<p>I'm not sure where else to post this!
Indiana resident
2150 SAT
3.84/~4.3 GPA
9 APs
Dance, NHS, SHS, writing, international studies/experience, service
Undecided - will minor in dance and study something along the lines of education, international relations, or arts administration (so far)</p>
<p>I will be receiving $15k a year from my parents, but otherwise I am on my own since it's unlikely we will qualify for a lot of need-based aid. My goal is to graduate under $5k in debt, especially if I go onto grad school. I have received a half-tuition scholarship from Loyola Chicago ($17.5) and am banking on a full ride from the University of Kentucky or a decent merit scholarship from IU. I am just shy of the automatic Honors College admittance at IU but will still be applying.</p>
<p>Should I be looking at "better" but most like more expensive universities? Many of my peers are looking at the Ivy Legur, public Ivies, and high-end LACs. Most of the rest will be going to IU, Purdue, etc. Both the ideas of attending a high-pressure college, steeped in debt while undecided, and attending a "regular" nearby school with everyone else kind of freak me out. Do you have any words of wisdom about the colleges I have already applied to, or am I not reaching "high enough"?</p>
<p>Personally, I find all the pressure put on your generation to impress ridiculous. Graduating without much debt is an excellent goal. You will have the freedom to travel, save for your dream house and secure your future. Most people that you will work with will not care or even know where you go to school. There is a small subset of instances where it is important. You’re a great student. Enjoy your college and your relaxed debt-free future.</p>
<p>If you’d like to consider other schools, go to the financial aid threads and look for the sticky on guaranteed merit scholarships. </p>
<p>For what it’s worth, one of my daughters graduated in the top 3% of her class and chose to attend a middle of the road school because of a generous merit scholarship. She ended up loving the school and the opportunities she had there, is perfectly happy in her career and made friends that will probably be around her entire life.</p>
<p>After looking through more threads and taking some more time to think, I think I am just in panic mode again when I shouldn’t be. Thanks for the responses already!</p>
<p>Yeah, most choices are driven by the financial situation and the limitations of that. And you have some reasonable choices. It is possible that there are other private colleges like Loyola who would give you large merit if you care to hunt. Also it seems like you would be eligible for the full tuition scholarship at University of Alabama, so it would be worth at least looking at that.</p>
<p>Did you actually run the Net Price Calculators on some of the meets needs schools and especially the ‘super aid’ schools before assuming you wouldn’t get anything? If you are truly full pay then there isn’t anything you can do to make that gap up ‘on your own’, so don’t give it a second thought.</p>
<p>It is hard for students who excel to think that they are going off with everyone else to regular school. But those publics are there to serve a wide range of students and you won’t be running into everyone and you will find yourself plenty of peers. Also they have everything in terms of majors. </p>
<p>Have you run any net price calculators at various schools, including “expensive” ones? If their net prices are in the $15,000 to $20,000 range (i.e. your parents’ $15,000 plus $0 to $5,000 in work earnings), then they may be affordable on need-based financial aid.</p>
<p>Full ride at Kentucky very likely comes with a lot of advantages, since it implies the honors program. It could feel very much like being royalty. What is wrong with having the red carpet rolled out for you? It seems like a very wise course of action. Then take some of that school money and travel in the summer.</p>
<p>My dad has run multiple financial need calculators. We make just over 100k a year and, until this past September, owned two houses (we tried to get the renters to buy it for years). Although I have two younger siblings and we run a small business, we do have a lot in savings. From what I can tell, I might still receive small amounts of aid, especially at private and out-of-state colleges, but it does not reach an amount that meets my goals. Thank you for your input!</p>
<p>BrownParent- Unfortunately, my SAT CR+M is 1390 and just shy of the full tuition scholarship at Alabama. Since it seems to have an atmosphere similar to IU (college town, liberal arts, sports, parties, strong honors program) and the costs would be similar as well, I had decided previously that it would not be worth the 8-hour distance difference. However, I just noticed that the scholarship deadline hasn’t passed yet, so I will talk to my guidance counselor about it.</p>
<p>Ucb alumnus- Thank you for the helpful link! I know that many of the deadlines have already passed- for many of the colleges, I usually eliminated them because of the distance, the lack of dance program, or another condition. I am still interested in St. Olaf and Muhlenberg, but I am worried about the size since I have enjoyed medium-sized and larger schools more.</p>
