Anonymous wrote:You rolled your eyes, but there is nothing wrong with a free ride to Alabama. Lots of out of state kids and a very nice place to spend four years.

I have a million complaints about the state of Alabama and I lived there for a while, so I’m very familiar with its issues. However, we are very likely about to experience a major recession and you do not want to start your young adult life with a ton of debt over an undergrad degree. ESPECIALLY since you are pre-med. And on that note, Alabama does a great job at preparing kids for med school.

Why would Univ of Alabama give her a free ride? Especially with a high income household not contributing anything?

Anonymous wrote:People are being solution-oriented which is the best way forward, but I do want to say that I think it's crummy that your parents didn't save any college money for you.

Some people pay monthly tuition without saving specifically for it. If I was in that position I would sell my house and pay her tuition.

Without the parents help MiT, NYU are definitely out. Way too expensive. I’d stay local. Travel is expensive and you don’t want to be broke living at college.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a high schooler who frequently stalks the college forum for advice, and the thread about kids having to pay their own way got me thinking about my own circumstances. My parents have no money saved for my college education, so I will need to rely heavily on trying to get scholarship money. However, they combined make $300k and our house is worth well over $1 million, so FAFSA and any need-based financial aid is pretty much out of the question. Putting our info into the calculators usually only gets me an average of $5-10k in need-based aid. I just don't know what to do. I have high stats and decent ECs. I have a job and work two in the summer. My dream schools (Hopkins, NYU, Columbia, MIT) are wayyy too expensive. I've considered ROTC but I don't think the military is really for me. I just really want to go to a school that I love but will also give me enough money so I can attend, and I think the only schools that I can get fantastic scholarship money at are going to be at southern schools . Does anyone have any recommendations for great colleges that give great merit scholarships? I'm in VA but I don't like most of the in-state schools with the exception of W&M

Roll Tide!

No seriously, it's a great place for the many many kids in your position. You'll find many others in the same circumstances there: https://honors.ua.edu/apply/university-honors-program/honors-year-one/honors-year-one-honors-connections-living-learning-community/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if your parents will pay in state, then I’d go to UVA or W&M. If they pay for nothing, go wherever you can get a full ride. Med school loans are huge. Future you will be happy that current you went to undergrad debt-free.

If your parents saved zero, then I’m sorry that happened to you. Costs today really aren’t the same as when your parents went through. You’ll do better by your kids.

They won't even pay in-state. Any time I ask to confirm that there is literally nothing saved for me or my siblings I'm always told that they didn't save anything so I'll have to rely on scholarships, pay my own way, or take out loans.

Two years community college, 2 years at the local state college and live at home.

This is a much worse experience than UAlabama, where OP is likely going to have tons of friends from a similar background due to them having the most generous guaranteed merit aid for an institution of that caliber. Much less likely at CC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do begin with the end in mind. Can you get any job shadowing or intern experiences? Any work connections from a friend of a friend? A school helps give you a network for jobs prestige won't pay your bills unless it gets you a better job.

I plan to major in pre-med, pysch, or neuro so I'm shadowing a few doctors this summer

0 work connections that are in any way related to what I want to do

If you're premed then you should go wherever is cheapest, as the lack of academic rigor becomes a pro rather than a con (4.0), and no hospital will care that you went to undergrad in the south.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ronald-nelson-turned-down-every-ivy-league-school-for-university-of-alabama-2015-5

Also, universities are blue relative to their surroundings, moreso in red states.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do begin with the end in mind. Can you get any job shadowing or intern experiences? Any work connections from a friend of a friend? A school helps give you a network for jobs prestige won't pay your bills unless it gets you a better job.

I plan to major in pre-med, pysch, or neuro so I'm shadowing a few doctors this summer

0 work connections that are in any way related to what I want to do

If you're premed then you should go wherever is cheapest, as the lack of academic rigor becomes a pro rather than a con (4.0), and no hospital will care that you went to undergrad in the south.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ronald-nelson-turned-down-every-ivy-league-school-for-university-of-alabama-2015-5

Your parents suck for not saving for college. Full stop. But it's not a crisis to go to in state schools, even if they aren't your first choice. No one is entitled to go to MIT, even if they get in. That's a weird DCUM-land way of thinking. In other words, you are entitled to be angry with your parents for not saving, but the state schools in Virginia are wonderful.

