Why would anyone ever go to a private school for UG?

[dw2158]

---

Members do not see this ad.

let me first just say that this thread is the dumbest thing ever. but i'll inject my 2 cents anyway.

find stats across the US. you will find that for the majority of them, this is not true.

yeah, and at my private (small LAC) school, i had a couple of classes taught by grad students. so... generalizing is not really possible here.

either way (not directed at you), insulting/questioning someone's choice in school is a pretty low blow, imo. It's a very personal choice that people are very proud of.

agreed.

 

[Narmerguy]

Private schools often give good scholarships 👍

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Please refrain from making these foolish, obnoxious, and derogatory comments. I previously stated that I respect the decisions that people make, but am curious to their motivation. This thread has been very insightful. Your belligerence is unnecessary.

she's probably reacting to your own hostility.

edit. beat to the punch

 

[chrisski]

I apologize for creating this thread in the first place. I had the misconception that people could have a discussion without all this negativity arising. 😡

 

[Jolie South]

I apologize for creating this thread in the first place. I had the misconception that people could have a discussion without all this negativity arising. 😡

I don't think it's the topic, but the tone of the OP.

 

[armybound]

I definitely agree with you. I'd go to SMU or TCU over Texas State or any of the publics you mentioned based on academics alone. The aid package would probably affect my choice though. The privates (of the same caliber) I applied to offered me next to nothing, so that would be a hard choice for me to make.

Looking at debt from the other side (I went to a "fancy private" grad school that cost me $36,000 for one year), I'm not sure it was worth it for a degree that's not terminal. That's just my opinion, and I'm sure everyone feels differently about it.

I hear you. I'm not happy with the amount of money that I owe, but I'm extremely pleased with the experience I had at Baylor and the education that I received. It's all about what you're looking to get from your college experience.

That said, you see that I'm trying to push my brother towards a public school.

 

[shiftingmirage]

My public UG is in the big 10. After watching its students be idiots on game day, a selling point for my private UG was no football team.

Really, it was looking at the campuses. The one I attended just fit me. Other schools seemed sterile and uninviting. I actually turned down half tuition somewhere else to pay full tuition where I went. Financially stupid, maybe, but I really enjoyed my college years, and to me, it was totally worth it.

 

[BBender716]

My public UG is in the big 10. After watching its students be idiots on game day, a selling point for my private UG was no football team.

Really, it was looking at the campuses. The one I attended just fit me. Other schools seemed sterile and uninviting. I actually turned down half tuition somewhere else to pay full tuition where I went. Financially stupid, maybe, but I really enjoyed my college years, and to me, it was totally worth it.

I went to that Big Ten school. Thanks. 🙄

 

[armybound]

I went to that Big Ten school. Thanks. 🙄

being insulted for where you went to school isn't much fun, is it 😉

 

[BBender716]

being insulted for where you went to school isn't much fun, is it 😉

Definitely didn't do any of it myself, lol

Nor do I support the phrasing of the OPs thread title.

 

[shiftingmirage]

I went to that Big Ten school. Thanks. 🙄

Sorry, I'm not into sports in general, but I hate football. The plays last for 5 seconds, and at the end of the play, the players go to the other team, and start mouthing off, because they are the **** and have regressed to 3rd grade recess rules. Football also has the fewest number of games at like 18 or something. While it is a physical sport, so is hockey which has like 80+ games.

 

[FlowRate]

For undergrad, my primary concern was $$$. Even though my dad makes >$100K, the only funding I'm provided with is necessities. There's no way he could actually pay my tuition and what not at a private school--he still has his own educational debt to pay off.

 

[ForrestG]

You should go to the best school you can reasonably afford, based on your family income and your future career choice. Social work majors should probably stick with State U.

I went to a public school, and you would have to be on crack to think that I would not have had better career opportunities with an engineering degree from MIT than from State U. Same goes for Case Western or Rose Hullman and other lesser-known but high-quality schools. Our high school guidance counselors sucked, and everyone told me that a degree was a degree was a degree. With 10 years on the other side of that degree, I can tell you it's just not true.

