My D has been accepted to all her schools with scholarships but some with better offers than others. I want her to be happy with her choice but I also want to be realistic about cost and what I should do as parents. I have 2 more kids entering after she finishes undergrad. She plans to attend Med School after undergrad. Here is her list of schools with Merit awards. These are the schools of her choice and she made the decision to apply to them not the parents.
1 Univ of Miami- (Full Tuition Scholarship ) - I’m on the hook for the rest 17k a year
2 Duke- will know this week
3 Tulane - merit scholarship 36k- I’m on the hook for the rest 36k a year
4 Xavier of Louisiana- (FULL- Ride Scholarship) - Zero expense for me
5 George Washington -merit scholarship 36k- I’m on the hook for the rest 34k a year
6 Emory University- merit scholarship 45k- I’m on the hook for the rest 15 to 20k a year
7 UGA - Full- Tuition scholarship. I’m on the hook for the rest. I highly doubt this one.
8 LSU- 24k merit scholarship - I’m on the hook for the rest 12k a year.
9 Dillard University (FULL- Ride Scholarship) Zero expense for me.
What you should do as a parent – can you and will you pay for the most expensive option ($36k/year for Tulane)? If not, than figure out what is the most that you can and will pay, and tell your daughter. She will then have a new, and realistic, list of choices.
How much can YOU…the parent…contribute annually to college costs?
Do the financial aid awards your daughter received include the Direct Loans?
Do they include work study?
Really…your actual aid is not what would be helpful here…it’s your NET cost. What are the dollar amounts you are responsible for at each of these schools?
If your kiddo got full tuition at a lot of places…what ARE the remaining costs!
It doesn’t look like you got need based aid anywhere…that would imply a rather large income…is that correct?
Pre med hopefuls need to minimize undergrad debt because there is precious little aid for med school except loans, loans and more loans.
All of those schools will provide her with the opportunities to get the classes, ECs and LORs she’ll need to apply to med school. Med school admission committees don’t particularly care where a student goes to undergrad so long as it’s an accredited college.
Since most freshmen premeds (around 70%) never actually apply to med school, she choose a college where she would be happy if she weren’t planning on med school or if she decides to change her major.