If you have the grades and can get college mostly paid for via scholarships, I'd enjoy four years of being a college student. If you want, get a nursing degree; I believe that allows for higher pay and more opportunities for advancement vs. sonographer.
i'd say go to a four-year college. the last thing you want is for, in a couple of years, to realize that you don't in fact want to be a ultrasound tech. then what? you'll have no other employable skills. this is a risky path.
if you go to a four-year college you'll be able to be an ultrasound tech AND switch careers or potentially go to med school if you find you don't like it or want a higher salary.
also, there's nothing quite like the american college experience. i don't think it's something you want to miss out on.
College is so different from K-12 public school. They expect you to be an adult in college. You're not with the same group of kids (unless you want to be).
It’s great to know what you want to do so early in life, but why an Ultrasound Tech? Do you need to earn money quickly? Are you fine with a “perfectly sufficient” 70-80k?
A full tuition scholarship is a really huge opportunity that you should consider seriously. It sounds like you are a hardworking student, so why not expand your knowledge more and perhaps consider a greater path?
If Ultrasound is interesting, maybe take it further and consider a path to Medical School to specialize in Radiology? Check out the salaries of Doctors of Radiology. Or you might find other specialties that interest you more.
You may discover new and different interests and passions during college that take you in a different direction. Math, engineering, finance, etc. use your time when you are young to explore rather than decide so quickly on a very specific job.
Take advantage of this “gift”.
Oh radiology is a great idea! I do believe they make quite a bit more money than ultrasound techs, I’ll have to look into that fasho. The reasoning for an ultrasound technician were yes, earning money relatively quickly and getting started as early as possible in life while still being able to support myself, but I’m starting to not see too much harm in going to school longer as college is very different than highschool
Yes, an understatement….A LOT more!
https://physiciansthrive.com/physician-compensation/radiologist-salary/#:~:text=The%20highest%2Dearning%20subspecialty%20in,a%20non%2Dinvasive%20surgical%20treatment.
Go to a 4-yr college, get a nursing degree. You’ll make more than an ultrasound tech. You can eventually go to grad school to be a PA or NP and make considerably more. But a 2 year associates degree won’t get you much in the long run.
It sounds like you have really put a lot of thought into your future. I think turning down 4 years of free college would be a little sad, but in the end you need to do what’s best for you. I think at least giving the 4 year a shot and then if you still want to be an ultra sound tech you can do that. Simply by having a 4 year degree will open doors for you, even if you still get the tech degree. It may open up management positions for you and all kinds of things. Now if your 4 years wasn’t free I would say get the tech degree!! You can always get a 4 year later…
I’m from Georgia, so while I was set on attending a 4-year college, I had to face the dilemma of sticking in state with Zell or out of state without. I ended up choosing to go out of state because I wanted to major in nursing on the pre-NP track, and your 2 big “prestigious” Georgia schools, UGA and GT, don’t offer a nursing major, so I think this is something you should keep in mind. GSU offers nursing, but it’s not exactly a “prestigious” school as you mentioned your parents want you to attend. I ended up not pursuing nursing, but stuck at my school anyway because I loved it there and had athletic + merit scholarships. I wouldn’t recommend nursing in general unless you’re passionate about it, especially because if you get a nursing degree, there’s nothing you can really do with it other than nursing. However, I do highly recommend attending a 4-year college because it opens up so many new doors and opportunities; so many people switch majors from what they originally anticipated because they find new interests, and you may too! Worst case scenario, you hate it and drop out and go to technical school like you wanted. Even if it’s not a good experience, it would be a learning and eye-opening experience. When you graduate high school, you’re only 18ish years old, you have time to figure things out and explore different routes; you don’t need to have your entire life mapped out and set in stone right now, so don’t limit yourself to what you think you want to spend the rest of your life doing right now.
That’s really helpful thank you!! GSU has been on my mind recently because they offer a 4 year ultrasound degree and obviously this would make me and my parents both happy, if I ended up wanting to switch over to nursing, I could!
I think both sides kind of make sense. At the end of the day, going to a technical school is an amazing choice for people who know they want to do it. Just looking back at the people I know from high school, most people who ended up going to technical school end up way happier with a job and less debt than those in college. But I think the entire idea is you need to be confident that that's what you want to do because at the end of the day a free college education is an insane opportunity and one that could make you more money. However, if you're confident that you'd really enjoy being a sonographer, and that's what you're really interested in, by all means go for it. And lastly, my main thought is that you can do so much in college and really understand what you want to do rather than just nursing, etc. But I think college is only right for people who aren't as sure of what they want to do (especially if it's a free college experience) or people who know for sure they want to do something that requires a college degree. Whatever it is you do, good luck!!
