Could someone explain this?

[Gallix23]

Hey everyone,

I'm making my final decisions on which college I am going to attend next year, and as of right now it looks like I'm going to go to Northeastern, despite its cost. The reason is because of a program that gives early admission to Tufts Medical School. After reading about it, all I would need is a 3.5 gpa my middler (5 year program) year to be eligible, and from the looks of it, no MCAT would be needed. However, they worded it strangley; this is what it said:

(Please note: Beginning in the fall of 2010, students entering into the Medical School via the Early Assurance program will not be required to sit for the MCAT examination prior to matriculation.)

So, does that mean that I wouldn't need to take the MCAT at ALL, or that I just wouldn't need to take it until after I matriculated (which would be sort of weird?)

Thanks

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[tennisball80]

I just wouldn't need to take it until after I matriculated

(No offense)

I think you don't need to take it at all.

 

[JJMrK]

Congrats on NE. That's an awesome school.

 

[RySerr21]

Hey everyone,

I'm making my final decisions on which college I am going to attend next year, and as of right now it looks like I'm going to go to Northeastern, despite its cost. The reason is because of a program that gives early admission to Tufts Medical School. After reading about it, all I would need is a 3.5 gpa my middler (5 year program) year to be eligible, and from the looks of it, no MCAT would be needed. However, they worded it strangley; this is what it said:

(Please note: Beginning in the fall of 2010, students entering into the Medical School via the Early Assurance program will not be required to sit for the MCAT examination prior to matriculation.)

So, does that mean that I wouldn't need to take the MCAT at ALL, or that I just wouldn't need to take it until after I matriculated (which would be sort of weird?)

Thanks

It means that you dont have to take it. Altho, that would be pretty hilarious if they made you take the MCAT while in med school .

 

[DLi]

You don't have to take it

 

[Salvorix]

Don't go to Northeastern just because of this early acceptance program!

I just researched it. Like you said, you need a 3.5 GPA to be eligible. That means that you need a 3.5 to even apply to the early acceptance program, and you will also be competing against students from Tufts University (undergrad), Holy Cross, other students from NE, Boston College, and Brandeis. Although you don't need to take the MCAT like you said, you need to gave taken 2 semesters of General Chem, OChem, and Biology prior to summer of your sophomore year. That being said, the program does have a fairly high acceptance rate:

Over the last several years, we have typically received between fifty and sixty applications for this program each year. Of the applicants who meet the minimum eligibility requirements, a majority (>50%) are invited to interview. Of those who are interviewed, a majority (>50%) are admitted to the Early Assurance Program.

Of course, there's no telling how qualified these candidates are other than they all have >3.5 GPA. My concern is why would you choose to attend a college (especially an expensive one like Northeastern) just because of this program? Yes, it will take a burden off of your shoulders if you get in, but if you can get into Tufts Medical School early I'm sure you are also smart enough to get into a bunch of other (possibly less expensive) medical schools.

 

[MilkmanAl]

You should know that Tufts is one of the most expensive med schools in the country. Cost of attendance is currently about $82000, and you can count on that being closer to $90000 by the time you're ready to matriculate. In other words, this Northeastern plan stands to cost you somewhere in the $800k-900k range in student loans, assuming you're not going to be paying on them as you're in school. That is a staggering amount of debt.

 

[Gallix23]

Hahah Tennisball, that was actually pretty amusing =) I know it was dumb, but they worded it all fancy and such

And I will actually be following the NU 5 year program (it gets you 6 co-ops instead of the 2 in the 4 year program) so I will have even more time to take/prepare for those classes.

The cost is very steep for both schools, and I've thought about this to DEATH. I figure that I'll be coming out of Northeastern (as of right now) with 170,000 debt. The 6 co-ops generally make an average of 42,000 combined, so that brings the cost to 128,000, and then I'm going to shoot for as many co-ops as possible.

I know that I could easily go to a cheaper school, but NU has this program, the built in historical co-op system where I could get a ton of medical experience and connections, and it is the best school that I was accepted to. Trust me, I have been battling this price issue for a long time, and I'm not dead set on going there yet, but that's where I'm strongly leaning.

 

[Salvorix]

Hahah Tennisball, that was actually pretty amusing =) I know it was dumb, but they worded it all fancy and such

And I will actually be following the NU 5 year program (it gets you 6 co-ops instead of the 2 in the 4 year program) so I will have even more time to take/prepare for those classes.

The cost is very steep for both schools, and I've thought about this to DEATH. I figure that I'll be coming out of Northeastern (as of right now) with 170,000 debt. The 6 co-ops generally make an average of 42,000 combined, so that brings the cost to 128,000, and then I'm going to shoot for as many co-ops as possible.

