unfortunately, duquesne is still a pretty penny and approximately the same price as VT with my scholarships. it is a possibility, but it has been cut from the list due to other reasons as well
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Don’t have too much to add, but wanted to re-iterate – don’t take out more than the federally backed loans (a little over $7k per year).
I love Virginia Tech. My son is going there, and it would be great for your program. But it is not worth taking out more than that $7k per year. And they are stingy with aid unfortunately. Maybe they’ll surprise us, but I’d start making peace with that now.
Seriously consider @AustenNut 's suggestion of looking at Dusquesne for microbiology and taking German at U. of Pittsburgh. It’s a pretty good mix of options for you.
bookmarked!! i am still deciding within the next few weeks though… i appreciate the help!
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oops… didn’t see this comment before posting… if Dusquense is as expensive as VT, then definitely rule it out.
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i would likely take out a loan for either college, which is scary but necessary
that combo is definitely a possibility! not very likely though, rip… i got $25,875 in scholarship money from them but it is still approximately 25k per year!!
what is your son majoring in? i’m really curious! it has been my dream school for years
is there any way to make a loophole in the $7k max by me and my mom taking out a $7k loan each? i’m not very well versed in the finances
You’re limited to $5500 your first year, $6500 your second year, and $7500 your third and fourth years, I believe. Your mom, even if she’s willing, would also need to qualify for any loans that she would take out. If her income is $30k, she’s unlikely to qualify (or if she qualifies for years one and two, she might not qualify for years three and four, leaving everyone tapped out financially with no degree…not a good place to be).
My son went in as undeclared science, but he’s now switching to aerospace engineering (as long as he keeps his grades above a 3.5 (which he’s in good shape for) - if he doesn’t he’s going to do Computational Modeling and Data Analytics with a focus on Physics… they also have a CMDA focus on biology which is great for research oriented biologists.
And no - there isn’t a loophole… you can take out the loans, and your mom could get a different loan BUT … you really don’t want to take out major loans for college… it can really set you back for life. So, if there are any other options you should consider that. Look at community college and transfer in… it sounds disappointing, but I know kids at VT now, who did 2 years at community college and then transferred and they are doing great and have the same degree at almost half the cost.
I am not from Pennsylvania and don’t know many of the local nuances. But in looking at the doctoral outcomes from IUP, I’ve been impressed.
My usual caveat: It’s not necessary for anyone to go on for a doctorate and some fields (like business) really don’t lend themselves well to going on for one. But, I do believe there is value in seeing what proportion of grads end up going on for doctorates.
This source provides info on total number of doctorates as well as by specific fields. So for the three schools in question, I’ve looked at the total number of doctorates and the number of doctorates earned in the biological and biomedical sciences To create the ratios, I looked at the total number of undergrads and the number of grads who earned a bachelor’s in biological and biomedical sciences in 2022-2023 (sourced from College Navigator, the feds’ website).
| School | # of undergrads | # of Doctorates earned b/w 2000-2018 | Doctorates Ratio | # of Bio Sciences SY22-23 Bachelors | # of Bio Sciences Doctorates | Bio Doctorates Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUP | 7,038 | 764 | 0.1086 | 69 | 95 | 1.3768 |
| Virginia Tech | 30,434 | 3,017 | 0.0991 | 657 | 629 | 0.9574 |
| Duquesne | 5,095 | 433 | 0.0850 | 100 | 67 | 0.6700 |
Not only does IUP have the highest ratio of bio grads going on to earn bio doctorates, it also has the highest proportion of undergrads going on to earn doctorates in any field.
Perhaps IUP was much stronger up until 2010, or much larger with higher numbers of grads, etc, but based on this info, it definitely seems like you can get where you want to be with a degree from IUP. Plus, it has the added HUGE benefit of actually being affordable without needing to take out more than the federal loan amounts (or will you need to take out any loans for IUP?).
One thought: perhaps there’s a big difference from the quality of students who enter vs. the quality of students who make it out? I know some schools (like Iowa State, very well-respected) have a reputation of easy to get in but hard to get out (as in low standards for entry, but high standards for graduation). Perhaps IUP is the same way?
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Many with the idea of an MD - choose differently or the schools choose for them…don’t admit them.
