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<p>That is common for PhD programs. MD study is typically full pay (with massive student loans). See the tuition and fees for medical schools (does not include living expenses, and note that pre-meds are lucky to get even one acceptance, so there may not be much choice): <a href=“https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/”>https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/</a> . A physician finishing medical school with $300,000 of medical school debt, with $50,000 of undergraduate debt, plus accumulating interest, probably won’t be able to pay it off until his/her mid-to-late 30s, if s/he lives a frugal student lifestyle while putting every extra dollar into debt service until then (s/he will only be able to start paying it down significantly around age 30 after completing residency).</p>
<p>Regarding the ACT, it has a reputation of requiring speed, so it was probably the worse of the standardized tests (versus the SAT) for her if she works slowly. However, all time-limited standardized tests will penalize those who work slowly, so the MCAT may be a significant hurdle for her.</p>