Do you guys think out of state would be worth it for me? I am from Wisconsin and also got accepted there (both of my parents went there so they are really pushing for that). I am majoring in biochemistry hopefully on the premed track. I feel like I could do fine at either my main concern is money. I know that I have a college fund for over 170k right now, but this is also the least out of me and my two younger sisters (My dad is a surgeon and I was born while my dad was in residency so they didn’t have the money to save for me when I was born). I have talked with both of my parents and they said either way I would most likely get through undergrad completely debt free. If I am going to go to med school though I would have to take on debt either way most likely but I would still have some money left if I went to Wisconsin. I also talked with my dad about this and he told me that this wouldn’t make a very big difference anyway as he had to take on debt for all of his college and we live a VERY comfortable life right now. He said either way I will pay that off very quickly. I have also really liked the idea of going out of state and Michigan really interests me so I would love to go. I haven’t gotten any crazy scholarships or any aid either so it would be most of the tuition I would be taking on. Do you guys think it is worth it to go?
That’s a personal call, including your parents who have to fund $340 or so thousand.
To me, heck no. Wisconsin is equivalent and a fraction of the price.
But if your parents are willing to pay,then it’s fine.
Don’t forget, UM raises the price the final two years and med school may be $400k plus.
Finally to show you the colleges that residents at top academic hospitals went to for undergrad, here’s a list. Your gpa, MCAT and more will be what matters - not school name.
- To show you some schools, I was a patient at Vandy in Radiology - and here’s where the residents went to school (first two year residents):
Auburn
CWRU
Florida A&M
Florida State
Fordham
Lipscomb
Luther
Murray State
Northern Illinois
Pitt
Princeton
Tulane
Tuskegee
U North Carolina
U Puerto Rico
U Tennessee
Taking it further to Johns Hopkins - resident undergrads:
JHU
UMD
UMBC
U Miami
Morgan State
South Carolina
TCNJ
U of Puerto Rico
UT Dallas
Towson
Vandy
and more
Duke Medical - this was just the early letters of the last names of the alphabet
Arkansas
Michigan
UNC
Princeton
Rochester
South Florida
Southeastern Louisiana
Texas
The University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin are both very good universities. If the cost were the same, then this could be a very difficult decision.
Medical school is expensive. Both undergraduate education and medical school have been getting more expensive relatively rapidly. If medical school is a realistic option, you should be thinking about the cost of education and minimizing the cost up to the point that they call you “doctor”.
Let’s suppose that you stick with a biochemistry major, but don’t end up in medical school. In this case some form of graduate school is still very likely, and saving some money for graduate school is still a good plan.
And the University of Wisconsin is a very good university.
Expect premed classes to be very demanding. Make a strong effort to always stay ahead in your studying and homework as much as you reasonably can. Best wishes and congratulations on two very good acceptances!
That would only cover about half of your UMich education; your parents are saying they could cash-flow the other half? There would be nothing left in your fund for med school at any rate.
I think we have to be very, very careful about generalizing my generation’s experiences as a basis for your generation’s decisions. A lot has changed, and a lot of adults who have paid back their own college debt do not fully appreciate how much more difficult it may be for today’s students. College is much, MUCH more expensive. Belts are tightening throughout health care, and not all doctors are making big money, especially early in their careers. Housing prices and other costs are high. The economy is volatile in general.
I sympathize with wanting to go out of state and do something a little more novel than attending your own state flagship. UMich is a great school. I can’t blame you for feeling as you do.
But Wisconsin-Madison is also a top-notch school in a great college town. I personally don’t think the difference between the two is worth the large cost differential in your situation. There will be nothing that’s in any way inferior about your pre-med education at UW vs. UMich. It’s an awful lot of money to pay for something that just feels a little more special, but is fundamentally providing the same education. I would save those financial reserves for med school and have the time of your life in Madison, just as you would have in Ann Arbor.
How much did medical school cost when he went to medical school? Compare that to $400k+ now.
Also, if he is a surgeon, his pay may be higher than that of most physicians.
If your parents are willing to fund UM beyond what’s in the current college fund, then ask Them to set aside that money for med school and go to Wisconsin. If they invest that money over the next couple of years you can Grow it, and it might be able to cover 2+ years of med school on just the difference between UM and Wisconsin.
I made a deal with my two kids who are now in college. Go to a state school or cheaper school, and they get to keep 85% of the difference with the expensive private school they got into. Then they can use that for grad school, to buy a house, or start a business. In the interim, I invest the difference over four years. One chose the expensive school and will have nothing at the end besides the degree and memories. The other chose the cheaper option and will have a nice nest egg for whatever his next step is + the memories.
Roll out the barrel, On Wisconsin.
I’m as big a fan of UMich and Ann Arbor as anyone. But this is exactly the right answer IMO.
I’m a huge fan of Michigan too. But please go to Wisconsin.
another vote for Wisconsin here. it’s too similar too Michigan in so many ways to take on debt. I might feel differently if you were heading down the business path and wanted that UM alumni base and name, but that won’t matter one bit for pre-med.