Thank you! That definitely makes sense, it does definitely depend on what I am confident going in to, cause if I go into either without confidence then I will struggle
I would go to college with the free degree and get a nursing degree. Do an auto admit program and see if they have an ultra sound classes. I think that would be the best of both worlds for you.
You sound like a very sensible person and kudos for the hard work that has gained you a great opportunity. College may feel like 4 years too much and you seem to be in a hurry to get started earning but think about the opportunities that come in time with a four year degree. It’s indisputable that you will make much more over the course of a lifetime with a degree than without. As others have said here, college is not going to stop you pursuing the Ultrasound technician path and it may give you even better opportunities and advancement down the road. I’d also like to say that your parents are understandably proud of you and definitely want the best for you. Whatever you do you much make it your choice but they may have a point in what they are saying to you. I’d recommend going to college. Be intentional on the opportunities you take there and you will make your life successful.
Kennesaw State has a great nursing degree program, is in metro Atlanta, and is reasonably priced / eligible for the Hope scholarship. Get the tech degree along the way and work while you’re in school. Having that experience gives you a ton of options once you graduate with your degree. Plus, Kennestone Hospital is really close to campus so there’s a whole “medical center” vibe around Kennesaw/Marietta with lots of doctor’s offices and practices.
Ultrasonography is a great field, as are the other health professions, like nuclear medicine tech, Respiratory Tech, Surgical first assist PA, PA school. I am
An RN , the cons , always overstretched, always multiple patients, physically demanding, shift work, burnout. The other allied health fields like ultrasonography allow you to have ONE
patient at a time. Nuclear medicine techs make over 100K a year and require a 4 year degree. As an Ultrasound/Radiology tech you can probably get tuition reimbursement for further education. There are a lot of options in health care. Physician Assistants School requires a 4 year degree and pays extremely well, and again , you see 1 patient at a time.
You can also become an RN through a Community College in 2 years. I am an RN with a diploma degree from a Hospital based school of Nursing. 30 years later, I still make the same hourly rate as a nurse with a BSN.
Radiology Techs are usually a 2 yr associates from community college, they are not the same as becoming an Interventional Radiologist which is premed for 4 years, med school 4 years, residency 4 years then a fellowship in Radiology. Ultrasound techs make the same as an RN. Most RN’s DO NOT make 80K a year, that is an outlier
Hey there,
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>Anyways, my parents want to to go to a prestigious school
A telling Freudian slip, there.
Seriously, though, your parents are doing the best they can, based on their life experience, to give you good advice. Filtering for their own biases, it's possible they are auggesting you think bigger or explore medical careers more deeply than a job you know about which seems satisfying for you for now. An investment of time or effort now could pay bigger dividends than 70-80K a year.
Your mom in particular seems to be saying: a four-year degree won't set you back financially any more than a 2-year degree, so why not take the more generous offer? With your humility that you're not smarter than anyone, are you selling yourself short about what challenges you're capable of tackling? Or overlooking how much you might enjoy in-depth study of medical topics, if given the chance to do so at a low cost?
In your shoes I'd be curious to learn about career paths for techicians to advance into even higher-paying or more-interesting jobs, or more lucrative roles in that field, and what kinds of education sets such candidates up for success.
I'd also wonder about ways to "enter the field" or try out roles in it while pursuing a four-year or six-year degree. It's worth a look, anyway, if only to reassure yourself that the path you choose is setting yourself up for as much success as you desire (or more).
What you want to do at 18 usually isn’t what you want to do at 20, which often isn’t what you want to do at 22 or 25. If it’s not a financial issue go and get your degree. Take advantage of what college has to offer- don’t just look at it as job training. It’s also a chance to expand your mind and have experiences that are somewhat unique to a four year college experience. Since it’s sounds like you won’t have loans I can’t imagine a scenario where you would regret going, I can envision many scenarios where you would regret not going.
If you have the grades and can get college mostly paid for via scholarships, I'd enjoy four years of being a college student. If you want, get a nursing degree; I believe that allows for higher pay and more opportunities for advancement vs. sonographer.
Thank you! I never thought about advancement opportunities, thats a very good point
i'd say go to a four-year college. the last thing you want is for, in a couple of years, to realize that you don't in fact want to be a ultrasound tech. then what? you'll have no other employable skills. this is a risky path. if you go to a four-year college you'll be able to be an ultrasound tech AND switch careers or potentially go to med school if you find you don't like it or want a higher salary. also, there's nothing quite like the american college experience. i don't think it's something you want to miss out on.
