Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by nisiprius »

steadyeddy wrote:
3504PIR wrote:I'm excluding... the Twin Cities one... because I've never heard of it and even if free, I doubt it would be worth it in the long run.
You've never heard of Minnesota's flagship state university with the 4th largest student body in the country? I'm not saying it's the best, but I'm not convinced you're well-equipped to comment on this thread. :oops: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is one of the schools I considered before deciding on the University of Wisconsin. At the time, it was reputedly excellent in biology, particularly ecology and "outdoorsy" kinds of biology. Lake Itasca Station was and I assume still is famous in freshwater biology circles.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

Thanks for all the input. I will answer individually soon.
Somebody already seems to have corrected my mistake of calling Univ of Miami as Univ of florida , Miami. Thx.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

3504PIR wrote:1. Good luck to him, I hope he has some say in the matter.
He has plenty of say in the matter. He also knows that the more he can save on undergrad the more Dad will be able to pay for higher education.
In fact the choices were he applied were all researched by him and he was willing to go to each one of them.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by relentless »

Vandy seems the obvious choice based on value for money.

BTW, I would advise against biology major if premed and consider avoiding the hard sciences altogether the first semester or two. Med schools generally prefer social sciences/liberal arts/nontraditional majors. I double majored AND graduated in three years. So I would think a double or triple major in 4 years should be doable.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by MattE »

I didn't read most of this read TBH, but just wanted to contribute one nugget:

Be choosy with which AP credits your son applies towards college and which classes he just retakes. Most med schools want to see you actually take the pre-med track courses (generally two levels of biology, two levels of chemistry, two levels of organic chemistry, and some physics) at a four-year university rather than get credit for them through AP or community college transfers. This might have a big impact on the whole "3 vs 4 years" thing.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by EFF_fan81 »

bigred77 wrote:I would send my acceptance letter to Vanderbilt and not look back.
Agreed, Vanderbilt is an excellent school and the scholarship is quite generous. Seems like an easy choice to me.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by EFF_fan81 »

blinx77 wrote:
bigred77 wrote:I would send my acceptance letter to Vanderbilt and not look back.
Agreed, Vanderbilt is an excellent school and the scholarship is quite generous. Seems like an easy choice to me. I would do four years, particularly given the scholarship. One extra year to learn and mature, and that way he will graduate with his class. He will be more prepared at medical school or whatever else comes his way. For what it's worth, I knew one or two people in college that squeezed a master's degree into 4 or 4.5 years. I would recommend doing that before leaving early, although I think there's nothing wrong with just taking a few electives here and there if the core of your degree is in something substantive.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by kerplunk »

I typically assume that most of the direction members give on this forum is accurate and the best advice possible, but reading through the replies in this thread (about a topic which I am very informed about), it makes me have second thoughts.

First of all the University of Florida IS NOT the University of Miami. University of Florida is in Gainesville and is the highest ranked university for academics in the state of Florida. It is a public university and the tuition is a steal for Florida residents. University of Miami is a private university in Coral Gables (Miami). I see that the original post was edited once, so for my sanity, I'll just assume that the list of colleges was slimmed.

Here are the rankings of the colleges that the original poster has listed (US college rankings):

15 - University of Wisconsin, Madison
16 - John Hopkins University
20 - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (This means St. Paul and Minneapolis)
27 - Duke University
36 - Vanderbilt University
53 - Case Western Reserve University
55-69 Emory University
55-69 University of Miami

Of course, the actual program ranking is another story. Those may be a bit different... but not by much.

Here is a quick list of the best universities in the world: http://www.arwu.org/ARWU2010.jsp

You may also look at USNews' rankings, which are very similar.

In summary, let your son go to University of Wisconsin, Madison (the highest ranked college mentioned in this thread), enjoy his undergraduate career and then go to the best medical school he can get into.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by livesoft »

I briefly read the methodology for the ARWU rankings. It is suspect and not something I would use to select an undergraduate institution. It probably has some merit in selecting an institution for a PhD program though.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by market timer »

Of those options, I'd pick Vanderbilt. The scholarship sounds incredible. From what you describe, I'm surprised you estimate an extra $45K out of pocket. If your son prefers a different school, he could always try to negotiate a lower price with the Vanderbilt offer.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Jacotus »

I'm in a natural sciences PhD program. I could have gotten out in 3.5 years, but I stayed for 4. My opinion is to not push him to do 3 years; let him make up his own mind. There is nothing wrong with taking 4 years.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by kerplunk »

livesoft wrote:I briefly read the methodology for the ARWU rankings. It is suspect and not something I would use to select an undergraduate institution. It probably has some merit in selecting an institution for a PhD program though.
I think that after the top 10 national universities are listed, it's much harder to accurately rank the next 50 or so schools. Of course, ARWU will have a different ranking methodology than USNews. I would hope that a person trying to decide which college to attend would not only use one source of information. My bigger point is that schools like the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota should not be disregarded, especially if it is more convenient and easier on the wallet.

