<p>@thumper1 Yes I know, they are both not ideal(location wise) which is why I am considering omitting both(Smith and MtHolyoke)</p>
<p>Thanks for all for the advice guys, I really had no idea what I was doing.</p>
<p>Re-check Bryn Mawr’s website. I think it is now test optional. For a full list of test optional institutions, see: <a href=“ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest”>http://fairtest.org/university/optional</a></p>
<p>It looks like you aren’t in either the US or Canada, so it is a good idea for you to read through everything at <a href=“https://www.educationusa.info/”>https://www.educationusa.info/</a> and then make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. If no one there has worked with a US citizen lately, they have colleagues in other offices who have: <a href=“https://www.educationusa.info/centers.php”>https://www.educationusa.info/centers.php</a></p>
<p>@happymomof1 No, I am in the Caribbean. Thank you for the links.</p>
<p>rose43, I absolutely understand if being close to relatives is important to you and you will have to weigh that into your decisions, as a personal consideration. As far as finances, however, it is almost guaranteed that if you are in the Pell Grant eligible category (~40K or less total family income) a private full need school will be your least expensive option – including CC. The schools on the list I linked you to calculate FA based on full cost of attendance which means they figure in travel, books, personal expenses etc. If you are accepted, they will be giving you the equivalent of ~ 250K in education costs. I know this is hard to believe, esp if you are used to struggling with finances and living on an inadequate budget, but it is really the case. I really do understand. For us, having the kids live at home and attend a community college would have cost more than attending Yale, Smith or Williams. (Btw the travel allowance will usually cover the cost of two round trip airfares home. You will have to get yourself to campus the first fall.) I’m a single mom working as a counselor earning <60K and all my kids have gone to the most expensive (sticker price) colleges (one Ivy, 2 SLACs), paid nothing, and graduated with no debt. Of course they worked hard before and during college but work-study jobs have a high minimum wage ($12/hour at many schools) and some colleges will pay you if you find an unpaid internship. ( Federal work-study is usually ~8 hours/week but if you don’t want to work during the school year, you can take out a small loan for 2-3K to cover that earnings expectation.) </p>
<p>There are so many ways that it benefits you to be at a selective school with a high endowment. For example, your FA will likely follow you for study abroad. So if you’re receiving a full ride (or close) you’ll be able to take a semester or year to study abroad. Summer internships and research opportunities are often subsidized. Students on FA often have music lessons paid for. And all the little things you don’t think about: e.g., students at Bryn Mawr are given 4 free round trip tickets into Philadelphia each semester to go to museums and theater at discounted rates. I strongly suggest you consider all the advantages and perks before ruling anything out. </p>
<p>Again, you may choose to stay near or with relatives and attend a local school that is a totally valid choice!
But make sure you really know what the bottom line will be for your various options. Here’s the list of need blind, meets full need schools: <a href=“List of Colleges That Meet 100% of Financial Need”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com/list-of-colleges-that-meet-100-of-financial-need/</a>. If you cross reference this list with the test-optional list from fairtest that @happymomof1 posted, you may find even more schools that might work for you (or even colleges closer to your relatives maybe). I know that Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Bowdoin, Colorado College, Trinity College CT, Pitzer, Bard, Colby, Holy Cross, Wesleyan, Wheaton (MA) Dickinson, Hamilton, Middlebury, U of Rochester are all colleges that you’ll find on both lists.
But the women’s colleges are particularly excellent choices for you – of course there’s the outstanding education, the supportive campus environment and opportunities for women, but also they will be easier to gain admittance to because the applicant pool is halved. (So a college like Smith, rated in the top 20 LACs in the US, with a $1.5 billion endowment accepts approx. 1 in 2 applicants…!)</p>
<p>Also, remember that many schools will accept test scores though the February sitting. If you are determined to apply this year, while you’re working out your options, it would be prudent to be taking the standardized tests. A very small investment for possibly opening many more doors for you. </p>
<p>Only 6% of academically eligible low income students in the US apply to top schools (like the LACs you’re considering) . One of the reasons the very generous FA packages exist is to ensure that lack of access to education doesn’t perpetuate a static economic and class system in our country (also a more diverse student body makes for a better education for everyone). So, at least find out how it might work for you…then you can make decisions with all your options available. </p>
<p>@honeybee63 You have been extremely helpful. Thanks. Wow! That’s amazing.</p>
<p>Actually, a close relative of mine moved an hour away from Smith so location is not a problem anymore. Although, I read a few posts on CC regarding financial aid that sorta deterred me. </p>
<p>I am still determined to apply this year so I will take my SAT scores at the next available date which is in Dec. Then I will apply for financial aid January 1st.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr was another option on my list(its also close to DC) but I do not understand the financial aid package. Even if a college meets my full need, as the other were saying, isn’t there still an expected amount my family is required to pay? Even with the accumulation of scholarships/grants, I still will fall short below the hefty tuition.</p>
<p>The good news is, my relatives are willing to support me in books/school fees. </p>
<p>I don’t know your family’s situation but if you are as low income as you indicate there will be no EFC (expected family contribution). There will be an expected student contribution though - you will be expected to earn some money during the school year and the summers. Most of that will go to your travel and personal expenses though. You will not likely have to hand money over to the school. The financial aid offices at these schools are generally vey helpful. Don’t be shy about calling and telling them your situation and asking your questions. In early days of doing college admissions with my kids, (before I knew much of anything about the new college world – which is very different from the 1970’s and 80’s!) I actually had financial aid officers go through the whole net price calculator on the phone with me! Really they want to help. Each school has their own way of calculating aid called institutional methodology, and hey are a little different, but for the top schools, they have all made pretty much the same commitments to make college affordable for the lowest income families.</p>
