long term. In the real world, people care less about the size of your academic penis and more about your pragmatic skills and ability to perform your duties.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[deleted307836]

For pre-meds, I think going to a highly ranked school is overrated. Not only financially speaking, but there are many lower-ranked schools that can offer better opportunities in a less competitive environment.

I think you made the right decision to avoid debt. That said, make sure you seek out every opportunity you can to reach your goals. This may be hard or easy depending on the school's size, location, and atmosphere - but if you do that you can succeed without the burden of graduating with debt.

I made the conscious decision to avoid debt with my undergrad. It feels great not to be encumbered by loans.

That said, knowing what I know now, I probably would have chosen to go to a smaller school.... but that's a different topic.

 

[DokterMom]

That said, knowing what I know now, I probably would have chosen to go to a smaller school.... but that's a different topic.

Excellent point. If the 'crappy' school is small, I'd agree that's a big advantage. Strong recommendations from professors who know you really well are important.

 

[deleted303591]

http://gradeinflation.com (GPAs and other data, by university)

Duke has an average graduate GPA of around a 3.5.

Private schools typically have a higher GPA than public schools. Graduates of private schools have a 0.3 higher GPA on average, with the average graduating GPA (if I remember correctly) of around 3.2.

A lot of private schools have committees that will write letters for pre-meds.

Obviously, being close to research institutions, places to shadow, etc is advantageous.

 

[GopherMD]

OP, if it were me I would have chosen the cheaper school. I would HATE starting medical school in debt.

 

[wise papa]

It is a trade off. Sure, you MIGHT have an easier time of finding a job with a prestigious name helping you along. But that prestigious name came at a price. $44k is a lot of guap - on a median income it will take a few years to pay that off even if you're aggressive with paying down that balance. Whether or not more years beholden to The Man is worth it or not is up to the individual. My vote is no. I don't think there's a "right" answer, but at the end of the day you unfortunately don't find out the ramifications of your choice until long after you can change it. I don't think a top notch education is as helpful to the average (key qualifier) person as people here are assuming. Yes, it will absolutely help in a few fields, but beyond that I'm not convinced that it'll actually matter all that much in the long term. In the real world, people care less about the size of your academic penis and more about your pragmatic skills and ability to perform your duties.

Sent from my Nexus 7

I am fairly confident that graduates of top 25 schools have higher annual earnings potential overall than graduates of schools ranked below 100. While there are outliers who don't succeed from Top 25 and those who become extremely successful from lower tier schools, the odds are that the $40,000 investment will more than pay off. The exception may be if you are going into medicine. but that is a crapshoot for many 18 year olds. Nick- when you are out 10 or 15 years from now, that $40,000 will look a lot less threatening.

 

[NickNaylor]

I am fairly confident that graduates of top 25 schools have higher annual earnings potential overall than graduates of schools ranked below 100. While there are outliers who don't succeed from Top 25 and those who become extremely successful from lower tier schools, the odds are that the $40,000 investment will more than pay off. The exception may be if you are going into medicine. but that is a crapshoot for many 18 year olds. Nick- when you are out 10 or 15 years from now, that $40,000 will look a lot less threatening.

Sure, but there's definitely some confounding going on. If you're the kind of person that gets into HYP tier schools, you are likely going to be successful regardless. Going to a HYP school probably helps in that process, but I don't think HYP schools sprinkle magical fairy dust that makes your future brighter.

Also, as someone that went to a less than spectacular undergrad in order to go to a school that would leave me with next to no debt, I don't regret it at all.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[DokterMom]

I am fairly confident that graduates of top 25 schools have higher annual earnings potential overall than graduates of schools ranked below 100. While there are outliers who don't succeed from Top 25 and those who become extremely successful from lower tier schools, the odds are that the $40,000 investment will more than pay off. The exception may be if you are going into medicine. but that is a crapshoot for many 18 year olds. Nick- when you are out 10 or 15 years from now, that $40,000 will look a lot less threatening.

Precisely. In any job, there's a salary range the successful applicant will be paid. Better paper credentials get you the upper end of the range; less impressive credentials get you the bottom end of the range. Over time, that differential really adds up.

Some things are worth investing in. Your education is absolutely one of those things.

 

[ChiDO]

Cheaper UG >>>>> anything else. Your adult self will thank you later at the age of 32.

 

[wise papa]

It also gives you instant credibility in the marketplace- merited or not! I see it every day in my environment. What school you go to does not define your life, but it can add some color to it. Buy a cheaper car, skimp on clothes, but do not skimp on your education- you will carry it around with you forever.