Who will be paying for grad school or medical school? I’m asking because the ability to get student Direct Loans has changed significantly recently…with aggregate amounts that won’t fund medical schools which will be $100,000 a year or more if you actually get there.
I like your varied list. You are a strong student with great potential. But none of your reach schools are guaranteed.
So is he big on $200k more for U Mich when it will get you to only the same place ? Then does he have $100k more a year for med school starting in five years ? That’s the question vs any school on the list that has a cost delta. Listen, if UMASS isn’t good for you, that’s fine. U Mich or the UCs likely wouldn’t be either. Too big. UMass does give you bragging rights in food. Many suffer from bad food on campuses and complain to mom/dad but UMass is considered top shelf.
Btw UMass admits about half, Honors is a bear to get into, and only 5% have a gpa of enrollees have a 3.5 or less. So I think you want to think negatively of it like many in state students everywhere. But not everyone with just a 3.0 is getting in, unless you’re at some elite private. And some of those 5% will likely be athletes. At U Mich is 1.3% - hardly a huge difference.
Up to your family - but seems paying more just so you can brag to your friends, is silly. Paying more because you can afford the long term plan and it fits you better (a visit could help) could make sense.
I have a kid in the college of natural sciences (Veterinary & Animal Sciences) at UMASS Amherst and the education and advising is excellent. I strongly recommend it. My kid is an upcoming junior and has formed relationships with professors and has had access to research opportunities. Whether the latter will continue to available to undergrads is somewhat uncertain in the current climate, but they will be the case anywhere.
You are a strong student (congrats!) but there are a lot of reaches on this list and I think you need more balance.
Pitt is an amazing school with plenty of opportunities. I see it as a strong match and not a true safety. There are also many accomplished students there. I think you will get in, and if you attend you will be among some very impressive peers. Pitt should not be underestimated (not suggesting you are).
I would apply early to UMass. I would think about adding Rutgers and/or SUNY Buffalo.
Medical school is very expensive, and if you go the public health route you will need an MPH. There are big changes coming to the student loan program- I would have a plan to not only pay for undergrad, but also for any graduate school/med school you may attend. Many of the schools on this list are quite costly.
Ok. Thanks.
@Wannabe2 each family handles the finances of college as they determine works for their family. The financing of college (and potentially grad or medical school) is a conversation to have with your parents. Please have this conversation.
We will further assess them once we know where I’ve gotten into and what the packages look like for each. We have enough to finance both undergrad and grad school but obviously a smaller hole in savings would be better as I have a younger sibling. We’re also considering schools in Canada like Toronto and McGill which are cheaper and also have good reputations.
@wannabe2 that is exactly what some families choose to do, and it’s fine…if that is what your family chooses to do.
I would get some EA applications in asap…in some cases, you will get an admissions decision fairly quickly, and with any aid you might qualify for.
Definitely apply to UMass in the early round. If any other colleges on your list have early action (not REA or SCEA) get those applications in as well.
Some schools you already know what will look like - assume full cost at Michigan - which this year is $80k the first two years and $85k the last two - that’s tuition, room and board.
Pitt merit is not impossible but unlikely. Near $60k.
If you like Michigan but it’s too much, then find like schools like tOSU, Minnesota which will end up half or a bit over half of UM.
Same with the UCs and Arizona schools - which are often subs.
As you only need one school and you have UMASS, you can take your current strategy.
But not setting a # up front has you run the risk that you knowingly wasted time up front - and who wants to do that when you can find schools you ultimately would consider ?. And who wants to say no after getting in.
Better you go over likely scenarios with your family up front so that you can pick the ‘right’ schools to apply that you at least have a chance to attend to begin with.
Up to you but many with comments like yours often end up disappointed when the budget reality hits later.
If they said no cost constraint - I say great. But it doesn’t sound like that is what is being said.
Alright. Thanks a lot for the advice.
COA at UMN is currently listed as $61,042 for 2025-26, and they have announced an upcoming increase of 7.5% for OOS tuition.
Generous merit there. OP can see in the NPC.
