Questioning my college decision

Parents Forum
1

Questioning my college decision

Hi everyone

I’m currently a high school senior and the deadline to pay a deposit and make a decision for most of the schools I applied to and got accepted to have passed or is coming up very soon.

I committed to the NYIT bs/do program. It a very competitive program to stay in but it allows people the chance to get your undergrad and DO degree in 7 years instead of 8, plus as long as you maintain a 3.5 + get a certain mcat you’re basically guaranteed admissions to the med school, this is easier said than done but I’ve seen a lot of people say that if your super focused and work hard you’ll be able to do it. So I committed to this program and paid my deposit but everyday I can’t help but wonder if I made the right decision.

Up until recently I thought I was going to Hofstra, I got into their PA program and I visited campus. The facilities are great. The campus is friendly and welcoming. I got into the honors college which has a lot of perks. Also my best friend is going there. I also met some rlly nice people in the program when I went to visit. Overall it seemed like a great school but I’ve never felt confident in becoming a PA. I wasn’t sure if that’s what I truly wanted. I mean it came with a lot of perks like shorter schooling, good pay, having someone to lead, etc. But some part of me feels like I should try to go the pre med / med route. I don’t know if I’m being delusional or what but I ended up deciding on the NYIT bs do program.

I keep questioning if I made the right decisions. On one hand I want to be a doctor and have that direct impact on patients and have that vast knowledge but on the other hand I don’t know if I can do it. There’s so many exams to pass so many hurdles along the journey. What if I can’t keep up? What if i can’t handle it? I’ve never really been super smart, I mean my grades were overall pretty good in high school but I really struggled this year in classes like ap chem and ap calc, and these classes are part of pre med requirements.

Also I can’t help but think that I would’ve been happier at Hofstra because a lot of ppl I know were going there. I’ve known my best friend for a good part of high school. I feel like me going to Hofstra is the only way to keep her in my life. I feel like we’re gonna grow apart if I go to NYIT and I’ll lose her. But if I go to Hofstra, I’ll have to come to terms with being a PA which I’m not sure if that’s what I truly want. I’m scared that I’ll regret not trying the pre med route. If I switch to pre med at Hofstra I’ll end up losing the somewhat of a guarantee that NYIT provides. But doing pre med/ the bs do , even though that’s what I kind of want, scares me. I don’t know if I can do it. Along with being scared and doubting if I can do it, I feel like I’ll be lonely at NYIT because I don’t know anyone that’s going there. I’ll have no one there and I’ll have to make friends. This wouldn’t have a been something to worry about but the program is so competitive, my biggest fear is that everyone is going to be so focused on their grades and everyone is waiting on your downfall.

So I have two choices in front of me, stuck with my decision to go to NYIT but risk having no friends and being lonely, or go to Hofstra and have friends and people I know there but accept that I’ll be a PA or switch to pre med but lose the slight security that comes with the bs do program.

One thing to note my parents will only let me pursue med if I had gotten into a bs do or bs Md . If I had chosen Hofstra they would’ve wanted me to stick with PA. I was intending on going for Hofstra’s because I initially hadn’t gotten into any bs do or bs Md programs, but I found out kinda late about the bs do program…

I feel so stressed out. This has been on my head for months. Everyone else is so happy and content with their decisions. I want to feel that too.

I’m sorry about the long post. If anyone is willing to read thru all this and offer some advice on either program or generally from your life I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks.

7 Likes
2

First, :confetti_ball: congratulations on getting into 2 very competitive programs.:tada:
Second, if you’re really good friends, going to college won’t change that.
Third, everyone will be in the same boat, starting as freshmen, making friends. Would you be living on campus?
NYIT sounds like your best match - and I’m guessing it’s less expensive than Hofstra to boot, is that correct?

6 Likes
3

Hello!! Thank you for your kind words.
Honestly you have a point, like I know us going to different schools is definitely gonna test the strength of our friendship but I remember up until middle school, I had this friend group, and we were all really close but the second I moved it’s like everyone just forgot me. I tried to reach out and text them all the time but we all just drifted apart. It took a lot to make all the friends I have now in high school and I would feel crushed if I lost them. It’s worth a shot trying to keep in touch tho
I won’t be living on campus, I can’t afford it, but I heard most of NYIT students are commuters anyway, I’m just worried that they don’t want to be friends y’know and they’ll all already know people or be hyper focused on grades
About the cost honestly it’s around the same there’s a 2k difference im in process of asking for money I really hope I can get some more scholarship money

1 Like
4

Sounds like you made a good choice-- don’t let nerves get the better of you.

