Student service and university fees are another $1100 (assuming the university fees are also not covered).
So it could be about a $7000- ish out of pocket expense. A very strong student might be better served to apply for a Stamps scholarship at different colleges
One thing that hasnât been explicitly mentioned, but depending on this familyâs background, situation, beliefs, political leanings, etc. they might have some very real reasons not to send a child (sometimes a daughter, in particular) to certain states, or too far away. Just a couple of years ago, I would have said all that should be seen as more of a preference IF one can afford to have a preference, and not to look a gift horse (a full ride or near full ride) in the mouth: That you do whatever you need to do to get a college education. Now, Iâm not so sure. There are scary reasons for wanting to keep a child (even young adult child) closer to the family fold, for some. And I, for one would not want my daughter going to Oklahoma, no matter how great the deal was. And the whole thing about medical school? (Even if thatâs way too far down the road for OP to think aboutâŠ.) Now there ARE differences in what medical schools may or may not teach, depending on what state the school is in. Itâs a whole new world. Itâs nothing we can explicitly discuss here, but I will acknowledge that theres a new elephant in the room.
New Mexico is a blue state, doing lots of good things for its residents. Free college tuition for high school grads with 2.5 GPA. Free childcare for all residents regardless of income. Expanded Medicaid. Liberal abortion and birth control laws.
UNM is still good option for a NMF who needs a low cost undergrad education.
Now there ARE differences in what medical schools may or may not teach
Not exactly true. The medicine taught doesnât change from state to state. But residency training, esp in Ob/Gyn, may be different in certain states.
However, what most people donât realize is the same techniques have to be learned regardless since D&C , D&E, prescribing misoprostol and mifepristone, etc are all used for things besides elective abortions and ob/gyns are required to know how to perform the procedures and prescribe the meds in order to complete a ACOG board certified residency. Even in states with restrictive abortion laws and at hospitals that prohibit abortions (i.e. all Catholic hospitals).
Med students are not required to participate in abortion training and never have been. Neither are medical residents. Itâs an elective option that a resident may choose to take. Or not.
There is, but there are many dimensions in physician quality that are unrelated to how academically and otherwise elite the student was as an undergraduate to be able to get into any medical school at all, or one that is a little more elite than another.
Hmmm a more selective or higher ranked grad school doesnât mean someone has better Dr skills. Sorry. That may mean you were with a more selective group of students.
Skills will vary by individual and as Iâve learned as a cancer patient, medicine is as much art as it is science. I had co shots with Drs ranging from Northwestern to UTenn - I chose Northwestern but had a Harvard/WUSTL, a BU etc
One got me the treatment I wanted at least cost - radiation vs surgery and offered me a possibility of a drug trial if he went to C Michigan medical, Iâd have chosen him. And they donât do the technical work - technicians do - from schools like MTSU, Austin Peay and more .
The goal is to be a Dr. there are MDs. DOs. All are doctors.
But first things first - they have no parent contribution and four years of undergrad come first. Med school talk is premature.
Different medical schools have different missions and offer different opportunities. Harvard/ Johns Hopkins/Stanford are in the business of training academic researchers. These schools are looking for a very specific subset of students.
Those research-oriented schools may offer better research opportunities than San Juan Bautista or Meharry or NYMC, but which school produces better doctors? It depends on what flavor of âbetterâ youâre using.
There are data that show that a MCAT score has a pretty high correlation with a studentâs academic success in the first year of medical school. However, there is a poor correlation between MCAT scores and a studentâs success in clinical rotations.
Letâs keep the focus on the OP. They need to get into undergrad before worrying about med school. So the whole conversation of which ned school is better is premature and off-topic
Unless there are full rides in Maryland for students transferring from a CC (maybe there are?), wouldnât the CC-transfer route just delay the problem?
OP would your parents pay for 2 years at an in-state school?
OP should set up a meeting with the schoolâs counselor or a college advisor to build a plan. It may also help to arrange a meeting with both the advisor and parents, so expectations are clear from the start.
