I’m guessing - from earlier conversations - the root is more being away from home - than anything else.
I don’t know OPs stats but they also seek warm weather - which UNM is much of the year - but an Alabama, UAH, Mississippi State would be more so and they can still get in and it can be much lower in cost if they have a test score (than Case and even UNM) - but I don’t think the issue is finding another lower cost school.
I think that’s just - things OP has brought up to counter the true concern - which is being away from home - as was brought up earlier.
And yes, there’s even Cal States to still consider - but OP likes pedigree.
OP wouldn’t have applied to Case if they didn’t think it was legit…but at 17 years old, it does make sense one is concerned about being far from the nest - and then trying to justify likely worse alternatives - because it is a big shock to be so far from what you know.
I tell parents who say this to me - that’s why they invented Facetime. You can literally be home every day (in some ways) if needed.
IIRC, University of New Mexico graduates get preferential treatment as UNM medical school accepted students regardless of their state of residence. And UNM is perhaps THE least costly public medical school in this country. IIRC it’s in the under $25,000 a year range for tuition.
@WayOutWestMom has explained this before, but I can’t seem to find the post!
The amount of debt attending Scripps is, in itself, concerning - 132k is entirely too much for undergrad. But the proposed legislation makes it even more so, where instead of crippling one’s future it would make it so incredibly onerous it couldn’t in good faith be considered a choice.
I agree with others here, it is terrible advice to take out a lot more in college loans for lifestyle reasons, planning to make it up with high earnings far in the future. That sort of logic is how people end up feeling stuck in educational and career paths they hate, while still ending up many years behind a bunch of peers in terms of when they can start doing things like buying houses and generally living like an adult. And sometimes you can’t even get the career you were planning on.
I do feel it is unfortunate you are so negative on Case right now. I agree you might be pleasantly surprised by how much you like it.
But I also would agree with others you seem to be forcing yourself into a false dilemma–affordable college in a sort of place you don’t want to be or unaffordable college in a sort of place you do want to be–because you are currently not willing to consider some affordable colleges in the sort of place you want to be. I don’t say this to be harsh, I just think there are possible solutions to your problem you could consider right now.
But assuming you are going to stick to that being your choice for now, well, a lot of extra debt is a hard, knowable, quantifiable negative. Your concerns about your subjective experience at Case may prove unfounded. So at least you can start there.
And then if you simply cannot thrive there, you can transfer. And hopefully by that point you will have a clear idea of what you actually need in a college, and I am sure there will be suitable affordable options that meet your actual needs.
Your current intention is to go to medical school. That’s 4 long years away and you may change your mind (or Ochem may change your mind for you. )
And even if you do persist all the way through undergrad and apply to med school, the odds are against you getting an acceptance–especially since you live in California. (California is the single largest producer of med school applicants in the country and less than 40% get any acceptance.)
The point is there’s no guarantee that you’ll be earning a high salary in the future. If you don’t go into a high income career, you are going to face a lifetime of debt repayment if you borrow that much to go to Scripps.
I’m not suggesting you go to Case if you don’t want to, but you may need to open yourself to other possibilities. UNM is one possibility. Taking a year off and reapplying next year is another. Going to your local CC and doing a TAG transfer to a UC is another.
UNM’s med school is not THE least expensive in the country. (That honor goes to one of he TX public med schools.) But it is in the top 5 least expensive. My daughters both went there, had a great experience and are now practicing medicine if their first choice of specialty. They both went to strong/prestigious residencies too.
As of this application cycle, UNM now give preference to UNM grads even if they are OOS residents. I know one young man who went to UNM because it was financially a bargain for him. He graduated and returned home to work in healthcare for 3 years in CA. He applied to med school this cycle and will be moving back to ABQ this July to start med school. Despite a pretty impressive resume, not a single CA med school interviewed him. All his interviews were at OOS schools.
To be honest, Scripps is actually a decent deal for $67K. I was going to pay $62K for S24 to attend OOS public, such as uDub and TAMU. The issue is your family cannot afford it. Why keep coming up reason to go there? It is like you can only afford Toyota, why keep thinking Ferrari will fit you better? Being an adult is about making logical decision. Good Luck.
I think that the most reasonable solution is to go to Case. It is by far your most affordable option; it is a popular destination for pre-med kids; it is an all-around quality school with a large number of majors from which to choose, should you decide on another path; and it is in Cleveland, a really cool city.
When it’s cold, you put on a coat and hat, and you’re fine. You can do it.
Except that Case vs. Scripps is not Toyota vs. Ferrari. It’s more like Lexus vs. Infiniti, except the one is preferred but the other is affordable. Very nice Toyotas that are even more affordable have been pointed out as well, but OP would need to apply. Or (to really overwork the analogy), take the deal where you get to drive a Kia for two years for free, and then trade it in for an affordable Acura. There are good options here. Honestly, a rejection from Scripps rather than an unaffordable acceptance would probably have made everything a lot easier, but here we are, and OP’s first big adult decision will hopefully be letting go of the unaffordable choice, and not letting the fantasy version of the “one that got away” poison the otherwise enviable experience that awaits her.
One of my kids had a friend at her “Ferrari” college who got into her head that she’d made the wrong call, and everything would have been perfect if she’d gone to Porsche U. She couldn’t let it go, and became more and more bitter, and ended up losing a lot of friends who just couldn’t take the negativity anymore. Would her life really have been better at Porsche U? We’ll never know, but IMHO, if you’re a “The grass would’ve been greener over there” person, you’re probably that person wherever you go. And it’s not a fun person to be, or to be around. Especially when the person is being grumpy about a Ferrari. All I’m saying is, if you choose to go to Case, please try to embrace it and realize that you would’ve had bad days at Scripps too.
Yes, most people are surprisingly adaptable (surprising to themselves, at least). In most cases this means kids going to generally good colleges will end up quite happy with their college, indeed possibly thinking it would not have been possible to do better. And in a way they are right about that, because they adapted well.
In a few cases, though, people adapt in a bad way, meaning they find ways to be unhappy no matter where they land. That may be an addressable problem, but it is usually not the sort of problem where picking a different college will work.
But then sometimes a person would in fact do much better at one college than another. Like I do think homesickness, for example, can be a very real problem. And not necessarily a permanent one, but sometimes some kids are not ready for such a big change all at once, at that point in their life.
So in cases like that, maybe you will be well-advised to transfer. But there is a good chance you will adapt instead.
Remind yourself of the reasons why you applied in the first place
I bet ideas like “strong for premed”, “supportive”, “urban”, “cool neighborhood”, “lots of majors& choices” were part of the decision. And while it may not be as familiar to people in CA as some other names you were considering, I can assure you it’s well known in the Midwest and on the East Coast, and that no one who matters (internships, job hires..) will have any trouble knowing that you are receiving a quality education.
With the savings, you can plan Spring break anywhere, study abroad…
If the weather really is a problem, buy a small “light therapy” lamp.
Feel proud, many would love to attend such a great college… for such a price to boot (meaning scholarships, meaning they really value you).
There are good options here. Honestly, a rejection from Scripps rather than an unaffordable acceptance would probably have made everything a lot easier, but here we are, and OP’s first big adult decision will hopefully be letting go of the unaffordable choice, and not letting the fantasy version of the “one that got away” poison the otherwise enviable experience that awaits her.
