1st Gen Minority Need advice...TOTALLY LOST. Please T_T.

Paying for College
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<p>Stats:
Age 17 (will be 18 in October, during 1st semester of Freshman year)
Parents, Dad works (Income, 22-29K), Mom can't speak english/work.
Siblings: 14, 11 ,9 ,6 , 4months.
Financial Status = Bankrupt T_T.</p>

<p>What are my options for paying for college? I got accepted to a state school (PA, U of Pitt College of Business Administration). I've filled out my FAFSA and they're requesting more info until they send me my award package. </p>

<p>But let's be real, Pitt has a cost of 14k in state and that's not including the cost of room and board, food, books, etc. Will I be able to go to college or should I request a refund for my deposit and just go to Community College? I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS, I don't want to have the name of a low tier college on my file for the rest of my life, it's one thing I can't get into a great private school so I have to settle for a Mediocre Public school, no way in hell do I wanna go to a CC.</p>

<p>Lastly, my major is finance.
I've signed up for these APs (Psychology, Biology, Statistics).
I've decided NOT to take the AP Bio Exam (there's still 20 Chapters we haven't learned).
I'm taking the AP Psychology Exam, but I'm unsure about the Stats Exam. It won't interfere with my required courses for my major?</p>

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<p>You sound like a excellent candidate for need-based aid. Many schools will cover not only tuition but other expenses. Send the extra information Pitt requires–they are going to want to verify the information on your FAFSA-- and see what the school comes up with. You have nothing to lose. If the award isn’t sufficient, you can always withdraw in the summer and still have time to enroll in community college. But you may well be pleasantly surprised.</p>

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<p>“I don’t want to have the name of a low tier college on my file for the rest of my life, it’s one thing I can’t get into a great private school so I have to settle for a Mediocre Public school, no way in hell do I wanna go to a CC…”</p>

<p>May I say as a college recruiter.</p>

<p>Your family means is low, you have many siblings dependent on your parents so it will be clear to any college that creates a burden for your father (the breadwinner) so FA is probably appropriate. The college is asking for more information because so many people try to hide income or cheat when applying for FA.</p>

<p>But - having said that - you don’t want some “mediocre” public school on your resume. For some people that’s the only option and they’re proud to have it.</p>

<p>Attitude is everything and if a FA person from that college read your post (and recognizing you from your family description) they’d be included to give the often limited pool of FA to someone with a better attitude about their opportunities.</p>

<p>FA is provided by alumni donations, other fundraising, etc. It’s a privilege, not a right.</p>

<p>Why not take a few years off and earn your college tuition? Or take out loans. The amount you quote (14K) is not that much in the scheme of things and easily paid back once you are working. Ivy leagues are closer to $40K.</p>

<p>But here’s the deal – you’re not “entitled” to anything. So start with changing your approach towards your options.</p>

<p>As for the AP exam. You’re telling me you can’t read those 20 chapters yourself and do supplemental study? I don’t think you’re ready for a reach college.</p>

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<p>I love how you try to help me by belittling me so let me return the favor.</p>

<p>You CLEARLY LACK LOGICAL REASONING ABILITY if you can’t realize HOW THE HELL AP BIO gonna be BENEFICIAL for a student going into FINANCE (BUSINESS). I mean its one thing to not even be HALF WAY THROUGH OUR TEXT BOOK, but then another thing when this class won’t really benefit you AT ALL.</p>

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<p>tubguy, Pitt has a LOT of general education requirements. If you don’t like to study for classes you feel you won’t need, prepare to have a very painful Pitt experience.</p>

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<p>tubguy92 -</p>

<p>You are correct to skip the AP Bio exam. You don’t have time to learn that material between now and the exam. Spend your time preparing for the other AP exams instead.</p>

<p>Tomorrow, pick up the telephone and call your closest community college. Make an appointment with the admissions office and the transfer counselors. Go talk with them about the best ways to use your time there so that you are prepared to transfer to Pitt or to another 4-year college/university. They work with students like you every day of the week, and they can help you get where you want to be in life. You might decide you’d rather start at a 4-year school (especially if they come up with a good financial aid package for you), but you will happier if you truly understand what your options are.</p>

