Chance me for UNC-CH & UofM

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello! Im asking for YOU, the college confidential community, to chance me for University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and University of Michigan.

However, I am in a bit of a unique situation. Instead of my being a senior in my last year of high school. I have decided to go to college instead and finish my HS diploma at college. I only needed English and PE to graduate high school and i took them up at my college, Therefore I graduated a half year early, and will continue my spring semester at Clarkson University. This makes me a freshmen applicant with advanced standing (academically a sophomore/physically a freshmen).

LETS GET TO THE STATS! (this will be seperated).

High school:
94 overall average weighted
91 unweighted
29/329 in my class
28 ACT (31 eng, 28 math)
1300 SAT (650 on both parts) 23/24 on essays
250+ Volunteer Hours
8 Clubs (Foreign language, newspaper, science club,DECA, Mock trial, Student government, national honor society, business honor society)
Deca- 2 time regional champion (1st and 3rd), and state champion (1st), competed at internationals. secretary 2 years in a row for hs, VP of finance for region one year.
Mock trial- President for two year, won county and regional titles, 3rd at states.
Bilingual in Spanish
2 jobs (target and a spring/summer job)

College:
3.4/deans list My first semester as a Biology major with 2 minors (law and biomedical engineering).
16 Credits fall semester/17 credits spring semester
Looking to double major in biology and law but current college doesnt offer it
First Robotics Team lead
Clarkson university Student Association senator for class
on the; Innovation and IT bird, ERC rennovation board, and Student Life board
Have inserted 20 new routers around campus.
Have led multiple projects for students in conjunction with president.
Tcs Council
I work 15 hours a week with clarksons mens hockey team.

Myself:
White
17, female
Syracuse, NY
Families income: 130k range
Will be filing as an independent this year
Only child but has a half brother that a lot of the family income goes to due to addiction.
no veterans
Fathers highest level is HS, Moms is a BA

Navy:
Applied for NROTC scholarship
96/99 on ASVAB
selected for nuclear technician
was enlisted but cut the contract to continue my education

Other:
Accepted to Boston University
Biology and Law double major/ Possibly Biomedical engineering
Im unsure how my college work will be weighed against my hs work.

Thank you!! I know my scores are pretty low, but im hoping my GPA this semester and all of my extra curriculars can make up for it.

If you guys have any suggestions on where i could apply that has great bio and law programs i would be open to suggestions! Dont look too much at the scores because everything is always a game of chance :slight_smile:

Thank you again.

2

I don’t normally respond to these but here it goes…

Both schools are a reach for you. And… How are you filing as an independent for FA purposes?

3

I am filing as an independent due to money circumstances. My family may make a certain amount per year, but most of it goes to my brother who unfortunately is in the middle of police charges and addiction. My parents were very gracious enough to pay for my firstbyear of college but will no longer be assisting me at all in my future years, so I will hopefully be filing as an independent to recieve more aid. Its awful to say that, but most of the colleges I applied to do not take these situations into effect. Boston University did not, however, My current college, Clarkson University, saw my family struggling financially and threw an extra $5,000 our way.

4

There are rules for applying as an independent for FA purposes… do you meet the requirements? Unfortunately… parents refusing to pay ( and I am sorry for your family circumstances) is not listed under the qualifications to apply as an independent. Will your parents pay anything?

Do you have SUNY schools on your list? Are there any that are within commuting distance from your house? What is your EFC… you may qualify for free tuition to SUNY. If you qualify for free tuition at SUNY ( your parents income is under a certain number) then you will need money for room and board… about $12,000-15,000… depending. If you take out the $5500 loan and earn some money working… it could be doable.

If you need money… then you need to apply to schools that will possibly give it to you. This means checking out schools that give merit and where your numbers put you at the top. It also means investigating SUNY. You can check out the merit threads listed on CC. You may also want to use the NPC for some test optional schools that meet need and see if the results look affordable to your family. Use the NPC for Michigan and UNC … with your parents information… and see if they look affordable… just a reminder that they are very reachy.

5

Trying to become independent likely will not work. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/dependency UM will be $65k/year. I looked at my DS school’s Naviance for UM (+400 applications/out of state). 1 student was accepted with your stats. I would caution however, that he was likely an athletic recruit.

6

I just noticed your parents income of $130,000 a year. I don’t know what the upper limits are for free tuition to SUNY schools. I also think your EFC to test optional schools that meet full need will likely be more than what your parents can pay.

I would absolutely check out SUNY and whether you qualify for free tuition or for the NYS stem scholarship…(? Not sure if you qualify?) which awards free tuition to SUNY. I would also investigate schools that are within commuting distance from your home… even if it means working and attending school part time as a commuter. And… check out the merit threads on CC and see if you qualify for full tuition at any.

7

I do not qualify for the free tuition through new york state unfortunately and I am right next to Syracuse University, and the only suny school around here is ESF, Environmental science and Forestry, which is not quite what I want to do. I dont mind taking out loans for a college either because I wish to recieve my doctorate or JD/MD. My parents will no longer be paying for anything of mine moving forward, I will begin to file my own taxes, which labels you as an independent because you are working off of your own (my) income.
I already have low expectations of me getting into UNC, as their OOS is crazy. But I feel good about Michigan as my Academic Advisor at Clarkson feels strongly about it, as he did with BostonU. I guess the Honors program at UMich only requires a 3.5, and I was .1 off. I havent Applied to michigan quite yet because I am still up in the air about where I want to transfer to… I believe that my EC’s, good essays and great rec’s will help make up for my scores and GPA.