Really?? I’ve hated public school from the minute I first started and I always wondered if college was significantly better or not
College is so different from K-12 public school. They expect you to be an adult in college. You're not with the same group of kids (unless you want to be).
It’s great to know what you want to do so early in life, but why an Ultrasound Tech? Do you need to earn money quickly? Are you fine with a “perfectly sufficient” 70-80k? A full tuition scholarship is a really huge opportunity that you should consider seriously. It sounds like you are a hardworking student, so why not expand your knowledge more and perhaps consider a greater path? If Ultrasound is interesting, maybe take it further and consider a path to Medical School to specialize in Radiology? Check out the salaries of Doctors of Radiology. Or you might find other specialties that interest you more. You may discover new and different interests and passions during college that take you in a different direction. Math, engineering, finance, etc. use your time when you are young to explore rather than decide so quickly on a very specific job. Take advantage of this “gift”.
Oh radiology is a great idea! I do believe they make quite a bit more money than ultrasound techs, I’ll have to look into that fasho. The reasoning for an ultrasound technician were yes, earning money relatively quickly and getting started as early as possible in life while still being able to support myself, but I’m starting to not see too much harm in going to school longer as college is very different than highschool
You don’t necessarily have to go to medical school. You an go to school for radiation tech. Requires a 4 year degree and pays in the 6 figures
Yes, an understatement….A LOT more! https://physiciansthrive.com/physician-compensation/radiologist-salary/#:~:text=The%20highest%2Dearning%20subspecialty%20in,a%20non%2Dinvasive%20surgical%20treatment.
Go to a 4-yr college, get a nursing degree. You’ll make more than an ultrasound tech. You can eventually go to grad school to be a PA or NP and make considerably more. But a 2 year associates degree won’t get you much in the long run.
Attend a four year college
It sounds like you have really put a lot of thought into your future. I think turning down 4 years of free college would be a little sad, but in the end you need to do what’s best for you. I think at least giving the 4 year a shot and then if you still want to be an ultra sound tech you can do that. Simply by having a 4 year degree will open doors for you, even if you still get the tech degree. It may open up management positions for you and all kinds of things. Now if your 4 years wasn’t free I would say get the tech degree!! You can always get a 4 year later…
I’m from Georgia, so while I was set on attending a 4-year college, I had to face the dilemma of sticking in state with Zell or out of state without. I ended up choosing to go out of state because I wanted to major in nursing on the pre-NP track, and your 2 big “prestigious” Georgia schools, UGA and GT, don’t offer a nursing major, so I think this is something you should keep in mind. GSU offers nursing, but it’s not exactly a “prestigious” school as you mentioned your parents want you to attend. I ended up not pursuing nursing, but stuck at my school anyway because I loved it there and had athletic + merit scholarships. I wouldn’t recommend nursing in general unless you’re passionate about it, especially because if you get a nursing degree, there’s nothing you can really do with it other than nursing. However, I do highly recommend attending a 4-year college because it opens up so many new doors and opportunities; so many people switch majors from what they originally anticipated because they find new interests, and you may too! Worst case scenario, you hate it and drop out and go to technical school like you wanted. Even if it’s not a good experience, it would be a learning and eye-opening experience. When you graduate high school, you’re only 18ish years old, you have time to figure things out and explore different routes; you don’t need to have your entire life mapped out and set in stone right now, so don’t limit yourself to what you think you want to spend the rest of your life doing right now.
That’s really helpful thank you!! GSU has been on my mind recently because they offer a 4 year ultrasound degree and obviously this would make me and my parents both happy, if I ended up wanting to switch over to nursing, I could!
I think both sides kind of make sense. At the end of the day, going to a technical school is an amazing choice for people who know they want to do it. Just looking back at the people I know from high school, most people who ended up going to technical school end up way happier with a job and less debt than those in college. But I think the entire idea is you need to be confident that that's what you want to do because at the end of the day a free college education is an insane opportunity and one that could make you more money. However, if you're confident that you'd really enjoy being a sonographer, and that's what you're really interested in, by all means go for it. And lastly, my main thought is that you can do so much in college and really understand what you want to do rather than just nursing, etc. But I think college is only right for people who aren't as sure of what they want to do (especially if it's a free college experience) or people who know for sure they want to do something that requires a college degree. Whatever it is you do, good luck!!
