<p>The possibility of me even being able to fully apply at this point is slim. I finished my apps but my mom said she had no money and I’d have to wait until the 8th of April (that doesn’t even give them a month to process my application and for me to turn in a deposit on time.) but yet tonight she went to tgi Fridays with her friends and she now texted me to say she won’t pay the apps for me because she’s not made of money.</p>
<p>Franny,</p>
<p>Talk with your guidance counselor tomorrow, and ask for help getting waivers for those application fees. Most colleges and universities have a process for that. Since you are dealing with in-state publics, your counselor may be able to nudge the paperwork through.</p>
<p>Hugs to you, Franny.</p>
<p>Your posts, and those of many others, constantly remind me of how lucky I am to have the parents that I have.</p>
<p>There is no doubt in my mind that you will persevere and get through this. I’m pulling for you!</p>
<p>@happymom: yes I’m gonna see if I can get a waiver tomorrow. Idk if I reached my limit for my sat waiver (isnt it like 4?) but I’ll see. UCF states just to send them an sat or act waiver with a written request to the office of admissions but for usf I emailed them as to how to go about it as it is unclear on their site.</p>
<p>Also thank you all for your support.</p>
<p>Parents are flawed too, and these things can hit emotional nerves. Do try to stay humble and sad, and ask your mom for the college support now; that you need it more than ever. If you can borrow the fee money, do so.</p>
<p>Find out from your GC if the schools in question will accept the NACAC fee waiver</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Documents/ApplicationFeeWaiver.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Documents/ApplicationFeeWaiver.pdf</a></p>
<p>If you had your SAT scores sent to the school, some public universities will take them as long as they are affixed to the school letter head, signed by the GC and has the school seal.</p>
<p>Franny, I want to encourage you to take a deep breath and sit still for a half an hour today and really consider whether rushing through this process at this stage of the game is actually going to get you what you want and need in order to be able to attend.</p>
<p>I know it feels like, “But I’ve been on this track my whole life!!! Yikes.” Now what?</p>
<p>Understand that there is honestly not the rush you believe right now, and recognize that when colleges measure graduation rates, they measure 6 year graduation rates. I know it feels like if you don’t move now you will be “behind,” but from here on out in your life, it’s not like that.</p>
<p>You live your life from here on out. I have no doubt you will go to college and probably graduate, as well, but somtimes you will set yourself up for the best future by taking time to plan and not to rush, right now.</p>
<p>Summarizing: 1. Don’t take any classes during a gap year, but do something interesting and reapply if you want the best chance at aid. The best offers are made to incoming freshmen. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Alternatively, take classes at a local CCollege and transfer in to a state college program.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to four year state universities at the last minute and HOPE for financial aid. (which is finite and once given is not available to students until next year)</p></li>
<li><p>Take a gap year, do something interesting and reapply next year, to a carefully selected set of schools with a good mix of merit and need based aid potential for you. (this is a very different perspective than “best school,” but is an equally valid way to make a list.)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously, the choice is yours. Just thought I’d put the basic repeated concepts out there in one place for you to consider.</p>
<p>ETA: I hope, regardless of what you choose to do, you will let us know how it all turns out for you. Wishing you the best.</p>
<p>The other thing, Franny, and I did mention this earlier, is that a list come out, and it will be featured on this board, of schools needing students after all of this is done. And some pretty good schools do show up on this list and some do say they have financial aid available. When that happens, be prepared to have your GC contact some of those school and ask straight out if there is enough money there with a decent chance of you getting it so that it is worth while your applying… At that stage of the game, it time to get right down to the brass tacks. They need students, you need an option, you can only pay so much. Probably the way it should be from the get go. </p>
<p>Can anyone provide a link to that thread from last year? The schools vary from year to year, but if someone can pull up last year’s you can see what I mean. So don’t go crazy right now with spending money for apps. The admissions offices right now are crazy busy fielding questions and dealing with situations from those trying to decide where to go. When the dust settles in May, things will be calmer. Also, the schools will want to tie up these loose ends and can focus a bit more on your problem, which frankly does not even make their list right now.</p>