With all that said, I will concede that Vanderbilt University is probably the most prestigious option on the list.

Personal side note: I attended the University of North Dakota, am currently finishing up my bachelor's degree at the University of South Florida, and I plan on earning an MBA at the University of Florida.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by lobon »

Just out of curiosity, why no consideration of state schools? I was accepted by some of those same universities as well as Ivy League programs, but ultimately went to a public state school. I had enough financial aid to get paid to go to undergrad and still made it into a great medical school, a top residency, and a top fellowship. I have a well below average amount of student loans despite getting no financial assistance for education from my family. Just my two cents, but there is something to be said for being the biggest fish in a smaller pond. There are plenty of Ivy League grads who are not considered competitive med school applicants...
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by curly lambeau »

kerplunk wrote:I typically assume that most of the direction members give on this forum is accurate and the best advice possible, but reading through the replies in this thread (about a topic which I am very informed about), it makes me have second thoughts.
Well, as a graduate of a top 10 ranked ARWU school, let me say that I think it would be folly to choose an undergrad institution on the basis of ARWU rankings.

However, I agree that Wisconsin is one of the best options.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Delph1an »

Another option to strengthen the "personal growth" side of the equation would be (and I had some friends in college who have done this) to finish in 3 years, get the degree. But stay for a postgraduate year and work part/full time on (research or otherwise) projects, get a taste of real life if you will.

College is a bit of a bubble. Much can be learned from interacting with people in peripherally related situations.

Usually one takes the MCAT their 3rd or early 4th year of college. Medical school acceptance can also be deferred by a year or so (also had a friend who did this - never regretted it).

Congratulations on his aptitude and opportunities. Best of luck.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by relentless »

lobon wrote:Just out of curiosity, why no consideration of state schools? I was accepted by some of those same universities as well as Ivy League programs, but ultimately went to a public state school. I had enough financial aid to get paid to go to undergrad and still made it into a great medical school, a top residency, and a top fellowship. I have a well below average amount of student loans despite getting no financial assistance for education from my family. Just my two cents, but there is something to be said for being the biggest fish in a smaller pond. There are plenty of Ivy League grads who are not considered competitive med school applicants...
True but not relevant. For this individual, the cheaper option is elite private school relative to his well-regarded state school (Wisconsin).

OP: if he does not like Vanderbilt, I imagine would be easy to transfer to state school later.
Can't go the other way once you give up scholarship.

BTW, WRG to earlier poster, I don't think department reputation of one's major matters at all for med school admissions, unless perhaps if doing MD/PhD. Overall reputation matters far more. OTOH, reputation of department of chosen specialty at med school can matter quite a bit for competitive specialties.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by mwgr5 »

1. Madison or Vanderbilt
I know many people that graduated from Wisconsin undergrad and went to med school. Wisconsin is a very good platform academically and a very fun school with a great campus. Wisconsin has a great med school that places well for residency. I know people that went to Mayo and Northwestern and Wisconsin for residency. Also, if your son changes his mind about what he wants to study, Wisconsin has many other good programs (business, engineering, etc.).

That said, Vanderbilt is also a very good school and is less expensive in this case. I assume he has visited both schools but I would say there is a cultural difference between going to school in the Midwest in Madison vs. going to school in the southeast in Nashville.

2. If your son is going to Med school, I would recommend he graduate in three years. This will cut down on costs more and he is going to be in school for a long time so it's not like he would really be missing out on time in college (granted med school is more demanding than undergrad). I have friends that graduated in three years and went to med school and their opinion is to graduate early if possible.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

He has sent his acceptance to Vanderbilt. As many people pointed out that was the easier of the two decisions. Regarding 3 or 4 yrs, the decision does not have to be made immediately. We have not made the decision. Will keep both options open. I do not wish to force him in any way, but he is agreeable to taking a strong course load for the first 6-12 months and see how he copes. If he takes 4 yrs he plans to do something 'wortwhile'- double major, research, volunteering overseas for 6 months etc.
We are aware that med schools do want that students actualy take the science subjects (not use AP credits) and he will do so. Thanks for all the excellent input.