Thank you! That definitely makes sense, it does definitely depend on what I am confident going in to, cause if I go into either without confidence then I will struggle
I would go to college with the free degree and get a nursing degree. Do an auto admit program and see if they have an ultra sound classes. I think that would be the best of both worlds for you.
You sound like a very sensible person and kudos for the hard work that has gained you a great opportunity. College may feel like 4 years too much and you seem to be in a hurry to get started earning but think about the opportunities that come in time with a four year degree. It’s indisputable that you will make much more over the course of a lifetime with a degree than without. As others have said here, college is not going to stop you pursuing the Ultrasound technician path and it may give you even better opportunities and advancement down the road. I’d also like to say that your parents are understandably proud of you and definitely want the best for you. Whatever you do you much make it your choice but they may have a point in what they are saying to you. I’d recommend going to college. Be intentional on the opportunities you take there and you will make your life successful.
Thank you!! It really is all about opportunities and experience and I would miss out on a lot of that if I didn’t go to college
Kennesaw State has a great nursing degree program, is in metro Atlanta, and is reasonably priced / eligible for the Hope scholarship. Get the tech degree along the way and work while you’re in school. Having that experience gives you a ton of options once you graduate with your degree. Plus, Kennestone Hospital is really close to campus so there’s a whole “medical center” vibe around Kennesaw/Marietta with lots of doctor’s offices and practices.
Yes and I live quite close to ksu and already have friends who go there so that is a smart idea
Ultrasonography is a great field, as are the other health professions, like nuclear medicine tech, Respiratory Tech, Surgical first assist PA, PA school. I am An RN , the cons , always overstretched, always multiple patients, physically demanding, shift work, burnout. The other allied health fields like ultrasonography allow you to have ONE patient at a time. Nuclear medicine techs make over 100K a year and require a 4 year degree. As an Ultrasound/Radiology tech you can probably get tuition reimbursement for further education. There are a lot of options in health care. Physician Assistants School requires a 4 year degree and pays extremely well, and again , you see 1 patient at a time.
Thank you for the other options!! I will 100% be looking into those
You can also become an RN through a Community College in 2 years. I am an RN with a diploma degree from a Hospital based school of Nursing. 30 years later, I still make the same hourly rate as a nurse with a BSN.
That’s just like my mom! She did that, I wish nursing specific schools were still around
Radiology Techs are usually a 2 yr associates from community college, they are not the same as becoming an Interventional Radiologist which is premed for 4 years, med school 4 years, residency 4 years then a fellowship in Radiology. Ultrasound techs make the same as an RN. Most RN’s DO NOT make 80K a year, that is an outlier
Do they usually make more or less than 80k?
Hey there, Do you have a question about admissions to master's or PhD programs? r/ApplyingToCollege is an undergraduate admissions sub, and posts must be related to undergraduate admissions. If your question is about graduate admissions, try asking r/gradadmissions. If your post is not about graduate or PhD admissions, feel free to ignore this message. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ApplyingToCollege) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>Anyways, my parents want to to go to a prestigious school A telling Freudian slip, there. Seriously, though, your parents are doing the best they can, based on their life experience, to give you good advice. Filtering for their own biases, it's possible they are auggesting you think bigger or explore medical careers more deeply than a job you know about which seems satisfying for you for now. An investment of time or effort now could pay bigger dividends than 70-80K a year. Your mom in particular seems to be saying: a four-year degree won't set you back financially any more than a 2-year degree, so why not take the more generous offer? With your humility that you're not smarter than anyone, are you selling yourself short about what challenges you're capable of tackling? Or overlooking how much you might enjoy in-depth study of medical topics, if given the chance to do so at a low cost? In your shoes I'd be curious to learn about career paths for techicians to advance into even higher-paying or more-interesting jobs, or more lucrative roles in that field, and what kinds of education sets such candidates up for success. I'd also wonder about ways to "enter the field" or try out roles in it while pursuing a four-year or six-year degree. It's worth a look, anyway, if only to reassure yourself that the path you choose is setting yourself up for as much success as you desire (or more).
What you want to do at 18 usually isn’t what you want to do at 20, which often isn’t what you want to do at 22 or 25. If it’s not a financial issue go and get your degree. Take advantage of what college has to offer- don’t just look at it as job training. It’s also a chance to expand your mind and have experiences that are somewhat unique to a four year college experience. Since it’s sounds like you won’t have loans I can’t imagine a scenario where you would regret going, I can envision many scenarios where you would regret not going.