FWIW few people start college with a group of friends – my guess is you will create new friendships with people in your program.

7 Likes
5

Which school do you like more and what future do you want?

The 2 schools are so close to each other. If you feel like the only way to stay close is by going to school with her- is this truly a strong friendship? I think if you are true friends, you will definitely make it through.

I generally don’t believe it is a good idea to choose a school because you want to go to school with a specific person.

4 Likes
6

My husband & I were just talking about all of the friends who have come and gone in our lives. All of them were wonderful, and there were no falling outs involved … it’s just that different stages of our life bring different people to share them with us. Some friends stay in our lives for the long term, but even they will sometimes be more in the background than other times. The thing is, you will meet new people, make new friends, lose touch with some and meet new ones. You have your whole life ahead of you. If you want to be a doctor, go for it. The pieces will fall into place.

11 Likes
7

Thank you for saying that, I really hope so !!

1 Like
8

To be honest I feel like Hofstra has more resources, clubs, and overall a more friendly environment. But NYIT has the bs do program which I’ve heard good things about. I want to try going the pre med / med route because I’m not 100% sure about PA. But doing this means I’ll miss out on more fun? I don’t know maybe I’m being ridiculous but Hofstra always struck me as a more fun, friendly party environment while NYIT seems more calm and quiet which isn’t bad but it makes it seem like there’s no student life. So what I’m trying to say is I like the overall atmosphere at Hofstra but I want to do the program at NYIT, but I know there’s no possible way to have everything… :confused:

9

Also deep down I know what you said about not picking a school for someone else is right, and I really believed that ever since the start of the whole college admissions process but a part of me just feels sad now that the year is ending and I’m graduating soon, i just feel sad that we’re all parting ways, but that’s life I guess. But you have a point if going to separate schools was enough to keep us apart then we probably weren’t that close to begin with

1 Like
10

Thank you for your response, I appreciate it, it was actually really comforting to read !

11

My mom attended NYIT she liked it while being fresher immigrant and from there she was able to get many prestigious internships and job offers. She went for something different than you but it’s the resources you have and what you make of. If you want, I can ask her about her time there and experiences.

2 Likes
12

You are in a fantastic program and will be surrounded by smart and motivated peers.

Please stop second guessing yourself. It is time to put Hofstra in your rear view mirror - no school or program will be perfect.

2 Likes
13

Medical education is a long haul and expensive, even with the accelerated pathway. The way you’re articulating your preference for DO vs. PA makes me question whether you have clear reasons that you’d rather be a physician, or if it’s just more of a vague feeling that being a PA would be “settling.” PA can be a great career - some feel the quality of life is better.

The requirements to transition to the DO program, at NYIT, suggest that this a bit less than a guarantee:

image
image1278×1269 115 KB

You may be admitted… contingent on this whole list - not just maintaining the 3.5+ GPA, but also scoring at or above that year’s MCAT average for the entering class, securing favorable recommendations, and passing the interview.

How have you done on standardized tests in the past? If you aren’t a strong test-taker, the MCAT threshold could be a stumbling block.

Hofstra’s progression requirements also include interview and recommendations, but the GPA threshold is 3.3 and there’s no standardized test. There appears to be much lower risk of failing to progress to the professional phase, at Hofstra.

So, I think looking ahead to the MCAT is important. Did you have strong SAT/ACT scores? It would be really unfortunate to grind through this program, give up the higher-quality-of-life experience that you think you’d have at Hofstra, and the near-guarantee of PA admission, and then get tripped up by the MCAT.

3 Likes
14

The fact is you made a choice, deposited at one college, and turned down the other college. It is time to move forward.

2 Likes
15

I have heard of Hofstra but never NYIT, but that’s just me.
Quick Google Map shows the two schools to be 10.9 miles apart. With that distance in mind, you fear losing friends?

