This is a quick response that doesn’t encompass everything you said but I will be able to get my father’s financials I believe - it’s just really complicated. However, even with my non custodial parent I am below the threshold of full need (<65k). Thank you for adding this perspective I hadn’t even thought about this. Have a nice day!
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I understand your concern about cost at American, but factor in the fact that you’ll have a bachelor’s + master’s in public health in 4 years, not only saving 1-2 years of grad school tuition but also earning a salary in a master’s level job during those 1-2 years.
Just an option to add to the brainstorming.
My father is very much alive. I don’t know if this is something I should be putting on the internet but I do come from a domestic abuse household and Im leaving that there. My mom and I are worried about mentioning this because of legal repercussions that come along with this and I’d like to respect my mom’s wishes and not start any additional “drama”. My father does not pay child support, and I do have his phone number. Last time I checked he makes ~30k
Are familiar with the scholarships on this list?
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You can mention the domestic abuse (+ include any proof: restraining order, police report…) on your FA application.
Depending on the college it means you may or may not have to complete the non custodial parent form.
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I looked at your awards and ECs again and they are stellar considering your background. Remember, the reason why URM/FG/LI are hooks is that it is expected that children in those categories either have little to know support or are in sub par educational institutions. So to be able to accomplish what you have with all three hooks, well you are a statistical unicorn. It displays a level of perseverance and aptitude that tells AOs that you can succeed. But that being said, it does not guarantee you admission to the top schools, you still have need the entire package. So considering you have only a few months left, you need to use your time wisely. That’s the situation my daughter is currently also in. With your stats. the main reason you would want to get into another STEM based program is to eventually get a letter of req that would make an AO cry. For example, the local college give summer science internships to a dozen kids in the county each summer. My oldest landed a spot and spent half the summer in a windowless closet with another intern coding weather patterns. Unlike her partner, my daughter is extremely extroverted and developed a good working relationship with the professor. In the end he wrote a two page letter of req that amazed me. The working nature of internships usually produce that. If you already have great letters lined up then use the next few months to flesh out your essays, application and literal plan of attack. If not, then when looking for a position, you need to keep in mind that it should be an environment that could result in a glowing letter of req. Meaning, there needs to be the possibility for you to shine. And shine doesnt mean cure cancer, it just means be the kid that adults love. And the possibility of a person that could eventually write that letter. Like if there is an opportunity but the adult in charge seems less than enthusiastic then find another one. In terms of finding a position, you are going to want to Google “high school internships 2021”+ “low income” + “bio” etc. Here are a few resources I used for my kids:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/Opportunities-High-School-Undergraduate-Postbac-Students/
indeed
Local Community Colleges
There are two basic paths: national or local. A lot of the non-local programs were either cancelled, postponed or done online this year. Typically, you start applications in the fall of your junior year for placement the summer after it. But the pandemic has somewhat modified that schedule which might allow you to find a late summer or fall program. LinkedIn, Indeed and your local community colleges are good avenues to finding opportunities with local bio businesses and organizations. Its a lot of footwork, emailing and calling, but I feel its worth it because if its your field of interest, its a good exercise in networking that you can use for graduate school or future job placement. Also, I dont know about your local area, but mine is STEM central where least half of the programs specifically seek out low income students. That’s why I noted to add that to the search. A lot of these programs provide stipends for the summer.
Good luck!
PS I saw the recent posts about your family situation. Sad to say my girls are in the same boat. The financials are tricky with aid. But its doable. This is what you want to do. You want to take the time to contact the finance office of all the schools you are applying to. When you submit your common app, you will need to submit your parents information. Even if he is out of the picture, like my girls, they need to verify this. The way to do this is to get a head of the game and work with the finance offices. Find out what each office needs and how strict they are. Otherwise, every year you will go through the same headache of getting his info when you renew your aid. My daughter spent four months of texts, crying and begging to get a copy of his tax return.
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As I noted they have the Frederick Douglas Scholarship. For that reason alone it’s worth applying. It covers all.
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Hello @Penzy (
)! Quite a bit has happened in the last five days so I thought I might update this thread. After emailing 3 labs, I was able to get myself a research assistant position starting in two weeks. Usually, it takes 100s of emails, but I suppose I was fortunate in this regard. I have also finished my Commonapp essay (would love to have you read it) and am finalizing a list of 15 schools that give good aid and I would want to attend. I will likely start a new thread asking for suggestions! In case it matters: my research encompasses environmental desalination technologies and their usages in coastal communities and any social, economic, and logistical barriers to their implementation. Honeslty, not entirely sure what it means but Im looking forward to learning more 
EDIT: OH also! I was able to contact my dad (guess he take 3 business days lol) and I know my household income (for 5) is <75k and doing the basic math of how QB allocates per person, I should still qualify. HOWEVER, I have been doing some more research and it seems like some schools only let you match if your EFC is completely 0
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Great job all around!