I know that I could easily go to a cheaper school, but NU has this program, the built in historical co-op system where I could get a ton of medical experience and connections, and it is the best school that I was accepted to. Trust me, I have been battling this price issue for a long time, and I'm not dead set on going there yet, but that's where I'm strongly leaning.

If money wasn't an issue Northeastern/Tufts would be a fantastic option Northeastern is obviously a very strong school with a great (the best?) co-op program in the country. My friend's father is the head of one of the departments there, obviously I can't say which otherwise you would know who he is but he says his department has absolutely fantastic programs.

That being said, even with co-ops you said that you will be $128,000 in debt, and that is assuming that you can find 6 average-paying co-ops. Co-ops are going to be harder to find however in this economy according to that friend's father...meaning that you might have to settle for an internship or two. Like you said, these co-ops will give you great medical experience...all the more reason to apply to other medical schools, as I'm sure they will value these experiences. $128,000 is a fair amount of debt, especially when you're not going to be able to pay it back until 11 years in the future (I'm assuming that you're not going to make enough as a resident to both provide for yourself and pay back undergrad/med school loans). I'd personally go with a cheaper undergrad unless your parents are going to chip in or you get a good financial aid package...and judging by the $128,000 this is not the case.

Did you apply/get into any UMASS schools? A ton of my friends are going to UMASS Amherst and Dartmouth with a few going to UMASS Lowell and Boston. These schools all have very generous in-state tuition and have very good programs. UMASS Amherst due to its size has plenty of good research oppurtunities as well as connections to be made. One of the first graduates from the EMT program at my high school went to UMASS Amherst, and then got into UMASS Medical School, which is slighlty easier to get into than Tufts, and has a base tuition of $8,352 with a total cost per year of roughly $41,000 including fees, health insurance, books, rent, parking, and loan fees. She is now an ED doc in Central Mass with a toxicology fellowship. I guess my point is just that there are plenty of cheaper options waiting for you. Like MilkmanAl said, NE/Tufts will result in a boatload of loans, where as UMASS undergrad/med school will result in probably a fourth or fifth of the loans.

 

[Gallix23]

If money wasn't an issue Northeastern/Tufts would be a fantastic option Northeastern is obviously a very strong school with a great (the best?) co-op program in the country. My friend's father is the head of one of the departments there, obviously I can't say which otherwise you would know who he is but he says his department has absolutely fantastic programs.

That being said, even with co-ops you said that you will be $128,000 in debt, and that is assuming that you can find 6 average-paying co-ops. Co-ops are going to be harder to find however in this economy according to that friend's father...meaning that you might have to settle for an internship or two. Like you said, these co-ops will give you great medical experience...all the more reason to apply to other medical schools, as I'm sure they will value these experiences. $128,000 is a fair amount of debt, especially when you're not going to be able to pay it back until 11 years in the future (I'm assuming that you're not going to make enough as a resident to both provide for yourself and pay back undergrad/med school loans). I'd personally go with a cheaper undergrad unless your parents are going to chip in or you get a good financial aid package...and judging by the $128,000 this is not the case.

Did you apply/get into any UMASS schools? A ton of my friends are going to UMASS Amherst and Dartmouth with a few going to UMASS Lowell and Boston. These schools all have very generous in-state tuition and have very good programs. UMASS Amherst due to its size has plenty of good research oppurtunities as well as connections to be made. One of the first graduates from the EMT program at my high school went to UMASS Amherst, and then got into UMASS Medical School, which is slighlty easier to get into than Tufts, and has a base tuition of $8,352 with a total cost per year of roughly $41,000 including fees, health insurance, books, rent, parking, and loan fees. She is now an ED doc in Central Mass with a toxicology fellowship. I guess my point is just that there are plenty of cheaper options waiting for you. Like MilkmanAl said, NE/Tufts will result in a boatload of loans, where as UMASS undergrad/med school will result in probably a fourth or fifth of the loans.

Yeahh, I did get into Umass Amherst and Emmanuel College (which is in Boston and would be pretty cheap due to scholarships and things).

It's just that NU is an amazing school, and I want to give myself every edge that I can get, and the Co-ops and things should give me that edge. I worked in a research lab there over the summer, and if I do go there, I'm sure I can start researching with them again without any problems (and probably get some publications). The money really is the only drawback, but everyone is telling me that it'll "work itself out" in the end and not to worry about it.

It's really confusing and this is probably the toughest decision I have ever needed to make. The only drawback from Amherst is that I hear it is HORRIBLE with advising, and it is in Amherst (assuming you aren't familiar with Massachusetts) which is in the middle of no where without much hospital contact, so it'd be a hike to volunteer unless I just did it all during the summer.

I feel like I'm sacrificing opportunity if I go with the money problem, but I don't want to dig myself in a hole either. I appealed my financial aid at NU and am waiting to hear back, and my parents said they'll help as much as they can during school (But once I graduate my sister will be entering college).