UDel debt mentioned in this post.
4 Likes
It’s a pity that students can’t receive in-state tuition by swapping with another student. There’s a student on a different thread that is considering OOS options that cost 2-3X as much because apparently he doesn’t prefer his in-state UDel option…
Ah, post #32. Got it.
But there are much less expensive options. These students could all go find them ….still.
But choose not to
Sometimes it’s not all about the money. And yes, I understand folks need to be able to pay to attend the college they choose.
Especially premed students need to want to be where they are for four years, and be happy there. Happy students get better grades, and this is important. Also for those who actually get accepted to medical school…undergrad is the last time for MANY years where there will be time for things like fun clubs, lots of recreation, and a part time job. I think this needs to be considered also.
This student likes Scranton. What we don’t know is if there are any other affordable options the kid either has applied to or would consider.
The finances really are up to the individual family. Some folks choose to stretch a little, and in my opinion, that’s fine.
This kid also has no idea if they will actually get accepted to medical school…and if they do, it’s very possible the KID could fund this with their own loans. Many medical school students do this.
1 Like
Again, I’m having a problem finding where the OP actually says what we’re ascribing to them. Not saying they didn’t post it somewhere. Just saying that it’s not in the original post.
EDIT: Okay, I see it now. In post #1, the OP states that there is
. But, later on she says DD’s “heart” is with U of Delaware. This is where I got confused.
From OP - the two paragraphs below. What this tells me is: 1) OP’s student is at a disadvantage if they choose the R1 school ($80K debt for U Del), not the reverse. And 2) I don’t care if the major is history, chemistry, journalism, business - OP would be way out of bounds taking on $80K in debt, especially when they infer this will impact them. But they are asking - would it be worth it. You may think there can be occasions that it’s worth it and I appreciate that. But in my humble opinion - it’s no, no, and heck no.
“Is my DD at a disadvantage if she chooses a debt-free SLAC that she likes over an R1 research university that will end in undergrad debt? Plans for med school. We’re well aware of med school statistics and drop out rates, as well as how hard premed coursework is.”
“Thank you. It’s what we’ve known, but I needed reassurance as we edge closer to committing. Its the University of Scranton (which boasts excellent outcomes), VS Northeastern, University of Delaware, Rutgers, Fordham… all with significant debt. University of Delaware has her heart but the $ isn’t there.”
At this point we are taking among ourselves. The OP will need to assess preferences, financial implications, and long-term plans and make a choice.
4 Likes
But it seems to me that the consensus of the replies was supportive of attending the SLAC for academic reasons. Why not take “Yes” as an answer?
2 Likes
I think that’s why they came - to get reassurance on Scranton.
3 Likes
Yes, we had to untangle a lot of preconceptions about LACs. I agree with you about that.
1 Like
Very well said! I applied and got in during the very low admit mid-90s, as did DH, and all of our undergrad peers who ended up in medicine. My year was 37%. The best thing our undergrad premed advising did was tell students the truth on whether they needed a gap year or two, what to do with that gap, and an honest assessment of where you stacked up compared to peers applying from the same undergrad (Duke). The fit of the programs as well as the track record of Duke undergrads getting in to those places was key to understand, as was understanding which states did not have enough of their own in-state students applying and had a track record of liking out-of-state students. During those difficult years, below-average GPA kids got in to MD-offering med schools in the US with gap years, just as they do now. The average or rarely above-average students who did not get in to a single med school typically did not listen to premed advising and fell into one of the following categories:
- applied without a gap year despite being strongly encouraged to take one or two, typically to counteract a lower gpa/mcat/other by the advisor who writes the letter of support. They never refused to write letters, but it was not subtle if the letter would be mediocre
- only applied to the big-name med schools when they were not the top-gpa/top mcat kids who could land those places from our school
- had a record indicating they took courses at easier nearby institutions in summer to get the easier A rather than fight it out with Dukies and take the lower grade. Med schools spot grade grubbing a mile away.
Premed advising is key during difficult cycles. Not sure how one figures out which schools are best at it, but there are lots of SLACS and R1 and R2s that send students to med school with regularity indicating they know what they are doing. The distinction of LAC vs university is not a differentiator.
3 Likes
So I agree with almost everything you’ve written…except that I am something of a premed advising skeptic, actually. It’s not the standard advice, I know, but I kind of blame premed advising for the fact that so many med school applicants are “clones.” Or at least I put some of the blame on them.
I think I have shared before that I was not premed in college. And of all the features of my education that I am grateful for, NOT being premed is at the top of my list. NOT being premed, and NOT ever meeting with a premed advisor is what I think allowed me to “Apply Sideways” in the sense of the famous MIT advice piece. It’s what allowed me to follow my interests rather than try to play it safe or try to predict what med schools would want. My volunteer hours? All done because they were causes I genuinely cared about without any thought they would ever be listed on an application. My “clinical shadowing” hours? They were hours I had accrued at the nursing home where I was working as an aide because I needed money to live my life. The classes I took? They were the ones I chose because I was interested. MCAT prep? None, because if you really pay attention and devote yourself to attaining a deep understanding of the material you may find that is all the MCAT prep you need.
I did not like the premeds at my college. They did a lot of asking “Will this be on the test?” Please you guys, if the professor is talking about it, it means it is bound to be interesting, perk up your ears and listen, who cares if it’s on the test!
So, to bring this back to the OP: again, I think Scranton will not limit your student in any way. What matters more is your student and what she brings to the table.
7 Likes
I’ve been intently following this thread for a while and enjoying the back and forth. My S25 is bound and determined to go to Med School and has been waffling between a few schools. Notably one that has a good dedicated premed program, and one that is very flexible and would allow him to explore many different interests (including music). Your post is the best I’ve read on CC so far. I’m going to share it with my son and suspect that when he reads it he will have made up his mind.