Need college advice.

[Crossfire]

Well guys, i need some decent advice where to go to college. Right now i have a 2.9 GPA and a 29 on the act, good enough for most colleges. I dont have a problem not getting a scholorship as i planned on student loans anyhow. Im looking at you Jeff, whats it like out west? I'm looking alot into arizona, new mexico, nevada. Also how long does one have to live in those states to get the instate price? If it matters, im going premed, so choices should include that as a major.

[Bubble Head]

I went to college one college, went to grad school at another school, and now have 2 kids in college. I have several brothers and sisters. One went to college straight from high school, the rest did it part time in late 20's and 30's. So I have observed many college experiences.

Your grades are good enough to get into many colleges, but if you had that GPA as a biochemistry major, you wouldn't get into medical school. My brother is a doctor and he was well above that and barely got in.

That said, if you know you can do better, go for it.

What do you want from a college? I knew what I wanted to do after college and picked the best school for that. Finding a school that has a strong program in something you want to study is the most important thing. This assumes that the school's party reputation isn't what is drawing you in.

Student loans can be crushing. Consider going to a junior college for the first 2 years. They are cheaper and more laid back. Unless you know for sure what you want, they give you a good opportunity to explore a bit more.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Bubble Head

Student loans can be crushing. Consider going to a junior college for the first 2 years. They are cheaper and more laid back. Unless you know for sure what you want, they give you a good opportunity to explore a bit more.

College is so expensive these days, and those loans can kill you, so you really have to balance what you want with what you can realistically afford. Consider a state university in your home state, where you are already a resident. Most folks, when they graduate high school (myself included) want to get away from home, and start life's adventure in a new and exotic place. It ain't what it's cracked up to be. Things don't really get started until after college anyway. Save money. Stay in state. There's nothing wrong with the reputation zand education you can acquire at a good state school. And if you FOCUSFOCUSFOCUS you can get those grades where they need to be and get into med school.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have fun at college. Heck, it's the most fun time you'll have for a long while. But trust me when I say that how hard you work for the next four years is the most important thing you will ever do. Especially if medicine is your goal. Mostly because there are too many students out there who will try there best to outwork you.

It is a jungle out there, and lots of kids are taught that from an early age. Maybe you were too, I don't know. But do whatever you need to do to get the best grades in college you can.

[Pa Jayhawk]

In state residency depends on a couple other factors as well. You immediately want to change your Drivers License to the current state. If you own a car, where the insured state is may come into play. You will likely need to show that you have residency there for a full year, including summer. So if you go home for the summer, and show no local address that can be verified, it may be a problem. Alot of times they have a school directory that lists this information. Make sure you put a local address as your prior residence.

Most importantly, that will likely outweigh all of the others so don't be surprised when the time comes. If you parents declare you as a Dependant on their taxes, you will likely be declined in state residency. So if you start in say August and September, and your parents declare you on their taxes at the end of that year, it is likely you will not get residency until the semester after you provide their return showing you are not on there. So I would start talking to your parents about this now, as it is something most people don't think about that far in advance, and contact the University when you decide and ask them what you will need to bring with you when you apply.

Tax Laws have changed alot in the 23 years since I went through this, but just something to think about as it is something I went through. It may not be the case any longer and they may not be permitted to ask for this information now, so don't change this and lose money on the tax side without checking into it further.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Another consideration on the scores. Alot of State Universities have a double standard, or did in my day, on ACT and SAT scores. Alot of state schools where you apply out of state may have higher requirements than if you were to live in state. They try to make sure they don't turn down local students if possible, where their parents have been paying taxes, as opposed to the new kid on the block that hasn't payed a dime to the state in their life. Mainly when they have limitations on enrollment. Or at least what they can easily justify.

[chollyred]

Crossfire,

Pre-med is a huge undertaking. You'll need a great background in Physical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, English, Humanities or Social Sciences and carry a 3.66 GPA and a minimum 33 on the MCAT tests before even being considered for medical school. Even then, only 10-15% of those applicants are considered for admission. (another reason to admire your doctor)

I was headed down that path before I got derailed by a sadistic chemistry professor. I'm now a telecom manager. My step-grandson (2nd in his graduation class) was headed down that path until the admission tests tripped him up. He's now majoring in Criminal Justice.

If you still want to pursue pre-med, go to a local college/university and get all of your prerequisites out of the way. If you're doing good enough, then pursue the specifics. It's a great goal to have. Good luck in your pursuit!

