Ok, so I’m completely overwhelmed by the thought of college and would really like some advice. Just a warning, I’m a junior in high school and I haven’t thought about schools much so this post probably contains inaccurate (as in, I may ask a question that can’t even be answered or I somehow make up something that isn’t actually legit)/stupid questions. Also, thanks a head of time!
I’m thinking of being pre-dental and have loosely researched a few universities that have caught my interest.
The schools that I’m thinking of are:
UC-Berkeley
UCLA
UMN-Twin Cities
U of Michigan-Ann Arbor
UNC-Chapel Hill
U of Wisconsin-Madison
(Perhaps, UCSB and UCSD, and maybe UCI)
I’ve already looked at their national rankings (US News) and read/listened to varying opinions on each of the schools (a lot were from years ago and fairly biased). I’m just hoping to get new opinions about the schools that deal with them in the present.
I’m just wondering how these schools would rank on the following criteria (keep in mind that some of these so called “criteria” that I’ve made up may make no sense or just seem stupid so, feel free to leave any out):
Research facilities
Dorms
Science departments/programs/majors (I realize this is super general, my apologies)
Rigor
Surrounding area
Post-grad opportunities
Food
Actual location
Tuition/Scholarships
Overall atmosphere
Professors/class size
Political views
AP credits transfer
Admission process/requirements (maybe go over which schools prefer a well-rouned student or mainly just test scores as well)
You don’t have to take all of these points (or even all the schools) in account. I’m just looking for any answers at this point. If you’d like, just describe the schools (or just one school) in your own way (generally or specifically).
I realize that some schools are always compared (i.e. UCLA v. Cal and UMN v. UW-Madison) so if you’d like to deal with that, go ahead!
I’m sorry this is so long and if there are any grammar mistakes, sorry for that too.
And, if there are any schools you think I should look into that you believe deserves more credit, please share!
1 Question before looking at schools, what is your budget. What you can your parents pay from savings and current earnings? What is their yearly income? Will you qualify for need and/or merit aid? What is your Home state?
Many out of state public universities will offer little to no financial aid. For example if you are not a California resident, UCLA will cost you around $60,000 year with little to FA. Find out your budget then start looking for realistic options.
GPA, test scores, EC’s and HS rigor?
Ok, I was more so hoping for some answers rather than more questions… I kind of just wanted a general rundown on each of them and I’d find which ones I might have a slight chance of getting accepted into. I realize some of the schools that I listed are most likely out of my reach. I was thinking that I’d learn more about how the colleges compare and then I’d narrow down list. I’m planning on applying to more safety schools. So, I can’t exactly apply to all of these too.
My apologies, I thought about adding more information about myself but decided not to. Anyways, I’m a Minnesota native. I haven’t exactly taken the ACT yet. My first test date is actually in December. Currently, my cumulative unweighted GPA is 3.986 and my weighted is 4.096 (lowest high school grade, so far, was an A-). I took AP Bio last year and scored a 5 on the AP test. On the other hand, I got a 4 on my APWH test. This year I’m in AP Calc AB, AP Chem, and APUSH.
I’ve been in my school’s LiveGreen Club for two years. I’ve chaired two committees within Key Club and have been a member for three years. I’ve also been a member of our Ultimate Frisbee Club for three years as well. I’m also in NHS. I joined Pom Squad for one year.
I’m not sure what else information you would like. If I’m leaving anything out that you want to know, please ask! (I’m actually in a bit of hurry and don’t have time to add much else.) Thanks!
Cost is key and drives most college searches. People don’t want to spend a lot of time answering detailed questions if the schools are just pipe dreams. Suggestions:
Get a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. It has some of the info you seek. But in general your questions are broad and the schools you are looking at are very large – the answers aren’t none size fits all.
If cost matters, drop all the UC schools. You won’t get aid. Michigan also likely won’t be affordable. Every college has a net price calculator on their website – you can work with your parents to run it for schools to see what is affordable.
You are lucky to have 2 good choices with in-state tuition – UMN and UWisconsin. Nice to see them on your list. You might consider Ohio State – they give decent merit to out of state students.
Sit down with your parents and fill out the net price calculator for each school, and then ask them if the cost is affordable. You are lucky to have two good choices with instate tuition. I agree that Ohio State may be a good merit option.
The questions posed by @Gumbymom and @TomSrOfBoston are vital to giving you help on your school choices.
The UC’s are public schools funded by California taxpayers. There is a cap on non-resident students receiving admission since the UC’s are limited on space and funding. Residents get priority. GPA’s and test scores must be exceptional to compete with California residents. Grades for instate students are also over 4.0. Don’t forget that the bio courses are large. My dd’s bio and math classes had over 500 students.
