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Doesn't matter, going to a CC puts you at a disadvantage for med school admissions, from CA or wherever. The student/dr boards all confirm this and many don't get into med school because of classes taken at a CC--why chance it. The kid has high stats, he doesn't NEED to go to CC. That will likely cost him MORE in the long run. He is looking at potential full rides as it is--if he happens to be a minority (not Asian though), he is GOLDEN at pretty much EVERY college in the country. Med school requirements are also changing and those Comp classes are now important....
Considering we are researching this and have been for the past year because our daughter wants to go to medical school and you have a 5 year old, it's pretty irresponsible to suggest going the CC route when you really don't have the information to back up your claim, CA or not. Med schools do not like to see kids go 2 years to CC and then transfer to finish. There is NO WAY to take all the pre-req courses junior year to prep for the MCAT so some pre-req classes would have to be taken at a CC if the OP takes the advice to start at a CC....it's just NOT a good idea.
Hello everyone! First and foremost, thank you for spending your time and reading this. Much appreciation! Anyways, I am seeking advice from other members for my situation. I have a feeling that most people here are adults with professional careers. This serves as a positive because you guys have been a teen at one point in your life, and you can hopefully you can share any strategies or regrets you've made that you wish you could of done differently if you can go back in time.
I just turned 17 and already I am think about my future. First, I do not know what career I should pursue. My parents want me to be a doctor, but I hate the medical field. You do one small, simple mistake, you get sued. When you get sued, you lose money and your reputation gets ruined. Then you have no money which makes your girlfriend leave = Not to Bueno. If I am going to be a doctor, I am considering being a family physicianist, not a surgeon. My biggest concern is college. College is getting way too expensive nowadays. I am think about going to community college for the first two years, then transfer to a state-school to complete my undergrad studies. Then, I can hopefully go to a top-20 grad school. My goal is to have little debt as possible.
You're thinking ahead. Attaway.
What I'd do differently is this: I'd do a better job of getting/staying out of debt, earlier. I'd have started sooner to question the standard assumptions of securities markets. I'd have recognized that whenever what everyone is doing and talking about seems ridiculous to an objective observer, it probably is. That would have kept me from losing money in the 1987 crash, the tech meltdown of the late 1990s, and the 2008 faceplant. In 1987, security thugs at my building were talking about their stock market killings; I should have realized that security thugs mostly shouldn't be doing that, and sold. In the 1990s, they threw barrels of money at anyone with a domain name; I should have realized that was a lousy use of venture capital, and gotten out. By 2008, I should have realized that lending money that could not be repaid was stupid, and dumped every security. When what everyone is doing and talking about triggers your stupid switch, listen.
Screw conventional mutual funds. The more you know about them, the lousier a deal they are.
You're right that college is entirely too expensive. Our precious corporations have almost got the American Dream equated to Total Debt Slavery, which is their own dream. As it is, since you seem the type who belongs in college, do your best with that.
When you have income, wherever you live, compare the cost of renting to the cost of owning. Where I live, for example, only someone with hosed credit, someone who plans to leave soon, or a total idiot rents if he or she could buy. The large number of apartment complexes here speaks volumes to the quantity of total idiots (or habitual deadbeats) here.
Pay all your bills on time, rigorously. If you do that, you gain great leverage. Broadly speaking, there are two types of consumers: the ones for whom the short answer is they are trying not to pay, and those who seek only to pay what they fairly owe, promptly without complain. At nearly 50, I have won most of my arguments with companies based on one stony foundation: I am a customer who pays promptly, fully and conscientiously without whining. Because I do this, they had better do what I ask if it's at all reasonable. Americans are great at saying what they think makes a good vendor, good customer service. The fine art of being an excellent customer gets far less play, yet will get you a very long ways in life.
Chase your dreams hard. You'll put up with crap at 20 in search of dreams that you will not put up with at 40, so now's the time. Ignore all old people who whizz all over your dreams. My logic: even if you do not achieve them, they will get you someplace else good, and the experience will teach you things you couldn't learn any other way.
Best of luck. PM me about anything else--I just stopped in to investigate a potential move, but I can tell you a lot more if you want to know. There's nothing finer than playing Robin Hood, armoring kids against being screwed by everyone who is lining up to screw them.
Regarding being a minority, I am middle-eastern (Chaldean to be exact). I do not know if that helps. I also have U.S. citizenship. I speak three languages: English, Aramaic, Arabic.