<p>For the private schools, you will be doing a slightly more in depth calculator than FAFSA (you must do FAFSA as well) called the CSS profile. It’s administered through the college board. If your income is low enough (my guess is yours is), once you’ve filled out the CSS profile they will give you 8 fee waivers to send the CSS to schools that require it. You can find it online but this isn’t your first priority right now. </p>
<p>Also this year the Common App is offering one blanket fee waiver for all schools if you qualify. There’s a box to check in the first section of the application that will request a fee waiver for all common app schools. If you are just doing school specific applications, they will give you a school specific fee waiver if the fee presents a hardship for you. If you’re only applying to a few schools you can decide whether you need those waivers or not. But anyway, there shouldn’t be any college application fees for you, and hopefully you know about the SAT fee waivers? </p>
<p>I’m going to see if I can find an example FA package for one of the schools you’ve mentioned for a student with an income around 40-50K (is that right?). Maybe that will help you understand. I know it’s a lot to take in and you are late to the game but keep putting one foot in front of the other…
You will also need 2 letters of recommendation from teachers in core classes, are you working on that?</p>
<p>The posts that you’ve seen that might have made you nervous probably don’t apply to your situation. There are schools that do something called ‘gapping’ which means when your EFC is 0 (or some other number) but they don’t meet that actual need IOW they don’t provide a substantial enough FA package to bring your EFC down to 0 REALLY. But you aren’t looking at those schools. There’s also the question of what ‘need’ means. A college’s idea of what you should be able to pay is not always the same as what a family can actually pay… but for families with incomes of <60K colleges (again, the ones you’re looking at ) are very clear about their commitments. We have never been surprised with hidden costs or fees, etc. Middle class families, too wealthy to qualify for robust aid but not wealthy enough to pay private college tuition can be in a very very tough place. This is the one time in your life when being low income is an advantage which is why you need to give it your best shot! </p>
<p>OK so here’s a FA package for your income bracket for Scripps College, a women’s college on the west coast, same selectivity and ranking as Bryn Mawr. You can use it to see how need is met. The first chart shows how they calculate the cost of attendance and the second chart shows how they meet your need:</p>
<p>Annual Cost of Attendance
Total $63,740
Tuition $47,164
Room & Board $14,562
Books & Supplies $800
Travel varies
Personal $1,000
Required Fees $214</p>
<p>How Costs Are Covered (Annually)
Total $63,740
Grants $60,340
Federal Work-Study $2,200
Summer Work Contribution $1,200
Parent Contribution $0
Student Savings $0
Student Loan $0</p>
<p>@honeybee63 Ohhh… I understand how the FA packages works now. Oh yes, I applied to Scripps but deleted the application because I felt it was a far reach.</p>
<p>Anyways, alright I think I have a good idea of what I am going to do and how I will go about doing it.</p>
<p>I just emailed the admissions office at B. Mawr(Still waiting on the reply)
Also, I completed my Common App. for Smith and sent it in, along with my teacher recommendation letters and the writing supplement.
They do not require SATs, but given the chance that I might not get accepted, it would be beneficial to take it.
Now, I just need to keep an eye on the deadlines to submit the CSS profile and FASFA, which is February 15th.</p>
<p>I am trying to apply for outside scholarships, although a majority of them are only eligible to US residents.(I am a citizen though) </p>
<p>Is there something else I am missing in this process?</p>
<p>When you investigate the outside scholarships, contact the organizers directly, and ask if you are eligible because you are a US citizen currently living abroad. Some will not require that you be currently living in the US. </p>
<p>If you are a viable applicant for Bryn Mawr, Scripps, etc. there are other LACs that might have money for you. Check out some of the other women’s colleges too: <a href=“http://womenscolleges.org/”>http://womenscolleges.org/</a> and look at LACs one or two tiers down from the ones that are currently on your list. Guilford might work for you. Some other parents will also have ideas if you ask in the Parents Forum for LACs that are generous for students in your financial and academic situation.</p>
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<p>Please be aware that a number of schools listed above are test-flexible, not test-optional.</p>
<p>rose43, it sounds like you’re on the ball with no obvious loose ends! Taking the SAT will keep doors open and do consider applying to other LACs that appeal to you and for which you can meet testing requirements. Sorry if I burdened you with TMI. You seemed a little adrift, but it looks as though you are in good shape! Good luck with the process! </p>
<p>@honeybee63 Oh no you didn’t burdened me at all. Thanks sooo much!!! You have been so helpful.</p>
<p>I will definitely take a look at the list you gave me. On the Financial Aid forum in the Parent section, someone suggested I get a fee waiver to take the SAT Subject tests. Should I go ahead and take those as well? They don’t offer the ACT or AP classes at my school though. However, I do take a few rigorous courses such as Economics, Law(intro), Accounting etc. :-S </p>
<p>If you have time and can sit for SAT subject tests ( or SAT II’s) that would be helpful for you because it would increase the number of LACs you can apply to. Quite a few of them want 2 SAT IIs in addition to SAT I. Also, if you get good scores on the SAT IIs you can submit them, even for schools which don’t require them, and improve your application.</p>
<p>One fee waiver will cover up to 3 subject tests taken on the same day. You should look through the list of subjects and choose your strongest 2 or 3 subjects, then get review books (or find review materials online!). <a href=“What were SAT Subject Tests? - College Board Blog”>The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board;
Take the latest testing date you can and study as much as you can. Although you are late to this party 
you can still have a great outcome if you’re willing to put energy into it! </p>
<p>Look at Simmons College in Boston and Agnes Scott in Atlanta. Both are women’s colleges that might be great match/safety schools for you (depending on scores) and both have some generous aid packages (and full scholarships you can apply for). </p>