The first yr costs as listed on the Vanderbilt letter are-
Tuition --------------------41732 ( all scholarship)
Board ----------------------4950 (2000 scholarship)
Books and suplies ---------1370
Fees ------------------------1042
Freshman experience -----688
Housing-------------------- 9170
Personal -------------------2446
Transportation -------------810
Transcript fee----------------30
Total ------------------------------------62,218.
So that makes me responsible for 18000 for the first yr. I am assuming that there will be some cheaper meal options. Also personal costs can be lower than those listed. But 11000-12000 per yr seems reasonable. He will likely get some one time scholarships from the local hospital , church, chamber of commerce etc for about 1000- 2000.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Dave76 »

off topic comment deleted by admin alex
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

dbltrbl wrote:However, another important consideration should be how far away from home the school is away. At this age, 4 hours drive maximum as you can support on a monthly basis minimum. This is important for many young kids. You may not realize it but family food and occasional Laundry help is good. Talk with him.
.
He is not bothered about the distance from home. During her undergrad sophmore year my daughter visited only 3 times- thanksgiving, Xmas and spring break.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Dave76 »

off-topic article deleted by admin alex (it was also a likely copyright violation, but that's the lesser issue)
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by kerplunk »

This entire thread just makes me wish that my parents felt that paying for their children's college expenses was their obligation. :mrgreen:
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by epilnk »

response to OT comments delete by admin alex
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by travellight »

That IS really cool; I am impressed as well with Vanderbilt.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by 555 »

Also, back to the topic.
ram wrote:He did not apply to Ivy league as we wanted to get merit scholarships.
Did you consider applying to the Ivys just to at least be able to say you(r son) was accepted, and maybe see if other institutions would look favorably on the acceptance?
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ks289 »

Great discussion. Agree with all the overall assessment that Vandy is a great, well respected, highly selective school which will be economically friendly too.

My wife and I both opted to go with the Ivies for undergraduate and medical education with parental assistance and loan repayment programs coming out of residency (by working in an underserved area). We are now both in private practice. This is another option to minimize the economic impact of tuition costs as well, although clearly not with upfront certainty.

About the 3 years - my wife graduated with chemistry degree from Harvard in 3 years using AP credits without taking on extra courses or summer courses. Different schools have different rules on this and things may have changed in last 20yrs (Brown was not as flexible about using AP's for advanced standing/early graduation).

Pros - saving tuition costs
Cons - less opportunity for electives/pursuing course work to develop other interests
- possibly preclude majoring in non-science field given that many "core" and pre-med requirements need to be fulfilled as well
- less time to enjoy college life
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

ks289 wrote:Great discussion. Agree with all the overall assessment that Vandy is a great, well respected, highly selective school which will be economically friendly too.

My wife and I both opted to go with the Ivies for undergraduate and medical education with parental assistance and loan repayment programs coming out of residency (by working in an underserved area). We are now both in private practice. This is another option to minimize the economic impact of tuition costs as well, although clearly not with upfront certainty.

About the 3 years - my wife graduated with chemistry degree from Harvard in 3 years using AP credits without taking on extra courses or summer courses. Different schools have different rules on this and things may have changed in last 20yrs (Brown was not as flexible about using AP's for advanced standing/early graduation).

Pros - saving tuition costs
Cons - less opportunity for electives/pursuing course work to develop other interests
- possibly preclude majoring in non-science field given that many "core" and pre-med requirements need to be fulfilled as well
- less time to enjoy college life
I am glad to note that graduating in 3 yrs even at the topmost college is possible in 3 yrs. We will keep that option open for now. Thanks.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

555 wrote:Also, back to the topic.
ram wrote:He did not apply to Ivy league as we wanted to get merit scholarships.
Did you consider applying to the Ivys just to at least be able to say you(r son) was accepted, and maybe see if other institutions would look favorably on the acceptance?
We were fairly sure that he will get some scholarship at some second rung schools ( First rung = Ivys) . We were also sure that he would not get any need based aid due to our family income level. We were not willing to spend 200K for undergrad education. He applied to about 10 schools. Each application meant some work for him and about $80 cost for me. So we only applied to places where he would go and where there was a decent chance of scholarship.

I dont think there is enough time to tell one college that he is accepted at some other. Many colleges gave the admission decision early but scholarship decision later which meant there was not enough data to make a comparative analysis. This was only possible around April 1. In a few days he is gone for 2.5 weeks for participation in national science bowl, national ocean science bowl and HOSA ( health occupation students of America) nationals. I wanted him to seal the deal before he leaves.