[Crossfire]

Thanks for all the advice guys, however, i live in ohio and the cheapest state college is $7100 a year + books. Not a very great college to boot. Im not real worried about if i can make it in premed or not, Over the last 6 quarters of HS ive carried a 4.0, taking classes like AP phsyics, AP calc, AP biology, physiology, and chemistry. Even if i dont make it, the last thing i want is to be wondering what if? I looked into some of the state colleges out west, and they are all under 5,000 a year in state. A 29 on the ACT is accually quite good, its the 95 percentile, and will pick up the slack where my horrific freshman and sophmore years gpa left off. I do have a job at the county for the summer making $12.50 an hour, and will probably get a second job too, i plan on banking money untill summer is over then maybe moving out somewhere and finding a job untill i can claim residency.

[Bravo]

I'd go to Ohio State...given you live in Ohio, this is your best value in terms of cost and the fact that it will prepare you very well for med school.

http://meritawards.osu.edu/admissions/costs.asp


Are you determined to get away from home or is the expense the number one issue?

I just checked the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) which has schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and is pretty well respected in terms of preparing undergrads for admission into these areas of post graduate study.

It's $12,000 a year (for out of state tuition vs. $20,000 per year for Ohio State) and to the best of my knowledge, its pretty reasonably priced compared to other similar public universities with good undergraduate science programs.

I am afraid you are in for a little sticker shock...state at home...

[Bubble Head]

Go to THE Ohio State University or University of Ohio. I went Case Western(Also a great school if you can find a scholarship) so I understand wanting to get out of Ohio. But save your money. If you think college tuition is expensive, wait until you see medical school tuition.

[Crossfire]

Ohio state university is if i recall around 20,000 a year + room and board. I dont plan on really paying out of state, once i decide on a college, i will move there and work for 6 months, or a year.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Crossfire

Ohio state university is if i recall around 20,000 a year + room and board. I dont plan on really paying out of state, once i decide on a college, i will move there and work for 6 months, or a year.

Read my post....it's $16,000 per year for in state students including room and board and it will have excellent pre-med programs.

I'd take that and don't look back...

On the other hand, you could move to Birmingham and establish residency and pay $13,000 per year for instate including room and board...not much savings and probably too much trouble to be worth it.

[Farquod]

My daughter is looking at colleges now and I have to tell you, $16k/yr is pretty cheap. State schools tend to be in this ballpark; I know that both Penn State and Rutgers are in the same range ($20k/yr in-state). Add $10k/yr for Penn State for out-of-state students.

Now, private colleges are all about double that--$35 to 40k/yr. A little more for the Ivys, but not much.

So, Ohio State sounds like a deal to me. Or you could do a community/junior college for 2 years then transfer to a 4-year college for the last 2 years. That is often much more cost effective. The community colleges in NJ are ~$70/credit, I believe. The nice thing about them is that tuition is free if you're in the top 10% of your class.

Good luck! Sounds like you woke up last year!

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Crossfire

Well guys, i need some decent advice where to go to college. Right now i have a 2.9 GPA and a 29 on the act, good enough for most colleges. I dont have a problem not getting a scholorship as i planned on student loans anyhow. Im looking at you Jeff, whats it like out west? I'm looking alot into arizona, new mexico, nevada. Also how long does one have to live in those states to get the instate price? If it matters, im going premed, so choices should include that as a major.

Well, I'd say apply everywhere you can, but...

Out west is nice, ASU(Arizona State Univ) I've heard really good things about, and as you can expect, warm, and lots of golf(though expensive).

Not sure on Nevada.

New Mexico is great, it's 1 year living here to get in-state tuition but if you want to save up some money or take a break or whatever, lots of jobs and all that. Our medical schools here are simply one of the best in the U.S., bar none. There is the UNMH(Univ of New Mexico Hospital) which is the premier hospital in New Mexico, and as a premed student you work there too. I do know the Neurology Dept. here is the best in the Southwest. Once you are in-state UNM is a little more than 3,000 a semester. Lots of golf here, 17 bucks as a student at the UNM Championship Course, my home course, and 4 other courses that are 17 walking. Honestly, I really recommend UNM, I was a little wary going in, as I had toured many other schools, but I just love it here.

Lots to do too.

Hehehe

[Crossfire]

Jeff, what year are you in? I was really leaning to UNM, also are you on the golf team? Depending on how tough my work will be, i wouldnt mind trying to make a college golf team.

[JEFF4i]

I'm almost a Senior, semester wise I am a Senior, but I took a semester entirely set towards Law School, so it set me one back-worth it though. Anyway, the golf team is kind of odd. I've played and practiced with them a decent bit, but the tricky thing is, it's a full team of 15.

Summarized, no spots open, however, we have a couple seniors and juniors who will be moving on, and freshmen rarely play anyway.

Course load here is sort of tough, like any other college, but if you keep on top of your work you should be fine. We could even play together-golf...that is.