You don’t want debt - not the kind you are talking about. And you can’t get it - you can only get $27K over four years - thank goodness - to protect you. Your mom can get more if qualifies - but it would be her debt, not yours.
And med school costs are high.
Let’s say you had to borrow $80K to go to Va Tech - and I’m guessing it’d be more.
So you graduate - and maybe you go to med school. Maybe you have a year of a low wage prepping for med school because from what I’ve read from experts on here, that’s most likely. Or that a med school does not accept you - so it changes your plans. Maybe your plans have changed off med school and you’re struggling to find a job.
Where are you going to come up with $975 a month (if $80K - and don’t forget, fees, mean you have to borrow more than $80K to net $80K)…so now near $1K a month for ten years…plus rent, car payment, and everything else.
Unless Va Tech is coming close to the IUP price, I’m sorry - there’s just no way of attending.
What you needed was a merit strategy up front - but it doesn’t sound like you pursued merit schools Depending on your GPA and test, there can be more - at a much lower cost that you can still apply to - and even take German - but you’re not open to other schools - so you are locked into IUP. And based on what @AustenNut showed above, it doesn’t seem a bad choice at all!!
They do have some pre med benefits too:
IUP also supports its BS in Pre-med Biology students through partnerships and programs, like:
- The Physician Shortage Area Program, where students can serve rural areas and gain hands-on experience
- The 3+4 Program, which grants qualified IUP students early admission to certain medical schools
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@bonkistobias
A good thing is that you’re admitted to Cook honors, which may well be the best honors college among PASSHE.
It means a great dorm, support for study abroad (you’d start in German 220 so you’d have access to a program fairly fast), support for research.
@tsbna44 : what this student needed was a solid Guidance office that would have told them they should apply through Questbridge or ED to Bryn Mawr/Haverford or Lafayette. S/he did their best with a solid list of colleges with varying academic selectivity and didn’t realize the colleges didn’t meet need, even for lower income students - one of those things “you don’t know that you don’t know”.
However the pathway IUP Honors → transfer to topnotch meet need college (Lafayette et al.) Freshman year is still open.
@AustenNut : IUP admits 90%+ students (top 25% threshold: 1150 or 24), graduation rate around 50% but Cook Honors is much more selective and students are more successful than average.
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agreed - too many kids aren’t accessing the info up front. I wish high schools had sessions on merit chasing - but they don’t.
It certainly seems like IUP is a solid option and to your point, they could potentially transfer (if needed) to a meets need school. On the other hand, sometimes being the brightest and hardest working can open up opportunities at a less competitive campus.
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PA is a swing state in national elections, but Josh Shapiro just took office in 2023 so the governor’s office will be stable for most of the time you are in college.
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I don’t want to get into social policy - and I understand people see it differently.
But your goal is to get a college degree followed by an MD. That is the goal - and it costs money - and that has to be separated from other things.
Additionally - you are down to two and open to no more.
Also, note that even in states that may have laws that aren’t favorable, it does not mean that the campus environment isn’t favorable.
VA, by the way, has a hugely right governor - not that he’s getting things done but he would if he could.
In the end, focus on the goal - of getting a degree at a low cost. At one school you can, and at the other you likely would be leaving due to financial circumstances before your four years are up.
Yes, I wanted to mention that. Pennsylvania should be pretty safe for LGBTQ+ students for a few years. Virginia is also pretty safe but it’s been a hot button issue here lately. The latest legislative session made it more friendly though.
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omg yall are ACTIVE haha!!! i was in class, and i’ll respond asap
ok, that’ll definitely be a conversation i have with her. her income (rounded to the closest thousand) is 33k, right above the poverty line. we have yet to discuss finances regarding it, and i still need to talk to my dad as well. he’s pretty absent, so idek if he will help. he owes my mom over 5k in child support + 50/50 payment on medical bills etc. both of my parents are likely in the 30k-40k range
my dad did advise that. however, my local community college does not carry either my major or my foreign language
i hope iup is the same way you described! i did not consider that ratio. i still have yet to apply for state aid (that is the mission for tomorrow), but the maximum for PA is about 5.5k i believe??? i looked it up earlier but idr exactly
that’s great! yeah, i was not aware of the loan limit, and tbh i really don’t want to take out too much on it. it’s so frustrating being low-income lol… i’m likely going to be the first family member in my direct family to attend college, let alone get out of borderline poverty
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