 

[Dr McSexy]

I went to that Big Ten school. Thanks. 🙄

I go to that SEC school. 😆

 

[Poliscidoc]

Sorry, I'm not into sports in general, but I hate football. The plays last for 5 seconds, and at the end of the play, the players go to the other team, and start mouthing off, because they are the **** and have regressed to 3rd grade recess rules. Football also has the fewest number of games at like 18 or something. While it is a physical sport, so is hockey which has like 80+ games.

I played college football and I loved it. I think hockey blows so guess it varies, plus I live in the south so the amount of hockey I have seen or even be exposed to is the NHL clips on sports center

 

[JJMrK]

I went to pretty much the cheapest state school I could find. I got into med school and will have $0 in debt come undergrad graduation. That makes all the difference for me.

 

[dw2158]

Please refrain from making these foolish, obnoxious, and derogatory comments. I previously stated that I respect the decisions that people make, but am curious to their motivation. This thread has been very insightful. Your belligerence is unnecessary.

i'm not sure how that post of mine was belligerent, foolish, obnoxious, or derogatory. i was, in fact, suggesting that everyone should simply respect others' priorities and choices. you, on the other hand, display none of the "respect" that you claim to have.

 

[chrisski]

i'm not sure how that post of mine was belligerent, foolish, obnoxious, or derogatory. i was, in fact, suggesting that everyone should simply respect others' priorities and choices. you, on the other hand, display none of the "respect" that you claim to have.

I apologize. I started this post very late at night and wasn't thinking clearly. I did not intend to incite this rage. Please, take your own advice and "just chill". If anyone else has any insightful comments on public vs private, please continue, if not, please refrain.

 

[dw2158]

I apologize. I started this post very late at night and wasn't thinking clearly. I did not intend to incite this rage. Please, take your own advice and "just chill". If anyone else has any insightful comments on public vs private, please continue, if not, please refrain.

i'm not sure how you got "rage" from anything i've written here. perhaps exasperation, but certainly not rage.

 

[chrisski]

i'm not sure how you got "rage" from anything i've written here. perhaps exasperation, but certainly not rage.

I apologize. please let it go.

 

[WNT Signaling]

I went to a top 15 LAC, and it was the best decision I ever made! Everyone accepted at my school had a minimum $10,000 scholarship, and my college capped loans at a low amount. Not surprisingly, at my UG, the average indebtedness of each student at graduation is a fraction of what it is at the state's major public university.

Thanks to a large endowment, and no grad students, I had AMAZING facilities, especially in my science labs. Honestly, there is nothing better than designing experiments in organic lab or in bio seminars and being told that I can order whatever reagents I need, irrespective of the cost (obviously to a extent, but nonetheless, it was still very, very generous). Also, I never had a class with more than 25 people, even in intro chemistry and bio. Even better, all of my seminars never had more than 15 people, and most often, they had 10 or fewer people.

Now, I loved the intimate experience at my UG, but it is not for everyone. Wealthy private schools are truly a national treasure, but if it's a choice between OK private schools and 75k in debt vs inexpensive State U with little debt, I think you would be crazy to not go with the less expensive option

 

[murfettie]

I attended california public school - free
private schools - offered money, still too much.

I really had to fight to stay well, happy, and get the opportunities, no coddling.
Truthfully, I really enjoyed my UG experience in many ways due the huge population at my UG.
I am not comfortable where everyone knows me, but perhaps this opinion is formed due to my UG experience.

You know 80% of people say they enjoyed the UG regardless where they went?

I'm sure if I went to like Amherst like my bf did, I probably would've loved it too.

 

[CarlATHF]

A. Because I'd put my education I've received up against anybody else's education. And I'm not just talking about science education; the humanities/social sciences here are absolutely fantastic.

B. Because the school is a great fit for me. I'd wager that I've had more opportunities to do research and expand my interests than anybody else from a public school. I've been fortunate to have opportunities such as collecting oral histories from neighborhood residents as well as performing basic science research (in the same semester no less!).

