Alright thank you, I’ll look into this, and do my own research.
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Oh people are definitely struggling.
Some students who have been accepted to US med schools this cycle are already talking about deferring admission in order to work and save money to help pay for med school.
Growth years between undergrad and applying med school were already very common. New changes in loan programs is making them more necessary than ever.
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The reality is that less than half of US college students leave home to go to school. I think it’s unfair to characterize the collective experience of a majority of college students as “high school 2.0.”
Sure, going away to college can be a valuable experience. It is one way to stretch oneself and grow. But it’s not the only way, and it’s not available to everyone… and it’s not a guarantee of positive growth, either. There are plenty of people who go away to college and seem not to grow up much at all.
A lot depends on your home life and your relationship with your parents. You don’t necessarily have to continue living as if you were in high school, so long as you are all thoughtful about renegotiating expectations.
All this said… I remain concerned about the debt-load you’re considering. I’m glad the CC option is staying on the table while you figure this out. The Pakistan option is interesting, and I’m sure very few of us here have helpful perspectives on the relative merits of that idea, but maybe someone who does will chime in.
Med school funding is not going to be solved right now. And who knows, maybe your college experience will make you aware of other career options that you’ll like better, anyway. The important thing, IMHO, is not to get into a debt-hole as an undergrad that will limit your options going forward.
The bottom line here is that we are here to be a resource to you. Challenging your assumptions and giving suggestions can be necessary parts of that, but that shouldn’t cross a line of your owing us an explanation. Feel free to set a boundary if it starts to feel like that line is being crossed. We all get invested in looking out for your best interests, but ultimately the decisions are yours.
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You can only live in college dorms if you can afford the costs for room and board from the university you attend. It would be nice if this were possible for you, but right now, that does not seem financially realistic. Unless I’m missing something.
I think you need to look at your goal of getting a bachelors degree at an affordable price. Put medical school on the back burner. You might actually find another health career, or something entirely different in the next 5 or 6 years.
Did you read the site I linked above with health careers? It’s around post 343… and well worth your time to read.
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The costs I have you are all in and will likely go down as you move off campus.
If you get free tuition and room at Troy, you are $6-8k a year including travel.
Did you look at what I sent ? You have to do their scholarship app where you could secure free tuition and housing. Alabama A& has similar but a full ride. Your stats qualify. In that case your expense is travel, and it’s more airport friendly than Troy.
Please read again. You are skipping key details.
I’m telling you these bcuz if you can get, they will be significantly less than Rutgers at home. These schools are less competitive admission wise so you might have a chance.
Also, what’s the plan if you don’t get into Rutgers? Nowhere else is drivable …then what. I’m 85% sure you will get in but not 100%. Always good to plan vs last minute - as you are learning.
Troy- not automatic. You need to apply for it. But it’s more than half off Rutty. Food isn’t that much.
- Students with a 30-32 ACT/1360-1440 RSAT and a 3.7 GPA will receive tuition and basic housing
Take the SAT again and get a 1450 it goes to full ride.
Alabama A&M
Renewable for up to 8 semesters. Covers the cost of tuition, room, board and fees. Also includes a $1,000 book allowance per semester.
CRITERIA
- Applicant must have a High School GPA of 3.75 or above.
- Applicant must have an ACT Score of 28 or above/SAT score of 1310 or above.
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Alright its sad that this is the case, but this will probably be me. I’ll look more into the Pakistan one.
This is correct but includes community college. 45% go to a 4 year and 17% to a 2 year, in 2002.
I didn’t say they don’t live home. I said in my opinion, it’s like high school 2.0. You are fine to disagree.
Over 16k live on campus at Rutgers, which is a high percentage and would be higher freshman year. Likely most.
Bottom line is you lose a lot.
I didn’t say people don’t do it. I said if you can meet or beat the same price and live on campus, you should - IMHO. And OP can, certainly at MS State, UAH and potentially best at the two I just mentioned.
No don’t worry I don’t feel like anyone is crossing boundaries.
To be honest, I feel like its better to be honest, I feel like I’ve been living in my own bubble. I do have to be realistic especially with everything getting more expensive.
Ultimately, I’m not sure yet, but I’m still considering @tsbna44 option. However, I’m leaning toward staying home.
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Nothing to consider until you have the options. Applying doesn’t hinder your final decision.
Good luck
Thank you, I’ve already checked this out (since you sent this before). It’s just that my parents don’t want me to go all the way there.
If I can convince them, I will probably take the SAT again, so I can get a full ride for Troy
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Yep reading them, med school isn’t the only option i’m considering. I would like that though as my first option.
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My daughter who completed her DVM in May has told us a few times that the large majority of other students in her DVM program were taking on way too much debt, most did not want to talk about it, and that this would haunt them for years if not decades. At graduation we intentionally did not mention the issue at all, largely because we did not want to make any of her friends feel bad about it (and it would have been rude to mention it, and it was a week to celebrate).
And I have on rare occasion had doctors I know who were way past medical school mention that they were still paying off their medical school debt.
Other students who aspire to getting an MD (or DO, or DVM) do struggle with this. Some take on the debt. A few find some other way to pay for it (which often involves help from parents). Many at least limit the damage by attending an in-state public medical school. Some decide not to attend medical school. They either find a bachelor’s degree that leads to a career, or find a less expensive option.
One thing that I am wondering is whether anyone in my other daughter’s biomedical PhD program took this path specifically because a PhD is typically fully funded. I will ask the next time that I see her. Of course medical research is a significantly different career compared to direct patient contact.
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I think it is a luxury to live at a residential college, and one that many do not have.
Attending a CC does not have to be like HS 2.0. In many ways it is not- students often work part time and attend the CC with older students who decide to return to school. Many CC students are focused- they anticipate transferring after the 2 years. Some attend a CC because of affordability, family issues, health issues etc.
Some residential colleges can be more like HS than attending a CC would be. It really depends on the student.
I think there are many ways to achieve a goal, and attending CC is one of many options.
Adding: put medical school to the side for now. You may attend, or you may change your mind and do something else.
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I agree 100%. However, OP, with parent consideration, has that option - at least on a direct cost comparison.
It’s far, the geography may not be right - all those risks but if they are in at Rutgers at $19k, there are residential options - was solely the point.
Most of OPs fellow students will be living in dorms, finding friends, study partners and more. OP won’t - hence I labeled it as I did.
I wish OP luck.
Yes, living on campus allows for easier access to study groups, etc. There are certainly advantages, but attending a CC is not necessarily HS 2.0 for the reasons I posted above.
The OP needs to decide if they want to live in the locations of the schools you posted. That is an important decision and makes for a long 4 years if they are not happy there. These schools are good options for some- the OP needs to weigh all pros and cons.
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Maybe apply to a few NJ publics, Stockton seems to be a few thousand less than Rutgers, my 3.7 30 act kid was offered $10,000 a year in merit, but it was 4 years ago.
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NJ class loans.
I applied to TCNJ, Rutgers, and Rowan so far
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Yeah I’m considering that right now. Honestly my parents would be ( sad would be an understatement if you get what I mean) if I go there.
However, I’m not totally oppose, but it would be an interesting environment. However, I would have to worry about other costs that I won’t have to deal with if I stay at home.
Which others are within commuting distance ?
If one gets a big merit at Stockton, Ramapo, William Paterson, Montclair, etc - are any feasible distance wise if you live home ?
Guessing TCNJ but not sure which side of Rutgers you live.