<p>To get an idea of what your family EFC is, the kinds of federal loans/aid you might qualify for, and just exactly how long it would take to pay off $50k - $60 in student loans, visit [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>I would wait and see what your financial aid is…work with Pitt, I’m not sure of their exact policy, but they’re a good school, and hopefully they’ll be able to work with you to develop an aid package that will allow you to attend.</p>

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<p>Wow, I don’t mean to be unkind, but I kinda think you haven’t met many college educated people – or toured many colleges. It may be that the community college in your neighborhood is ah. . ."Pitts"ville. But don’t paint all CC’s and all small colleges with that same brush. </p>

<p>There are gems everywhere. There are turds everywhere too. Not just schools but professors and students. </p>

<p>From what I have seen, what you would call a “mediocre public” is a place that takes more initiative from students than most privates require. My giant public (Texas A&M) was/is a hugely pragmatic school. They expect graduates to DO stuff. Publics tend to turn out engineers, nurses, park rangers and small business people. You don’t see too many “Hispanic Studies” or “Poetry” majors simply because there are limited job opportunities in those fields (they exist – just are limited). Please don’t be snotty about the working fields and the colleges that produce them. </p>

<p>Meanwhile you are ranting when you should be shoveling. There’s no way for you to know whether or not you can afford this college until you get the additional information submitted and they get back to you with the fin aid package. Then you will know. </p>

<p>The AP courses can mean thousands of dollars or they can mean zilch. Same with IB diplomas. Carefully read the Pitt website and it should tell you what the policies are for that school. We know one kid who got 30 hours credit for his IB diploma at Western Washington University (basically that was one year of college paid for! One fourth of college dealt with by age 18!). Another kid in the same program got zippo at UC Berkeley. If Pitt isn’t generous on AP, then perhaps you want to shop around and see who else will get you some credits for your current hard work. </p>

<p>Right now you may be feeling really, really frustrated. You know you are smart. You know you are working hard. It can seem like other kids are so blessed. Mommy or Daddy just writes a check and zoom, off the kid goes to college. </p>

<p>You never know what goes on in other’s lives. Max Ehrmann wrote “Do not compare yourself to others for that will make you vain or bitter.” Your struggles now may make you into a strong, tough, appreciative individual. As you find a path, hopefully you will be sharing your knowledge and leading your siblings along it as well. That’s not being Pollyannish. People do it all the time. </p>

<p>Step one: get Pitt the info they requested. If you have any problems getting the info together, email their staff immediately and see what you can work out. </p>

<p>good luck.</p>

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<p>Jill Biden (Vice Prez Joe Biden’s wife) teaches at a community college.</p>

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<p>I think this is an American view. I mean I agree and disagree to an extent. </p>

<p>I think everyone should have the opportunity to get a higher education (or tech school, whichever) but people aren’t entitled to a first tier college by any means. (If they didn’t earn it- the ability to pay is rather frustrating/disappointing, but I truly believe qualified students should be able to go. I guess that’s not entitled, then.)</p>

<p>So no, you’re not entitled to Harvard just because you have a 4.0/2400 and whatever. You should be able to take community college classes at the very least.</p>

<p>That said OP? It’s really not that big of a deal if you go to Pitt.</p>

<p>As for AP Bio? <a href=“http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising/pdf/APCredit_08-09.pdf[/url]”>http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising/pdf/APCredit_08-09.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/requirements/gened.html[/url]”>http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/requirements/gened.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You need THREE Natural science courses. Read/Skim the extra twenty or so chapters, and just flashcard it. It clearly WILL help you. If you can at least TRY you’ll have made the effort. But don’t tell us “it won’t help AT ALL.”</p>