C. The professors are absolutely great and really care about you. They also know that you are intelligent (i.e. they don't have to "weed you out" so to speak), and treat you as such. For example, in my genetics lab the entire lab class collaborated with a Biology lab doing actual research on campus to do a screen for mutants that they were interested in. Contributing to science as a part of my required classes? Count me in.

D. I've had a great time doing it. Joined a fraternity, met my girlfriend of 3+ years, and experienced a city with charm, culture, and people unlike anywhere else. Could I have done it at my state school? Probably. But Baltimore is a unique place; you have to experience it to understand why it truly is Charm City.

 

[45408]

Who cares?

I went to a big cheap state school and loved it. Not a selective school, and surprisingly few pre-meds to compete with for volunteer positions and research opportunities. You only live once. If it's worth the money to you, spend it.

I would not have liked a school with 1500 people in it, but my wife went to one such school and loved it. I was so happy to be one of 28,000 and not have an administration that cared about anything I was doing (my small high school suspended a lot of people for very, very minor infractions). My wife's school was a Christian school with curfews and same-sex dorms with strict visiting rules. No thanks, but she loved it.


In summary - don't worry about what other people are doing.

 

[FlowRate]

Why do I get a bit of a feeling of extreme elitism from some of the posters in this thread, even from people I don't normally get that feeling from? Is that part of what comes with an ivy education?

 

[ILikeDrugs]

For the same reason people pay $50 for a blue shirt with a nike swoosh symbol on it instead of a $10 blue shirt without a swoosh symbol on it.

 

[ahmcadams]

(1) Prestige matters in med sch admissions. It's not the deciding factor, but it can be a big help.

(2) Prestige matters a lot in many other fields. Not everyone's 100% set on medicine. You better be pedigreed or pretty exceptional if you want to snag a job at McKinsey or a bulge bracket bank.

 

[appleofeye]

For the same reason people pay $50 for a blue shirt with a nike swoosh symbol on it instead of a $10 blue shirt without a swoosh symbol on it.

really funny, could pay extra 40$

 

[dw2158]

Why do I get a bit of a feeling of extreme elitism from some of the posters in this thread, even from people I don't normally get that feeling from? Is that part of what comes with an ivy education?

i certainly hope you're not referring to me, because that makes me sad. i was trying to point out the fact that everyone makes their (undergrad and medical) school decisions based on lots of different factors. money matters more for some people than it does for others. no judgment; just statement of fact. not elitist 🙁

 

[vballninnie]

As a non-traditional med school applicant I am grateful my professors still remember me (I was in UG over 4 years ago). This helps tremendously when getting quality LOR and a committee letter. Obviously, this isn't the only reason for one to choose a LAC, but it sure helps in hindsight!

 

[rockyDoctora]

Just kidding, I go to a small LAC and love it!

What the **** is this JK ****? 😕

 

[rockyDoctora]

For the same reason people pay $50 for a blue shirt with a nike swoosh symbol on it instead of a $10 blue shirt without a swoosh symbol on it.

Dude, that swoosh is brolic! I think you're exaggerating a bit on the prices as well The last time I checked, it was on sale on Black Friday at low price of $24.99! What a steal man, what a steal!

 

[rockyDoctora]

(2) Prestige matters a lot in many other fields. Not everyone's 100% set on medicine. You better be pedigreed or pretty exceptional if you want to snag a job at McKinsey or a bulge bracket bank.

Sorry to post so many times at once... but..

+1

I'm actually a not so confident in my competence for admissions to medical school, so I'm majoring in a field of engineering as a back up career.

 

[sassilysweet]

Just adding my two cents.
I went to a private university for UG, and am just finishing at my state college with a 2nd bachelor's.