Honestly, I just want a really good school for what I want to major in that will help me get into Med/Law school. My dream school is WUSTL, but I know I will never get in…

8

You can’t be labeled as an independent for FA purposes unless you meet the listed criteria. Do you meet it? My kids filed their own taxes as well… that did not matter and they were not independent for FA purposes. Please check the criteria and let us know if you qualify. Filing your own taxes does not qualify you.

Michigan is a reach for you, and if you do beat the odds and get in… you will not have the money to attend.

Once you are an independent for FA purposes then you can take out loans for grad school. You are likely not an independent for undergrad … Please check the very specific criteria… And can therefore take out $5500 your first year with slightly higher amounts each additional year.

9

Your parents will not contribute any more money towards your education. You can afford $5500 + money earned through working + any merit money you receive. I would look at schools that might give you merit… Look through the threads posted on CC. It appears that you need full tuition or you will have to commute and attend school part time. Can you perhaps live in an off campus apt in Buffalo or Binghamton while you work and attend school part time? Taking 2 or 3 classes a semester while you work and live off campus might be doable… depending.

If you meet the specific criteria posted above for being independent as an undergrad please let us know. If you are applying for FA and are claiming to be an independent for FA purposes… Be prepared to prove it with the necessary documents… Court records, birth certificates for your children, etc. And… not living with your parents and not being on their taxes ( not sure if this is the case or not) will not make you an independent as an undergrad for FA purposes… as per FAFSA.

10

Have you filled out a FAFSA? If the answer is yes… you should know based on your answers to the questions… whether or not you are an independent for FA purposes and whether or not you need to supply your parents information.

11

I seldom post on the chances forum…but this one caught my eye.

  1. You will not be considered independent for financial aid purposes.
  2. UNC is a huge reach for you.
  3. University of Michigan is a huge reach for you. Your ACT score is way below what is in the range for OOS students. Also, even if you are accepted...how will you pay? Michigan does NOT guarantee to meet full need for OOS students...and they might just consider you a transfer student too.

What affordable places are you considering?

12

Again… if your parents will not pay you have these options:

  1. Live at home, work, and attend school part time. You can take out the $5500 loan.
  2. Look for schools that will give you full tuition for your stats... and then use the $5500 loan plus a job for room and board. Look at the threads here.
  3. Move to Buffalo or Binghamtom. Live off campus with several roommates and find employment. Attend UB or Binghamton part time while working....take 2 classes. This won't be easy but it might work... depending.

The schools that you dream about are reaches… both academically and financially.

13

I asked for you to determine my chances, not assess my finacial situation and what I can, and cannot, pay for. I understand I cannot afford these schools, but that is not the point of this post or for you to constantly remind me I can not afford schools that are 65k a year. I go to a school that is 63k a year currently, and recieved 45k in scholarships. Thank you for your input, but I will not be doing any of the options you percieve for me, as they are not what I asked for your opinion on. Thank you.

14

You indicated that you plan to be independent for FA purposes. That is wrong… you can’t… unless there is information that you are not sharing. It is easy to determine if you can be an independent because the rules are posted.

You indicated that your parents will no longer pay. If you apply to schools that meet full need… including test optional schools… and get into one… Your EFC …based on your parents income…may be somewhere in the 20’s. This is why your current school gave you money. The Stafford loan may be part of the package to meet need. If the school costs $65,000 a year and your EFC… As determined by the school… is $25,000… This means you will be expected to pay your $25,000 EFC. How do you plan to do this if your parents will not pay? Money does not drop from the sky and you will not find a job on your own to afford this.

We are here to help you find affordable options so that you could complete your undergrad degree and head off to grad school, but if you are not interested … that’s ok. Apply to Michigan and if you manage to get in… If… good luck paying $50,000+ per year. They will not meet full need for you because your parents make too much money. YOU do not have the money on your own to pay.

You need schools that are realistic for you… both academically and financially. Good luck!

15

Actually…private high school might be far more generous with need based aid than private colleges…even ones that meet full need.

But back to your chances…

By any chance did you retake the SAT or ACT and raise the score?

16

That is a good idea. Raising the score would possibly open up more options for merit money. @Taylorwicks we are here to help you afford college.

17

Im just going to apply to different schools and watch my “denied” statement appear on my computer for UNC-CH. Thanks guys.

18

Is that Clarkson…or a private high school. If you have matriculated at Clarkson…to receive need based And scholarship aid…you may NOT be considered a freshman…you might be a transfer.

When students do dual enrollment as a means to finish HS, they usually do NOT get financial aid from the college.

But I am digressing a bit. If you DO get this aid from Clarkson…and the school is therefore affordable…why don’t you finish your bachelors degree there. It would only be three more years…right?

19

I thought the same… why not finish at Clarkson?

Can you afford the tuition for the next 3 years… which seems to be around 20,000 ?

20

I am not dual enrolled fully, as my situation is different. I go to The Clarkson School, a special sector inside Clarkson University made especially for seniors who skipped and decided to go to college. you DO get aid from the college, however you do not recieve STATE AND FEDERAL aid until you recieve your diploma. I do not wish to stay at clarkson because they do not have the major i wish to pursue.