It’s okay if you don’t know what your lab is doing. What matters is that you should be able to explain it after working there!
At first they’ll mostly entrust you with cleaning beakers anyway 
before they can see whether they can give you something more complicated and requiring handling more safety rules (some HS students may think safety rules are too strict and pointless and thus skip some and then… Not all, so they’ll try to see whether you’re a “rule skipper” or not.)
What’s your EFC?
Yes, you still qualify for Questbridge, but indeed some colleges may not consider you for Match. They would however allow you to apply as part of their ED or REA or RD pool with a special Questbridge mark. Only the most generous colleges would match Questbridge’s full ride+ offer, but still better than most offers.
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My EFC ~2700 dollars, I’m not entirely sure if that’s high or low though, just that it’s not 0
It’s low.
That’s good (?) to hear!
Agree with @MYOS1634 . Putting the proof of that on your CSS Profile will likely result a waiver of the NCP information.
Hi Dilly05!
You did well.
That is an excellent research opportunity. It actually feeds into a lot of the global initiatives circling right now. You’ve probably already got this on your to do list, but before you start that position, research that area of interest and see if you can find any related studies or publications online. Research the company, NGO or institution that hired you. Specifically try to find anything online from previous research assistants. And if you know the names of the project leads, then do a quick search for previous work or publications. Always go in armed and ready, knowing your opponent, so to speak. Remember that your goal is to get a warm and fuzzy letter of req out of this. But from what you described, if there is the possibility of getting your name attached, even as an addendum, to something published, then that would be the cherry on top.
You finished your common app essay? Ok wow. I would be happy to read it.
My oldest applied to University of Chicago, MIT, CalTech, Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley and UC LA. So I know a lot about those schools. My second is adding Columbia, Princeton, Cornell and NYU to the list. I’m in the process of researching those schools now. So if there is any correlation (except for Columbia :)), I can share the research and lists we compile.
Can you post your 15 schools? Its also important to know why you are selecting each school. I’ll set aside some of my kdrama time to review them for you.
Also, given your profile, I would not just look at schools that give good aid. There’s a lot to this, too much to post, so if there are schools that you are interested in, but eliminated due to cost, let me know and I’ll do some research on them. As long as they are not public, there is a good chance, you can walk away with a degree at minimal cost. There is also a cost/benefit to be weighed. I know 10 or 20 more per year may seem like a lot, but you should also analyze the post graduation employment starting salaries for each school in your prospective field. Most schools/degree programs actually post this online. The range can be eye opening. Also, besides aid, to help pay for school, there are scholarships, grants and student loans. Based on your profile, you will qualify to apply for a lot of scholarships and grants. I can get you started on this process as well. Also, the aid you get may increase after the first year. It did for my daughter. She also made enough money from on - campus TA jobs to payoff her first year loans already. Fancier schools tend to have better student opportunities. And because her school is higher ranking, she will most likely get into another higher ranking PHD program next year where they will pay her, instead of her paying. (almost fainted when I heard that) And then from there, her starting salary and opportunities should be hopefully better than if she had gone to UC Berkeley. In other words, a higher up front cost may be worth it if the end result is considerably better. And where there is a will there is a way. You just have to seriously work for it. But look what you accomplished in five days. Oh and if you need help understanding the parent plus loans, let me know. That’s what my daughter used to cover the portion not covered by aid.
In regards to your edit. I don’t know anything about QuestBridge because my girls don’t qualify. But I did spend four years researching the most efficient way to reduce the cost of college and how to pay for it within the 10 year repayment window of the parent plus loans. And <75k is way less than the Pell Grant cut off for aid.
Finally, since you are in the same cohort as my second daughter (again no Columbia advice, sorry) happy to help you through the whole process since I’m already doing all the work anyways. That’s why I found myself on CC again.
Hwaiting!
PS I dont check this site regularly, only when I get a pocket of time in the middle of the night to do some research. So if you need to get a hold of me, is there a way so that I will notice it? I would DM you my email address, but I can’t seem to find that function on this website. shrugs I’ll try and remember to check this in a couple of days.
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