JHU Worth The Sticker Price for Premed? Be Honest!

nj_azn_premed · 04-10-2008, 06:24 PM

Well, basically, I'm a prospective premed and I've had my sights set on JHU for a while...until reality set in. Now, I'm facing certain decisions as to where I should apply in the upcoming application cycle. I'm starting to realize that it might be a wiser option to become a premed at a school with a slightly lesser reputation but which would cost FAR less. My parents can foot the bill for JHU, but I'd be all on my own with med school. To make things worse, our EFC is 100% of JHU's per annum cost

. I was considering submitting an ED app to JHU, but now I have my reservations about it on account of cost vs gain (which is minimal...I aim to become a physician, so I could really attend any combination of college/med school to achieve that goal). Has anyone here faced a similar conflict? Is JHU really a better choice in light of all of this? I've seen so many very happy/successful doctors graduating from their state college and med school with fewer debts and, in many cases, superceding graduates coming out debt-laden from top colleges. As if my predicament weren't awful enough, I will probably also have to make choices between a full-tuition scholarship from my state school and some enticing scholarships from others. Anyway...opinions? Please be honest; I realize I should expect biased responses on this particular forum, but I really would appreciate complete honesty! Thanks.

dntw8up · 04-10-2008, 06:32 PM

JHU may be worth it for med school but I'd choose something much less expensive for undergrad. Since you can get a full tuition scholarship from your state school, ask your folks if they'd pay for med school instead of undergrad. Being debt free when you finish your studies would be an extremely enviable position.

nj_azn_premed · 04-10-2008, 06:47 PM

as I suspected...of course it just seems, naturally, the more sensible option. It's ironic how it's now financially more difficult for a student coming from a reasonably nice income bracket to attend a top college than it is for someone with an income low enough to qualify for massive finaid. Bittersweet I suppose?

dntw8up · 04-10-2008, 07:00 PM

It's very frustrating but I know from personal experience that you'll be happier if you can get past the feelings of unfairness and focus on a financially and academically feasible plan. Ask your folks if they'll pay for med school if you attend your state university with a full tuition scholarship. If they agree, you will have a great deal. Once you're employed you will be grateful you don't have decades of enormous loan payments.

jtm4499 · 04-10-2008, 07:03 PM

People don't understand that it is not as easy as it seems for low income students to make ends meet. My very low income friend is a top student and he has had a very hard time just getting his info together. Low income parents are often uneducated and do not have the file system available and do not keep track of their stuff. My friend had to do backflips just to get all the documentation from his divorced parents and then had to make sure that he got a free ride plus spending money because his parents could afford to give him zero. He did wind up getting it because is a gifted student. But it is not as easy as people imagine. Now, if you're poor and an average student, you have a really hard time.

cherrycola · 04-10-2008, 07:05 PM

Yeah I had that same dilemma this year. I decided to turn down Hopkins pre-med for my local state school. The $52,000 is over twice my alternative! And, hey, if you can go to a great school for free, you can't go wrong.

Hmm... I am somewhat jealous of the people who get enough financial aid where attending a private school costs the same, if not less than the state university. (IMO, this is all because some universities want to boast about having more poor people, which is sort of funny.) I don't resent those people though; I'm glad I can go to school without straining my parents' wallets.

Especially since we are planning for med school, I think its better to same money now and be able to afford to go when it matters most. Plus, you can always try to negotiate with your parents to have them help chip in for med school in the future.

But hey, if Hopkins is your dream school (i.e. worth the extra money to you), then go for it. And apply to many many scholarships. Maybe you will get lucky!

nj_azn_premed · 04-10-2008, 07:28 PM

hmm thx for the advice. Yeah, my parents could pretty much afford the full cost of med school if I go to Rutgers (my state school) for free. And, I guess being debt-free would be quite useful? The difficulties only arise in my med school admissions prospects, which aren't all that great coming out of a state school.

dntw8up · 04-10-2008, 07:35 PM

Med school admissions is primarily a matter of GPA and MCAT scores. The undergrad school you attended really doesn't matter for med school admissions, except to the extent that you are well prepared for the MCAT, and Rutgers does a fine job with this.

JHUery · 04-10-2008, 09:22 PM

"Now, I'm facing certain decisions as to where I should apply in the upcoming application cycle"

So...you haven't even applied yet? How do you know how much scholarship you'll get at any particular school?

nj_azn_premed · 04-10-2008, 09:42 PM

Rutgers is pretty straightforward about who they give their full tuition scholarships to (I believe it's primarily if not entirely numbers-based). I also have a basis of comparison with the current seniors at my school...regardless, I'm 99.999999999% sure I'd get the full-tuition scholarship (the remaining .0000000001% is in case the world blows up or something).

JIMMY@KILLARNEY · 04-10-2008, 10:29 PM

the price is great! cheap and affordable! JHU financial aid is always student-friendly!

JHUery · 04-10-2008, 10:34 PM

I don't know if >50K/year is "cheap and affordable"....but I guess I'm just really poor :/

JIMMY@KILLARNEY · 04-10-2008, 10:42 PM

i was joking.

db123 · 04-11-2008, 05:43 AM

since this topic has come up multiple times since decisions came out, it would be a good idea to look through all of the other threads that addressed this issue already. Your situation might be a tad different, but the advice usually follows the same idea. But I had to summarize: undergrad isn't the important one. Graduate school is.

WealthOfInformation · 04-11-2008, 06:26 PM

When it comes down to choosing between a highly selective, high-priced private school and a your state school, I just think it's important to know that at most schools you are going to get what you pay for: education for the general public.

Classes are going to be much larger at your state school, lectures are going to be taught a lot in big lecture halls and often by TA's. State schools rarely have an intellectual environment, but you can find it - just takes a while. You'll have to work a lot harder to be challenged with the coursework - grades are often based on 3 exams, that's it. I'm not saying that these are bad things, because everyone is different, but it is important to clarify expectations.