Assuming he maintains his academic level he will apply to Ivys for med school/ grad school. It probably makes more sense to spend at that level. Johns Hopkins (rejected) and Duke (accepted without scholarship) were likely the highest schools that he applied. Based on rejection from Hopkins there is a fair chance of rejection from most Ivys. One of his Ocean science team member has been rejected at one Ivy and wait listed at the other. Over the last 3 yrs from among 8 students on the national ocean science team / science bowl team one is attending MIT another one Wellesley and many others UW Madison (state U)
Last edited by ram on Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by 555 »

Thanks for the feedback. I saw that Vanderbilt gives full ride scholarships to just 1% of it's applicants. I'm getting a picture of how competitive this all is. But that's okay, competition is good.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by relentless »

ram wrote:
555 wrote:Also, back to the topic.
ram wrote:He did not apply to Ivy league as we wanted to get merit scholarships.
Did you consider applying to the Ivys just to at least be able to say you(r son) was accepted, and maybe see if other institutions would look favorably on the acceptance?
We were fairly sure that he will get some scholarship at some second rung schools ( First rung + Ivys) . We were also sure that he would not get any need based aid due to our family income level. We were not willing to spend 200K for undergrad education. He applied to about 10 schools. Each application meant some work for him and about $80 cost for me. So we only applied to places where he would go and where there was a decent chance of scholarship.

I dont think there is enough time to tell one college that he is accepted at some other. Many colleges gave the admission decision early but scholarship decision later which meant there was not enough data to make a comparative analysis. This was only possible around April 1. In a few days he is gone for 2.5 weeks for participation in national science bowl, national ocean science bowl and HOSA ( health occupation students of America) nationals. I wanted him to seal the deal before he leaves.

Assuming he maintains his academic level he will apply to Ivys for med school/ grad school. It probably makes more sense to spend at that level. Johns hopkins (rejected) and Duke (accepted without scholarship) were likely the highest schools that he applied. Based on rejection from Hopkins there is a fair chance of rejection from most Ivys. One of his Ocean science team member has been rejected at one Ivy and wait listed at the other. Over the last 3 yrs from among 8 students on the national ocean science team / science bowl team one is attending MIT another one Wellesley and many others UW Madison (state U)
I dont think your conclusion is correct that he would be rejected by most Ivys. At this level, it's a crap shoot. He was one for two for top 10 schools if Hopkins is considered top 10 now (wasn't when I was undergrad). Some Ivies are not top 10. Frankly, not sure what the obsession with Ivies is on this board.

For med school, coming from Wisconsin, I would be aiming to get in to Wisconsin (Madison). If he wants do do primary care MCOW would also make more sense than paying for an Ivy med school IMO.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by leo383 »

I look at that list, and I can't see where he would go wrong with any of the choices.

I attended Penn State, which would compare with the Minnesota/Wisconsin options, and my classmates who applied themselves and did well all got into grad/medical schools they wanted to. They are all doing well, and if they aren't , it's not because of where they went to college.

I grew up in a town with a really, really mediocre state university, and even my friends who went there and applied themselves and did well all went to quite good grad/medical schools.

Great opportunities for learning and research exist at every one of the schools on that list, and indeed at virtually any university.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

relentless wrote:
ram wrote:
555 wrote:Also, back to the topic.
ram wrote:He did not apply to Ivy league as we wanted to get merit scholarships.
Did you consider applying to the Ivys just to at least be able to say you(r son) was accepted, and maybe see if other institutions would look favorably on the acceptance?
. Based on rejection from Hopkins there is a fair chance of rejection from most Ivys. One of his Ocean science team member has been rejected at one Ivy and wait listed at the other. Over the last 3 yrs from among 8 students on the national ocean science team / science bowl team one is attending MIT another one Wellesley and many others UW Madison (state U)
I dont think your conclusion is correct that he would be rejected by most Ivys. At this level, it's a crap shoot. He was one for two for top 10 schools if Hopkins is considered top 10 now (wasn't when I was undergrad). Some Ivies are not top 10. Frankly, not sure what the obsession with Ivies is on this board.

For med school, coming from Wisconsin, I would be aiming to get in to Wisconsin (Madison). If he wants do do primary care MCOW would also make more sense than paying for an Ivy med school IMO.
Your opinion that it is a crap shoot may very well be correct. Other bogleheads may want their kids to apply to larger number of schools to increase the chance for getting scholarships. Based on other surveys it is fair to say that many on this board may not qualify for need based aid.