No advice about specific schools, but agree with other posters who advise minimizing your undergrad debt especially if you're trying to go to grad/medical school. Med school debt alone easily can run into $300K+ and ultimately, this often limits your choice of specialty, type of practice, decision to do private practice v staying in academics etc; and also other life choices (buying a house, # kids, whether 1 spouse -- maybe you at some point! -- stays home etc). When it comes time, definitely look at all the free med school tuition options and try for one -- they're generally at highly competitive and prestigious schools (if they weren't before, they are now lol) so no guarantee you'll get in obviously. Also, in terms of becoming a physician, honestly, what matters the least is where you went to undergrad. What matters the most in terms of how good you are at what you do is your residency and (if pursuing a subspecialty) fellowship training. Of course, getting a great undergrad education preps you for that, but you truly can get that at many places, and if there's somewhere you can get a full ride or close to, and you like the location/vibe, choose that no regrets (you'll thank yourself later) or consider CC and transfer later. Your life honestly will turn out fine even if it doesn't feel that that now, or even if it sucks for a few years. Carrying the debt into adulthood/middle age is way worse... Look at "match day" (just happened) lists for med schools -- this is when med schools/training programs announce where students are going and programs announce where students they're taking are coming from. Latter more relevant to your question; you'll see at competitive programs/specialties they're probably taking a few from that program's med school but lots from other med schools also, including state schools, southern schools etc. Also there's no "pre-med" major per se, only 6-8 courses you pretty much need to take the MCATs and apply for med school (biology, chem, biochem, physics, calculus, I forget what else). Major in something that interests you while getting in your premed requirements (can be a trad premed path, eg biology, chemistry, biochem, engineering; but lots of docs with english and arts degrees too just fewer), choose to do some things that interest you (TA, RA, research intern or tech, EMT -- definitely over being a CNA IMO) sure with an eye to how they'll look for med school applications but also to become a more interesting human being so your patients don't think you're a robot (as I personally thought about one of my own docs recently, who I didn't bother to tell I was a physician bc, well, he was robotic). Oh, and re ROTC: kind of agree with veteran who advised against. In general when looking at military scholarship options, the earlier you sign up, the more restrictive the payback. For med school you'll also likely have options for military service or non military scholarship $$ that may involve serving in underresourced areas incl Indian Health Service afterwards to pay back (presuming govt still runs programs like that by 2030). Great option for some. If you do research during specialty training, there can be loan repayment options (since you may less $$ than private practice). Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am stunned so many people believe the OP is a teenager. Do you all know any teenagers?

Interesting. This could be the parent who hasn't saved anything for their kids' educations and knows that if they out themselves as the parents the discussion would be entirely about dragging them over the coals.

I actually posted a few months ago pretending to be my mom to see if that would garner anything helpful and I was just dragged over the coals

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am stunned so many people believe the OP is a teenager. Do you all know any teenagers?

Maybe it is a divorced parent who is a high earner but refuses to help pay for college. Children of divorce are so vulnerable when it comes to college.

Sorry, whose ex is a high earner, but who is not a high earner themselves

Anonymous wrote:I am stunned so many people believe the OP is a teenager. Do you all know any teenagers?

Maybe it is a divorced parent who is a high earner but refuses to help pay for college. Children of divorce are so vulnerable when it comes to college.

Look into VCU’s guaranteed undergraduate to medical school option. Ask your school’s counselor if there are scholarships for undergraduate as well as med school.

https://honors.vcu.edu/admissions/guaranteed-admission/medicine/details/

Anonymous wrote:I am stunned so many people believe the OP is a teenager. Do you all know any teenagers?

Interesting. This could be the parent who hasn't saved anything for their kids' educations and knows that if they out themselves as the parents the discussion would be entirely about dragging them over the coals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED to william & mary. Or do rotc, if you can get into MIT you must be a science person, and typically you wont see combat in the military coming from a school like that. Also, if you can get into MIT, you can get into a place like Olin or RIT with merit.

Same with Cornell and ROTC

DO NOT do ROTC now. It’s probably too late anyway without Jr ROTC, but my god, no one should be joining the military right now.
- retired military spouse and parent

Anonymous wrote:ED to william & mary. Or do rotc, if you can get into MIT you must be a science person, and typically you wont see combat in the military coming from a school like that. Also, if you can get into MIT, you can get into a place like Olin or RIT with merit.

The military sends you where they need you. If OP wants to become a doctor, and does it through the military, they will send him where they need him. They very well could attach him to a combat unit.