*scholarship for half-tuition based on ACT score (this matched/was lower than the public school tuition)
*Had another $5000-7500 per year in renewable merit scholarships
*We were poor so I also got financial aid that covered pretty much everything else
*Largest class had two sections with a bout 50 people each (premed general bio) which then ended up with about 35 people in one section the next semester after all of the dropouts. All of my other classes averaged 15-22 students.
*Only PhDs taught, only had TAs to help in lab
*When I had a problem with anything, I could go to the financial aid/whatever office and be greeted by name by the people who worked there and had my questions answered/problem fixed that day. When I have a problem at the public school, I get transferred to 3 different people, get asked angry questions, get told the problem is fixed, and then have to call back or show up to the office 1-2 more times before anything is actually done.
*I owe more for 1.5 years at a state college than I do for 4 yrs at the private institution
*professors invite students/classes over for dinner at their houses "just because".
*I never had to worry about being late for class because I had to take the shuttle to a different campus at the private, unlike at the public

There are a ton more reasons but overall I loved my private college and really dislike everything about the state school except for the program I am graduating from (partly because they only allow <50 students per year in it).

 

[Dr McSexy]

*I owe more for 1.5 years at a state college than I do for 4 yrs at the private institution

Would this have anything to do with that you were ineligible for scholarships since you were pursuing a second degree? Would have been awarded scholarships if it were your first time through? Just wondering

*professors invite students/classes over for dinner at their houses "just because".

Kind of creepy, imo. But that's cool/nice of the prof. if you like to do that kind of thing. Definitely get to know them.

 

[tuffguy13]

Financial Aid. Financial Aid. Financial Aid. Financial Aid.

It costs less for me to go to a private school than it would have for my state schools.

2) A majority of my classes have been taught with less than 20 students in the class. The entire class not just a recitation section.

3) Only people with PhDs teach the class. There are no student teachers.

3 excellent reasons why a private schools is better. Get off you high horse.

I transferred from private to public so I got a taste of both. The private school did have smaller class sizes but some public schools like mine shrink their class sizes down at higher levels so they match the size of private school classes. They all tend to be about 30 people in a class, which gives you plenty of opportunity to build a relationship with the professor for add'l help.

Also my public school uses PhD's to teach classes. It was the private school that taught some classes with people who only had their masters. So far I haven't had any student taught classes besides labs, but those are pretty much supervised by a TA and a PhD prof does the grading.

 

[Adamska]

But some of us have been "cursed" with having parents that make more than 65K dollars a year, yet will not pay for any substantial amount of ones college. Being a white middle class student doesn't open up a lot of scholarships.

As a white middle class student whose parents make more than twice the figure you stated and still getting nearly a full ride to a top 5 private uni, I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[tuffguy13]

(1) Prestige matters in med sch admissions. It's not the deciding factor, but it can be a big help.

(2) Prestige matters a lot in many other fields. Not everyone's 100% set on medicine. You better be pedigreed or pretty exceptional if you want to snag a job at McKinsey or a bulge bracket bank.

i can understand prestige mattering when you're speaking of a private school, or more specifically an ivy. however, i fail to believe that when you're comparing your local hometown private university, one that probably few if any people outside the state have heard of, to a typical state university, that the private university is going to get you brownie points.

 

[FutureCTDoc]

My private is cheaper than my instate university. I have a half tuition scholarship and a guaranteed spot in the medical school. My classes are capped at 32 students and labs at 18. My biggest intro class has a whopping 20 odd students. I was well above the medians at UConn, but no $$$$. Private colleges are better for merit based aid. Prestige is certainly less of an issue than most people think. A student with a >3.5, >31 MCAT will get into medical school assuming decent interviewing skills. Just like MD/DO prestige is largely illusory. My father is a grad of a Big Ten Public School and a relatively unknow med school. Trained at another unknown for internship and a Big East for his residency in ophtho, the only "prestigous" school was an ivy for fellowship. He routinely treats cases that grads of bigger name schools and ophtho programs won't. Ultimately whether you're Harvard undergrad or Podunk you decide where you go to med school based on your performance. Does a big name help? Yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely not.

 

[Ativanigans]

i can understand prestige mattering when you're speaking of a private school, or more specifically an ivy. however, i fail to believe that when you're comparing your local hometown private university, one that probably few if any people outside the state have heard of, to a typical state university, that the private university is going to get you brownie points.

Yes, in that case youre correct. A no-name tiny private university is inferior to a reputable in-state institution.

 

[riverjib]

Because a 4.0 and 35MCAT at Duke would have looked a lot better. I'm on the adcom at our school and yes, prestige matters.