You will not receive any financial aid from any public universities in California. The state has no money.
This means no scholarships, no grants, no money for you from the UC’s. The federal government will loan you $5500 in freshman year, $6500 in sophomore year, 7500 for Jr. and Sr. years. It adds up to $27K total for 4 years. That’s just over 1/3 of what you need in year one at a UC.
The price of a UC is $60K per year or $240K for your college education. Can your parents spare a quarter of a million dollars? That’s why we ask what your projected budget will be.
If you plan on going to grad or professional school, you need to save your money for those fees.
My understanding is that Minnesota and Wisconsin have some sort of reciprocity, which makes both of these schools very affordable for you. Also, if you intend to be a dentist, then you need to plan for and budget for eight years of university. Thus cost is going to matter. Also, to get into a dental school you need very good grades for undergrad. This means going to a very good university (UW, UMN) is a very good plan. Going to the most stressful and academically demanding university that you have any chance in getting into is probably not as good of a plan.
@my22089 you probably know UW-Madison and UMN better than I do. As far as I know, your grades are solidly on track for these two schools. These are very good schools. I think that you are very much on track to do very well at either of them.
This whole college search thing might be easier for you than you have been expecting.
They are two great options. Of course, it goes without saying that Wisconsin is head and shoulders above minnesota. No one looks good in maroon and gold. The issue with most of the rest of you list is that they are very expensive for out of state students. The last thing you want to do, if your goal is dental school, is to spend more on undergrad. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your list looks like someone that has not spent much time thinking about colleges. It is all state flagships. You may want to spend some time looking at other types of schools. At least look at Liberal Arts Colleges. They are at the other end of the spectrum in terms of college experience but you can get a great education at both. Here is an example of one in the area and how they prep students for medical professional schools https://www.beloit.edu/hpac/ . There are many others in the area. Don’t be turned off immediately by the sticker price of LAC’s. Many of them give a lot of aid. Both financial and merit. I gave Beloit as an example because it is quite likely that your net cost may be in the same range as UW/UM.
As you can tell, I have spent a lot of time talking about cost. The first thing you need to do is have a talk with your parents about how much you can really afford. When they say “Don’t worry about it”, look them in the eye and say “We have to worry about it”. This can be a very uncomfortable conversation for a lot of parents.But it needs to happen. You also need to understand what YOUR net cost at the different schools will be. All schools have a Net Price Calculator. It should be one of your first stops on each school’s website. Sometimes, the “high” cost private school is actually cheaper than the “low” cost state school.
UNC-CH meets full need for OOS students, and I believe Michigan meets full need for OOS students below a certain income level. It is best to use the calculators with your parents in order to determine affordability. Once you have a budget it will be easier to suggest schools beyond UW and UM ( which are excellent options).
(I tried to edit the post, but I took longer than 15 minutes, whoops)
Alright, thanks for all the help!! I actually thought about this for like 2 seconds longer, after I made the post, and came to the conclusion that undergrad doesn’t matter as much as I’m making it out to be. Sorry for wasting some of your time. I should’ve researched more rather than expect all of you to spew every piece of information I need to know at me. Again, thank you!
You can ignore this paragraph; it’s just more babbling. The reason I kind of added the UC schools were only because a family friend actually goes to UCLA. I know they can’t really afford to pay the tuition in full (their family owns an Asian supermarket which can’t really bring in a ton of money) so it seemed just slightly possible that an oos student could cut down on the tuition.
@“aunt bea” I wouldn’t say UC’s are “funded” by state taxpayers as only about 11% of their budget comes from the state, and even that percentage is declining. Still you are correct in that there is very little money for OOS at UC’s. I would advise anyone considering OOS to not consider UC’s for that very reason. You can get the same education at UM or UVA among other publics that will be much more generous.
@CU123 , yes but they were building many of those universities when my parents were paying their California taxes in the 50’s and 60’s, so I’d say my taxes and my parents taxes have more than funded those schools.
Undergrad still matters, and we are happy to help. But there are some tools that are better than us that can help you focus your search more, and money matters a lot.
Regarding Michigan, their website currently says they attempt to meet need (by their definition, of course) for out of state students with family income below $90K and assets below $50K. If your family meets that criteria, then UMich might still make sense.
Without test scores, it is pretty hard to say much about what good options would be. I’d start looking over a copy of Fiske, discuss finances with your parents, and study for your standardized testing, then come back when you have scores. You can relax a little – you are ahead of some seniors we’ve chatted with lately. You have time to figure this out.
…(their family owns an Asian supermarket which can’t really bring in a ton of money)<<<<<
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It is a good time to understand that what you think you understand about other peoples situations may well not be as you perceive them. Lots of smart wealthy people don’t make a show of looking wealthy. Especially business owners.