How have you approached the college search for your daughter? Are you guys looking at highly reputable state schools then transfer to a private 4-year graduate program? Thanks!
Our DD will be attending a private liberal arts college. We have done a LOT of research into the med school angle. She looked into several different schools, a couple of them had auto-admit programs where she could have been done with undergrad and med school in 7 years (or 8 years depending on which program she wanted). The 7 year program would have saved about $30,000 but would have required 18 credits every semester and that was just too much. One school that had that program was a private school, the other was a highly ranked state school in another state. The both had their own medical schools. She looked into another private school with their own med school and while it wasn't quite auto-admit, the admit rate was high. She ended up not applying to that school.
The other schools she applied to, 9 total, were all private schools. The merit awards were just so much better and the final cost at those schools was far below what any state schools had to offer except the above out of state school she applied to. That school was her second choice.
From our research basically you want to find a school where you can shine. The first round of the med school process is computerized. It looks at your GPA/MCAT and classwork--and yes, WHERE you took those classes. If you make it through that part, basically need a 3.5 and above and a 25 MCAT score to make it past the first round-thus the school where you can shine--you need the highest GPA possible. Then it moves on to the committee and they review things like research you have done, your extracurriculars and your recommendations from your under grad college. There is also an interview portion. If you get through all of those, you are in. This is WHY going to a 4 year college right away is so important. It's a VERY, VERY competitive process. If you look at forums similar to this one for med school applicants, many, many, many of the rejections come because UG coursework taken at a community college.
Our DD got enough in merit aid to not have to take student loans at all for undergrad. She would have had to take loans if she went to any of the in-state options here. Your GPA and test scores are similar to her scores. Being a male has an advantage at many schools, heck almost every non-Tech school (like Cal Tech, etc.). There is a 60/40 or 70/30 split for female/male ratio at most schools across the country. That gives you a leg up on admissions. You just have to decide what kind of school you want to attend--small, medium, large, rural, urban, etc. Once you figure that out, searching on College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool is a great way to find the size/kind of school you want.
I'm not sure if being middle-Eastern is considered an under-represented minority or not but being fluent in 3 languages will help.
multiphonic--unless you have hard data to back up your nonsense claim, your posts are not helpful at all.
I tend to agree with golf gal just about all the way.
One child in Pharm D and one in Dental School and my daughter's friends in medical school are at my house chillin' when they have rare off weekends. And these are my additional observations.
1. Did you love organic chemistry? not just do well, but did you get it? Organic is what separates the men from the boys. You have to 'get it' since that is the essence of medical fields.
2. Take time in UG school to learn to laugh and be playful. Don't always be serious. The girls who come to my house and relax really don't know how to play and they jump in too serious too soon and make mistakes of the emotional type.
3. Keep your eye on the ball. Take time to make friends, have fun, and enjoy life but don't let any of that get between you and your goal. ANd if some sweet talking boy or girl starts swaying you from your goal, regroup and assess. Maybe the right thing to do and right time, may not.
4. Pay off debt ASAP, live below your means, save for your future, save for emergencies, but keep enough to live your life today. It all may be small pots of money, but those pots will grow with time.
5. Give of your time and resources. Think of others. It comes back to you one way or another.
6. (and from my own experience from living in FL during this housing debacle) Make sure that you have 1 house where you would not mind living paid off before you are near retirement. No mortgage payment after retirement. Don't count that you can sell your upscale home and downsize at retirement. What you think you know may not be the same situation as exists at retirement time and you don't have the working years in front of you to adjust
good luck and hope this helps. it is good to ask questions at 17.
multiphonic--unless you have hard data to back up your nonsense claim, your posts are not helpful at all.
This is a personal finance forum. I'm speaking from the spirit of witnessing the crushing debt of college and medical school (and having avoided it personally). It's definitely under the caveat of good debt, but some students aren't as fortunate to have need-based scholarship opportunities or parents who help subsidize Jr's education. The reasons for this are beyond the scope of my time.
Hello everyone! First and foremost, thank you for spending your time and reading this. Much appreciation! Anyways, I am seeking advice from other members for my situation. I have a feeling that most people here are adults with professional careers. This serves as a positive because you guys have been a teen at one point in your life, and you can hopefully you can share any strategies or regrets you've made that you wish you could of done differently if you can go back in time.