Interesting, because I'm in a state school honors college, and all the pre-meds in my program this year have been accepted at least one Ivy and another top-tier school like Case Western, Hopkins, or Duke...same goes for the non-honors college students who maintained the same numbers and ECs.

My best friend in high school graduated valedictorian in our class. Keep in mind that the student who was at the 50th percentile had a 92 GPA. She had the college equivalent of a 4.0, and a 1600 on her SAT (a perfect score then). In fact, she scored a 1380 in seventh grade. She got into Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Brown (her dream school) and all of the ten or so schools to which she applied. She chose UVA, which shocked all of us (VERY out-of state) because they offered her a full ride, and she had family there. She was a co-valedictorian there and had her choice of full rides to med school. Yes, she's an exception.

I'm not sure what committee you're on, but please enlighten us so I don't apply there, if "prestige" is what matters to you. Personally, I'm going for value over prestige. The match rate at my university's medical school never drops below 95%. I'll take that at a third the cost, because I've been in the medical field long enough that success is measured by what you know and are capable of doing well, not by where you went to school. If I go into private practice, I think I'd work best with patients who chose me for my reputation and peer reviews, rather than my pedigree and the names on my diplomas. It seems to have worked for my friends!

 

[Jolt21]

The match rate at my university's medical school never drops below 95%. I'll take that at a third the cost, because I've been in the medical field long enough that success is measured by what you know and are capable of doing well, not by where you went to school. If I go into private practice, I think I'd work best with patients who chose me for my reputation and peer reviews, rather than my pedigree and the names on my diplomas. It seems to have worked for my friends!

do you realize "match rate" means nothing?

in order to match somewhere, you must have had an interview there.

so it doesn't what the rate is, what matters is where they eventually got in.

for instance, that stat that is like "80% of the student get one of their top 2"...well, your top 3 can look like:

MGH
Hopkins
Mayo

or

____ General Hospital
someplace in the midwest
someplace in the south

you can't put down somewhere you didn't get an interview at.

getting the interview is half the battle...and you'd be hard pressed to find a top-notch residency program that says prestige doesn't matter at least a little bit.

hopefully you get the point, but yea, don't bring that meaningless stat to a bunch of neurotic pre-meds.

 

[roseglass6370]

I started out at a well-known state school but then transferred to a private school because it actually ended up being cheaper due to tuition exchange (aka it was free because my dad is a professor at a university that was willing to pay my way through.)

It some ways I think it is a lot better. The classes are smaller and I get to know my professors better than I did at the state school.

However, the state school also had better research programs, it's own med school, and a hospital on campus. Miss those things A LOT. But you just can't beat free tuition. 🙄

 

[45408]

getting the interview is half the battle...and you'd be hard pressed to find a top-notch residency program that says prestige doesn't matter at least a little bit.

hopefully you get the point, but yea, don't bring that meaningless stat to a bunch of neurotic pre-meds.

And don't keep filling everyone's heads with this nonsense of "top residency programs!" the way that US News has a list of top med schools. It is EXTREMELY goal-dependent. If you want to be an MD/PhD surgeon-scientist with a big lab, yes, you should go to a large academic institution. If you want to be in a community hospital removing gall bladders and doing hemicolectomies all day, you should probably NOT go to a big academic institution, because you'll be doing more rare or complex cases or spending much more time doing research.

Plus, residency is much more about the "feel" of the program than med school is. You're going to be with these residents and staff, day in and day out, for up to 5-7 years in some residencies.

 

[docdonny]

I went to a private school that the common student may not have heard of but my doctor, dentist, and accountant all heard of it. Yes it costed my parents 200k in tuition alone (no including things like travel expenses, etc).Also, the mentality at a private school is significantly different from a state school. Most students at the school were very wealthy and had lots of connections. Most of my friends' parents were CFOs, CEOs, very high up in companies so I had a lot of connections, access to great internships, etc. My friends at state schools had far less connections that I did, not just in medical related fields but also in business related fields. I understand those paying for school themselves would not want to pay that much but my parents personally told me that I was not allowed to go to a state school and paid for my tuition, so I see it both ways.