BTW we just learn today that he was selected to participate in the US National Chemistry Olympiad. The top four compititors will then represent the US team at the International chem olympiad.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

livesoft wrote:If he is going to post-graduate education, which he is, there is no reason to spend 4 years in college. He might as well finish in 3 years. I asked this same question of the Dean of Students of a respected university many years ago. She told me: finish in 3 years.

I know you have read the MIT vs U Wisconsin thread. :) What did you learn from that?

And I have to ask, why did this kid not apply to some more rigorous schools? I can see U of Wisconsin, Madison as the default state flagship, but why not Washington University in St Louis and Rice University in Houston? Those UMinn & U of Florida, Miami seem so to be a waste of an application, what was up with that? Are his guidance counselors whacko?
Livesoft- I read your PM. Thanks a lot.
Univ of Minnesota is well known in the midwest and most sudents going to UW Madison also consider it. See comments from Nisiprius below.
Univ of Miami is well known for marine biology, a subject in which he is interested. Other things remaining same (they seldom are) he would have liked to go to a warmer place on the coast. He enjoys snorkelling and scuba diving.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by an_asker »

stoptothink wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:24 pm
travellight wrote:stoptothink- I graduated high school right after age 14. I took very full course loads peaking with taking 26 credit hours spring quarter of my freshman year, took 23 credit hours summer quarter while working 15 hours per week in a hospital; got into a combined program Hopkins had where you finished in 7 years instead of 8. I finished everything by January senior year of med school (age 21) and graduated in May after my birthday in April. I went to Greece with some classmates to celebrate.

I think livesoft was partly joking, tongue in cheek about starting a software company whilst doing all this but I agree with the sentiment to let the person rise to their own highest level and not be constrained by perceptions of normal. It really has to be individualized. There isn't a right answer to this.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by 22twain »

Jeez, this is a seven-year-old thread! I only realized it just now, after reporting a seven-year-old post for being off-topic. :annoyed

Usually I get a feeling of déjà vu when I see a thread that I've read before and has been reawakened from the dead, but this one dates back to before I joined the forum.

Maybe the OP (ram) would like to tell us how his son did at Vanderbilt and whether he did end up going to medical school. :happy
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

22twain wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:48 pm Maybe the OP (ram) would like to tell us how his son did at Vanderbilt and whether he did end up going to medical school. :happy
My son did very well at Vanderbilt for the initial 3 years before he dropped out of college. He finished the necessary premed courses in 2 years and gave the MCAT (medical entrance ) test in the summer after the sophomore year. He was in the top 1% in the country in that test. He was also working in the genetics research lab at that time.

By the end of the junior year he decided that he did not want to be a physician. (Both parents are physicians and his older sister will be one next month). Since then he has worked at a genetics research lab, for a medical software company and is currently working for an education company writing MCAT prep questions and teaching MCAT students. Has not yet decided what he wants to do long term.
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by livesoft »

It reads like some of my predictions came true. :twisted:
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by ram »

livesoft wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:41 am I highly recommend that students who can go ahead and complete their degree requirements in 3 years.

As for friends from HS, almost all will change after a semester at college. He will have mostly new friends. And they are not gonna be the normal freshman. They are gonna be the freshmen in sophomore classes who are putting the year-older classmates to shame. You can ask your daughter about this.

If he completes degree requirements in 3 years, then he will have opportunities not available and can make choices then. For example, he could travel abroad for a year or work in a health care for a year. Or see the other side of life by being a bartender for a year. Taking 4 years to finish is just sandbagging and closing the doors on some better opportunities.

Have you all visited some of these schools?
I had forgotten what you had predicted. But indeed many of them were correct. He did indeed resign from one job, travel abroad and came back and picked another job.

Now tell me what is the S & P index going to do in 7 years? :)
Ram
tennis serve
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by tennis serve »

recommend VANDEBILT ,be sure to do some research as undergrad if med school planned
Nowizard
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Nowizard »

Vanderbilt and move forward. It has an excellent med school, Nashville is an "it" city. Since students often stay in the same town or area as their school, you might want to consider that. Tennessee has no income tax (Small tax on dividends and interest that is being phased out) and low cost of living, excluding Nashville. It is a medically oriented city with many healthcare companies, hospitals, and two medical schools.

Tim
livesoft
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by livesoft »

Nowizard wrote: Mon Apr 15, 2019 4:21 pm Vanderbilt and move forward. ....
Do you realize this thread is 7 years old and the OP's son actually went to Vanderbilt?
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Rotarman
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Re: Which College? 3 years or 4 years?

Post by Rotarman »

Edit: necro-thread
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