<p>In case you missed it:</p>

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</p>

<p>The business school requires the regular gen-ed core AND a business core. <a href=“http://www.business.pitt.edu/cba/academics/index.php[/url]”>http://www.business.pitt.edu/cba/academics/index.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>OP, I know students like you. I will cut you slack, because I understand your frustration and why you feel as you do (particularly if you frequent CC’s forums). However, just relax and take a deep breath …</p>

<p>First and foremost, it is VERY important to get the requested information turned in quickly & completely. A big school like Pitt is absolutely swamped with documents right now, and processing is likely to take time. The longer you wait to turn things in, the longer you will wait to find out your awards. In addition, you may miss out on the best aid package available to you if you procrastinate.</p>

<p>Next, watch to make sure they don’t contact you for additional information. If they do, get it turned in quickly … and if you aren’t sure what they are asking for, call & find out.</p>

<p>Then relax & wait for your award package. Once you get it, do your homework. Look on the website & find out how much your classes will cost. Don’t forget to add up tuition, fees, other charges, room, board, and some money for books. Then add up your aid. Don’t add in work study, since this is earn-as-you-go & can’t be deducted from your bill. Also, if offered a parent PLUS loan, do not count on this … your parents might not want to apply for one, especially in their situation. If they do decide to apply & are turned down (it involves a credit check), you can borrow up to another $4000 in unsubsidized loan for the year (but I don’t recommend borrowing a lot in loans …). </p>

<p>Is the total of your aid at least as much as the total of your costs? If not, please go to the CC for two years. They can put you on a path to take the right classes & to be ready for Pitt as a junior. If your aid covers the costs without too much in loans, then you can seriously consider Pitt.</p>

<p>You won’t know anything until you turn in your documents & get your aid package. Don’t worry about what might be … wait until you know for sure, and then decide where to go from there.</p>

<p>BTW, my friend is a CC prof & she is an awesome teacher!!</p>

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<p>*What are my options for paying for college? I got accepted to a state school (PA, U of Pitt College of Business Administration). I’ve filled out my FAFSA and they’re requesting more info until they send me my award package.</p>

<p>… I don’t want to have the name of a low tier college on my file for the rest of my life, it’s one thing I can’t get into a great private school so I have to settle for a Mediocre Public school, no way in hell do I wanna go to a CC.</p>

<p>Middle Eastern, Male</p>

<p>Sats
Math, Reading, Writing, Total
640, 600, 620, 1860</p>

<p>School GPA
88% Weighted </p>

<p>*</p>

<p>Are you calling UPitt a “mediocre public school”? If so, that’s inappropriate. Your stats are in-line with UPitt middle 50s students. Your stats are not high enough for an elite school. </p>

<pre><code>Middle 50% of First-Year Students
</code></pre>

<p>SAT Critical Reading: … 570 - 680<br>
SAT Math:… 590 - 680<br>
SAT Writing: … 560 - 660</p>

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<p>Yeah, but the thing is that I guess there are far more qualified students than there are seats at any or even all of the “first-tier” colleges combined. It’s not necessarily even being able to pay or having the grades; it’s simply the fact that they can’t fit in all of these people!</p>

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<p>Tub your diploma is going to be from whatever college you complete your BA so I’m not totally understanding what you mean by “I dont want the name of a low tier college” yada yada. All the vast majority of people you come in contact with in your adult life through jobs, networking etc. might ask if “where did you go to high school” or “where did you go to college” or more formally "where did you get your BA or BS or whatever…matters not where you spent year 1 or year 2 or year 5, matters only the name of the school you graduate from.</p>

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<p>I don’t think being middle-eastern is considered to be a minority…is it?</p>

<p>Either way…there’s nothing wrong with UPitt.</p>

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<p>@Gardna: I was talking about accepted students, mainly. Haha, there are thousands of good schools; someone will end up “somewhere” presumably. But you’re right, not all the wonderful students will get in. </p>

<p>@Mom2collegekids: Middle-easterners are considered to be white; so no, they are not minorities in the college app process.</p>