<p>The possibility of me even being able to fully apply at this point is slim. I finished my apps but my mom said she had no money and I’d have to wait until the 8th of April (that doesn’t even give them a month to process my application and for me to turn in a deposit on time.) but yet tonight she went to tgi Fridays with her friends and she now texted me to say she won’t pay the apps for me because she’s not made of money.</p>
<p>Do you have a grandparent or aunt that can lend you the $50 or so to send in a Florida public app (pick the one where your scores are highest so you’d get the most aid).</p>
<p>Or ask your mom to put in on her credit card and you’ll pay it back (do you expect to get any graduation money from relatives?). What about your dad? Can he pay for one app?</p>
<p>Here is the link to last year’s NACAC Space Available info: [Space</a> Availability Survey Results 2011](<a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/SpaceAvailabiltySurvey/Pages/SpaceSurveyResults2011.aspx]Space”>http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/SpaceAvailabiltySurvey/Pages/SpaceSurveyResults2011.aspx) It looks like the new list will populate ~3 May.</p>
<p>Pratt is a great school, but there is no way anyone should take out that amount of money from them. You’re going to regret it later, I assure you. I think there is very little chance you can make the money back through art.</p>
<p>I was able to get an sat waiver for both schools and usf told me they accept that so I’m sending out my waivers along with my transcripts tonight and I’ll be donezo.</p>
<p>That’s great news. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Good luck Franny…keep us posted. </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Good luck Franny. </p>
<p>Let us know how it goes. (fingers crossed.)</p>
<p>Congratulations Franny! Glad to hear you are moving ahead with applications, some of those priority dates don’t always mean all that much up until May 1st. You want to be in school and you should be, I suspect that in the not too distant future you will not be sorry that you skipped art school for a place with broader opportunities.</p>
<p>Hi Franny… a big hug to you. You are doing an amazing job at handling your situation.</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that the OP was not given better guidance (I really thought the recession had knocked some sense into college reps/marketing departments/overly optimistic college counselors etc. but I guess not everywhere. </p>
<p>I would like to say that the OP has made a fantastic adjustment once made aware of the realities of the situation. These “realities” seem to hit art/music students particularly hard because the specialty schools never have the funds to meet a high percentage of need for more than a sliver of admits. </p>
<p>Franny, since you know what the climate/advice is like in your area please share your new awareness with younger students at your school, the sooner the realistic planning begins the better. I really hope your state schools can reach out to help you - and I think they will be more willing to do that now, while you’re still in high school, than they might after a gap year or as a transfer. Find out who your admissions representative is at each of the instate schools you’re applying to and enlist their assistance in working through the steps from here to move in day (or first day of class if you’re able to live at home).</p>
<p>If you can commute to an instate 4 year the money you save can go a long way towards art supplies and your bedroom no doubt offers more space to work on art projects than a dorm room would. The good news for you is that your situation is not unique - there are a lot of smart talented kids at state schools because of money. Realizing this will take the sting out of not packing your bags for NYC this fall.</p>
<p>I give this young person a lot of credit. I am so obdurate that even when the facts are right in my face, it takes a long time for the to seep through that wall and into the brain to process. Though I give advice on doing “about faces”, I am unlikely to be able to do so as quickly as the OP has.</p>
<p>Good Work Franny! Come back next year and post to us. Another possibility-Berry College in Georgia-they have great aid, guarantee jobs for all students and have a big endowment (read lots of need based aid). They recently were given more money through an alumni source and will be sponsoring 30 more students that they guarantee will graduate debt free. They have a rolling admissions, beautiful campus, honors program and free application if you fill it out online. I don’t know much about the art department other than the fact it has its own building and offers a teacher certification option.</p>