<p>I keep forgetting that I have already thought so much about colleges and need to remember that I have made my choices so far with intent. Writing this out has helped me a lot, and I’m sure I’ll need it again to remind me. Thank you for the reminders as well as new information!</p>
<p>@indecisiveinfp7 it is uncanny how my student is almost in the exact same circumstances. Almost the same family, financial, academic situation. Though he will be going into STEM, he also loves dance more than anything. Training individually, training with his girlfriend. You have to very resilient to be a male dancer. He has never cared what others think. He is fiercely stubborn regarding his passions. He will likely be going to an OOS flagship for STEM which has fantastic research opportunities in his field of interest. It is a smart choice. </p>
<p>However, this is the first time I have ever heard him voice concern about what other people think. He’s going to plow through senior year but a state flagship choice is not something that is even mentioned at his school. He will have to announce his choice in front of the school at honors night and is already a bit worried. Last year, one student announced that he was going to the instate flagship and was the only student that qualified his choice by explaining that it was for engineering. He should not have had to feel self conscious. I’m sorry that you live in a time where image is important. You have made your decision based on carefully thought out criteria. Going to a private LAC that no one has ever heard of so that you can feel better at senior lunch is not the right thing to do. Going to a college based on rankings of Joe Shmoe News Organization’s random criteria is not the right thing to do. I know that you know this because you are smart. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. That there are other smart students that will be making same the choices. They will be going to state schools that are research universities that work with NASA and the NSF or universities with special opportunities in arts, etc… And the parent’s of these smart students will be asking their children to ignore the peer pressure and carry on with their smart choice. And we know you will because you are both smart and strong.</p>
<p>I would be open-minded as of now. DO look into other private universities or LACs with strong programs in your areas of interests, dance included. If you find yourself strongly drawn to a particular college, then you have a decision to make. But as of now, be confident in your decision, a wise one at that I might add.</p>
<p>What was your M+CR score on your SAT? If it was above 1400 then you should consider Miami University in Ohio. They offer half to full tuition scholarships for those stats and I believe you have until Feb 1st to apply. They have a dance minor but no major. I think you’ve made a wise choice with IU because I believe you’re instate for Indiana. Just be aware that the Singletary scholarship at Kentucky is competitive. I believe they award 50 or so a year. Good luck.</p>
<p>Yes, very well said @gearmom. We are struggling with the same thing. DD got Presidential Scholarship at University of Alabama, and we’ve gotten more and more excited about the school and Honors Program. But she gets deflated when people ask “why would you want to go there?” rather than a prestigious school (she’s likely to get accepted at several UCs). I suggested she prepare a standard reply about the outstanding merit scholarship, respected Honors Program (and its perks), etc. She has not decided on UA for sure, but she’ll be going to grad school for her career choice, so cost is a big factor.</p>
<p>I always feel obligated to tell my kids not to make assumptions on where their friends are going based upon what those friends are saying now. So many kids these days are forced to change gears once the money (or lack thereof) becomes clear. Kids who are sure they’re going to Penn, end up at Penn State’s or Pitt’s honors college. Kids going to Georgetown end up at Fordham or Catholic U. Kids who are sure they’re going to Fordham end up at St. Joe’s. Kids who are sure they’re going to St. Joe’s end up at Temple. </p>
<p>OP, go where you can be happy. Don’t take on debt needlessly. And don’t worry about everyone else. </p>
<p>@purpleTitan, I don’t think we will qualify for need-based. The problem with the Bay Area (and CA in general) is that salaries are higher, but so is cost of living! She has high stats including 34 on ACT and strong ECs, but I don’t have a feel for whether she has a chance at merit aid from UCs. I believe that even when they do give merit (for academics) it is only $2-7K (Regent’s and Chancellor’s scholarships) depending on the campus. But I could be wrong. I just wish we didn’t have to wait until March to hear from them. Technically she could commute to Cal. But she strongly wants the on-campus experience - which she can have, without debt, at Bama.We’ll see… :-)</p>
<p>@NEPatsGirl @SFBayMama I think the kids only sell themselves short when they live for other people. The University of Alabama sounds like it would be an adventure. And if people ask why look them in the eye and say because I like it best. We don’t have safety schools. We have schools we’d love to go to.</p>
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