1 Like
16

There are many PA schools you can go to after getting your undergrad degree. If you feel after being in the DO school things aren’t going in the direction you hoped for you could possibly apply to PA school. They are popping up all over the place.

2 Likes
17

Hello you bring up some good points.

Honestly I’ve been going back and forth about doctor or PA for months now. PA is a great career don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of benefits. And I know that there isn’t a ton of security in the bs do program either. If I’m completely honest, the steps people have to take to become a doctor is pretty difficult. On one hand, I want to give that path a try because it’s someone I’ve always wanted but I know that I’m giving up the security that comes with the PA program. I don’t know, I really wish I had more time. And regarding standardized testing I got a 1380 on my sat, I don’t know how this translates to the mcat but I know that this isn’t a great score it’s decent but not very good. I wish I could decide something and stick with it.

18

You have made a decision.

2 Likes
19

@WayOutWestMom - any thoughts on how the OP is positioned vis-a-vis meeting the MCAT threshold? I feel as if this might be tough, especially given that there’s no break in the program for concentrated MCAT prep.

A 1380 is a very respectable SAT score, but it’s not a “test-taking savant” level score.

My concern is that when you talk about not wanting to give up the physician pathway, all I hear is “FOMO” as opposed to a true, specific, driven desire to become a doctor. Obviously it’s something you thought about when you were younger, and you have a sentimental attachment to that dream. But it isn’t clear to me that this has evolved into a clear-eyed drive, as a young adult, to have a medical career. It sounds as if things like going to school with your friends feel almost equally important. And it’s fine that those things feel important… it just suggests that your desire for a medical career may not be that big of an overriding focus that you’ll want to make many, many sacrifices for.

I’m not trying to discourage you. I’m just hearing you juxtapose what sounds like a happier path (based on your perception) against reluctance to let go of a dream… and I yet don’t know whether the dream is as robust as it will need to be. Hope that makes sense.

4 Likes
20

The average MCAT for current NYIT med students is 506. That’s the 66th percentile. Definitely do-able.

While the correlation between SAT and MCAT is only fair to middling, a 1380 shows that you ought to be able to achieve that score if you prepare hard for the exam. (Preparing includes about a solid 4-6 intensive weeks of reviewing the content material, and taking practice exams so you can get the timing down and learn how to interpret the questions on the exam. The MCAT tests reasoning skills, not factual recall or other rote learning. It will be different from any other standardized test you’ve ever taken. It will also be longer–7.5 hours in one sitting. )

Medicine is a career that’s constantly filled with career-determining, high stakes exams. (The MCAT is just the first and easiest of these exams.) There will be NMBE exams in med school. There will be COMLEX and USMLE exams. There will be ITE exams in residency and specialty board exams after you graduate. The specialty boards have to be repeated every 3-10 years (depends on the specialty) as a condition of your medical licensing. The testing never stops.

If you want to be a doctor, NYIT is your best chance. You’ve been accepted–that means the admissions board thinks you can do this. It’s not going to be easy. It’ll be a ton of very hard work and will require sacrifices on you part. But the adcomm thinks you can do this, maybe you ought to believe you can also.

++

A couple of words of advice–go to the academic support center as soon as classes start and make appointment to get tutoring in any subject (be it chemistry, math or freshman writing) you feel anxious/worried about. You want to stay ahead of the material and not play catch-up with it. Don’t feel ashamed to get a tutor from the school’s tutoring center–that’s why they’re there. To help students like yourself. Your tuition is paying their wages --use them.

I will also note that PA student have to take most of the same classes that pre-meds do. So don’t think the classes at Hofstra will be any easier than the ones you’ll be taking at NYIT.

Good luck. Wishing you much future success!

Late edit: Once you start the professional portion of the program (i.e. med school), you will absolutely need to live on or near campus. As a professional student, you will be eligible to borrow up to the full cost of attendance in students loans and Grad Plus loans. That COA includes an allowance for living expenses/rent/meals. Please don’t try to save money by commuting back & forth to home. Your days will be very long, demanding & exhausting. Don’t add a commute on top that. Also, it’s helpful to be around other people/students who understand the kind of time commitment that med school requires and don’t expect too much from you. As much as your love your family, they have no concept of the grind that is med school and they will intentionally or unintentionally put expectations on your time that you simply cannot afford.

3 Likes