I just turned 17 and already I am think about my future. First, I do not know what career I should pursue. My parents want me to be a doctor, but I hate the medical field. You do one small, simple mistake, you get sued. When you get sued, you lose money and your reputation gets ruined. Then you have no money which makes your girlfriend leave = Not to Bueno. If I am going to be a doctor, I am considering being a family physicianist, not a surgeon. My biggest concern is college. College is getting way too expensive nowadays. I am think about going to community college for the first two years, then transfer to a state-school to complete my undergrad studies. Then, I can hopefully go to a top-20 grad school. My goal is to have little debt as possible.
Another issue is the government. The teenagers right now are going to have to pay for all the debt in the future. The sad part is that the value of the dollar is going to be nothing compared to 10 years ago. I am just worried about my future financially. What do you think is considered a "great income". I do not believe in have a 10,000 square foot home or a 2013 BMW. For me, a roof is all I need and if there is a car that can get me from point A to point B without any mechanical troubles, it's good. What I intend to do is to save all my money, put it in the bank, and gain some $$$ from interest. I am an only child and do not plan on getting married until I am around 28-30 years old and financially stable. If I am an only child, am I subject to inherit everything from my parents?
Any advice would be appreciated, especially from those with previous experience. Thanks!
There are so many variables to your questions and others here have given some great advice to you. I think if you (via your parents) have the means and are taking the time to maximize your scholarship opportunities, I recommend you take the path Golfgal highlights and stick with a University to med school path. It's more prestigious and it will eliminate any ambiguity caused by getting some credits at a community college. There's no denying that. Here's a helpful article regarding CC no matter what path you take.
I hope you've taken the time to really explore your passions and talents. Have you really zeroed in on what would make you happy for the rest of your life? Why do you want to be a doctor? What are your top 5 reasons? Is your parents desire something you share?
If income is one of your primary considerations, keep in mind there is a considerable number of broke doctors out there.
All your other ideas concerning getting a head start on saving and minimizing debt are awesome. Just keep at what you're doing, get good grades and be as conscientious as you seem to be and you're going to do great no matter who you listen to here. The wise ones really don't need the advice.
Be sure you want to be a doctor or be a doctor because it is what you feel called to do. It is a hard long program that requires resources of all sorts, delay of life in may ways, and impacts family interactions - mostly time with family.
There are many medical fields that can offer satisfaction and good living but that don't take so much out of you. But if you feel called to do it, of course even 24 hour days or leaving in the middle of your son's championship game are easier.
According to my son, many of his classmates are children of doctors and chose to be pharmacists to do good for others medically but they wished to have more of a home life or were advised by parents to seek something not under the gun of "affordable health care"
My daughter switched to dental for that reason.
Not to say you can't be a plastic surgeon or dermatologist to have more routine hours.
Which, tieing it back to a personal finance thing; is part of the decision whether the investment of dollars and years to be whatever kind of doctor you will be are balanced against other considerations.
This is a personal finance forum. I'm speaking from the spirit of witnessing the crushing debt of college and medical school (and having avoided it personally). It's definitely under the caveat of good debt, but some students aren't as fortunate to have need-based scholarship opportunities or parents who help subsidize Jr's education. The reasons for this are beyond the scope of my time.
Which is exactly WHY I suggested NOT going to a community college. First, he has high stats that will qualify him for MERIT awards at 100's of 4 year colleges, if you transfer into a 4 year college, those awards are either drastically reduced or not available at all. Those merit awards can range but are often enough to bring the cost WELL below that of an instate school and can be as much as a full ride. If there is financial need on top of that, this kid is taking NO debt and paying little to nothing out of pocket to attend college. As I've said before, our kids won't need to take ANY student loan debt to get through college because of the merit awards they have gotten already and have opportunities for even more. We will have to pay very little for them to attend college too--WAY less then what we pay in groceries and water bills each month . It's very possible we won't have to pay ANYTHING outside of the kids' summer earnings, and maybe even not that, for them to attend college--our daughter for sure, our son hasn't finalized his plans yet but he has that option at 3 different schools right now--just waiting to hear back from one more school...
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. It's very possible we won't have to pay ANYTHING outside of the kids' summer earnings, and maybe even not that, for them to attend college--our daughter for sure, our son hasn't finalized his plans yet but he has that option at 3 different schools right now--just waiting to hear back from one more school...