Many school counselors will not discuss college finances.
At our public schools where I live and worked, this was not allowed at allâŠin terms of how or if the family could afford the costs. The counselors could tell the family th cost of attendance, but that really was it.
Our counselors couldnât even suggest schools at all, I tried with all 5 kids, they just said look at naviance.
Wow! My Dâs school and our local public ran all kinds of sessions on how to afford college. Iâm surprised to hear that some schools wonât discuss it!
How to pay for college is WAYYYYYY different than the GCs suggesting colleges and asking parents if they can afford the costs. The GCs were not permitted to discuss this with the students, and really they didnât meet with the parents.
Our school had multiple sessions on how to pay for college, done by outside âexpertsâ, that started in grade nine. They were very poorly attended.
The University of Kentucky has a competitive scholarship for out of state students that provides tuition and a housing stipend.
- Since you are a junior, hopefully the family budget issue will be clarified before you send applications a year from now.
- Do you have a part time job now? If so, save save save. If not, you might consider getting a part time job.
- Continue to get the best possible grades, and hopefully a great SAT or ACT score. This will open up more college doors for you to consider.
- UMBC is a great option IF it is affordable for you.
@lov.e
Seconding UMBC, a really good STEM university with some specific scholarships.
And of course you can try for Banneker Key.
Having the highest PSAT score in October, then the highest possible SAT score Spring 2026 will greatly help you. Keep working hard in school and see if you can get a part time job - even a few hours a week, saving your wages.
Are you part of a group thatâs under represented in college or in medicine?
Would you be interested in other health professions than doctor - PA, nurse.. for instance? Why/why not?
You could get a merit scholarship at a 4-year college - UMDCP, UMBC, Morgan State, Towson, Salisbury, Bowie State, etc. As well as American, CUA (if religious schools acceptable), Trinity Washington, Goucher..
Which of these colleges are accessible in 30mn or less by car or 45mn by train/metro?
Free tuition would suffice at commutable campuses (especially if commutable by train/metro) but the much harder to get full rides would be necessary for any college further than 30mn away by car/~45 by train. Indeed, premeds have so many obligations beside going to class - labs, study groups, volunteering, etc. - that not living on campus is a disadvantage and living far away further reduces the odds of having a med school worthy application. It can be done but it adds difficulty to an already very difficult process.
I was hoping that, with the counselorâs input, the parents could understand the hard truth that itâs almost impossible to receive a âfull ride.â Yes, with outstanding stats, a student may earn one, but they need to be truly exceptional.
And, among the many truly exceptional students, lucky.
Itâs like winning the lottery. No one would count on winning the lottery to pay for college, which is what âexpecting a full rideâ is.
That being said, we donât know thatâs what the parents expect.
Far more common are parents who donât know how much college costs these days and fall off their chair when they find out.
In addition, MANY people in the NoVa/Montgomery MD/DC area have lost their job, worry theyâre going to lose their jobs, or know someone who did, not to mention those who are being targeted for whatever reason. The level of fear and uncertainty canât be understated here znd may affect OPs parents, in that theyâd be willing to pay but just donât know if theyâll be able to or how much.
And yet there are schools like Troy and Prairie View where they would seem to be automatic.
The question is are they auto or are they competitive. OP should reach out to find out.
It could very well be all this tripping over oneself is not necessary. That thereâs an escape hatch and OP can focus solely on Hail Mary schools knowing these are in the background.
Troy
The Scholars PLUS Award
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33-36 ACT/1450-1600 RSAT and a 3.7 GPA
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Tuition, full housing and meal plaN
The Scholars Award
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30-32 ACT/1360-1440 RSAT and a 3.7 GPA
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Tuition and basic housing
Prairie View - a 3.5 and 26
The Regentsâ Student Merit Scholarship is the Universityâs most prestigious award. The Regentsâ scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees, on campus housing, meals and books ($600 per semester) every academic year (excluding summer semesters). Regentsâ Scholars who are non-residents are eligible for an out-of-state tuition waiver.