There is so much more to college than cheap tuition and there are CERTAIN (notice I said certain not tons) advantages that going to a small private school can offer over going to a large public school.

 

[docdonny]

Also,

I see a lot of posts about if your school is a private school that no one has heard of whats the point. I can tell you this, its not so much about if your school has a name brand but more about who goes to your school. I attend a caribbean medical school and from undergrad connections with my friend's dad who is a CEO of a NYC hospital, I get privileges that others (caribb students specifically) dont get. I've had lunches with PDs, chief residents, and others high up that tell me to call them when I graduate and if i'll be "taken care of" if I have good grades, scores, etc. You have to remember that there is still an "old boys club" in this country and who you know can take you a long way. I'm NOT saying that you cant get that from a state school. I just think you there are soooo many kids there that your more of a number. Again, I could be wrong. This is just my take.

 

[dw2158]

I went to a private school that the common student may not have heard of but my doctor, dentist, and accountant all heard of it. Yes it costed my parents 200k in tuition alone (no including things like travel expenses, etc).Also, the mentality at a private school is significantly different from a state school. Most students at the school were very wealthy and had lots of connections. Most of my friends' parents were CFOs, CEOs, very high up in companies so I had a lot of connections, access to great internships, etc. My friends at state schools had far less connections that I did, not just in medical related fields but also in business related fields. I understand those paying for school themselves would not want to pay that much but my parents personally told me that I was not allowed to go to a state school and paid for my tuition, so I see it both ways.

There is so much more to college than cheap tuition and there are CERTAIN (notice I said certain not tons) advantages that going to a small private school can offer over going to a large public school.

Also,

I see a lot of posts about if your school is a private school that no one has heard of whats the point. I can tell you this, its not so much about if your school has a name brand but more about who goes to your school. I attend a caribbean medical school and from undergrad connections with my friend's dad who is a CEO of a NYC hospital, I get privileges that others (caribb students specifically) dont get. I've had lunches with PDs, chief residents, and others high up that tell me to call them when I graduate and if i'll be "taken care of" if I have good grades, scores, etc. You have to remember that there is still an "old boys club" in this country and who you know can take you a long way. I'm NOT saying that you cant get that from a state school. I just think you there are soooo many kids there that your more of a number. Again, I could be wrong. This is just my take.

i have to say, i'm really glad that most of the people i met at my private undergrad didn't have CEO/CFO parents with lots of money and connections-- or if they did, they didn't brag about it. these kinds of attitudes surrounding wealth make me kind of nauseous.

 

[Jolt21]

And don't keep filling everyone's heads with this nonsense of "top residency programs!" the way that US News has a list of top med schools. It is EXTREMELY goal-dependent. If you want to be an MD/PhD surgeon-scientist with a big lab, yes, you should go to a large academic institution. If you want to be in a community hospital removing gall bladders and doing hemicolectomies all day, you should probably NOT go to a big academic institution, because you'll be doing more rare or complex cases or spending much more time doing research.

Plus, residency is much more about the "feel" of the program than med school is. You're going to be with these residents and staff, day in and day out, for up to 5-7 years in some residencies.

any superlative is relative, and i agree with that you're saying. but around here, the "top" type you are talking about is the minority. i just catered the post to the typical SDNer

 

[docdonny]

Not trying to be snooty. Im not the child of a CEO/CFO either. To the OP I understand what your saying but a lot of people who responded to your question responded like its the most ridiculous thing to attend private school. I guess my overall point was there money is only one part of the deciding factor when picking a school. Definitely didn't mean to come off as pretentious, just trying to tell what I noticed at my school

 

[dw2158]

Not trying to be snooty. Im not the child of a CEO/CFO either. To the OP I understand what your saying but a lot of people who responded to your question responded like its the most ridiculous thing to attend private school. I guess my overall point was there money is only one part of the deciding factor when picking a school. Definitely didn't mean to come off as pretentious, just trying to tell what I noticed at my school

if you read this thread, you'll see that i tried to make the same point-- money is not everyone's #1 concern when choosing a school. but the money i was referring to was the cost of the education-- not what's in my classmates' pockets.