The risk of price increases b4 attending is anywhere and most schools so don’t lock price so even while there.
Just ran the NPC - tuition, room and board shows less than 53k and merit with stats is $10k. So low/mid 40s but yes many schools are and will hike.
Our son went to Caltech. He was also an athlete. You won’t really have a whole lot of time for your sports or anything else.
At Caltech, you are expected to be as close to a 1600, as possible, on your SAT, on the first try. Even then, there are no guarantees.
These are very, very bright kids who are used to independently working on their own. They also need some help in the area of socialization.
If you think you are going to be able to handle the quick, intense environment of Caltech, then you need to know right off the bat that you will be spending a lot of independent time in your room studying or doing research. You will be spending a lot of money on Uber eats, DoorDash, because you’ll be eating in your room at all hours. Oh and Saturdays and Sundays are your catch up days. Plan to spend eight hours on one math problem.
Yes Pasadena is beautiful and sunny, but you’ll be paying for it as well as California rates for your food and expenses. We call it the “Sun” tax, but if your parents aren’t used to accommodating for a high cost of living for “incidentals”, then they’re gonna be surprised by what you’ll be spending on food and necessities outside of regular room and board.
If daddy wants bragging rights for Caltech those will be quickly extinguished as he keeps having to shell out money, as well as, save for your graduate programs.
Onto your choice of major:
OK your choice; I have a daughter who went to med school at UCSF and I have a niece who graduated with a degree in public health and couldn’t find a job, so she got her masters and couldn’t find a job in public health. She had to go out of state and finally found a job that barely paid for her repayment on her loans.
Our daughter, who got into medical school, was fluent in Spanish, even did an internship in Spain. The majority of her med school class was extremely fluent and had native or near-native fluency in another language including Mandarin, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese and Spanish. (Caltech students tend to also have these skills -our son was near native proficient in Spanish and was learning some Cantonese.). What are you proficient in that you could easily speak with a patient?
Where are all your hundreds of volunteer hours working in a low income area? Or doing patient-welcoming in a hospital?
Please apply to more safeties. Please discuss future vocational goals with the professionals in your choice of majors. Shadow a public health professional, if you’re allowed. Remember there are HIPAA requirements and privacy concerns. Shadow a specialty physician if you’re allowed and find out what a day to day life is like.
Save your parents some grief and money.
Right now the economy is very uncertain; it’s inconstant and young people, just graduated, are having a hard time finding jobs.
Do some more research and use some of the suggestions posted by the posters here. Save yourself a lot of time and grief. Bragging rights won’t get you positions or get you employed.
UMN is a school my D26 is targeting, so I’m very familiar with this.
For the OP’s stats, the NPC currently shows a predicted $10k merit scholarship, which at the current 2025-26 prices would mean a COA of about $51k.
However, the NPC hasn’t been updated for current costs (it currently shows an out of date number for OOS tuition). So we don’t know if it is accurate for merit, either.
Given the announced OOS tuition hikes and cost cutting measures, I feel that we simply do not know right now if the NPC’s OOS merit estimate will be accurate for 2026-27. We know costs will rise, and they may very well start to cut merit.
Fair - the point was there are ‘like’ or sub schools to UM at significantly less cost. UMN was an example - there’s many more but I mentioned it based on the region.
One thing that appears a given - even at Purdue - costs are rising, especially for OOS kids.
Any kid with a budget really needs to factor in future costs at this point - because the hikes are real.
This is very insightful! I’m gonna find some more safeties with my parents and wait to see which give me merit and have good resources.
Also might apply to UConn, Pitt, and Stonybrook’s BSMD programs.
Somewhat curious to know which private school you attend, because that matters a bit IMO. Assuming mid-level one in MA.
Very Likely - UMass and Pitt
Likely - WPI
Target - BU
Reaches - all the rest, but ED might make some of the reaches lower reaches.
From the information given, I think you will just miss all of them on the top end. Maybe you get one off the waitlist, but you won’t know till this time next year.
Have you shadowed, done any informational interviews, volunteered with underserved populations?
Mid-level Catholic HS.